Titanic talent - Jan. 6, 2014

DIWC celebrating 20 years of artistry and creativity

Joe Couture, The Regina Leader-Post

As part of its 20th anniversary season, Do It With Class Young People’s Theatre Company is presenting a "massive" production of the musical Titanic, at the Conexus Arts Centre this week.

The show involves the young people in the company as well as numerous alumni who have agreed to participate, says Andorlie Hillstrom, DIWC founder and artistic director.

“Knowing it was our 20th anniversary year, I really wanted to do something that would be special and significant for this season," Hillstrom continued.

“The show itself is massive, and the only way that we ever could have done it was by inviting alumni and other individuals from the community to be participants.”

Included are alumni performers who have gone on to professional careers in other communities.

“There are 110 characters in the show. I've added in additional characters who are actually based on real children who travelled on the boat so that the youngest members of our company would actually have named roles,” Hillstrom noted.

“It's a family production. It’s all Do It With Class families, so that’s kind of cool," she added.

In choosing shows for the 20th anniversary season, Hillstrom says she wanted to pick ones like Titanic that were favourites during the company’s past two decades.

“It's the kind of music that sends chills up and down your back and the story alone, the fact that it’s based in reality, it’s something that has a kind of grand scope that is wonderful for theatre and certainly for presenting at the main stage at the Conexus,” Hillstrom said.