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Live theatre is back in Smithers!

Meant to be! Smithers Secondary School celebrates World Theatre Day when CICK visited the students and teachers putting on What You Will, Smithers first live theatre event in two years. Photo by Pamela Haasen.
Pamela Haasen - CICK - Smithers • BC | 29-03-2022
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In the small town of Smithers, an art scene thrives. For a community of 5,000 people, there exists a large contingent of workers in the arts including musicians (including world-renowned Latin musician Alex Cuba), visual artists, digital and movement artists, as well as festivals, councils and groups who support the arts.

There is, however, a lack of live theatre arts. Well-intentioned people have tried, but burned out trying to drum up a theatre scene in Smithers, except for Heather Lee, the drama teacher at Smithers Secondary School.

Lee's drama department (along with professional set designs by Hans Saefkow) are the theatrical highlight of Smithers. Each year, the sets become more ornate and intricate (and kinetic!) and the shows sell out, with people clamouring for their ticket.

Students from Lee's drama department go on to study theatre in school, moving away to Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto to pursue an education in theatre.

Enya Watson, a graduate of Smithers Secondary, and now a 22-year-old student at Montreal's illustrious National Theatre School of Canada, cites her time at Smithers Secondary as a jumping off point for her career. Watson said "without the drama department and experience working with Heather and the drama program at Smithers Secondary School I would not have even considered becoming an actor."

CICK News visited Heather Lee and the cast of What You Will to talk about the play and how the students have prepared for the return of live theatre.

Lee and her mentor and actor friend named Mike Stack (who lives in Vancouver but came to Smithers to work with Lee to present the play) took the Shakespeare play The Twelfth Night, which is also called What You Will, and re-wrote it to take place in a 1920s jazz cabaret.

The play opens on April 8 at the Della Herman Theatre at Smithers Secondary and tickets are available at Smithers Secondary, Mountain Eagle Books and Mills Interior Stationary in Smithers.

Listen to Pam Haasen's conversations with some of the cast members of What You Will in the link below:

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