Dramafest returns and West Ferris aims for provincial victory
Twelve teams are coming to compete, and West Ferris knows that things will get dramatic.
It’s a big week for theatre in the North. The National Theatre School Dramafest (formerly Sears Drama Festival) is a provincial competition that showcases the best high school theatre productions of the year. The event has not been hosted in the North since the mid ‘80s, so having the festival at West Ferris is an accomplishment in itself.
Not only are they hosting, but the school also has its own production in the lineup, and the students are aiming to take the top spot in the province with their production of Love Fuel. Huntsville is also in the running with Hearts, Rings and Museum Things. These are the only schools representing Northern Ontario.
“It’s a big accomplishment, and it’s a great experience and big educational opportunity for the students,” explained Allan Macaskill, a drama teacher at West Ferris. “They will be participating and watching the strongest high school productions in the entire province.”
Love Fuel is a comedy that runs around 30 minutes. It was written by West Ferris students Efrem Hyatt and James Devuono, who also star in the production. “It’s a unique show in the sense that it’s quite cinematic for a theatre production,” Hyatt said, noting the play makes extensive use of soundtracks to immerse the audience in the story – “to enhance the feel.”
“There’s a lot of inspiration from animated films,” Devuono hinted, so prepare for that influence, theatre goers.
These two also starred in the school’s recent production of Jesus Christ Superstar, as did Love Fuel cast members Abby Alexander and Ava Fuller. Alexander, who is doing a lot of the tech for this show, emphasized that their play set for the competition is very different from Superstar – “it’s very fun, very bright, and very upbeat.”
Dramafest is hosted by the National Theatre School of Canada and is sponsored by Scotiabank. The festival has run since 1946. The goal is to inspire and showcase our up-and-coming talent. During the festival, students can also participate in workshops, and are eligible to win awards and bursaries from the National Theatre School.
To reach the provincial competition, schools entered plays to compete in a district competition, which led to the regionals, culminating in the provincials this week. Many of the plays you’ll see were also written by students.
Love Fuel was West Ferris’ contender for both the district and regional competitions. The feedback has been great and helped hone the actors’ performances. “You want to see how the audience reacts to the jokes,” Fuller said, “the audience improves your timing,” she added.
All shows are at the West Ferris Secondary School’s auditorium, from Wednesday May 8th to Saturday May 11th. Show times are Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., Thursday and Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 2:30.
Tickets are $15 at the door. Note that West Ferris’ Love Fuel plays Saturday at 2:30 p.m. Huntsville’s Hearts, Rings and Museum Things hits the stage on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.