Portal Players wins BIG at Theatre BC’s North Island Zone Drama Festival with “Blackbird”

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Portal Players Dramatic Society performed our production of David Harrower’s “Blackbird” at Theatre BC’s North Island Zone regional drama festival on May 15 at The Village Theatre in Qualicum Beach, which was hosted by ECHO Players. At the awards ceremony on May 18, adjudicator Leon Potter presented our production with the following awards:

  • Best Production
  • Best Director – Robinson Wilson
  • Best Actor in a Female Role – Cydney Pedersen
  • Best Actor in a Supporting Male Role – Darien Edgeler
  • Best Performance by a Youth or Newcomer – Sara Curtis
  • Best Graphic Design – Robinson Wilson

The cast, crew and production team are beyond excited to be moving on to Theatre BC‘s Provincial Mainstage Drama Festival, which starts on July 6 and is being held this year in Fort St. John.

Portal Players is now fundraising for the big trip – please click below to help us reach our goal of $21,000 for this huge achievement – thank you SO much for your support.

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DONATE AND HELP SEND “BLACKBIRD” TO MAINSTAGE – THANK YOU!

More details about fundraising performances of “Blackbird” and other news coming soon, stay tuned.

Cast and crew of “Blackbird”. (Left to Right) Back Row: Robinson Wilson, director; Mary Ann McGrath, assistant stage manager; Drew Waveryn, stage manager; Pat Ribbins, props & costumes; Diena Tyne, lighting design; Darien Edgeler, “Ray/Peter”; Liane Fitzpatrick, producer. Seated: Ojas Cats, sound; Jane Victoria King, set design; Cydney Petersen, “Una”. Photo courtesy of ECHO Players.

This is the second time Portal Players has won the Best Production award, with “The Pillowman” advancing last year, taking the show to Chilliwack and sweeping the 2024 Mainstage awards.

Complete Theatre BC 2025 North Island Zone Festival Results:

  • Best Production: Portal Players – Blackbird
  • Runner Up to Best Production: Courtenay Little Theatre – Myth of the Ostrich
  • Best Director: Portal Players – Blackbird – Robinson Wilson
  • Best Actor in a Male Role: Nanaimo Theatre Group – The Woman in Black – Jon Faris
  • Best Actor in a Female Role: Portal Players – Blackbird – Cyndey Pedersen
  • Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Portal Players – Blackbird – Darien Edgeler
  • Best Actress in a Supporting Role: ECHO Players – The Revolutionists – Sarah Keilly
  • Best Set Design: Nanaimo Theatre Group – The Woman in Black – Joylon Brown
  • Best Costume Design: ECHO Players – The Revolutionists – Lorna McLellan and Carol Byrne
  • Best Lighting Design: Nanaimo Theatre Group – The Woman in Black – Edward Gueulette
  • Best Sound Design: ECHO Players – The Revolutionists – Jennifer Kelly
  • Best Ensemble Acting: Courtenay Little Theatre – Myth of the Ostrich
  • Best Performance by a Youth or Newcomer: Portal Players – Blackbird – Sara Curtis
  • Best Backstage Coordinator: Nanaimo Theatre Group – The Woman in Black
  • Best Graphics Design: Portal Players – Blackbird – Robinson Wilson
  • Donna Lamb Recipient: Gail Tisdale, ECHO Players

Portal Players Fundraising Notebooks

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Capture the essence of history and support the arts with our exclusive Capitol Theatre Lined Notebook Journal. This elegant, blank-lined notebook features a captivating photo from 1936 of The Capitol Theatre on its cover, transporting you to a time when the magic of theatre began to enchant our community. Every purchase not only celebrates this historical gem but also plays a crucial role in helping to nurture the future of the arts by supporting Portal Players Dramatic Society – volunteer, non-profit owner/operator of The Capitol Theatre. $10.00 from the sale of each journal goes back to Portal Players in this fundraising initiative. This project is produced in partnership with PWA Publishing of Port Alberni.

2 Journal Sizes are available:
Large letter-size, 8.5″ x 11″; and smaller statement-size, 5.5″ x 8.5″. Both journals feature over 120 blank, lined pages, numbered, for your personal notes, thoughts, reflections, creative writing, brainstorming, recipes and anything else you can think of!
Click on the links to view and order on Amazon.

