A young cast is putting its own stamp on a familiar story as Smiths Falls’ Station Theatre heads into the final weekend of “No Strings Attached”, a musical adaptation of “Pinocchio” built around community, creativity and plenty of fun.
The production runs Aug. 14 to 23 and gives the classic story a modern, play-within-a-play twist. The theatre describes it as a family-friendly musical featuring modern music, familiar characters and a few surprises along the way.
Adele Laferrière, who plays both Carl and Pinocchio, says audiences are introduced to a very different framework for the familiar adventure.
Carl is looking for a job and must audition by acting out the story of Pinocchio, creating a production within a production.
The cast brings together children as young as six, teenagers and adults, with volunteers working throughout the theatre to bring the production to life.
Laferrière says much of what audiences see on stage is possible because of the team surrounding the performers.
For Laferrière, community theatre has become a family tradition. Her grandparents were involved in acting, and she later auditioned for *Narnia* at Station Theatre, landing an ensemble role as an owl.
She says she fell in love with performing and kept coming back.
Opening weekend gave the company its first opportunity to share weeks of work with a live audience.
The show is designed for all ages, offering younger audience members a chance to watch young performers take centre stage while giving adults a fresh version of a story they already know.
The remaining performances are Thursday and Friday at 7:30 p.m., with Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.
Laferrière says attending also helps keep local theatre thriving.
Tickets are available through Station Theatre, with *No Strings Attached* wrapping up Aug. 23.
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