It’s taken 20 years of amateur theatre in Elliot Lake to make it to the big times.
The Elliot Lake Amateur Theatre Ensemble’s (ELATE) recent win in the QUONTA drama festival was celebrated with play director Murray Finn showing off the group’s Twiggy trophy to council on Monday evening.
The group’s play Tempting Providence picked up top honours and, in total five awards at the drama festival held earlier this month on home turf. The play was directed by Finn and had an outstanding cast made up of actors Kim Arnold, who picked up a best actor award, Jim Graham, Fran Perkins and David Black.
“We really want to celebrate this. I introduce Twiggy,” Finn said in his presentation to council with the winning trophy. “This is the first time Twiggy has been in Elliot Lake. Never before have we been in this position. Every year QUONTA presents Twiggy to the group that has the outstanding production and she’s travelled all around the north… and now she’s here and we’re proud to have her.”
The ELATE play beat out three other entries from theatre groups in northern Ontario from Espanola, Gore Bay and Sault Ste. Marie to win the top award.
Finn thanked the cast, the crew that helped with the play production and volunteers who helped to put the local production on stage.
His greatest praise was left for the public who has supported amateur theatre productions in the community for the past 20 years.
“We have been putting on shows for 20 years and the public has been supporting us all that time and it is wonderful to have that success and to thank them for this,” Finn said.
He also took the opportunity to thank council for its support over the years.
“Over the years there are a number of decisions that council has made that have changed the way theatre can be done here in Elliot Lake,” he said.
Finn said through its history, the theatre group has done rehearsals in living rooms and empty storefronts, and has put on plays at the Collins Hall or Elliot Lake Secondary School.
“Now we have the Civic Centre,” he said referring to rehearsal facilities in the bottom floor and putting on productions in the Civic Centre theatre owned by the city.
Finn noted the group now has facilities with good seating for audiences, good lighting and sound facilities to put on plays that have made it possible to achieve the recent win.
“Those are things that help a group like ours develop,” he said.
He also thanked city staff at the civic centre for their help in assisting during plays put on at the facility.
The QUONTA win means the group will be performing Tempting Providence in London at the Theatre Ontario competition on May 18. They will be competing against three other groups from southwestern Ontario, southeastern Ontario and Toronto.
“The stage is quite different,” Finn said referring to the range theatre people who will be attending the competition from across the province.
Finn said the Elliot Lake contingent at the competition will be promoting the arts in Elliot Lake and the city itself.
ELATE is planning two fundraisers to help finance the trip to London, Ont.
On April 29 a ‘London Here We Come’ dinner and concert of local music is planned at the Collins Hall and on May 10 a repeat performance of Tempting Providence will be held at the Civic Centre. Tickets for the events are on sale at Alpine Flowers in the Paris Plaza.
Council congratulated the ELATE group on its win.