Knickers

Directed by Jen Jensen
Production Dates: October 28 to November 5, 2022

Auditions

Open auditions will be held at SOAP Theatre's warehouse and rehearsal space, the Big Blue Building next to the Quails Nest Arts Centre, located at
5840 Airport Street in Oliver at the following times:

Thursday August 4th at 7:00 pm
Saturday August 6th at 2:00 pm

All are welcome to attend, including those interested in technical aspects such as set construction, lighting, sound, costumes, make-up, etc.

What's it About?

When the paper mill in Elliston Falls closes, sending the small, rural town into an economic depression, a trio of determined, Wednesday-night weightwatchers and a newly appointed tourism officer must rally their community to save both jobs and spirits.

Their plan of creating a custom underwear business becomes the foundation of the town’s survival in this comedy that celebrates determination, entrepreneurial spirit, and the willingness to bare it all.

A story of four women banding together to help their community in times of struggle, Knickers! is distinctively Canadian but has universal themes of economic hardships, hope and friendship. They are not extraordinary women in extraordinary situations, as much as they are ordinary women who face hardships head on to better the world in which they live.

Characters

Four actors are required to play the following female lead roles and some need to be willing to briefly be seen in their undies on stage:

BARB: Mid-forties to mid-fifties, upbeat, always the positive - albeit tongue in cheek sometimes - character.
TERRI: Mid-forties to mid-fifties, down to earth, practical, less worldly than the other three, earnest.
MARY: Childbearing age, had a hard childhood, tries very hard to make things work out, the organizer.
AMANDA: Mid-forties, idealistic, worldly, naive to the ways of a small town but goodhearted

Actors playing the above roles will also be playing an assortment of minor characters. In addition, one or two actors are needed to play minor male characters.

The Playwright

Sarah Quick is a popular British/Canadian playwright whose plays have been performed to critical acclaim across North America, Ireland, the UK and Australia.

Originally from Manchester, England she now resides in Bobcaygeon, Ontario, where she is the Artistic Director of Globus Theatre @ The LAB (www.globustheatre.com). An accomplished actor and director, Sarah trained in theater at the University of Wales and received certificates in acting from the Guildhall and the London College of Music.

Plays include The Men Commandments, Sunshine Express, Knickers! A "Brief" Comedy, Having Relations, and Do You Take This Man? which won an Outstanding Drama award at the Melbourne International Theater Festival.

www.sarahquick.net

What the Critics have said about Knickers:

"A clever and cheeky tale... Underlying the laughs is a very touching human story of small town values and resiliency which resonates."
- The Reformer (Port Dover)

"Knickers will have you laughing till your sides hurt! ...Packed with outrageous one-liners it is a must see for anyone wanting to put a glow of merriment on their summer."
- PortStanleyNews.com

"This is a comedy played for laughs to the hilt...it has the delicious gossipy attitude of The Women, the outrageous money-making scenario of Calendar Girls, and the hilarious climactic finale of The Full Monty."
- St Thomas/Elgin Weekly News

"Plenty of laughs, including a few big ones that appeal equally to both genders."
- St Thomas Times-Journal