For over 20 years, the Niverville Drama Club has been entertaining and celebrating our town. Though it is on a temporary hiatus, the club is still very much alive in the minds of many Niverville artists.
The NDC grew out of a town choir that David Wiebe conducted in the 1990s. Monologues and skits were written by Cathy Krahn and performed as a part of the choir’s performances. When the choir disbanded, the Niverville Drama Club was officially born.
“Several of the choir members were interested in acting and notices were put up in town inviting anyone interested to join us,” says Krahn. The plays themselves were often written by Krahn. “Once I knew how many actors were flushed out of the ‘Niverville bush,’ a play would be written.”
As a rule, the plays were always written with the actors in mind. The club was an ensemble and every member got an interesting role and quite a bit of time on stage. “A personal philosophy was that everyone who came to our drama club deserved a fairly substantial role,” Krahn says.
Keanan Byggdin, who spent many years in Niverville and is now living near Halifax, joined the club in 2002. “The other members of the club were all very welcoming, and being new to the area at the time I really appreciated the sense of belonging and community that I gained from my participation in the group.”
“There have been many wonderful people involved with the drama club over the years,” says Krahn. “Some have passed on, some not able to act anymore, some still participating in the arts, some moved away, and others waiting for another opportunity to arise. Each person that has ever been part of the club has enriched my life—greatly. There were many rehearsal nights in our basement where we laughed ‘til our faces ached and tears fell. Lines were butchered, rehearsed and perfected.”
The group learned quickly how to produce and perform pieces on a shoestring budget. Sets were designed and built to fit in the backseat of a van and be assembled with ease. It was always a group effort and a team mentality onstage and off. Actors would work together and often stay long after the audience had gone to clean up.
“This is an extremely valuable lesson for any aspiring actor to learn,” said Byggdin. “[It has] served me well as I’ve continued on in the Manitoba, and now Nova Scotia, theatre scenes.”
The troupe performed at every conceivable venue across Niverville from the Golden Friendship Centre to the arena to the Heritage Centre. They produced original comedies, off-kilter murder mysteries, skits, and monologues. Some of the plays included Niverville News & Entertainment 311, Insane Sketches from a Little Village, and Clewed Out.
Occasionally a traditional drama was performed, like Arrivals & Departures by Carol Shields or Agatha Chrstie’s The Mouse Trap, but patrons often remarked that they liked the plays about Niverville the best. “They were able to watch classical drama at the theatres in Winnipeg,” says Krahn. “But theatre featuring your quirky town and nutty neighbour who you met on stage could only be had in local theatre, and that’s what we tried to deliver.”
Even though the NDC is on a break, the break is interrupted from time to time. For instance, David Wiebe and Cathy Krahn performed for 2 events in Niverville this past summer.
“The rewards of writing about a town you love, producing, interacting, and developing ideas with the cast, and audience applause is too great to stay away from,” Krahn says. “Niverville has a great deal of acting talent, and some actors from before, and many new faces will be a part of the future Drama Club.”
