Portal Players

“I Hate Hamlet!” a comedy by Paul Rudnick, opens April 20, 2023

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Portal Players Dramatic Society’s next production is shaping up well – TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE NOW via online purchase (click this link or the image below).

Andrew Rally seems to have it all: celebrity and acclaim from his starring role in a hit television series; a rich, beautiful girlfriend; a glamorous, devoted agent; the perfect New York apartment; and the chance to play Hamlet in Central Park. There are, however, a couple of glitches in paradise. Andrew’s series has been canceled; his girlfriend is clinging to her virginity with unyielding conviction; and he has no desire to play Hamlet. When Andrew’s agent visits him, she reminisces about her brief romance with John Barrymore many years ago, in Andrew’s apartment. This prompts a seance to summon his ghost. From the moment Barrymore returns, dressed in high Shakespearean garb, Andrew’s life is no longer his own. Barrymore, fortified by champagne and ego, presses Andrew to accept the part and fulfill his actor’s destiny. The action becomes more hilarious with the entrance of Andrew’s deal-making friend from LA, spouting the laid-back hype of the Coast and offering Andrew a fabulous new TV deal worth millions of dollars. The laughs are nonstop as Andrew wrestles with his conscience, Barrymore, his sword, and the fact that he fails as Hamlet in Central Park.

“I Hate Hamlet”, directed by L’Rae Whipple and produced by Nicole Foster, opens on April 20, 2023 at The Capitol Theatre and plays on select dates through May 6. It is also Portal Players’ entry in the Theatre BC North Island Zone Drama Festival being held the third week of May in Campbell River.

This play includes scintillating sword fighting and mature content – more details coming soon . . .

Portal Players Dramatic Society is a Volunteer, Charitable & Non-Profit Organization which owns & runs The Capitol Theatre. All our actors, directors, 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 Our Productions!

Comedy at The Capitol, Feb 16 – 25, 2023!

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“I Take This Man”

by Jack Sharkey, directed by Diena Tyne

On stage at The Capitol Theatre in Port Alberni on select dates, February 16 – 25, 2023.

When lovely young Gideon Hollis a.k.a. Giddy spots an unconscious man in a tank top and shorts lying in Copley Square just after all other Boston Marathon racers have crossed the finish line, she reasons that since nice guys finish last, this must be Mr. Right! She has a helpful policeman tote him to her nearby apartment, shocking her roommate, whose fiance is due for a dinner date. When the comatose dreamboat revives and cannot remember who he is, Giddy tells him they are married. She regrets her subterfuge when he tries to be a loving husband. Complications escalate at a furious pace in this outrageous concoction of wild, warm, and lightning-paced hilarity that is perfect for the entire family.

Tickets are available in advance from the Alberni District Co-op’s administration office, 4885 Beaver Creek Road, Port Alberni (cash sales only). Tickets are also available at the door on show nights at The Capitol Theatre, 4904 Argyle Street. The play runs for two weekends between February 16 and 25, on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Doors open at 6:30 pm, and the curtain opens at 7:30 pm. For more information, text or call 250-913-0454.

Please check out this wonderful story by the Alberni Valley News about our production.

We thank our business sponsors for their support: Alberni District Co-op, The Graphics Factory, The Alberni Valley News, 93.3 The Peak Radio and Ferro Studios.

August Update 2021

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Hello everyone! August is here and we are gearing up for an exciting fall! We have begun working on remounting “The Complete Works of Williams Shakespeare (Abridged)” and the Society is looking for volunteers to join the board, various committees, and upcoming events. Grab your calendars so you can save these dates!

Before we get into all the exciting fall events, we have an update on our CEBA application. For members who couldn’t attend the Extraordinary General Meeting back in June, Portal Players applied for a loan through the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA). The CEBA program provides interest-free loans of up to $60,000 to small businesses and not-for-profits and a portion of it would’ve been forgivable. Unfortunately, we were not successful in our application and will need to look at other opportunities for fundraising.

