New West Theatre winds up their season this week with a gripping Canadian play about cyberbullying  and it‘s consequences.
“Girls Like That” runs in the Sterndale Bennett Theatre, May 15-25 Wednesday through Saturday. There are also special matinee performances for which several southern Alberta Schools are coming to see.
 They welcome back professional actors, New West Theatre veterans including Alexa Elser and Genevieve Paré, University of Lethbridge students and even a Shakespeare in the park veteran and U of L student  Alli Price.

The cast includes Mali King , Anastasia Siceac, Zoe Bracken, Vivian Ou, Mataya Mikuliak, Kaitlyn Olfert and Heather Gallipeau , who have been involved in an intense 13 day rehearsal process
“It’s a play about cyberbullying and it’s effects of social media on a generation of teenagers, ” said Alexa  Elser, who was part of several new West Music comedy revues including “All Spruced Up,” and ”Heatwave,” but has been working as an actor in Calgary since graduating from the University of Lethbridge in 2016 and returns to New West as a mentor to the younger actors.
“It’s about how cyberbullying has an effect on  the social community, school community and at home,” observed Zoe Bracken, who just graduated  for the University of Lethbridge with a performance degree and is returning for an education degree. She has enjoyed working with and learning from the professional actors.

“Professional actors are mentoring us, so it’s become a learning experience,” Bracken said.
“ It’s a really interesting script. Because the director breaks it up into pieces and gives  them to anywhere between five to 19 girls,” Elser said.
“ It has been split between 10 girls here,” Bracken added.

“But we could say ‘my character would never say that,’ and give it to another character,” Bracken continued.
“The dialogue is different, because it isn’t one character saying ‘hi’ and the other saying ‘hi’ back,” said director Sharon Peat.

According to the press release “Evan Placey’s Girls Like That is an urgent and explosive new play that explores the pressures on young people today in the wake of advancing technology. When a naked photograph of Scarlett goes viral, she becomes the centre of attention for all the wrong reasons. But while rumours run wild and everyone forms an opinion, Scarlett just stays silent.
 Awarded Best Play for Young Audiences at the Writers Guild Awards, Girls Like That explores gender equality and the pressures on today’s digital generation. Airing the issues of feminism, self-esteem, peer group pressure and the dangers of the social media this is a must see for teens and parents.
Recommended for ages 14 and up.”

Director Sharon Peat observed this play has a very timely, constantly relevant theme and felt it was important to bring it to the stage.
“It fits in well with our Canadian play series. The playwright is a Canadian, though it was written for a British audience so we had to change things like Level Three instead of Grade 3,” she said.

“I’m a parent and my kids are grown up and I’m thankful they never had to experience cyberbullying. But as a high school teacher. I see it,” she continued.

New West Theatre celebrates 30 years with a new general manager and a new take on old ideas.

“We’re known for our musical comedy revues. Those are our tent pole events so we‘d never stop doing those because our audiences have stayed with us and expect those, but we’re expanding the schedule because we also want to increase our audience,” said general manager Kelly Reay, who directs  the first musical  comedy revue, not taking place until August. It is a tribute to the women of music — Divine: The Divine Women of Song runs Aug. 7-24. The other Musical comedy revue is their popular Christmas show, “Celebrate: The Anniversary Special will run Dec. 18-Jan. 4.

“We’re going longer runs and we’ve added a few Tuesday shows and Sunday matinees,” he observed.
“It”s our thirtieth anniversary, so we’ve got a bigger season. it will be a nod to our past but it also shows we’re looking at the future ,” he continued, noting they have added a  “fun pirate tale” “ the Legend of the Lost Tooth,” penned by U of L professor Nicola Elson for their new years theatre for young people show.

“ It’s a fun. It‘s got something for kids and adults because we don’t want them to get bored,” he said.
 Inspired by  the success of the rock and roll musical “The Million Dollar Quartet” last year, they are doing two more for this season.

Alan James and Rob Bettison’s “ Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story” runs  at the Yates Theatre, Sept. 4-21. They held an open audition call for that show.

 Playgoers of Lethbridge featured two big nights of mostly original drama at the Chinook Regional One Act Play Festival, March 29 and  30. I missed day two which featured, eventual winner , Playgoers of Lethbridge’s submission of Edward Albee’s Zoo story directed by first time director Mary-Lynn Muhly and performed by Cole Fetting and Josh Hammerstedt which took home  best play and moves on the the provincial One act Play competition in High River in May. 

But the first day featured all of the original scripts, which were well done and drew  great praise from adjudicator  Richard O’ Brien.
 O’Brien really was taken by  the first play,the epic  “At the Mercy of the Waves, written by Jordy Wiens, about two homeless people fearing armageddon, surrounded by an assortment of trash and being driven crazy by the sound of the waves. Brent Clark won best Male Actor for his performance of Perry, a homeless man, who makes a  tin foil hat and draws the awe of his friend Myra, played by  Quinn Larder, who was charming in his innocence, trying to bond with Perry and who can’t figure out how to make a hat of his own. The script won best original script, which was accepted by director Tahnia Getson.

“Falling Through Time,” an original script written  by Tracy Wyman, who also won best female actor, joined by  Jocelyn Steinborn and Haley Gray, was three poignant monologues by three different women remembering harvest time, family members, tea time, photographs and memories of them both.

 The third play was amazing. Kayla Turnbull  penned a film noire styled script about a hit woman, Constance, played by Matya Mikuliak and her serial killer minion Sal, Jesse Thibert and his new girlfriend  Brea, played by Mariah  Jakob, who slowly becomes more obsessed with Constance and increasingly jealous of Sal and Constance’s relationship.

 It became increasingly unsettling and sinister as the story progressed.

Jesse Thibert played evil especially well as Sal, matching to the cold dispassion of his boss Constance, Mataya Mikulak. Mariah Jakob was equally impressive as Sal’s obsessive new beau and last murder victim Brea.

Adjudicator O’ Brien was  a little confused by the  movements of the “network” aka Sal's other victims “ Trevor Loman, Hannah Sawatzky, Cora Moorhead, Chelsea Fitzsimmons and  Rachel Nibogie. who danced  and moved in the background while hissing dialogue as a gGreek chorus and  Sal and Brea’s inner conscience and darkest thoughts.

 O’Brien talked for a good half hour after the performance, offering suggestions and criticisms about each script.
“The Zoo Story” goes to the finals in High River, May 3 and 4.