Teatro puts Saint Albert in the spotlight

Teatro La Quindicina is back with more. This time it’s the world premiere of Saint Albert, a bit of a magical, mysterious look to our city’s namesake.

Playwright Stewart Lemoine has such an elegant style at poking judicious fun in his plays that it never appears harsh. Is he taking a stab at the dysfunctional political climate in present day St. Albert I asked?

“Don’t worry. It’s not Peyton Place. I don’t have the actors,” laughs the good-natured Lemoine.

“A few months ago Jeff (Haslam) and I talked about place names, not just personal names. And I began investigation cities that bear those names.”

To pick up a feel for our city, Lemoine asked St. Albert actor Jenny McKillop to drive him around. In one community, he noticed a colossal house with three garages on either side. Its asking price was $4.8 million and had been sitting on the real estate listings for some time.

“Here is this big house. Why would anyone want to buy it? Even the commitment for upkeep would be huge,” questioned Lemoine who grew up in Edmonton’s more modest Parkview area.

Another interesting fact he discovered was that Bishop Taché named the city after the 12th century Saint Albert Louvain, a Catholic religious leader that was assassinated in a familial tug of war.

But in a classic mix-up, the eight-foot statue of a 15-year old boy in tunic and breeches on Perron St. is of the 13th century Albert the Great, a universal thinker and a great philosopher, theologian and natural scientist of the Middle Ages.

Will the real Saint Albert please stand up?

Lemoine pondered the notion of the Alberts and how people in a neighbourhood could be a reflection of them.

Saint Albert’s storyline is quite simple. Sheila (Brianna Buckmaster) is a real estate agent trying to sell an unsellable monster house.

She receives two prospective clients. Desi (Rachel Bowron) is a Euro-pop sensation searching to escape fan mobs and paparazzi while Magnus (Jeff Haslam) is a mystery man, a teacher of the abstract.

Bowron, St. Albert Children’s Theatre musical director, slid easily into her role after having completed Mayfield’s Don’t Dress for Dinner and Citadel’s Avenue Q.

“Stewart has such a beautiful way of tying comedic moments with touching heart-tugging moments. You’re not sure why these people are together, but they all connect,” says Bowron.

The trio meets for the first time at the house, but beyond the basic premise Bowron keeps her cards close, as does Lemoine.

Ultimately, if Bowron was to persuade a friend to attend the production, this is what she’d say.

“It’s full of heart and laughs and full of those special magical things that bring people together.”

Saint Albert opens tomorrow night and runs until July 4 at Backstage Theatre in the ATB Financial Arts Barns.