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Taking a different approach to 'The Last Five Years'

Moose Jaw Community Players production ramping up as showtime nears on Apr. 26 and 27

It takes a special kind of actor to be able to perform a full musical on stage almost completely from start to finish -- lot of singing, a lot of quick costume changes, and even dealing with being under the lights for such a long amount of time are all factors that play into such a tough acting assignment.

But Keyanna Burgher and John-Mark Smith plan to be up to the task and then some as they play the lead roles in the Moose Jaw Community Players production of ‘The Last Five Years,’ running Friday, Apr. 26 and Saturday, Apr. 27 at the Mae Wilson Theatre.

The duo joined their fellow castmates and crew on a full stage for one of the first times during a recent rehearsal session at the Minto United Church and from all indications, things are quickly coming together.

“Three weeks from today, so it’s been going pretty well,” Burgher said during a short break on on Friday evening. “We just moved into this space last week, we had been rehearsing at Paws N’ Play, which was a big empty room and a fantastic open space to work with, but it’s good to be on an actual stage so we can sorta play around with our set and get used to things that way…The two of us had just been rehearsing in my living room and his living room, so it’s nice to be back on stage.”

Playing with Time

That’s especially crucial for a show like ‘Five Years’ – a tale of two New Yorkers who fall in and out of love over the course of that time span -- which features a fair amount of stagework to properly pull off.

“It’s been great to work in this space and have more options for moving around and get an idea what the actual set is going to be like and use our props and that sort of stuff,” Smith said. “And all the costume changes we get to do, they’re fun, a little hectic, but fun at the same time.”

The ‘hectic’ part comes from the way composer and write John Robert Brown put the story together – it features multiple time jumps from year five and character Cathy Hiatt’s story at the end of their marriage to year one and Jamie Wellerstein’s view of their first meeting. Then it’s to year four, to year two, and so on until the story’s conclusion.

To that end, show director Debbie Burgher has sought to use the set in a way that shows that change in time, hence the sweeping changes in costumes and scenery and the need to practice on a major stage.

“Like when we’re here in one place on the set, it’s year one and when we’re over here on the set, it’s year five,” Keyanna said. “So to be able to practice that way has been awesome.”

Challenges

The performance itself is anything but easy in its own right.

“It’s funny, on the website for the show, it said the actors and vocalists must have stamina because we both sing eight songs each,” Burgher explained. “It’s a huge show, and we’ve added extras into it so we have other actors to fill out the world, so it’s a lot of pressure vocally and just being on the stage under the lights for that long.”

“And even if you’re not singing a song, I’ll be on stage with Keyanna and vice-versa, even if we’re not singing you still have to be mentally engaged for the whole thing, and that makes for a more engaging performance,” added Smith. “You still have to think about the ways you’re acting and moving and things like that.”

The original version of the show and the way it’s been performed in the past saw the two actors never take the stage together except in the marriage scene in the middle of the play. Changing that dynamic has brought a more realistic feel to the proceedings in Burgher’s eyes.

“We decided to be on the stage together because it makes the relationship that much more interesting and believable, and that’s extra pressure on us since we’re both on all the time,” she said.

With three weeks of rehearsal time to go, the plan is to have everything as smooth as can be when things finally hit the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre for the first time the day before opening night.

So are they ready to go?

“If the show was tomorrow, no” Burgher said with a laugh, before adding a very good reason for that sentiment. “But I think that’s good, because if you peak too soon and we were ready right now, you’d lose energy and the show might not be as good as it would be if you were ready the night of the show.”

Add in the rapid-change nature of Five Years and just getting used to the amount of movement and positioning can also be a key element.

“It helps getting used to sharing the stage with everyone else, for sure,” Smith said. “We rely on them for some of our props and bringing them on and off, so getting used to doing that with them and using the set and working with them will make everyone that much more comfortable.”

Of course, the entire production wouldn’t be possible without the support of outside supporters, with Prairie Bee Meadery taking on the role of title sponsor.

“We have a bunch of really, really amazing sponsors, because putting on a musical in particular is really, really expensive. I don’t know if people always realize that,” Burgher said. “So we have a ton of awesome sponsors and local businesses that have stepped up to help this all come together.”

On both Apr. 26 and Apr. 27 the show will start at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are currently on sale for $25 plus service fees at the Moose Jaw Cultural Centre box office or through www.moosejawculture.ca.

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