聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 The setting for this year鈥檚聽Lampman聽Community Theatre聽(LCT)聽was a comedic journey revolving around small town living and being storm stayed at the local Legion.聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Written for聽LCT by local author and playwright, Maureen Ulrich, 鈥淪torm Stayed at the Legion,鈥澛燽rought聽humour聽and a community together on Thursday to Saturday, Dec. 8 to 10.聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淓arlier this year there were a few people talking about聽doing a聽community theatre聽production again,鈥� Ulrich explained. 鈥淎round the same time the Legion was talking about doing a fundraiser, so we thought about doing a play at the Legion, about the Legion.鈥澛�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ulrich writes what she聽knows and worked in many local tales as she weaved聽through聽the story of the performance.聽聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The play opens at Happy Hour in the Legion聽on Dec. 23, the day before Arthur聽McCrae鈥檚聽funeral.聽Cybelle聽(Cherilyn聽Gress), Marilyn (Diane聽Fornwald), and聽Ellen Horton (Sandy聽Hanrieder) 鈥� daughter of McRae were in getting the Legion ready for the funeral and visiting.聽聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Horton was the past president of the聽Legion, but had recently lost the position to CJ (Doris聽Trobert). For this reason, Horton is extremely聽tough on CJ when it comes to the operations of the Legion. She is also particularly聽hard on Lucy (Lisa聽Hanrieder) 鈥� a waitress聽at the Legion.聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In the Lampman Legion the upstairs is often rented out for activities, while the downstairs聽is where people go to socialize during Happy Hour. In the play tap dancers were聽causing a commotion upstairs as those downstairs were forced to yell over the noise.聽聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Later a聽tap dancer (Lindsay Johnson) stopped in to purchase a bottle of water. As she was waiting for the water, the tap dancer performed a solo聽beautifully.聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Outside the Legion a storm raged and a lost couple (Christine and聽Jeff Thornton) is seen driving along in a white out. The wife quickly checks the roads via Facebook, which comes with various comments depending on who updated their status.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Watching the lines, out of their windows it all of a sudden聽disappears and their hopes of heading to a warm climate for Christmas are dashed when they hit the ditch and get stuck.聽Later they're found wandering into the Legion for a drink聽and a chat with their friends already storm stayed there.聽聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Arriving聽for Happy Hour were聽some of聽the ladies鈥櫬爃usbands: Josh (James聽Trobert) and聽Bill Horton (Ed聽Fieber); as well as, Nick聽(Luke Bartsch), a bachelor who is attracted to Lucy.聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The storm hasn't yet聽let up, but more people come and go from the Legion. Someone coming to drop off sandwiches (Laurie聽Fornwald) stayed for a drink and to sing聽Christmas carols.聽聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Laughter abounded as the stereotypical hockey mom (Auldene Craig) stopped in for snacks as she's driving her kids to the rink. She gets word there are vehicles in the ditch on the way,聽so exclaims she better get going. Her hockey son, Billy (Matthew聽Getschel), came in as well and began singing a song that was cut off quickly by his mom, as the audience howled in laughter.聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Ellen heads home in a whirlwind of feelings and while she's away聽a young man, Artie (Carter聽Branyik-Thornton), stops in at the Legion. It is later discovered that聽Artie, who left no footprints聽and聽didn't know what聽the Canadian flag聽looked like, was聽in fact Ellen Horton鈥檚 father Arthur聽McCrae, an angel sent to lead the group聽to a way to save the Legion.聽A key is found聽for a safety deposit聽box at聽the聽base聽of the Canadian flag聽along聽with Arthur鈥檚聽dog tags.聽聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 CJ,聽as encouraged by everyone at the Legion, decides that she will enter the bank to check the box as she has keys and the alarm code.聽Ivanka聽(Brenda Fleck), a Russian woman,聽offers her a ride to the bank on her snowmobile.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Pregnant waitress, Henrietta (Stephanie聽Gress),聽in the meantime goes into labour and the very funny Constable聽Gunvorsen聽(Tamara Franklin) excuses herself to 鈥� instead of deliver a baby 鈥� check on the snowmobile sitting at the bank.聽聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 They all return to the Legion聽where everyone convinces Constable Gun to allow them to open the envelope from the safety deposit box.聽It turns out Arthur聽McCrae聽had bought stocks in Best Buy at a very early point in the聽business and shares are now worth hundreds of thousands of dollars 鈥� enough to pay for a new roof and keep the Legion聽running.聽聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 During the action, Carl (Glenn聽Gress),聽a聽neighbouring聽RM鈥檚 grader operator arrived. Banter ensued and laughter arose from the crowd.聽聽
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Throughout the play musical performances were worked in as it was karaoke night at the Legion, showcasing the impressive number of聽talented singers in the area.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The crew was small, but successful with Debbie Hanrieder on sound and Jake Kautz doing the lighting.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Although the play featured music and聽brought much laughter, the performance was a reminder to support the Legion and to always remember you don't know聽what someone else is going through, so to be good to others.聽
