A Vancouver theatre company headed by a South Delta Secondary grad has partnered with the Tsawwassen Arts Centre to bring a rarely staged production to South Delta.
Jacob Wolstencroft, creative director and founder of Square One Entertainment, grew up in Tsawwassen and is returning to his hometown this month with his production of Marry Me A Little.
Described as an intimate musical featuring just two actors, Marry Me A Little is the story of two single strangers — starring Julia Ullrich as Her and Jacob Woike as Him — who are left alone in their empty studio apartments on a Saturday night in Brooklyn, New York. They share a night of sweet fantasies and deep yearning, while never knowing they're just a floor away from each other.
Charming and bittersweet, Marry Me A Little, which features songs by Stephen Sondheim, imagines a world where romance triumphs over loneliness and heartache.
The theatre bug bit Wolstencroft early in life. He made his community theatre debut at 11 as the Tin Man in Sidekick Players Club's production of Dorothy and the Wizard of Oz. He was actively involved with the drama department at
South Delta Secondary where he performed in many shows, including Our Town, Annie, Charlie Brown and Peter Pan.
Wolstencroft also directed a variety of plays locally and helped run Knockout Theatre, a Tsawwassen-based youth theatre company.
After graduating from SDSS, Wolstencroft attended Capilano University's musical theatre program and founded Square One Entertainment last October with the goal of finding new ways of financing theatre in Vancouver.
He approached Jacqueline Hamlin, venue manager at the Tsawwassen Arts Centre, about the potential of bringing a musical to its stage and a partnership was born.
For Hamlin, the partnership provided an opportunity to bring another avenue of theatre to Tsawwassen.
"It is inspiring to be presenting a musical produced by talented and ambitious young adults with the goal of inviting youth and young adults into the theatre world. This experience is also a great opportunity to build on the theatre culture we have in Tsawwassen and it is important for the continued growth of our venue," she said.
As part of the production, Wolstencroft has also partnered with the Corporation of Delta to offer a one-day theatre workshop for youth on May 15. Led by Wolstencroft, the workshop will see participants create a mini-musical that will be presented that same evening, just prior to the scheduled performance of Marry Me A Little.
Marry Me A Little runs May 7 to 9 and May 15 at 7:30 p.m. with matinee performances on May 9 and 16 at 1 p.m.
Tickets cost $20 and can be purchased online at www.deltareg.ca or by calling 604-943-9437.
