Once again, the Calmar Prairie Players treated the audience to an evening of comedy told through a cast of charismatic individuals who delivered a purported pot induced storyline that escalated throughout the three-act play.
Let me explain… The Crimson Cap Ladies, an eccentric ladies club, find themselves in a peculiar situation where they believe their host Millie may have possibly put some of her ‘Happy Hay’ in the brownies she made for the evening. Not exactly an ideal scenario as the Regional Director of the Crimson Cap Ladies is expected to arrive and evaluate the group.
As the ladies sample the brownies to make sure of their ‘suitability’, things begin to get chaotic. Add into this mix reports of a escaped and dangerous criminal and a terrible vacuum salesman, and a simple ladies meeting begins to spin out of control.
Late arriving is the host’s niece Chrys (short for chrysanthemum, obviously) who is acquainted with the happy hay. She also, apparently, is allergic to the almonds in the brownies which make her pass out and periodically awake just long enough to quote famous lines such as, “I’d rather have a bottle in front of me, than a frontal lobotomy,” “I dream of a different world where chickens can cross the road and not have their motives questioned,” and “Cars cost less in Wetaskiwin.”
To be fair, when Chrys is asked why she takes medicinal marijuana, she says it is to relieve stress. When asked about when she ever has stress, Chrys responds with, “I guess when I don’t have marijuana.”
Chris McKerracher, writer of the Crimson Cap Ladies (and weekly editorial and humour columnist of the Pipestone Flyer), appears as Eunice, the soft-spoken elderly wannabe Crimson Cap Lady with a dark secret. By the way Chris, you rocked that lipstick.
The play was directed by Madeline McKerracher. The cast was wonderfully played by Calmar Prairie Player’s President Leah Keller as the dreaded Mrs. Garnet, Cindy Thornton as the hippy host Millie, Judy Beler as the trying to keep control of things Esther, Angie Podgurny as the way too many brownies Grace, Tammy Bateman as the watering can killer Leona, Trish Fleming as the crazy quotes niece Chrys and Terry Beler as the let’s call him the vacuum sales guy Don.
Calmar can lay claim to having a quality drama troupe providing an evening of entertainment worth driving in to from surrounding communities. Well done.