Circus of the Lost is a story of the lost souls of the afterlife, with unforgettable characters such as a questionable sword swallower and a clown who is terrified of clowns.
There is murder, guilt, identity crisis, and a journey into the great beyond. And it’s written, directed, and produced by 17-year-old Kamloops local Alex Wilds.
“Circus of the Lost is a play that I wrote for my Capstone project,” said Wilds. Her teachers urged her to submit her script for production to the Pavillion Theatre. And the rest, as they say, is history.
The two-act story revolves around a group of murder victims in the afterlife and their struggles with their untimely demises. The purgatory-style circus is upended when a murderer is thrown into the mix.
“Instead of conquering this big demon, I wanted to show that sometimes bad people don’t just automatically get a free pass because they apologize,” Wilds explained. Instead, she says she wanted to explore the need for self-reflection and growth rather than getting a “free pass” with a simple apology.
Wilds fell in love with acting at a young age. “I remember being moved by what I would see on screen or stage,” she explained. “The first time I tried acting, I felt the same thing times 100!” And she wants to give local youth the chance to catch that same bug for the stage.
She has been acting in Kamloops for over three years and has dreams of earning her living as a professional actress in the future. She explains that she has been taking as many classes as she can afford, such as Stage One classes with Western Canada Theatre and Kamloops School of Music, and she looks forward to studying professionally at Thompson Rivers University.
The play includes roughly a dozen actors and five crew members, all between the ages of 14 and 18. The production itself is an opportunity for mentorship, youth leadership, and a place for young actors to navigate their pathways and learn professionalism through practice.
Western Canada Theatre plays a special role in this production, says Wilds. “I want to acknowledge Western Canada Theatre for the help they have given in tech, doing lighting, walking me through the processes,” said Wilds. “They have been a huge help to make this happen.”
But more than that, she says, the main stars of this process are the youth. “It is not just the play itself, but the work that went into it,” said Wilds. “There are actors in this town that could go on Broadway. They deserve a chance to shine and not have to pay $500 to go to a class and then audition at the class. The professionalism that I have seen from these youth. Some of them could really go places.
“I hope this inspires more youth to get involved in the arts, and more communities to support them.”
You can support Wilds and her youth-driven production by checking out the show. Performances of Circus of the Lost will take place at the Pavilion Theater on Lorne Street from June 10th to 13th. The performances start at 7 pm each night, with tickets bought at the door in cash or E-transfer.