 While performance venues in BC are still allowed to operate at 50% capacity, and closed rehearsals are allowed to continue as a "workplace", the current situation with the Omicron variant of Covid-19 has created an unacceptable risk to the success of this production.
As director, Nathan Linders, summarized the situation in recent communication with cast and crew, "By mandate of the PHO, any cold symptoms have to be treated as having the potential for Covid, and a cough, fever, etc. mean we have to self-isolate, meaning missed rehearsals or even missing performances. Given the speed with which Covid and the current common cold is racing through our communities it has become clear to me that counting on ten cast members and three to six critical backstage members getting through a two week span (during performances) without someone coming down with a cough are very low." Already in December, three rehearsals had to be held with stand-ins for cast members in isolation and one rehearsal was cancelled outright. Rehearsals in the first week of January were also cancelled for the same reason. The risk of last-minute show cancellations just seems unacceptably high at this point. SOAP has, therefore, decided to pull The Black Bonspiel off of this year's roster and reschedule it for next season. Our spring show, When the Wind Blows, is still scheduled to proceed as scheduled (April 22-30). We hope to have rounded the current fifth wave of Covid by then. In addition, that show only has a two cast members, who live in the same house, so self-isolation are not a concern and any last-minute cancellations are much less of a risk. Ticket holders for The Black Bonspiel will be contacted by Venables Theatre shortly with options to exchange tickets for our spring show, exchange for gift certificate credit that can be applied to next year's show(s), or to receive a refund. We apologize for this unfortunate decision and thank all of our patrons for their ongoing support and understanding.
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SOAP is pleased to announce that the cast and some key crew members have been announced for their upcoming spring performances of When the Wind Blows, by Raymond Briggs. In addition to the scheduled performances at Venables Theatre April 22-30, 2022, When the Wind Blows will be SOAP Theatre's entry in the 2022 Okanagan Zone Theatre Festival, to be held in Oliver May 20-28, 2022 
 Director, Nathan Linders, is pleased to announce that a full cast has been selected to stage The Black Bonspiel of Wullie MacCrimmon, to hit the Venables stage starting February 4. Thank you to all the others who expressed an interest in this show and a special welcome to SOAP Theatre newcomer actors Derek Beaton and Bill Shields (though Bill is currently rehearsing in his debut role in Flaming Idiots).
O. CLOUTIE (Jen Jensen): Travelling woman (or man). For untold millennia, Cloutie has skipped a curling rink in the Celestial Brier. She is founder of First Fallen Angel Church, Closed Assembly of Satan, and a very a poor loser. WULLIE MacCRIMMON (David Badger): A shoe-maker, and continuing Presbyterian. He skips his curling rink. Like Cloutie, he prefers to win. REVEREND PRINGLE (Joel Browne): Skilled curler. Since the union of the Methodist and Presbyterian churches in the twenties, he has been minister of Grace United Church. ANNIE BROWN (Connie Mythen): Malleable Charlie Brown' wife. She is Mormon and does not curl. A little of Annie goes a long way and there seems to be quite a lot of her. She also is a poor loser. PIPE-FITTING CHARLIE BROWN (Derek Beaton): Plumber, who curls second for Wullie. Over the years, the joints of his Protestant soul have sprung many leaks, but he feels that time and corrosion will heal up anything. CLOCK CHARLIE BROWN (Clem Jones): A jeweler who curls lead for Wullie. He is Catholic. MALLEABLE CHARLIE BROWN (Tom Szalay): A blacksmith who curls third for Wullie. He has two problems: (1) an untrustworthy lower back, and (2) his wife, Annie. GUY FAWKES (Joe Rupcich): Explosive Englishman, who curls lead for Cloutie. JUDAS ISCARIOT (Garry Doll): Lapsed Christian, who curls second for Cloutie. MACBETH (Bill Shields): A rather wordy and ambitious countryman of Wullie's, who curls third for Cloutie. Like Wullie, he is a continuing Presbyterian and he can appreciate Malleable Charlie Brown’s marital problem.
We are busily working on three shows for our 2021-2022 season. Rehearsals for Flaming Idiots are in full swing for opening night on November 19. Auditions for The Black Bonspiel of Wullie McCrimmon will take place over the week. (Fill out this form if you are interested in a part.) Auditions for our spring show, When the Wind Blows, will be announced at a later date. Tickets for all three shows are on sale now! Click here for pricing options. You can get your tickets online by clicking on the buttons below. If you prefer a personal touch, you can also purchase them in person at the Venables Theatre box office at 6100 Gala Street in Oliver, or by phone at 250-498-1626. The box office is open Tuesday through Thursday from 10:00am - 3:00pm. Customers should be aware that by order of the Provincial Health Officer (PHO), a QR code proof of vaccination is required to access all live theater events in BC. To maximize patron safety, we are advised that the Venables Theatre has required all of their staff and volunteers working at any live event to be vaccinated as well.
Visit the the Provincial web site for information on how to get your BC Vaccine Card. While current PHO rules limit indoor event attendance to 200 people, we anticipate that if vaccine requirements sufficiently limit the spread of Covid-19 at indoor events, these audience limits may be increased before our scheduled show times. If not, SOAP will attempt to add additional performances so that our dedicated patrons will still be able to see our stuff!  SOAP's upcoming Annual General Meeting will take place:
The Province's restart plan announcement on May 26 anticipates that as long as vaccination, case number and hospitalization data remains positive, large capacity indoor events (such as concerts AND PLAYS ! ) could resume as early as September 7. This makes us very optimistic about staging a full season of plays for the 2021-2022 season. In addition, SOAP has been chosen to host the next Okanagan Zone Theatre Festival in May 2022! If you are interested in Community Theatre, you are encouraged to attend our AGM. Find out what we have planned, see how you can be come involved and perhaps even step to serve as we elect our our board of directors for the coming season. All those interested are invited to attend, but only paid-up members can vote at the AGM. See our web site for membership information. Minutes of past AGMs are available on our "About Us" page.  While we are still on hold because of Covid-19, planning for next season continues. We have to remain optimistic about vaccine rollouts through this coming summer, and SOAP theatre has booked time slots for our usual 3-production season at Venables Theatre for 2021-2022. The tentative dates are:
We would still like to produce the shows we were planning for last season, which were Flaming Idiots, Black Bonspiel of Wullie MacCrimmon and When the Wind Blows. However, this is subject to change depending on cast and director availability and the actual pace of reopening theatres to regular audiences in British Columbia. As a filler, SOAP is also considering a shorter show, about an hour long, comprised of comedy sketches in a variety show format that can economically be offered to limited audiences of up to 50 people. Again, depending on when theatres will be permitted to resume operations in a limited capacity, such a production will be considered for late spring or early fall of 2021. If you are interested in becoming involved in Community Theatre, we recommend subscribing to our newsletter. All subscribers will be notified of audition and backstage opportunities as our planning becomes more certain.  In response to COVID-19 restrictions limiting audiences to 50 people, and the requirement for safe physical distancing by actors, SOAP had to cancel its planned 2020-2021 season. However, we are exploring options for small-scale live performances to present in the next several months. Preferences include:
If you have seen or know of a play or two that may meet these requirements, please leave a comment below or contact us privately using this Form. We would also love to hear from you if you are interested in becoming involved as an actor, a director or some other capacity. If your suggested script is chosen, we would love to provide you with two free tickets for opening night! |
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