At Caravan Farm Theatre, Armstrong, BC until August 11, 2019
Tickets from $15.75 (youth) to $36.75 (adult) at www.caravanfarmtheatre.com
Posted August 8, 2019
Whether you consider them cute and furry or nasty and wily, the coyotes in Caravan Farm Theatre’s show, The Coyotes, are a lot of fun. Peter Anderson, who wrote the piece forty-one years ago, and Michael Kennard (Mump of Mump and Smoot fame) are a pair of goofy, mangy canines in grubby tan-coloured longjohns, coyote masks (by Melody Anderson), fur-covered paws and puffy tails.
Caravan, celebrating its 40th season, began as a travelling company in a brightly coloured, horse drawn caravan that took The Coyotes around the Interior, including Salmon Arm where Peter met Melody. They’ve been together ever since and Caravan Farm Theatre, now in a permanent location on a working farm outside Armstrong, is still going strong, too.
Peter says the piece – using a shortage of water as a metaphor – was originally a commentary on what was then perceived as a looming oil shortage. Years later, it’s a story about a looming water shortage.
The plot is deliciously silly and politically left-leaning: greedy Wanda (James Fagan Tait) and her partner in crime Bigelow (Tom Jones) make farmer Agnes (Natascha Girgis) an offer on her farm she cannot resist. Her daughter Vida (Christine Quintana) is eager to be rid of the place but Vida’s sister Leoty (Kaitlyn Yott) wants Mom to hang on to the place that has been in the family for years. Leoty gets tangled up with White Shadow (Aaron M. Wells), the coyote pack’s handsome alpha male. Leoty’s father Maroni (Kenthen H. Thomas) was a First Nations man. I don’t know if he’s dead or a ghost but it really doesn’t matter. He doesn’t like the look of the future and he’s determined to prevent it.
Music composed by John Millard is provided by Marguerite Witvoet, Ajineen Sagal and Matti Pulkki.
The show takes place in a roofed, rustic gazebo-type structure while the audience sits on bleachers under the stars. And are there ever stars! Far from ambient light, the heavens offer a light show like no other.
Like Theatre Under the Stars, Caravan Farm Theatre is a total experience with an audience that’s made up of casual, family-oriented, beer and wine-drinking, popcorn-eating folks. Before the show, people take out folding chairs and eat picnic dinners in the grassy parking lot. There are horses in the field. Wildflowers. It smells farmy. And then there’s that great big sky.
Because last year the smoke from wildfires was so bad, Caravan shortened its run this year. The show closes on Sunday, August 11 even though the air is clear. There are a few seats left for Friday, Saturday and Sunday but if you can’t make it this summer, there’s also a different show at Christmas (this year based on The Nutcracker) as well as sleighrides.
The farm is on Salmon River Road about 15 minutes from Armstrong, BC. Farmstrong Cidery, in an 1896 restored barn, is a terrific place to visit and, of course, Armstrong Cheese is, no kidding, in Armstrong. Sprouted up in the last few years are several restaurants that look interesting; and there’s always the Armstrong Hotel to stay in. Nothing fancy, but comfortable.
While they say you can’t teach a dog new tricks, director Estelle Shook proves you can teach a forty-one year old play – nominally about coyotes – a thing or two. Terrific entertainment for the whole family and well worth the drive.