6, Devon Flynn
Drama Club Actor

t's getting to be that time of the
semester - morale for doing
homework is at an all-time low, finals

are just around the corner, and every
little distraction looks attractive and
fun. Well boy, do we have something to
help take your mind off of things!

We in the UNBC Drama Club have

a penchant for putting aside the
seriousness of school and becoming
engrossed in being silly and having a
good time. Although people may think
we just screw around in the Canfor
Theatre and make a lot of penis jokes
- don't get me wrong, it happens -
we do have some degree of routine
and structure in our club which some
students may not be aware of. |'m
going to shed some light on the
activities the Drama Club is a part of
and how you can get involved.

The beginning of school in the fall tends
to put the Drama Club in a bit of an
excited rush. Our plays are not chosen
until after Clubs Day, because we
want new members to be involved and
have a say in what we perform. Like
most clubs and groups at UNBC, Clubs
Day is the best time for attracting and
recruiting new members. We try fo snag
‘em... er. recruit new members early

on while there's time and energy for
new students to try new things. Let's be
honest - we would love to see new
faces around mid-terms, but we don't

hold our breath.

Our first production in the fall always
consists of a series of short, one-act
plays. We perform around five short
plays, each between 10-30 minutes
each. These plays are small enough to
give new members - whether theatre
virgins or pros - a taste of

acting and even directing \
instead of being thrown into |

the intimidating metaphorical

drama pool. We understand

that not everyone wants to

be on stage, nor has the

time to be part of a play,

even small ones. So a few

years ago, the Drama Club
came up with an idea to
encourage new faces to
participate for those who
really don't have the time f
to act: Drop-ln.

fi

Drop-In - it’s just like
it sounds. When you
just don't have the time

ee Club Spotlight: UNBC Drama Club

to attend weekly rehearsals or you
happen to be busy on the scheduled
dates of our performances, you can
drop in for an hour or two - a small
time to set aside for something so fun
and entertaining! Some people waste
way more time. At Drop-In, we play
improv games, |ust like the comedy
show, Whose Line Is It Anyway? All
your favourite games - Props, Dating
Game, Super Heroes, Sound Effects -
we play them all. Want to join us, but
are worried you're not very good?
Don't worry about it! Practice makes
perfect, and we were all beginners
at one point. In fact, we just started
trying our hand at Hoedown and Irish
Drinking Song, and we could use some
talented singers. Irust me, you won't
find a more positive and welcoming
environment to learn and practice
thinking on your feet, being creative,
and communicating your ideas, skills
that happen to be pretty darn useful
in class, “nudge nudge wink wink. If
you find you happen to like the whole
‘being in front of a crowd’ thing and
entertaining people, you might like
being a part of our larger production
in the winter semester.

Our full-length productions have
explored a range of themes and
styles over the past few years. From
Shakespeare's Macbeth to comedic
weddings; we love to flex our acting
muscles. Although our bread and
butter tend to be comedies, we are
always open fo trying something new.
In fact, our large productions are a
time where members can challenge
themselves: actors can undertake
lead roles, members can try directing
or stage managing, and those who
eschew the stage spotlight can help
build props and sets. There's a spot for

everyone in the Drama Club! Even in
: Titi

UNBC ~~ Clubs)
nts:

Theatrical
Sip

Date: November 22nd and 23rd

Pres
A Series o

Location:

Admission by Donation
Doors open at 6:30pm Show at 7:00pm

between our theatrical products, we
put on some great events that any
Drama Club member can join.

We have worked hard fo expand our
repertoire of activities in the Drama
Club. We perform plays, we do improv,
and so much more! Just a few weeks
ago, we hosted a murder mystery
party, which is quickly becoming a
staple of the Drama Club. It was
fantasy themed where werewolves,
vampires, and even faeries all got
together to dress-up, eat, drink, and
figure out whodunit. We were thrilled
to have new faces join us in the soiree,
members who have never acted
before (although they could have
fooled us!)

As you might imagine, the Drama Club
loves to share our passion for story-
telling. Early in October, we were
flattered to have been invited to be a
part of the Literature Week hosted by
the UNBC Library. We read passages
from our choice of books and literature
(dramatically as you might imagine). It
was a wonderful opportunity where
anyone could have stepped away
from the study carrels or computers for
a few minutes and enjoyed a thrilling,
dramatic reading.

We are often asked, “When is the
musical going to happen?” While the
Drama Club sincerely appreciates your
enthusiasm for the arts, there needs to
be some clarification - the Drama Club
is not the same as the Musical Club.
Allow me to explain:

The Drama Club enjoys a diverse
range of members who have differing
interests and strengths. Some members
prefer singing to acting, others
improvising over memorizing lines,

and some just cannot dance worth

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‘or Theatre

J NBC Life

shit - and that's okay! (Because it is stil
entertaining to watch). But it eventually
got to the point where there were
enough members interested more so
in singing and dancing to create a
new club - the Musical Club (there

is a Dance Club, and we love those
guys, but let's stay on track). It's been
a few years in the making, but there
are now two separate clubs that put
on theatrical performances at UNBC
- the Drama Club and the Musical
Club. Confusion usually stems from the
cross-over membership between these
clubs, sharing tables during Clubs Day,
and our mutual love of being part of a
show. But we dont resent that people
tend to think these members are part of
the same group - in fact, we celebrate
it! The two clubs have actually made

it a strong point to support each other
by sharing mutual resources like lights,
props, and backdrops, by networking,
and by encouraging club members to
attend the others’ performances. It's a
partnershio we feel is idyllic for most
UNBC Clubs to emulate; rather than
strictly segregating ourselves from

the other club and standing alone,

we work together to help entertain
the students and staff at UNBC and
anyone else wanting to see our
performances (speaking of which,
those dates are 22 and 23 November
for the Drama Club, 21, 22, 28, and
29 March for the Musical Club).

So as you can see, those involved
in the Drama Club, the Musical
Club - and here's your plug Dance
Club - are some of the busiest and
hardest working students around. We
have homework to do and classes to
attend as well, but our passions take
up a lot of time too. That's why we do
it - because we love to entertain and
put on a good show. The Drama Club
has provided several venues
for students - those with little
or ample time - to get involved,
participate, and join us. Let
me emphasize: the more, the
merrier! So whether you re
standing beside us on stage
or are a part of the applause
coming from the audience, we
would love to see some new
faces!

wm UNBC Drama Club -

\ unbcdramae@gmail.com
if

) UNBC Musical Club -

/ unbcmusical@gmail.com

) UNBC Dance Club -
L ' unbcdance@gmail.com