Two women from Ucluelet have turned a mutual passion for musical theatre into a successful dinner theatre series.
Courtney Johnson and Jaqueline Holliday met several years ago when Johnson taught Holliday's son in a musical theatre class. "We became friends. Both of us love performing," said Johnson. They used to perform together at a local pub, but have since created a successful dinner theatre at the Ucluelet Community Centre.
"We really wanted to do something different. Tofino has the Clayoquot Sound Theatre. Dinner theatre is just something that didn't happen here," Johnson explained. "We have the similar (vision) that people love good food, people love to laugh. Everyone loves good food and good times."
The West Coast Performing Arts Society started in 2015, taking over the Paula Ross Dance Society that was in danger of dissolving, Johnson explained. "We offered to take it over and it's nice to keep it going."
Johnson has been teaching Glee on the west coast since 2012, and says just like the dinner theatre she couldn't keep Glee going without the "incredible" support from the community.
Johnson and Holliday liked the idea of pairing with local restaurants so they can showcase the culinary talent of the west coast. The troupe of actors is a cross-section of the community too: from realtors to gallery owners, artists, a deejay and a Ukrainian refugee who will perform for his mother this spring for the first time since he was a kid. Holliday is a boat captain, while Johnson runs Image West Gallery with her husband.
There is also a whole team of people that work behind the scenes to ensure the dinner theatre is a success: Jaqueline's husband builds some of their sets while other friends have stepped up to operate the sound system.
The latest dinner theatre, "A West Coast Seduction," features a washed-out highway, lobsters, a mysterious film crew, a talking cake, a flock of grouse, psychic rats and a dead body. Johnson and Holliday co-wrote the script for this one, said Johnson, which is not unusual.
Over the years the troupe has performed Saturday Night Live skits and taken inspiration from the all-woman Baroness von Sketch comedy show. Johnson said the original scripts are special. "For the most part we do put each other's ideas into this. I'm pretty proud of the scripts that we've written.
"We promise this will be a show you won't forget!"
Tickets for A West Coast Seduction are $80 each and available at Image West Gallery, the Ucluelet Community Centre or by calling Courtney Johnson at 250-266-2077. Tickets include a three-course meal provided by Heartwood Kitchen. The event is a fundraiser for the West Coast Performing Arts Society (formerly the Paula Ross Dance Society). Funds will go toward operations and equipment as well as providing assistance to students in the performing arts.
Remaining performances take place on Friday, May 2 and Saturday, May 3 at the Ucluelet Community Centre.
