Two shows only!
Joe McWilliams
Lakeside Leader
“It was supposed to be a relaxing evening; a sit down meal, followed by good conversation and a speaker—but things are not as they seem. Joining you at the table is a strange figure, dressed in period clothes and seeming confused. The mysterious character, identifying only as Circa, is horrified to discover they are in the modern era, and many things they remember and love are now behind glass; on shelves; written about in history books. They have no recollection of who they are, or how they got there. Some sort of historical time warp has occurred and you cannot leave unless you help. The security guard of the venue is in a complete panic—the doors have locked before, and the only way to get out is to solve the mystery.
“Only pictures, items and stories from a time long ago seem to trigger memories about their identity. Stay with Circa for anecdotes from their life as they come flooding back, and piece together clues and riddles to figure out their identity…before the doors stay locked forever.”
That’s the promotional blurb for a show that is coming to the Rotary Club of Slave Lake Library, on Sept. 15. Sound like fun? You bet it does!
The performance is by an outfit called Live History Shows. It’s touring Australia right now, which is why its creator and owner Jasmine Bowen couldn’t manage to connect with The Leader by phone – when it’s daytime here, it’s nighttime there.
But email works, and here’s some of what she told us:
“We perform interactive shows that highlight a town’s local history,” Bowen says, “so guests get to learn something and have some fun at the same time.”
The Slave Lake show will be called ‘A Timeless Gathering.’ Bowen says attendees “will have the opportunity to solve clues and uncover the identity of a historical figure from the town’s past, who has come back to life. As visitors interact with and hear stories from the historical stranger, they will gain a deeper understanding of local history.”
So how did the theatre company come up with something local to Slave Lake? Bowen didn’t say, exactly, but they’re doing the same thing in venues all over the world, so they’ve got some sort of system worked out.
“None of it would be possible without Live History’s dedicated team of history-loving actors, show designers, researchers, and our on-staff writer, who work together to bring each performance to life,” Bowen says. “Our hope as a company is to help draw attention to—and maybe even find a new audience for—local historic sites. We love when people walk into a venue we’re performing at and say something along the lines of, “I’ve passed by this place my whole life and never thought to come in—but this place is great!”
Spots are limited. The library tells us there will be two shows, with only space for 10 people per show!