Jason Stockfish | [email protected]
In his directorial debut, Emerson Gibbons guided four budding thespians in a performance that in no way lived up to its name, 鈥淐asting Catastrophes.鈥�
The cast of the local production was Chloe Alderman, Jaydah Stockfish, Ruby Argument and Alice Wannop, with support from co-stars Alyssa Buzenus, Marianne Garrah, and Gibbons, the young director.
Performing to a room of theatre loving community members at the Habitat for the Arts, the young actors played their parts with noticeable talent and fierce dedication.
The first-time director said he came to acting in Jasper a few years ago after his mother showed him a pamphlet for the Habitat offering numerous arts and culture-based programs in the community.
鈥�(Habitat) had just received a federal grant to Re-Animate the Arts (and) I was tasked with performing a one person play,鈥� Gibbons said.
As he continued to gain experience in theatre, Gibbons was asked if he wanted to direct a play at the Habitat and get paid in the process.
He gladly accepted the challenge.
鈥淚 thought, yeah, why would I refuse that?鈥� Gibbons said.
鈥淚t involves my two favourite things; acting and money.鈥�
After a number of rehearsals, the 鈥渃atastrophe鈥� unfolded as a hilarious rotation of characters appeared before a fictional director (Buzenus) and screenwriter (Garrah) who were casting for their upcoming play.
The crowd was in stitches as the young talents portrayed one ridiculous character after another with conviction.
Despite their best efforts, each actor鈥檚 characters failed to impress an increasingly exasperated casting crew.
Before abandoning their search for the right candidate, the screenwriter and director convince the lowly stage manager (played by Gibbons) to try his hand at acting.
With deep apprehension, Gibbons鈥� character auditions for the part and immediately the crew are enthralled by his mysterious character.
They found their next star and he was right under their noses the entire time.
鈥淚t was a little bit harder than I thought it would be,鈥� Gibbons said of directing the play.
He was quick to offer 鈥渂ig kudos鈥� to Garrah, cultural animateur at Habitat for the Arts, for all of her contributions in preparing for the performance.
鈥淪ince opening our doors, the Habitat has continually offered youth opportunities in music, art and theatre,鈥� Garrah said.
鈥淲e think it鈥檚 important to note that 鈥楥asting Catastrophes鈥� was all about the youth re-engaging in the arts after鈥he ups and downs of the past two years.鈥�
For a few of the performers, it was their first time acting and the end results exceeded the director鈥檚 hopes.
The Canadian Heritage RE-Animate program provided funding for scripts and performance rights, costumes, a space for weeks of rehearsals and a space for a dedicated director to just 鈥渂e,鈥� Garrah explained.
鈥淔rom Emerson taking the lead for directing, to Alyssa coming on board with her stage experience, to the parents who made sure their kids were on time and in costume鈥 think the whole ensemble was pretty happy to see youth theatre continues,鈥� she added.
As for Gibbons' future plans, he is taking acting courses with a Chicago-based coach and working with Pieter van Loon and Joost Tijssen of the Jasper Theatre Company, while keeping an eye open for chances to grow along the way.
鈥淚f there are any opportunities with Habitat in the future, I will 100 per cent take advantage of those,鈥� Gibbons said.
