After countless hours of painting sets, hanging lights, rehearsing lines and fitting costumes, the University of Saskatchewan’s Greystone Theatre is ready to unveil its latest production, Les Belles-Sœurs. This English adaptation of Michel Tremblay’s witty French tale takes you back in time to 1960s Montrèal, where the image of the perfect housewife is not all that it seems.
With the co-operation of many staff and students from seven different drama classes, this production is no small feat. Third and fourth-year drama students were cast for their roles one year in advance, and set designs were drafted early in the second semester. Production began following the 2016 February break, and since then, the small but mighty Greystone Theatre has witnessed a whirlwind of activity.
Carla Orosz, the production manager and resident designer believes that time management and teamwork are only a few of the skills that these students learn — skills that can’t be acquired in a lecture hall. She also believes that her students have a passion for theatre, and that is what drives them to spend long hours doing what they love.
All of their hard work is finally paying off. Les Belles-Sœurs runs from Mar. 23-Apr. 2 in the John Mitchell Building on campus. For more information and tickets, visit informationstation.ca.
Carla Orosz, production manager and professor of Drama 110, helps her students install wallpaper.
A research board behind the stage has information on each character’s costume.
Students in the Drama 110 paint tiles for the kitchen floor.
This scale model of the set was drafted by Sydney Schultz, a fourth-year BFA design student.
The final set took weeks of hard work to come to fruition.
Drama student Jesse Aitken and other crew members spent all of Mar. 12 and 13 hanging lights for the show.
Students in Drama 213 follow along with the script during rehearsal.
Director Pamela Haig Bartley oversees a rehearsal on March 16, 2016.
Yvonne Addai, who plays Térèse Dubuc, prepares for the first full dress rehearsal.
Caitlin Zacharias, who plays Germaine Lauzon, gets a hand with her hair from Erin Carson, who plays Pierrette Guérin.
Costume designer Beverley Kobelsky helps Megan Zong, who plays Olivine Dubuc, secure her wig.
Actor Rebecca Chelack, who plays Lisette De Courval, brought her puppy to rehearsal to boost morale. It worked.
The cast consists of 15 third and fourth-year drama students.
Drama students Jensine Trondson (left) and Sydney Schultz (right) review sound cues between acts.
Meleody Mountain, who plays Des-Neiges Verrette, pushes Rachelle Block who plays Linda Lauzon, in a heated scene.
Sarah Grummett, stage manager and fourth-year BFA drama student, calls for sound and light cues during rehearsal.
Despite the play’s upbeat feel, some heavy topics are discussed.
Post-rehearsal notes are relayed to a tired cast at 10 p.m. on Mar. 20, 2016.
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Photos: Caitlin Taylor / Photo Editor