BEMIDJI — Director Evelyn Halvorson has always been interested in shows about friendship. That’s what drew her to the stage play adaptation of Calendar Girls. “I love stories about sisterhood,” Halvorson said during Area Voices on the KAXE Morning Show.
Calendar Girls tells the story of a British group of friends that are part of a charitable institute. One of them, Annie, has a husband with leukemia, and while visiting the hospital, they sat on an uncomfortable settee. Wanting other families to be more comfortable, the friends want to raise funds for a more comfortable waiting room. This isn’t any old fundraiser selling jams or crafts, they decide to make a calendar. A nude calendar, which garners national attention.
It’s based on a true story, and Halvorson saw the 2003 film adaptation of the story before reading the play. It was a spur of the moment decision to add it to the Bemidji Community Theater show schedule.
At a board meeting discussing the upcoming season, Halvorson had a different show in mind that had to be tabled for another year.
“Then I went ‘Well, what about Calendar Girls? It really was off the cuff... I had never even read the script. I just knew the show. I knew the movie, and I wanted to be part of that. I thought it was a very cool concept.”
When directing a show based on real people, Halvorson doesn’t necessarily encourage her cast to research what the real people were like. Instead, Halvorson has a different approach.
“I am very much a director that goes to the script. The playwrights write the script in a certain way for a reason. Periods are there for a reason. Question marks are there for a reason. So whenever we have a question about, 'What is this character thinking? What are they wanting to do? What is their outcome?' I always look back to the script.”
The story is also originally set in England and Halvorson decided they would do the show “British light.” There will be some slight accents in the cast. Halvorson thought going too heavily with the accents may be a bit distracting for a Northern Minnesota audience.
Last year, Halvorson directed The Sweet Delilah Swim Club with a five-member cast. This year’s show is almost triple the size. A larger cast means more blocking and cleaning up sight lines. Luckily, Halvorson has Kristine Cannon as Assistant Director to help.
With a show about close friendships, Halvorson said it was important to provide the cast bonding time during rehearsals to create camaraderie for the stage. In fact, she added an extra week of rehearsal to make sure the actors have true connections.
Halvorson hopes the show encourages people to have open, honest conversations with a willingness to apologize to those they care about. Because the story centers on a community journey with cancer, she hopes people remember that cancer touches many lives in many ways — and whenever there's a chance to help, it matters.
Performances are 7:00 p.m. on May 30-31 and on June 6-7, and at 2:00 p.m. on June 1 and 8. Keg 'n’ Cork will provide a cash bar for the Friday and Saturday shows with popcorn. Tickets are available at Ken K Thompson Jewelry, McKenzie Place, and myBemidji or at the Bemidji Community Theater website.
Tell us about upcoming arts events where you live in Northern Minnesota by emailing psa@kaxe.org.
Area Voices is made possible by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund and the citizens of Minnesota.
