An Abbotsford actor will star in a production of the play Our Town in Fort Langley in March.
Laura Kehler is among the cast of the show, presented by Little Dipper Theatre at the Fort Langley Community Hall. The production has a pay-what-you-can preview on Feb. 29 and then runs March 1, 2 and 6-9.
Kehler plays the role of Mrs. Webb, one of the matriarchs of the town.
“Mrs. Webb is a product of her Victorian Era time,” Kehler says. “She has deep feelings, but has been raised not to show them, or allow for any sort of praise or excitement, but she loves her children, and wants nothing more than to see them be healthy and strong.”
Kehler, a mother herself, started acting as an adult. After spending years as a “stage mom” for her kids in children’s theatre, she got her first role as Rose in Enchanted April with Gallery 7 Theatre in 2017.
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“This process has been incredible. I am surrounded by such amazing talent, and I have learned so much from everyone in the room. I know that I will carry this experience with me for a lifetime,” she said.
With its use of minimal scenery and props, Our Town – directed by Larisse Campbell – focuses on the seemingly insignificant but remarkable moments of life.
The audience is guided by the Stage Manager, played by Dawn Harvey, a somewhat omnipotent being who introduces the audience to the people and places of the town, comments on the important events, and fills in playing some of the townsfolk characters.
As the title suggests, Our Town is a play about the whole community, but it centres on the lives of George Gibbs and Emily Webb, played by Carson Walliser and Yasmin D’Oshun.
Through their love and loss, humour and vulnerability, their story remains as relevant and moving now as it was when it was first produced in 1938.
One of the company’s producers is Abbotsford resident Danielle Snider.
“We chose to produce Our Town because it explores and celebrates our shared humanity. In a polarized world, Our Town shines a light on the simple beauty of everyday life that we can all appreciate,” she said.
Kehler added: “I hope that audiences will realize just how much we rely on each other as a community. I think they will love the intimacy of the setting and the beauty of the story that shines through its simplicity.”
Tickets range from $25 to $35 and are available at littledippertheatre.com.