Throwback summer planned for popular Lethbridge theatre group during COVID

New West Theatre, southern Alberta's best-known theatre company, will keep theatre alive this summer webcasting live radio plays and putting on five days of live drive-in performances in August

Calgary — With a limit on gatherings for theatre performances and live music, Southern Alberta’s best known theatre company has come up with some new ways to keep the community entertained this summer.

New West Theatre will webcast live radio plays next month, and will be putting on five days of live drive-in performances during August.

The theatre company has been keeping southern Albertans laughing and stamping their feet for over 30 years, but COVID-19 restrictions forced New West Theatre to bring down the curtain on the summers' annual high energy production at the Yates.

Artistic Director Kelly Reay said it was hard to make any plans, because no one was sure how long the pandemic was going to last, or when the rules around social distancing would ease up.

“The implications of a pandemic are hard hitting all around,” said Reay, “but for us as a performing arts organization, we rely on the ability to gather publicly. So that first and foremost is a major hit on our operations.”

Long time cast member Scott Carpenter said it has been a difficult time for musicians and actors, “The laughter you give an audience fills my cup too. It has been hard not to do anything… so it was a bizarre rock to my world for sure.”

“It was a challenge to try and piece together how we can be present in the community and serve the community under the restrictions of a pandemic,” said Reay.

As members of the group began brainstorming ways to keep active and involved with the community, they turned to the past, starting with a series of live radio plays in July.

“A throwback to the old time radio plays, but in our production you’ll get to see a little behind the scenes, the music being played, the sound effects being created,” said Reay.

The plays will be webcast free on Facebook live each Thursday at 8 p.m., starting July 9. The first episode is called “Vintage Hitchcock”.

“Old Time Adventure Theatre” is scheduled to air July 16, featuring Flash Gordon and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The July 23 broadcast is Sherlock Holmes: Murder in the Casbah.

In August the cast and crew will move to the south pavilion at Exhibition Park, where they will perform a full scale musical review called Live at the Drive-In.

The stage show will run from August 12 to August 16, with the gates opening at 7 p.m., and the show starting at 8 pm. The cost is $40 per person, or $80 per car.

“Patrons will drive in, turn on their radio, and tune into the show, just like an old time drive-in movie,” said Reay.

“I think it’s highly creative to look at different ways of doing theatre right now,” said Carpenter.

He said he is looking forward to getting back on stage, “I don’t know if people are going to be honking their horns, or flicking their lights… but it will still have this ability to have instant feedback. If I say something funny there will be people that can actually react to it.”

For Carpenter, the idea of not doing a show this summer was almost unthinkable. He said the opportunity to try something completely different is and exciting challenge. “It’s very exciting.”

Tickets for Live at the Drive-In went on sale Monday through the Yates and Enmax ticket centres.