ECHO Players is back live onstage with a Canadian play brimming with romantic optimism
After an 18-month live theatre hiatus, ECHO Players presents the charming comedy ‘Yesteryear’, live on stage at the Village Theatre in Qualicum Beach, from Oct. 7 to Oct. 24.
The year is 1948. ‘Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer’ hits the charts, the Maple Leafs sweep the Red Wings to win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup and Newfoundland becomes Canada’s 10th province.
Saskatchewan is undergoing huge change, with Tommy Douglas’s CCF Party, a precursor to the NDP putting the province on the map. In the mythical town of Raglan, Sask., house painter David McTavish is living in the back room of the local hardware store – a place he’s called home ever since he caught Mildred cheating on him the night before their wedding…almost 15 years earlier.
David manages to keep a low profile until one fateful day when he gets lucky in the Irish Sweepstakes. All of a sudden, the whole town wants a piece of him, and his winnings. But David is more interested in the news that Mildred is coming back to town.
“When I first read this play, I was drawn to the beautiful writing of Joanna McClelland Glass,” said director Stephen Torrence. “But the more I read it, the more I felt drawn to its simple story of two people who still love each other even though they hurt each other badly.”
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‘Yesteryear’ is a beautifully written comic love story with great characters, some back room tippling, gossip, hockey talk, salty language and even a local bordello. It’s a story you can’t help liking, and a hero you can’t help cheering for.
“For many of our audience members, ‘Yesteryear’ will bring back fond memories of growing up in a different era, or on the prairies,” said Torrence. “The magic lies in cheering for two people who, through misfortune, have lost their love, only to find it again.”
Audiences can count on all Provincial Health COVID mandates to be strictly adhered to. Vaccine passports and masks are mandatory and the theatre has socially-distanced seating and comprehensive cleaning protocols. There will also be a digital offering of ‘Yesteryear’ streamed online.
ECHO Players greatly appreciates the support of the community to help see it through these challenging times and is doing everything in its power to keep its volunteer members and patrons safe.
Tickets for Yesteryear are available now online. Go to www.echoplayers.ca for detailed information, or call 250-752-3522.
— Submitted