The Sooke Harbour Players Society is preparing to stage an all-youth production focusing on youth rebellion and the right to express oneself through dance with Footloose: The Musical - Youth Edition.
Dean Pitchford penned the script, adapted from the iconic 1984 movie and its 2011 remake.
Directed by University of Victoria student Calli Rae, the show boasts a cast of 20 actors, all under 19 years old. Rae, who also serves as the show’s choreographer, sees it as a prime opportunity to showcase the talent of Sooke’s youth.
“All the kids are super-committed,” she said, directing her first full-scale production. “I’m so proud of all of them.”
Footloose unfolds in the 1980s in Bomont, a small midwestern farming town. The narrative centers on Ren, a teenager, who relocates from Chicago with his mother following his father’s departure.
Ren’s adjustment to his new surroundings is complicated by the town preacher’s ban on dancing, enacted after a tragic car accident claims the lives of four teens, including the preacher’s son, on their way home from a dance.
Paul Holmes, vice-president of the Sooke Harbour Players Society, underscores the organization’s commitment to delivering high-quality, professionally presented theatre productions. This production of Footloose: The Musical-Youth Edition is no exception.
“Sooke Harbour Players is known for great acting and singing. This one really incorporates a lot more dance,” Holmes said. “People are going to be in for a real treat.”
Footloose: The Musical—Youth Edition will run on May 10 and 11 at 7 p.m., with matinee performances on May 11 and 12 at 2 p.m., at the Sooke Community Theatre, located at 6218 Sooke Rd. Tickets are $22, with discounted rates of $16 available for students and seniors.
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