As September quickly approaches, we are looking to fill four seats on the Board. We will be holding a Nominations meeting on August 26, 2021, at the theatre at 7 pm. We are looking for members to fill the roles of Director-at-Large and Treasurer. If you or someone you know is interested, please encourage them to join us at this meeting or they can contact the committee chair at hinatinyis@gmail.com.

The Fundraising Committee has a few events this fall to coordinate and is looking for volunteers. The committee will be meeting on September 9, 2021, at the theatre at 7pm. Portal Players will be participating in a Revival of the Arts event late September or early October, and we are also collaborating with Co-op for the Fuel Good Day in September.

Fuel Good Day is an annual event where Alberni Co-op and the Federated Co-operatives Limited (FCL) donates .10 cents per litre sold at all three Port Alberni locations. The more fuel sold, the more money donated. We are looking for individuals who would be interested in dressing up in costume to help create a presence and draw attention. We are also looking for people to help coordinate all our lovely volunteers!

As for the Revival of the Arts event, we look forward to inviting you back into our theatre. We have not fully formed this event and look forward to working with our volunteers to shape it into an exciting fundraiser that compliments our upcoming season.

A big shout out to the cast and crew of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) for hitting the ground running on their upcoming production. Rehearsals have begun and the cast and crew are eager to share their love of laughter with you all. Opening weekend will be October 8, and we look forward to seeing you all there! Stay safe and we can’t wait to see you all again!

One last reminder! Our Annual General Meeting is also next month and we would like to invite you to join us in-person. We will post an official Notice of Meeting with the agenda shortly but please mark your calendars for Thursday, September 23, at 7pm.

hinatinyis

Brittany Coté

President

ATC 007 – “GEN Z – It’s Fun & Fresh, with Cool Teens”

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This time around, and with no trepidation at all, we have handed the podcast keys over to some of our STAGES Company One students, who are preparing their original play “GEN Z” for production at The Capitol Theatre.

STAGES Youth Theatre Company students, podcasting.

STAGES Youth Theatre Company is opening “GEN Z”on Friday, April 5, 2019 – running over two weekends of Friday and Saturday night shows, and Sunday matinees, through to April 14th at The Capitol Theatre. Tickets available at the box office before each performance. Check out the STAGES Facebook page for tons more information and promotional videos that the students have prepared.

Download the show here.

ATC 006 – “The Melting Pot of Many Hats”

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Portal Players’ podcast is back! After some time off, we’re back on track talking all about Portal Players Dramatic Society.

Our next two productions are called “Looking” and “Sisters”, and in this episode we talk to the directors of both shows. The co-producers of “Looking” also make an appearance, as do some actors from “Sisters”. You might think there are a dozen people on this show, but no – that’s the magic of the melting pot of many hats!

Brent Ronning, Peter Wienold, Jacqollyne Keath & Nicole Saugstad

Host Peter Wienold chats with Brent Ronning, Jacqollyne Keath and Nicole Saugstad on this episode. Jacqollyne is the director of Norm Foster’s great comedy, “Looking” which opens on February 22 at The Capitol Theatre. Brent Ronning is Portal Players’ President and director of Wendy Lill’s “Sisters”, opening April 26. And Nicole Saugstad is co-producer for “Looking”. To find out the many other hats we all wear, please tune in!

Tickets to our upcoming shows are available now at the box office, from Rollin Art Centre and online. Click here for “Looking”, and here for “Sisters”.

Yes, it’s episode number 006 of At The Capitol with Portal Players – please have a listen right now!


ATC 005 – “They Were In The French Revolution”

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Subscribe on iTunes Here!

On this episode of the At The Capitol with Portal Players podcast, we chat with our trio from Little Shop of Horrors. Meet Bronwyn Mairie Nestegaard-Paul, Melissa Lowe and Niklas Burton.

Podcast guests (left to right) Bronwyn, Melissa and Nik.

We chat about all things Little Shop and their roles in the show, and then take a dangerous dive into favourite musical theatre titles.

