Central Alberta Theatre is kicking off its dinner theatre season on a bold comedic note with Buying the Moose, opening Friday at the Black Knight Inn.
Penned by Michael G. Wilmot, the play is directed by Glorene Ellis with performances running through to Nov. 4th.
After his wife discovers him with a blow-up doll, Rob is out in the cold when she, for some reason assumes the worst.
Buying the Moose is described as ‘comedy with heart and personal discoveries’.
“It’s a Canadian play, done in kind of a situation comedy style. It’s basically about the differences between men and women,” explains Ellis.
“It’s also about the friendships between women, and brothers and family members. It’s a quite relatable story; sweet and funny.”
Ellis said she’s read plenty of scripts over the years in preparation for a number of shows, and this one just jumped out.
“I read it and offered to do it right away if CAT wanted me to. I always say the cream rises to the top, and I found that this script has something a little bit different for me. And it carried all the way through.”
She certainly has a stellar cast to work with, including CAT veterans Cynthia Edwards, Deb O’Brien, Perry Mill and newcomer Ian Hengeveld.
“It’s certainly a comedy – but it’s a relatable comedy,” said Ellis, who is a terrific actor in her own right. Her last directing venture for the troupe was 37 Postcards back in 2015.
“I’ve worked with all sizes of casts, but to work with four people is a real treat. This even sometimes broke down into rehearsals of two people per night,” she said, referring to the fun of really being able to focus on the details on a singular performance.
In terms of directing, Ellis said she enjoys the process of what goes through one’s mind when reading a particular play.
“What grabs you? Everyone comes along and likes a different kind of play and so it is interesting finding something I like; and I might give it to another director and be surprised at their comments when they have read the play,” she added.
“It’s also like reading a good book, and it just comes alive for you. That’s what I find with this particular play. As soon as I read it, I could hear it; I could see it.”
For more information and for tickets, visit centralalbertatheatre.net or check out www.blackknightinn.ca.
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