性视界传媒 actors play adversaries in a production of 鈥淭he Sound of Music鈥� at .

Saxony Eccleston is governess Maria in the iconic musical, and Larissa Dawn returns to the stage as baroness Elsa. Both fall for Captain von Trapp (Reginald Pillay) in the dinner-theatre show, which starts a run of two-plus weeks on Wednesday, May 31.

The two female leads hadn鈥檛 met until rehearsals began earlier this spring.

鈥淲e got along so well and bonded over horror movies and rock music, and now we鈥檙e friends,鈥� noted Eccleston, a Kwantlen Park Secondary grad who studied theatre at Douglas College.

鈥淭he Sound of Music鈥� is her first post-COVID show, while Dawn is in her first play in more than a decade.

Singer in hard-rock band Celestial Ruin, Dawn鈥檚 last theatre production was a run with 鈥淭ony N鈥� Tina鈥檚 Wedding鈥� (Hoarse Raven Theatre) when she played several roles including her favourite, Tina Vitale.

鈥淚 did that for four years and I felt pretty empty after it ended,鈥� Dawn recalled. 鈥淚t was a huge part of my life for so long, and I was missing that spark.鈥�

She stepped away from theatre, film and TV 鈥渃old turkey,鈥� and was busy rocking concert stages in recent years.

She鈥檚 a 鈥渃haracter鈥� in , too, but that鈥檚 different.

鈥淚 missed being something entirely different on stage,鈥� Dawn added. 鈥淚 paid attention to audition boards over the past two years but nothing really grabbed my attention until Theatre in Country posted about 鈥楽teel Magnolias.鈥� I grew up watching that movie, and it was something I would have come out of retirement for, and it was my first audition in 11 years.鈥�

She didn鈥檛 get a part in that play, but soon scored the Elsa role in the Jacq Ainsworth-directed 鈥淭he Sound of Music.鈥�

The famous 1965 movie version of the Rodgers & Hammerstein collaboration isn鈥檛 exactly kind to the widow character, but it鈥檚 different on stage in Langley this week.

鈥淭hey do Elsa dirty in the movie but she鈥檚 not the villain, and I鈥檓 very happy that I get to portray her the way she was actually written to be portrayed,鈥� Dawn explained.

鈥淓lsa isn鈥檛 a bad woman, she鈥檚 just the wrong woman,鈥� she underlined. 鈥淭heir political views are too different, and they were fond of each other, her and the captain, but it just wasn鈥檛 meant to be. I鈥檓 looking forward to people seeing the real Elsa, who in 1938 was a strong female character who ran a business.鈥�

Evening performances are Wednesday through Saturday, with dinner at 6:30 p.m. and show at 7:30.

Right now Dawn is juggling a day job in the travel industry and rehearsals for both 鈥淭he Sound of Music鈥� and the band, along with work on a music video for a Celestial Ruin song, 鈥淟ost My Mind,鈥� filmed at her Clayton-area home. Another consideration is a new cover band called One 50 One.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW CELESTIAL RUIN VIDEO

It鈥檚 been a 鈥渃razy鈥� few weeks for her, but Dawn sounds excited to return to theatre.

鈥淭he team is great,鈥� she reported. 鈥淪ometimes in the theatre world you don鈥檛 get along because of personalities, but this is great. I mean, Saxony, the gal playing Maria, her voice is impeccable and pure, like an angel, just beautiful. She鈥檚 amazing, and so are Reg (as the captain) and Paul (Beckett, as Max Detweiler, director of Trapp Family Singers). The four of us have a lot of fun.鈥�

, or call 604-259-9737.

Looking ahead, the two remaining 2023 shows at Theatre in the Country are 鈥淭he Shawshank Redemption鈥� (October dates) and A Christmas Carol Musical (November/December).

The venue in downtown Langley, on Glover Road, is where Reg and Erin Parks have produced plays for close to seven years. Before that, they started out in rural Whonnock, hence the company鈥檚 鈥渃ountry鈥� name.

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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