Cochrane’s Take a Bow Community Theatre is looking for some future Golden Globe winners.
Or even some makeup artists, carpenters, and anyone else wanting to pitch in and just have some fun.
Their latest production, Agatha Christie’s Go Back for Murder, will be staged at the RancheHouse with rehearsals starting Jan. 23. Show dates are April 25 to 27, 7 pm and May 2 and 3 at 2 pm and 7 pm.
The open auditions will be held Jan 14 and 16 from 6 to 8 pm at the RancheHouse.
Director Joanne McGilvray said there’s no experience necessary. They are looking to cast for the following: five men, aged 16 to 50, four women aged 20 to 50, a 21-year-old woman, a man in his 30s, two women in their 30s, a world traveler woman in her 30s (14 in her past), a woman governess (56 in present, 40s in her past), a man in early 40s (30s in past), a man in mid 30s (20s in past), a woman 35 in present, (19 in past), a man in mid 20s and a man in his 60s.
McGilvray said those age categories are flexible, as the world of theatre relies heavily on makeup.
A commitment to rehearsals is crucial. Rehearsals will be on Sundays from 1 to 4 pm, and Thursdays from 6 to 9 pm.
She said enthusiasm for community theatre took a bit of a hit during COVID but now seems to be recovering.
“People are wanting to come out more and more, and attendance is rising, which we love,” she said.
For those contemplating taking a stab at acting, she said the group is perfect for them.
“Our primary goal for those who want to participate – and no experience is necessary – is just to have that safe space to create, to get involved, to be amongst peers and collaborate in an artistic way,” she said.
McGilvray said the group wouldn’t be doing what they do if they weren’t passionate about it, and production volunteers will also have fun.
“We really do strive to make it a fun place," she said. "And there’s no judgement. When people come in, we’re so happy to have people join us, and it doesn’t have to be in acting. If you have experience as a seamstress, you could do costumes, you could do makeup, set building – really, there’s a ton of stuff people could do."
“It’s not intimidating, it’s very welcoming, and you’re family.”
Go Back for Murder is a whodunnit, or perhaps more of a “who didn’t do it.” It was made into a BBC TV series under the name of the novel it was taken from, Five Little Pigs.
“It’s about a young woman who receives a letter from her mother, who was in prison for her mother’s death,” McGilvray said.
She tells her daughter she didn’t do it, so the daughter embarks on a journey, assembling the characters who were there 16 years ago and reliving past events.
Advance tickets are $20, and are available at takeabow.ca.
