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Actors sought for 'Homechild' play at Surrey Little Theatre

Audition dates in February for the company's spring 'Zone Festival' play
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Duncan Fraser and Shirley Broderick in the Arts Club Theatre Company's production of 'Homeland' in 2009.

SURREY — Audition dates have been set for the production Surrey Little Theatre will enter into the Fraser Valley Zone theatre festival this spring.

It's called "Homechild," written by Canadian playwright Joan McLeod.

The play is described by Surrey Little Theatre operators as "a humorous and poignant play about family secrets and about the many forms of love, long and aspiration. It takes a piece of history from a dark corner of our country's past and dramatizes its tragic impact through the generations of one family."

Jerry Wasserman reviewed the Arts Club Theatre Company's production of "Homechild" in the spring of 2009.

"Joan MacLeod’s sympathetic new play draws its material from a Canadian historical phenomenon that is largely unknown today: the transportation from Britain to Canada of orphaned and abandoned young children, more than 100,000 of them between 1870 and 1930," Wasserman wrote. "They were known as home children, and most ended up living and working on Canadian farms, many of them exploited, few able to keep in touch with siblings or other family members."

At Surrey Little Theatre, auditions will be held on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. and on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 6 p.m., at 7027 184th St., Surrey.

Needed are three men (a farmer, son and neighbour) and four women (the wife, a sister of the farmer, his daughter and the neighbour's mother), all between the ages of 45 to 74. One girl is eight to 10 years of age.

"Homechild," directed by June and Jacq Ainsworth, will be performed at the theatre from April 20 to May 20, and also beyond those dates.

"As this play will be entered into the Fraser Valley Zone Festival, actors must be available to perform at the festival in White Rock during the week of May 21 to 27," operators of the theatre explain, "and if the play wins the Zone festival, the actors will go on to perform at the Mainstage Festival in Vernon the week of July 1 to 8."

For more details, email juneainsworth1@gmail.com and/or visit Surreylittletheatre.com.

tom.zillich@thenownewspaper.com

 

 

 



Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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