Hey there little friends!  How are you doing on this salty Saturday?

It’s super grey and shitty here in old cow town, but that doesn’t matter.  Last night marks a pretty legit event for the DIAG crew because we saw our very first “thriller” play.  We have covered a lot of things here on the page, but never before have we covered theatre.

Now before you dear readers get all amped up and start emailing in questions about how I can fit those fancy theatre binoculars in my bag alongside bottles of booze – relax.  I’ve got you covered.  Nights at the theatre for some are full of fancy things and fur stoles, but here in cow town, our theatre has seen better days, as evidenced by decaying seats, cloying warmth and wine served in tiny little plastic cups.

That said, our theatre boasts a rich history.  The Sagebrush Theatre is right across the street from one of the oldest cemeteries in town, and rumor has it among the drama crowd that the Sagebrush Theatre is haunted by a ghost affectionately referred to as Albert who even has his own seat especially reserved for him.

Scotty and I used to live just down the street from the Theatre in a very haunted house, and what better neighborhood to put on a spooky thriller play?

I’ll Be Back Before Midnight is a play by Peter Colley and tells the story of Jan and Greg Anderson, a married couple who, after Jan’s nervous breakdown, decide to rent a small house in the country to try to rekindle the flame.

Too bad the farmer (George Willoughby) they rented the house from is a fan of not only booze (our spirit animal), but also of ghost stories, and he wastes no time in filling their heads with talks of a murderous old hermit, mysterious bloodstains, and revenge.

Jan who is already fairly delicate and prone to fits of both mania and depression falls for the stories and within a few days of their arrival in the country, strange ghostly things begin to happen.

Brienna Blizzard as Jan Sanderson in Western Canada Theatre’s production of Peter Colley’s “I’ll Be Back Before Midnight”.  Photograph credit to Reg Hurlbut

Add in an unexpected visit from Jan’s arch nemesis and Greg’s controlling sister Laura and soon the tensions are high, and with a loaded shotgun hanging on the wall, pretty soon the sparks are flying in more ways than one.

I’m not gonna give away the play for you dicks, if you haven’t seen it, but I will say that if you can get a chance to see it put on..  do so.

I have not seen a play in years and this one was entertaining, loud, funny, and full of some amazing scares.  The set design was perfect and the actors, though a little hammy at points delivered both laughs and screams.

And while it’s true that you can put makeup on a pig and it’s still a pig, these drunks thoroughly enjoyed their fancy night out at the theatre and look forward to seeing more plays of this caliber.

Big props to the theatre staff, actors, and everyone serving white wine in plastic cups at Canada Theatre.

-Robin Goodfellow (@oldblackgoat)