By Teena Monteleone

Rawlinson Centre sets the stage for spooky Halloween

Oct 17, 2018 | 1:42 PM

The legendary story of Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horsemen will come to life this week in the EA Rawlinson Centre. The cast and crew of Spark Theatre will present The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – a classic horror story written by Washington Irving and first published in 1820.

“What I like about this play, in particular, is that it doesn’t go just towards the horror and macabre. It actually has a really nice comic twist to it which has really brought to light the use of ensemble in theatre which is something very different for Prince Albert,” director Adreanna Boucher said.

Ensemble theatre is an approach to acting that aims for a unified effect by having all members of the cast working together, rather than emphasizing individual performances. Boucher said it’s allowed cast members to bring the story to life with their bodies and voices through improvisation and creativity. For example, they all come together to create the ‘Headless Horseman.’

The play features veteran actors from Prince Albert including Ian Dickson who plays Ichabod Crane and TJ Hugo as Brom Bones but it also includes first time actresses like Emma Anderson who plays Catrina Van Tassel.

“Fun fact…Catrina Van Tassel was actually somebody Washington Irving had met. He stayed with her family and asked if he could create a character based on her in his writing,” Boucher said.

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The Legend of Sleepy Hollow will be Spark Theatre’s first production at the EA Rawlinson Centre following major changes in management at the facility. Last December, the city, which owns the facility, announced it was not renewing its operating contract with Star Development, the company responsible for events at the centre for more than a decade. In September, the city gave their approval for $100,000 in funding for a new lighting and sound system. Two positions were also created including production manager and marketing and events coordinator. Cara Stelmaschuk, who also happens to be a founding member of Spark Theatre, took on the latter role.

“We are so lucky to have a facility like the EA Rawlinson in Prince Albert. For anyone who has never been to a live show or play, it is a communal experience for performances and audience members alike,” Stelmaschuk said. “The neat thing about going to a theatrical performance is that the audience gives another character to the whole experience. Every audience is different and will react in different ways, so no two shows are the same.”

 Stelmaschuk said there are huge economic spinoffs to having a thriving arts community in addition to creating a personality and cultural identity for the city.

“People are travelling here to watch our shows,” she said. “They will go out for dinner and maybe stay overnight in a hotel. They will support our local businesses and get people downtown in the evenings.”

The EA Rawlinson Centre will host a wide range of star-studded performances in the coming months including Jan Arden, country acts Gord Bamford and Washboard Union and Métis actor and singer Tom Jackson.

Spark Theatre’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow performance takes to the stage Oct. 18 to Oct. 20.

teena_monteleone@hotmail.com

On Twitter: @TeenaMonteleone