Fort St. John Players Present Comedy For All Ages

The Fort St. John Players used a Catalyst grant to expand its audience demographics, increase its volunteer base, reach out to youth, build self-sufficiency, and nurture the principles of inclusion for those with developmental disabilities. The troupe did this in October, 2006, through its comedy The Melancholy Wizard presented at the North Peace Cultural Centre in Fort St. John. This included two free children’s matinees (for the local school district) and one ticketed show for adults. The event exceeded audience targets with 931 people attending over the three shows. The project also built capacity within its theatre troupe by increasing the number of trained, backstage volunteers. The group has since used the results to plan for 2007-08 and retained the core group of actors and volunteers to develop a second production.

Catalyst invests in BC arts, cultural and heritage organizations wishing to enhance their artistic, administrative and organizational capacities. The program is supported by the Province of British Columbia.