This episode was recorded on Sunday, September 23 before a Little Shop rehearsal, and before Portal Players’ Annual General Meeting held on Monday night, September 24.

At the AGM, Melissa Lowe received the highly-coveted and well-regarded Doreen Anderson Volunteer of the Year award, and podcast guest Niklas Burton was elected to the PPDS Board of Directors. Congratulations to you both!

Tune in to the podcast to hear a very entertaining discussion!

ATC 004: News Update, September 20, 2018

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Subscribe on iTunes Here!

Annual General Meeting, September 24

Portal Players Dramatic Society is holding its Annual General Meeting on Monday, September 24 at 7 pm, at The Capitol Theatre. New Members are welcome, as is the public – You’ll get to meet many of our members and hear our latest updates. You’ll also hear about Theatre BC’s big “provincials” of drama, the Mainstage festival, coming to Port Alberni next summer and being organized in large part by Portal Players. We’re still building the team and assembling a volunteer corps, so by all means, come to the AGM.

Season Tickets – Available Now

Portal Players’ new season of plays kicks off in October with our production of the musical “Little Shop of Horrors”. Season tickets are available now for the entire series of four shows at a discounted price of just $69.00 for adults, a savings of $10 on individual ticket purchases. You could also purchase an individual patron sponsorship for just $129.00 which includes a season ticket, a membership in Portal Players and a $50 tax receipt. Buy your Season Tickets Here; buy your Opening Night Gala Ticket Here.

Sponsorship Campaign – On Now

Our annual campaign to partner with local businesses is now underway. This is an excellent opportunity for your business to support the arts while raising your own profile in the community, including promotional mentions on this, our new podcast. Affordable business support levels start at just $250, with higher levels available too. Click here for a downloadable PDF of our Partnership Packages brochure; or e-mail us: capitoltheatre@shaw.ca and someone will get back to you.

Thank you to our season sponsors so far, Swale Rock Cafe, The Graphics Factory and Koliber Gifts.

Opening Night Fundraising Gala, October 17

Another way you can show your support of Portal Players is to attend our Opening Night Fundraising Gala for “Little Shop of Horrors” on Wednesday, October 17. Not only is it our opening night, but we’ll finally be “Raising The Reds” with our new, marquee curtains at centre stage. With grateful thanks to Lily Diotte and our many other funders, it’s a night to celebrate! Tickets are just $50 which includes a $25 tax receipt – available online now and at our box office during regular hours.

Norm Foster comedy “Looking” – Auditions

Portal Players is producing the Norm Foster comedy, “Looking”. Auditions are taking place on October 9 and 10 at 7 pm each night at The Capitol Theatre. 2 women and 2 men are needed for the cast; and we need members on our production team too – so if you have any interest in being on the stage, or off the stage, please attend the auditions to let us know. And you can also come to the AGM September 24 to let us know you’re interested.

Find out more about “Looking” at this link.

More “At The Capitol” Coming Soon . . .

Coming up soon on the At The Capitol podcast – a feature profile of three performers in Little Shop of Horrors. We’ll be chatting with our greek chorus, our tenacious trio, who are never far from the scene. Join me in chatting with Bronwyn, Melissa and Niklas very soon on At The Capitol with Portal Players.

Portal Players SEASON TICKETS Now Available!

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Click here to purchase the full season of Portal Players productions at a discounted price!

Season Tickets are now available which includes Little Shop of Horrors, at a cost of just $69 + fees – a savings of $10 over buying individual advance adult tickets.

The full season shows include:

  • Little Shop of Horrors by Howard Ashman & Alan Menken; based on the film by Roger Corman & Charlie Griffith (October/November, 2018)
  • This Is a Play by Daniel MacIvor (November, 2018) – This includes a special tour of select non-public areas of The Capitol Theatre
  • Looking by Norm Foster (February/March, 2019)
  • Sisters by Wendy Lill (April/May, 2019)