Calgary Academy’s Black Box Theatre is filled with excitement as students and staff are adding in the final ingredients to a cauldron of creativity. Green moss hangs over a scenic forest, a table covered in playing cards is the centrepiece of a villain’s hideout, and the pointed tops of a castle can be found along the back of the theatre’s wall.
Witchful Thinking: An Evil Ever After is one of the latest productions debuting at Calgary Academy. Written by Instructional Design Lead Charlotte Nixon, the show centres around a rescue after a witch and her goblin henchman do the unthinkable: crash an anniversary party!
Less than two weeks before opening night, some of CA’s Junior School actors sat down to discuss how they’re bringing their characters to life on stage.
Getting into Character
Witchful Thinking is a fairy tale epic in which three princesses, Amber, Marine, and Opal, must rescue their princes after a kidnapping. Each princess has a unique personality, but they all share one thing in common—courage.
The three leading ladies don’t waste time looking for their hostage husbands, travelling past meadows, lakes, and forests while interacting with a colourful cast of characters.
The production’s cast and crew, especially the students, have worked hard to make fantasy a reality. After months of rehearsals, they’re starting to try on their costumes and run multiple scenes without their scripts.
Jenson O., who plays the confident and popular Charming 1, looks forward to their closing night performance. He’s excited to see all his and his peers’ hard work in their final performance, where they can give it their all.
“For me, it’s the thrill of finishing something you’ve worked on for so long. I feel like the play is a very big commitment, and being able to experience that feeling of finishing the show and doing the final closing night is what I’m looking forward to the most.”
Pretending to be someone else can be difficult, especially if that character is completely different from how someone truly is. The Junior School actors have worked extensively on making their characters jump off the script pages.
One student, Yasmin A., has had to play a character almost opposite from her personality. Playing the reportedly evil and emotionally complicated Witch, Yasmin had to trade her kindness for a love of mischief and spells.
“I’m a witch, but I would say I’m a kind person, so I pretend I’m talking to someone else, and I try being way louder and ruder than I think I’m supposed to be.”
A Fairy Tale Springs to Life in December
Amber, Marine, and Opal have their work cut out for them in a few weeks when Witchful Thinking: An Evil Ever After opens at the Black Box Theatre.
Jenson and Yasmin don’t want to spoil the audience but promise an exciting show. It offers something for everyone, including romance, friendship, and goblins playing poker. Jenson hopes the audience feels drawn in by the story and leaves with a smile on their faces.
“I want the audience to feel quite intrigued by the play and just to have a good laugh… towards the end, I want them to think, ‘that was a great play. If I could come again, I would totally do that.'” – Jenson
Watch Calgary Academy’s students take the stage from Dec. 12–14 as they showcase their acting skills and put on an unforgettable production. Don’t worry—there’s still time to snag your ticket!
Visit our events page to get your tickets today!