By Taylor Nichols
Blaine Community Theater will mark the end of an eight-year hiatus when the curtain opens on “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” on Friday, October 19.
The theater group, which formed in 1999, faded out as audience interest declined and those involved slowly lost steam. Blaine residents Mikael and her husband Nick McDonald, who were both involved with the original group, are reviving it with a new energy that Blaine Community Theater has not seen in years.
Although the group formed in 1999, it wasn’t until 2003 that members were able to secure a performance space at Blaine International Center that they could call their own. They built a stage out of milk crates and plywood, dragging in old couches and church
pews for audience seating.
They performed there for four years, holding poetry nights and yard sales to raise money when revenue from performances didn’t cover the rent. They lost the space in 2007 to make room for what is now The Dollar Tree.
Without a performance venue, the theater troupe struggled. Members put on performances in the Blaine Senior Center and the Blaine High School Performing Arts Center, but had trouble finding actors and filling seats.
Both Nick and Mikael said they kept wanting to revive the group but raising their three children meant they weren’t able to commit.
“I always wanted to get back to theater,” Nick said. Their youngest child started kindergarten this year, giving Nick and Mikael more time to focus on revitalizing Blaine Community Theater.
“We’re feeling like we’ve got enough breathing space, we can do it,” Mikael said. “And we’re feeling there might be enough support out there that we can make it work.”
The pair got what was left of the old board together in April and voted to reinstate Blaine Community Theater.
The group did a short performance at the Fourth of July celebration and performed an abbreviated version of “Pirates of Penzance” at Drayton Harbor Days in August to get their name out there and generate interest.
“The question I heard more than anything else was, ‘Oh, I didn’t even know Blaine had a community theater,’” Nick said. “So, we’ve got to get out there and let people know we’re here. We’ve got to give them something to support.”
Mikael and Nick are gearing up for their first full performance, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” which Nick is directing. This is the first show Nick has been a part of in Blaine that didn’t require calling in favors from actors to fill roles, he said.
“We’re in a place where there needs to be a theatre in Blaine,” Mikael said.
The old milk crates and church pews may have been retired but the DIY spirit hasn’t been. Nick’s hand was wrapped in bandages last week, a casualty from building sets at home.
“I’ve always felt that as a director, it wasn’t a good show if I hadn’t cost myself a couple years off my life,” Nick said.
Between directing, set-building and planning their upcoming show, Nick and Mikael have found time to dream up plans for the future. The pair is interested in putting together children’s programs for next summer, Mikael said. They’re also considering teaming up with local businesses to do dessert theater, or “dinner and a show” deals.
They also hope to host holiday shows, Mikael said. They’re currently seeking submissions for their Christmas Chautauqua, a holiday variety show featuring community talents.
“It’s been a lot of work this far but I want it back,” Mikael said. “I’ve been missing it like crazy. It’s just a piece of me that’s missing if we’re not working on a show.” Nick added, “I want to prove there’s quality theatre in Blaine,” he said.
“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” will show on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 19-21, and on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 26-28. Friday and Saturday shows start at 7 p.m., and Sunday shows start at 2 p.m. All shows will take place at the new Blaine High School theater. Tickets cost $13, or $11 for students and seniors, and are available at bit.ly/2AeMWAi or can be purchased with cash only at the door.
Ed. Note: This story has been updated for clarity purposes.
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