Kamloops Players Theatre Society has been bringing community theatre productions to the stage in Kamloops since 1967. Completely volunteer driven, Kamloops Players is dedicated to bringing quality, affordable live theatre to the city while also encouraging new members to join them both on and off stage to keep theatre alive here in Kamloops.

Currently they are getting ready for two new shows in their 2025 season. First up is the Norm Foster play, Halfway There directed by Laurel Brewer, playing from April 9–13 at the Pavilion Theatre. Following in June will be a summer Shakespeare production of Julius Caesar, directed by Andrew Robertson.

Halfway There is a completely Canadian production. “Canadian playwright, Canadian publishing house, it’s all Canadian money,” says producer Rod Deboice, who says that keeping it local is even more important in the political times we are in. “We are leaning more and more to that kind of production where all of the money we spend stays local.”

The show is a classic Norm Foster character-driven comedy set in the small town of Stewiacke, Nova Scotia, known for being halfway between the North Pole and the equator. The story revolves around four close-knit friends — Vi, Rita, Mary Ellen, and Janine — who meet daily at the local diner to gossip and share their lives. Their small town lives are disrupted when Sean, a heartbroken doctor, moves to town for a temporary job at the clinic. As relationship mayhem ensues, in typical Foster mastery, their friendships and loyalties are put to the test.

Julius Caesar comes to the stage June 18 through to the 22, again, at the Pavilion Theatre. “It is relevant to our times, relevant to our culture in so many ways,” says director Andrew Robertson. He describes the atmosphere that the play was written in, and the ability of Shakespeare to write such obvious criticism of politics under the guise of it being from another culture. Queen Elizabeth I was such an ardent fan that Shakespeare got away with such audacious writing in a time where criticism of the monarchy could land you in jail. Or worse.

Robertson says he chose this play because of its potential to dig into social dynamics, because it isn’t one of the more popular Shakespeare plays, and because of its relevance. A relevance, he says, that has just become more and more so since he chose this play. Crazy politics aside, Robertson is aiming to find the humour in Julius Caesar, and from the laughter that is prevalent in rehearsals so far, it is a fair bet that he will succeed in doing just that.

So, whether you are checking out a production, dying to get involved in community theatre, or just want to help keep theatre alive and well, Kamloops Players are working hard to keep theatre thriving. “We are non-profit, it’s all about paying for the productions, playing for the community, and getting more people involved in acting, or directing, etc.,” says Deboice.

“If you want to keep community theatre around and support Kamloops Players and keep theatre alive, come out to a show!”