Above: Dufflebag Theatre will be presenting Cinderella Mar. 2. – Sam Gaetz Photo
by Stephen Dafoe
For more than a quarter-century, the “nearly world-famous” Dufflebag Theatre has travelled the country and the globe offering creative spins on classic stories and fairy tales.
The group returns to town Friday, Mar. 2 to present Cinderella, the classic story of a young woman living a sad life with her wicked stepmother and stepsisters.
DuffleBag Theatre has been to Morinville in the past, spinning Dicken’s A Christmas Carol and Dumas’ Three Musketeers into fun shows full of audience participation.
The theatrical group began in London, Ontario in 1992 when Artistic Director Marcus Lundgren was asked to perform at a children’s festival.
Lundgren said the group, which will consist of three actors, are looking forward to a return trip to Morinville and putting the audience into the show once again.
“As with all of our performances, they are based on a traditional fairy tale or classic story, but since they star members of the audience in the main parts we never know what to expect,” he explained. “We give them choices, and there is a lot of improvisation and spontaneous fun that happens based on whatever they do.”
The artistic director said adults would enjoy the forthcoming show as much as children as Dufflebag offers shows for all ages.
“Our DuffleBag Theatre style is like that of the Muppet Show in that it appeals to the kid in all of us but some of the jokes and funny bits are specifically for the grown-up kids,” Lundgren said. “We also have noticed that upon returning to a community for another Public performance there are usually more adults in the audience the second time around. We attribute it to parents having the show reenacted for them around the dinner table afterwards so they want to see it for themselves the next time. It’s a wonderful shared experience for a family.”
Tickets for the show are $12 per person of $40 for a family four-pack and can be purchased at the MCCC Box Office or by calling 780-939-7839. The show takes place at 7 p.m. Friday, Mar. 2.
