Ralph Troschke was a sports jock in school. In fact, he’s still into sports and has been the St. Albert Mustang’s throws coach for seven years.
But when he was in Grade 9, his school sent Troschke to a production of Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew.
“It was on a thrust stage, and I was sitting about four feet from the actors. I was just a kid and what caught me was the physicality. You could see them sweat under the lights. There was one scene where she’s starving and he bashes away a chicken and it landed in my lap,” said Torschke.
“It was a different in a dynamic way, and I was smart enough to realize anything could go the right way or the wrong way at any given time, just like sports.”
He made it a point to see theatrical productions, and in 1984 he saw Ayn Rand’s Night of January 16, a controversial courtroom drama. Rand wrote two endings for the play and audience members who volunteered as jury rendered the verdict.
“I thought, ‘this is cool.’ You don’t get to participate in this way watching television. I decided that night to join theatre.”
Currently Troschke is vice-president of finance at King's University. In the past 40 years, he has taken part in 32 productions. He is now in rehearsal directing his 12th production for St. Albert Dinner Theatre. Sinners, a slapstick murder mystery, runs March 27-29, April 3-5 and 10-12 at Kinsmen Banquet Hall.
Troschke saw Sinners in 1991 and included the farce, written by Canadian playwright Norm Foster, on his bucket list of 10 plays he’d like to direct.
“I love Norm Foster’s sense of humour. He’s pretty subtle in some ways. His plays are more commercial than art. But he does make one small point. He who is without sin can cast the first stone, and all the characters have sinned.”
Peter (Tim Kubasek), a furniture salesman, is having an affair with Monica (Monica Lefurgy), the local minister’s wife. When the Reverend Edmond (Richard Wiens) arrives home unexpectedly, the situation goes off the rails. Two deaths occur and a web of deceit slowly comes to the surface as members of the parish and the women’s auxiliary get involved.
Additional characters also include the local police chief (Kelly Krause) who is tired of his job and is running for mayor. His wife, the nosy Caroline (Laurie Borle), is a pious self-righteous individual who is a kleptomaniac. And Diane (Kara Little), a neighbour, has big news to deliver.
“These characters all have sins they’re hiding, all have skeletons in their closet. All have issues and it’s kind of reminiscent about life.”
Troschke warns the script is full of deception and the viewer should never get too comfortable thinking they know where the twists and turns will lead.
“Foster writes for the masses. It’s pure escapism, and it’s timeless. It was written in 1980 but it’s still relevant today. We have to be careful about judging others. It’s funny, but it’s still a good slice of life.”
Dinner is at 6 p.m. Show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $70 at stalberttheatre.com or by calling 780-222-0102.
