Students with Lacombe Composite High School’s Drama Club are busy putting the finishing touches on their production of The Three Musketeers — All Swash and No Buckle.
Shows run May 2-3 at 7 p.m. and May 4 at 2 p.m. in the LCHS drama room.
Tickets for the play, penned by Pat Cook, are $10 for adults and $5 for students. They are available at the school’s front office or the door.
Teacher Lee Porath said part of the reason she chose this particular version was that it fits within a more brisk two-hour window, whereas the original play length clocks in around three hours.
“It’s also more of a comedy, and more of a relaxed and kid-friendly (version),” she explained.
According to patcook.org, “Here’s a slightly different version of the Dumas classic featuring derring-do, dastardly deeds, and dainty costumes.
“D’Artagnan cannot wait to become a musketeer, especially if is everything it said in the brochure. He meets and gets in a fight with Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. And he’s only been in Paris 10 minutes! Throw in a Cardinal who’s keen on card tricks, a sinister Milady who can’t shake her mother, and a few star-crossed lovers and you’re all set for a frantic night.”
Auditions for the production were held last November, and the cast includes 15 students from Grades 10, 11, and 12.
There are another 15 students taking care of things backstage as well.
Porath also knew some of her Grade 12 students would be all the more taken with the story, as they’ve been delving into the intricacies of stage fighting of late.
Ultimately, she added that part of the appeal of teaching theatre stems from the fact there is something new to explore virtually every day.
“You can have fun with it, and even when things are scripted, it can go quite unexpectedly and you just always have to be on your toes,” she added.
No matter what the production, it’s also always rewarding to see how taking part in a theatrical production can truly be such a positive influence on students as well, she said.
For one thing, it’s a huge confidence-builder.
“I also think that it turns into a family. It has nothing to do with what play we do, or what is going on in class. It has everything to do with being a safe place, and it’s also all about acceptance and having that time together,” she explained.
Porath also loves acting, having explored it in high school and moving on to major in drama in her post-secondary studies.
“When you are up there acting, any worries that you have just fall away because you are a whole different person onstage,” she said.
As for teaching the craft, it never fails to bring about a steady stream of rewards.
“It’s about the relationships and about the students, and, at the end of the day, helping them to become better people.”
As to the production, Porath hopes folks have a super time of being entertained, and enjoy some terrific examples of sword fighting not to mention a truly compelling storyline.
“Our actors have also put a lot of time into their sword fighting (routine) and their choreography, and our backstage crew has also put so much into the set,” she said.
“I hope our audiences notice the little things as well.”
For more information, call the school office at 403-782-6615.
