By Kathy Gallant

Rom-Com sweetens up local theatre scene

Nov 18, 2017 | 10:00 AM

It has all the makings of a great romantic comedy. The Nipawin Centennial Players (NCP) production of Matchmaker has the owner of a small town bakery intent on fixing-up her customers including an up-and-coming professional, a young journalist who seems to have it all together but really doesn’t, and a newspaper salesman.

“I think people will enjoy the interaction between the actors,” director Pat Butt said. “The [bakery] owner is really quite interested in seeing romance bloom and she’s trying her best to do that during the play… with much resistance.”

Butt has acted and stage managed for previous NCP productions, but this will be her directorial debut. Her brother-in-law is Brent Butt of the Saskatchewan based TV show Corner Gas. She thinks the audience will connect with characters on the stage, much like viewers connected with actors on the popular TV show.  

“I want people to be able to say, ‘I know somebody like that.’ I think that was why there was the success of Corner Gas,” she said.

The NCP is a self-funded and volunteer-run company. Butt felt fortunate Nipawin was able to present live theatre for its residents.

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“I think its really nice for a community to have that experience,” she said. “Usually, it’s a bigger centre that’s doing these things. We work hard at it and there is lots of energy put into it and I think is shows… and [the audience] will be amazed at the quality of the acting available locally.”

One of those actors is Jani Burgess, who plays the bakery shop owner. She said the play offers an opportunity to showcase culture in the community.

“We need more culture in life in general,” Burgess said. “The culture can be tucked away in these little pockets here and there, but bringing it out into the public – that’s the community culture right there.”

The Nipawin Centennial Players dessert theatre production of Matchmaker takes place on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. and Nov. 19 at 1:30 p.m. at  the Legion Hall.

kathy.gallant@jpbg.ca  

On Twitter @ReporterKath