By CHAT News Today

A Labour of Love

Nov 14, 2019 | 2:41 PM

You may have heard of a local Medicine Hat theatre production company, Top Hat Productions, from their bold launch with Spring Awakening in 2018 and most recently, the cult classic Heathers. But what you might not know is the amount of time and passion that goes into one of the musical productions for this non-profit organization.

Elaine Jeffery, who started Top Hat Productions, found her love for the theatre several years ago while looking for ways to get out and be involved in the community. Her first foray into musical theatre was a role in the chorus of Hello Dolly. Jeffrey recalls how nice everyone involved was, and how “the theatre community here… nurtured [her]” and provided the solid groundwork for a love that evolved into wanting to bring her own productions to Medicine Hat.

The cast of RENT.

So, how exactly does a production like RENT come together for a show in Medicine Hat? It all starts with getting the rights to the music. The cost of getting access to the music alone can cost upwards of five-thousand dollars – and oftentimes that does not even include the scripts or music tracks, which can bring the initial production investment to a whopping eight-thousand dollars. Once rights are acquired, volunteers are needed to fill acting, stagehand, costume and other various roles. That’s right – every single position that goes into putting on a show is completely volunteer-based. Did you know that any additional money raised is given to the Medicine Hat SPCA?

There are a handful of ways that you can support Top Hat Productions. The first is, of course, volunteering; be it onstage or backstage. Many hands make light work and putting on a show is a truly collaborative effort. Another is buying advertising in their program.

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This is why Top Hat Productions is described as a labour of love. Every person involved does so because of their passion for musical theatre and acting. And every production is open to anyone who loves the stage. Jeffery is always looking for people that are interested in being a part of a show, regardless of experience as talent comes in many forms. The male lead of RENT actually worked at a local coffee shop and happened to strike up a conversation with her. It all started with the simple question of why Jeffery was always getting coffee so late at night. She responded that she was doing a show and had just come from rehearsal, and that was that!

There have been requests in the past Top Hat Productions to put on a play, but the organization primarily focuses on bringing musicals to Medicine Hat. While there is a list of shows she would love to bring here, Jeffery is always open to suggestions! The only stipulation is that the show has to be off Broadway in order for rights to be purchased. That said, the door is always open at Top Hat Productions and Jeffery is always willing to listen to an idea.

Each show, however, is brought in with goals to reach and Jeffery has her own checklist of criteria. The first, of course, is to have the audience’s toes tapping to the music, but the second is a hope to educate and open channels of communication between peers and families. Several of the shows put on by Top Hat Productions deal with “edgier” topics and subject matter that Jeffery hopes audiences will come away with something of value.

“There are messages in all of these shows, and if you choose to look for them, you’ll find them.”

If you are interested in auditioning for a future play, or would like to try your hand at hair and makeup, keep an eye on their website at https://tophatproductions.ca/ for the next call!