Portal Players Dramatic Society
is a Volunteer & Non-Profit Organization which owns & runs The Capitol Theatre in Port Alberni, BC. All actors, directors, producers, crew, front of house & production team members are highly skilled, talented & local volunteers, working hard to help create and promote a Vibrant Arts Community in the Alberni Valley.
Thank You For Your Support Of Portal Players by purchasing this Fundraising Notebook!

“The Pillowman” sweeps at Theatre BC’s 2024 Mainstage Festival

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Portal Players Dramatic Society’s Cast & Crew of “The Pillowman”

 

In their first-ever visit to Theatre BC’s Mainstage Festival, Portal Players Dramatic Society won the coveted title of “Best Production,” along with many other awards for their performance of “The Pillowman” by Martin McDonagh. In total, Portal Players returned home from Mainstage with seven different awards as presented by adjudicator Joan McLean at the Awards Ceremony, hosted by and at the Chilliwack Players Guild in Chilliwack on July 7, 2024. The full awards list is available here.

“We had the best night of the show ever on our Mainstage night, ” said director Nicole Foster. “We felt that we did well, but there were some other really strong contenders. We couldn’t have imagined we’d end up with seven awards. Catch up on all the news about our win at MainStage in this article from our friends at the Alberni Valley News.

  • Best Props:  Hannele Talkio
  • Best Sound Design: Carl Craig
  • Best Lighting Design: Diena Tyne
  • Best Supporting Actor in a Male Role: Scott Lemkay
  • Best Actor in a Male Role: Cydney Pedersen
  • Bill Elliot Best Director Award: Nicole Foster
  • Best Production: The Pillowman written by Martin McDonagh
Producer Liane Fitzpatrick and Director Nicole Foster with “The Pillowman” awards.

Together with those awards, a Special Merit Certificate for a “Great and Well Timed Puppet Show” was awarded to to Lennon Chase, Ojas Cats, Bella Paragallo, Aurayliah Clark, Teresa Drew and Hannele Talkio.

Portal Players is incredibly proud of this team’s hard work and dedication to the production, to all of our sponsors for their support, and of course to our audiences for coming out to see the shows. A new season of plays will be announced soon – see you At The Capitol!

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“The Pillowman” WINS 6 AWARDS including BEST PRODUCTION!

Portal Players cleaned up at the 2024 Theatre BC North Island Zone Drama Festival, which was hosted by our club at The Capitol Theatre. Six awards were given by adjudicator Robinson Wilson to our production of Martin McDonagh’s “The Pillowman”:

  • Best Production – which now advances to Theatre BC’s Mainstage Festival in Chilliwack in early July
  • Best Director, Nicole Foster – in a tie with Nanaimo Theatre Group’s Nikita Towe for “All In The Timing”
  • Best Actor in a Male Role – Cydney Pedersen
  • Best Supporting Actor in a Male Role – Scott Lemkay
  • Best Set – Nicole Foster
  • Best Lighting Design – Diena Tyne

Four additional performances have been scheduled to help raise funds for Portal Players travel costs to attend Mainstage in Chilliwack – see dates above. Tickets available online below.

Photo courtesy Alberni Valley News.

Our partners at the Alberni Valley News have prepared an excellent article about the Festival and Portal Players’ wins: AV News, “The Pillowman”.

In a totalitarian state a writer is questioned by the authorities about a spate of murders that bear similarities to his short stories. Is this life imitating art or something more sinister? This black comedy is widely regarded as one of the greatest plays of the past 25 years and examines the role of the artist in society. It asks “what price do we pay for freedom of expression?”.  “The Pillowman” was awarded the 2004 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play, and was a 2005 Tony Award nominee for Best New Play.

Playwright Martin McDonagh is an Acadamy Award winner and has been nominated for six additional Academy Awards. Among his many credits, McDonagh wrote and directed the films In Bruges, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri and The Banshees of Inisherin.

This show is for mature audiences only and includes advisories for a loud noise, racist & graphic language, discussion of infanticide, and live fire. We reserve the right to turn away minors without a guardian present.