Most people are familiar with the major theatre companies in the city, including Sudbury Theatre Centre and Theatre Cambrian.
But did you know the Valley area of the city has its own amateur theatre troupe? That's right — the Valley Community Theatre has produced more than 20 plays over the past two decades or so.
“It's very seldom we don't sell out, because we're a small playhouse,” said the group's vice-president, Della Gauthier.
“That works in our favour, because you never really play to an empty house … We're very, very well supported by the community.”
Its latest production, Red, White & Tuna, runs next month at the group's 50-seat playhouse at the Capreol Millennium Resource Centre.
It's the third in a series of comedic plays by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard, each set in the fictional town of Tuna, Texas. Previously, Valley Community Theatre put on the second in the Tuna series, A Tuna Christmas.
“We poke fun at absolutely everything,” said Gauthier, who herself plays town matriarch Vera in the production.
“The play has no limits. We poke fun at religion, at stereotypes, at all kinds of things, so our audience have to be quite tolerant of the things we poke fun at. Overall, it seems like everybody really enjoys it.”
Although the troupe is made up of amateur actors, and tries to find a role for anyone interested in performing, Gauthier said the productions they put on end up being pretty professional.
“We actually do manage to pull off a pretty professional production in the end, because people's stress level is much lower,” she said.
And if you'd like to bring the kids to a play, Valley Community Theatre productions are a great choice. Not only are the tickets low cost, the productions are family friendly. “We tend to run pretty clean productions,” Gauthier said.
Red, White & Tuna runs May 4, 5 and 6 and May 11, 12 and 13 at 7 p.m., and May 14 at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $15, and are available at Metro in Val Caron, Pharmasave in Hanmer and M&R Grill in Capreol.
