The Empress Theatre in Fort Macleod celebrates its centennial this Canada Day, kicking off a busy summer of live drama.
“ June 29 is the anniversary of the day the theatre just opened 100 years ago,” said Empress Theatre Summer program co-ordinator Andy Jenkins.
They will be having a massive gala event on June 29 featuring their two summer productions — The Stage that Made Us” — an original play written by Ron Chambers examining the Empress Theatre’s storied history in all of the different productions the theatre has been home to from wrestling matches to a plethora of onstage productions. It runs June 29-July 21 every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., with a special Canada Day performance at 7 p.m. as well.
“We‘ve commissioned three pieces of art for it,” he continued adding Peter J Scott’s new book about the Empress called ”The Reign of the Empress,” will be released, John Wort Hannam will be performing his new song he wrote about the Empress at 7 p.m..
Lethbridge actors Fred Hillyer, who has starred in a few productions with New West Theatre, and Brian Quinn who is woking on Hatrix Theatre’s October production of Evil Dead the Musical, is enjoying exploring part of Southern Alberta’s history by being part of “ The Stage That Made Us.”
“ It explores the past 100 years of theatre from vaudeville to talking pictures to even wrestling matches,” said Quinn, after performing a portion of the show involving setting up a wrestling match in the theatre.
“It’s a means to educate people about theatre in Southern Alberta. I think it will surprise a lot of people,” he continued.
“ It was in the centre of town and people gather to be part of the community,” he added.
“Fort Macleod should be proud to have a place like it because there aren’t many left. The fact it has always supported cultural activities is pretty admirable,” Quinn continued.
Director Estelle Shook is excited to bring this production to the stage.
“It’s been great. It’s been a lot of fun exploring all of the different styles of theatre they have had here. It’s been song, dance, vaudeville. It has been a real spectacle,” she continued.
Also on Canada Day, there will be tours of the theatre, where patrons can see the signatures of all of the performers since the theatre opened.
“It‘s a tradition at the Empress that if you perform on the stage you can sign the wall,” said Jenkins pointing out his own signature, not far from the signature of Sammy Davis Sr. from back in the 1920s.
“ I started in 2006 operating the drama camps. Then Jeremy Mason (New West Theatre’s new artistic director) took it over for a few years and I came back in 2010.”
It is a busier summer than usual owing to the centennial celebrations.
“It’s going to be very busy.”
On July 28, the Empress is also launching Winn Bray’s new musical “ That Men Might Fly,” which takes place around Fort Macleod’s air force base during the height of the Second World War. They are also putting on two vaudeville shows and Lethbridge Drama Group the Drama Nutz will be performing in August as well.
“It’s going to be very busy,” he said.
