Saint Joan returns to stage for church fundraiser

Musicalmania! Production Co. has completed a full remount of the Saint Joan and Me, and they will perform it tonight at St. Albert Catholic Parish as a fundraiser for St. Matthew’s Anglican Church.

Saint Joan and Me, influenced by a Mark Twain novel, tells the story of Saint Joan as remembered by her best friend Louie. It starts with a narrator, Old Louie, recording his thoughts from his younger days while campaigning with Joan.

Created by St. Albert composer Cindy Oxley, Saint Joan and Me was first staged at Edmonton Fringe Festival in 2009. But despite the period costume, the 90-minute operetta came across as static.

Last fall another St. Albert actor/director/playwright was brought in to re-block the entire show. Maureen Rooney had originally met Oxley about 20 years ago when both taught at Edmonton Musical Theatre. In 1996, Rooney once again paired up with Oxley to direct, design costumes, sets and lights, and even act in the composer’s operetta Hunchback of Notre Dame.

For Saint Joan and Me, Rooney employed a technique of blocking the show and video taping it while assistant director Jen Magel would continue rehearsals.

“The script is brilliant. But the show is very dark. It shows Joan as a courageous woman — a light in a dark world of power struggles. She was an incredible woman who followed God’s call when it was treason to do so,” said Rooney.

While most of the script remains the same, Oxley has added two new songs for a total of 17. Joan (Nadine Veroba) sings the poignant Illusion the night before her execution, and Louie’s Recitative performed by young Louie (David Wilson) is his sense of desperation in trying to mount a rescue during her imprisonment.