To the residents of a small and conservative Saskatchewan farming community, Kate Allen must have seemed like something from another planet.
John Richards brings his girlfriend from the busy city to live on his parents鈥� farm. It is the dry, hot summer of 1988 and Kate鈥檚 behaviour rocks the community when she promises to run naked through the town if and when a severe drought breaks.
Shuswap Theatre鈥檚 winter offering, Dry Streak is a 鈥渄ramedy鈥� set in Olive and Peter Richards鈥� farm kitchen Dry Streak and provides a glimpse into the life of a small Prairie farming community.
Like many farming communities, everybody knows everybody鈥檚 business and you鈥檝e got to get along with these people for your whole life, said director Howard DeLong.
鈥淜ate doesn鈥檛 look like them, she dresses like a punk rocker and has travelled all over the world,鈥� said DeLong. 鈥淭o them she鈥檚 like an alien and she doesn鈥檛 fit in right away.鈥�
DeLong is directing a cast of seven and describes Peter, the father, as a hardworking man on the cranky end of the spectrum.
As the mercury climbs and the seemingly unending drought continues, tempers heat up too. Fed up with it all, Kate has too many drinks one night and announces to the bar patrons that if the drought would end, she would run naked through the town.
News erupts widely when the local newspaper shares Kate鈥檚 declaration with the residents of Stony Valley.
鈥淪he is an embarrassment to John鈥檚 family,鈥� said DeLong. 鈥淗ow can they show themselves in church and what is Olive鈥檚 best friend going to think?鈥�
DeLong explained the humour is subtle in this play about passion and acceptance that doesn鈥檛 happen right away.
鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to be a prairie person to enjoy the play,鈥� said DeLong, pointing out the play is well-written and very community oriented. 鈥淭he the absurdity of the situation makes it funny.鈥�
Dry Streak is a full-length comedy by playwright Leeann Minogue, a freelance agricultural writer, editor and research consultant in the areas of agriculture and economics, a playwright and a farmer. She is the author of Hanson Acres, a fictional column published in Country Guide, and the former editor of Grainews.
DeLong and his wife, Mary Fabian, left Salmon Arm in 1989 and lived and participated in community theatre in Saskatchewan and Prince George. The couple returned to the city in 2020.
鈥淲e wanted to come to B.C. because it is a magical place and has everything we like: recreation, theatre and an impressive arts scene,鈥� said DeLong, noting he feels quite a bond with the play having once attended a music festival in Bengough, Sask., a farming community with a population of just over 300. 鈥淓ven though they (farmers) lived 100 miles apart, they all knew each other and were very welcoming. There was a real spirit of hospitality.鈥�
DeLong said he approached the Shuswap Theatre board about presenting Dry Streak to Salmon Arm audiences a year ago.
鈥淭his is an homage to Saskatchewan where the play is very popular,鈥� said DeLong, noting it has also played in Saskatoon, Rosthern, London, Ont.,and more than 25 rural Canadian communities.
Fabian is the producer who brought together the stage crew of more than 20 people for the Salmon Arm production.
鈥淪he鈥檚 been very valuable to this production,鈥� DeLong says, also pointing out that the Dry Streak set is going to be magical.
Dry Streak opens on Feb. 16. Tickets are available online at shuswaptheatre.com or at Choose Refill near Boston Pizza. The play runs at 7:30 p.m. from Feb. 16 to March 2, with Sunday matinees at 1:30 p.m.
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