ItB次元官网网址檚 better late than never for the Chemainus Theatre to be releasing a show schedule for 2022.

Under pre-COVID conditions this would normally be done the previous fall. But with so much uncertainty about whether there was even going to be a season again, sending any performances to the stage is a godsend for the theatre at this point.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been waiting so long, itB次元官网网址檚 hard to believe,B次元官网网址� said Randy Huber, the theatreB次元官网网址檚 managing director.

ItB次元官网网址檚 been 25 months, in fact, since the Marvelous Wonderettes was pulled off the stage on March 13, 2020 before the end of its run at the outset of COVID. The theatre filled some of the gap with a Playbill Presents series in the dining room as restrictions allowed and recent forays onto the stage with Holiday Jubilation and Michael ClarkeB次元官网网址檚 The Journey, but itB次元官网网址檚 been a long haul.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not going to be a cold start,B次元官网网址� said Huber. B次元官网网址淚 think it would have been a shock to go from zero to highway speed.B次元官网网址�

No one knows what lies ahead with any other variants of COVID and whether that might result in changes again, but B次元官网网址渨eB次元官网网址檙e optimistic for this coming season,B次元官网网址� remarked Huber.

That said, the official season-opener will be The 39 Steps from April 22-May 22 followed by Classic Country Roads June 17-Aug. 21, Glory Sept. 16-Oct. 9, Dead Ringer Oct. 21-Nov. 13 and A Tiny Christmas Carol Dec. 2-23. The productions of 39 Steps and Glory were both on the calendar for 2020 before the season was shut down.

There will be some differences to the theatre experience, mainly in terms of the seating arrangement and the size of the casts for the shows.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e taking a bit of a stepped approach,B次元官网网址� added Huber.

For The 39 Steps, the back section will continue with socially distanced seating and the front part will have regular seats to ensure thereB次元官网网址檚 an option for whatever makes people feel comfortable.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檒l be a bit of a hybrid,B次元官网网址� Huber noted. B次元官网网址淟ots are anxious to get right back in and others arenB次元官网网址檛 quite sure yet. ItB次元官网网址檚 a safe experiment to welcome them back. We think thatB次元官网网址檚 a good step.B次元官网网址�

From the side of assembling casts and crew, B次元官网网址渋tB次元官网网址檚 been interesting watching different companies come back into production,B次元官网网址� said Mark DuMez, the theatreB次元官网网址檚 artistic director. B次元官网网址淓very company in CanadaB次元官网网址檚 doing the same sort of thing, taking what they left behind in 2020 and what they worked on in 2021.B次元官网网址�

Many peoplesB次元官网网址� lives and circumstances in theatre have changed during the pandemic.

B次元官网网址淭he industry is sorting itself out is what weB次元官网网址檙e finding,B次元官网网址� said DuMez.

Both Huber and DuMez acknowledged the donor and community support, with such things as the Return To Stage campaign, has been great while waiting in anticipation for the restart.

The $85,000 matching campaign has been eclipsed.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 producing the seed money for us to gear back up and produce again,B次元官网网址� Huber indicated.

The season itself offers a little something for everyone, with Dead Ringer added to the mix as a bonus show.

The 39 Steps was performed previously in Chemainus in 2011 and it was a wildly popular show.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 something we wanted to bring back B次元官网网址� Hitchcock meets hilarious,B次元官网网址� said DuMez.

B次元官网网址淭he audience is ready to laugh,B次元官网网址� reasoned Huber.

There are four actual performers in the show, combining to play numerous characters.

Classic Country Roads is a tribute/review style journey through bluegrass and gospel music to the early country icons and into rockabilly and the Bakersfield and Nashville sounds.

There will be about seven to eight different performers in that cast.

B次元官网网址淓verythingB次元官网网址檚 a little smaller than it was, but thatB次元官网网址檚 part of the intimate charm,B次元官网网址� explained DuMez.

Glory comes from Island playwright Tracey Power and sheB次元官网网址檒l be part of the creative team for the show. The story of a womenB次元官网网址檚 hockey team has gone all over Canada and was last seen in Prince George.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e looking forward to having that powerful womenB次元官网网址檚 story on stage,B次元官网网址� said DuMez.

Dead Ringer features popular performer Zach Stevenson, portraying not just Buddy Holly this time but others.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 had this moniker from another Island paper, Dead Ringer for Dead Singers,B次元官网网址� pointed out DuMez. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 such a chameleon quality to what he can do musically.B次元官网网址�

As for A Tiny Christmas Carol, B次元官网网址渋tB次元官网网址檚 just a real intimate retelling,B次元官网网址� observed DuMez.

Everyone knows the story, but itB次元官网网址檚 a classic worth seeing again and again in slightly different contexts.

B次元官网网址淲e have a small cast B次元官网网址� small in numbers, big in heart, IB次元官网网址檓 sure,B次元官网网址� noted DuMez.

Playbill Presents will continue with shows in the dining room as well.

B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 a nice new nugget from this time down that weB次元官网网址檝e been able to incorporate into the programming,B次元官网网址� Huber indicated. B次元官网网址淚t nicely augments what we have on stage.B次元官网网址