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Stage 43 goes retro for new season

It’ll be a blast from the past when Stage 43 Theatrical Society starts its season with a play based on a hugely popular TV series from the 1970s.
mash
The Tri-City cast members in MASH.

It’ll be a blast from the past when Stage 43 Theatrical Society starts its season with a play based on a hugely popular TV series from the 1970s.

In fact, all three of the Coquitlam company’s shows this season feature familiar characters, sets and scenes that aren’t often seen on the stage.

Next month, the cast will transform into Hawkeye, Radar, Maj. Margaret Houlihan and others for MASH, held at the Evergreen Cultural Centre.

The two-week run will see the largest number of actors ever assembled for a Stage 43 production — one-third hailing from the Tri-Cities (see below).

Directed by Tri-City resident Dale Kelly, the play by Tim Kelly is based on the book by Richard Hooker, who was a doctor in a Mobile Army Surgical Hospital — aka MASH — unit in Korea during the war in the 1960s.

That publication also spawned a 1970 film — directed by Robert Altman and starring Canadian Donald Sutherland and Elliott Gould — and, from 1972-’83, the TV series with Alan Alda, Wayne Rogers and Loretta Swit.

Port Coquitlam actor Michelle Berg, Stage 43’s vice president, suggested the idea for MASH this summer; she’s now its stage manager.

Meanwhile, another movie that turned into successful TV series in the ‘70s will come to Evergreen in the new year — but with a twist.

From Jan. 10 to 19, Stage 43 presents a female version of The Odd Couple, the Neil Simon show made famous on TV by Tony Randall (as the neurotic neat-freak Felix Ungar) and Jack Klugman (as his slob roommate).

Richard Weins is taking the reins for that production.

Finally, in the spring, Alaina Holland will direct the last “As Seen on Screen” show of the season: One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest.

The 1963 play was penned by Dale Wasserman and Ken Kesey but the 1975 film — starring Jack Nicholson — was based on the novel.

As in past seasons, Stage 43 will continue to donate part of its proceeds to non-profit groups to fundraise and build awareness.

For MASH, the company partnered with Honour House Society, which helps members of the Canadian Armed Forces, veterans and emergency services personnel while in Vancouver for medical treatments.

And partial proceeds from The Odd Couple will go to Soroptimist International.

• For tickets to MASH, call the Evergreen Cultural Centre (1205 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam) at 604-927-6555 or visit evergreenculturalcentre.ca. It runs Oct. 11 to 13 at 8 p.m., Oct. 14 at 2 p.m., and Oct. 17 to 20 at 8 p.m. (on Oct. 17, there is a special two-for-one pricing on single, adult tickets; use the discount code 4077). Visit stage43.org for more details.

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TRI-CITY CAST MEMBERS IN MASH

Devin O’Gorman as Private Boone

Dean Anderson as Lt.-Col. Henry Braymore Blake

Sharon Notarrigo as Capt. Bridget McCarthy

Jill Menkveld as Ltd. Janice Fury

Leslie Campbell as Lt. Louise Kimble

Caleb Berg as Capt. Walter Waldowski

Richard Wiens as Capt. John McIntyre (Trapper John)

Dan Jabour as Capt. John Black (Ugly)

Ryan Johnson as Capt. Augustus Bedford Forrest (Duke)

Isaiah Poh as Ho-Jon

Ying Jane Bayes as Korean woman

Min Joyce Abraham as Korean woman

Alannah St. Pierre as Lt. Nancy Phillips

Leona Atkinson as Maj. Margaret Houlihan

Sue Davey as Congresswoman Goldfarb

Raven Dudley as Mitzi

Shampa Sristi as Lt. Connie Liebowitz