A dramatic two-woman play by the ECHO Players won four awards at a province-wide community theatre festival and competition earlier this month (July).
Back at Theatre BC’s Mainstage Festival for the first time since 2004, the ECHO Players presented their production of Collected Stories, and left with four awards.
Those include Best Costume Design for Jane Still, the Backstage Co-operation Award, an award for Best Graphic Design for their program to Ronan Lannuzel, and Best Actress for Beth DeVolder.
“We’re thrilled that we did so well,” said ECHO Players’ president, Rose Knabb.
Following performances at the Village Theatre in Qualicum Beach in April, the play, co-directed by Lynne Carrow and Sue Murguly, received top honours at the North Island Zone Festival in late May.
RELATED STORY: ECHO Players wins big at North Island Zone Festival
The festival is one of several Theatre BC community theatre festivals across B.C. where plays can qualify to go to Mainstage Festival.
Collected Stories won Best Production, Best Ensemble for actors Jennifer Kelly and DeVolder, Best Set Design for George Murguly, Best Costume Design for Still, Best Props for Tricia Browne and Roxanne Kehler and Best Backstage Co-ordination.
It’s a spectacular end to the play’s run, especially considering it was a late edition to the ECHO Players’ season.
ECHO Players had originally planned to produce My Old Lady, and had already casted the roles (with Kelly being cast in the production), when the community theatre company decided to pull the production due to sexual misconduct allegations against Israel Horovitz who wrote and directed the movie version of the play.
Collected Stories, about a veteran author and the student she takes under her wing, was chosen to replace it.
RELATED STORY: Latest ECHO play a stirring piece of theatre
The change also gave DeVolder a second chance at starring in an ECHO Players play.
“I auditioned for… My Old Lady and I didn’t get the role,” DeVolder said. In fact, Kelly had gotten the role DeVolder auditioned for.
But with the change to Collected Stories, DeVolder got a call to play Ruth Steiner, a gruff, veteran New York author opposite Kelly as Lisa Morrison, her protege.
“It’s kind of funny to win an award for the role I didn’t get,” said DeVolder, laughing.
This was DeVolder’s first time winning the Best Actress award, not to mention her first time performing in a major dramatic role.
What she has done a lot of is dinner theatre, specifically at the same venue in Vernon where Mainstage was taking place and where she received her award.
“It was kind of wonderful to be back at a place that I knew so intimately,” she said. “It’s like life comes full circle… it was fun to have my friends there as well, celebrating with me, because they played a part in my journey.”
DeVolder said she wants to congratulate every member of the production for their hard work, culminating in these awards.