The older some things get, the better.
The Emerald Pig Theatrical Society is reviving the play Hot Flashes after more than six years in hiatus.
Sharron Malone, with cast members Kathleen Hartley and Rina Varley, said the decision to bring back the play was based on a number of reasons, but it’s strong content topped the list.
“It’s very funny. Women’s will relate to it, men will relate to their women through the characters and everyone will have a good time,” said Malone.
The trio originally performed Hot Flashes under their own Fine Whine production company, where they won best director’s award at Theatre B.C.’s one-act festival, Actoberfest, in Prince George in the fall of 2008. From there, they invited to Dawson’s Creek in March of 2009 for International Women’s Day.
They said they are excited to be able to bring the play back as a full-length production.
“It talks about memory loss, about hot flashes that women all experience as we get older,” said Hartley. “It talks about starting over, new journeys as life changes and take a new direction, in a very positive way.”
Hartley said she believes audiences will relate to the play because of the shared experience so many women can relate to.
“There’s a lot of ah ha moments,” Malone said. “ Of simply being able to laugh at yourself. It’s a journey of discovery and change, of loss, and embracing our age and coming to grips with the future. It’s not about morning old age but rather embracing a new adventure.”
Varley said in the six years since they first performed the play, the group has gown so much closer. So when the company decided to with Hot Flashes, the opportunity, she said they all felt they had a greater sense of who they are as actors, but more importantly, as friends.
“Between then and now, we are so close and we can share anything. It’s funny because while some of the scenes have been scripted, they could easily be taken out of our real lives. I wasn’t in menopause, so I didn’t know what I was in for. Now I’m there,” she laughs.
The decision for Emerald Pig to perform Hot Flashes also came out of necessity, said the group. Emerald Pig needed to take a hiatus from doing a festival play do to the time and energy it takes on everyone involved. They are using their three-woman show as a way to give some of their many volunteers a break before they get ready for this summer’s Bard on the Bandstand.
They said while only performed Hot Flashes as a one-act play six years ago, they are expanding on their performance this time around.
“We’ve explored it a little deeper this time,” Hartley said. “We added scenes we didn’t have time for and we’re finding we can go back to the scenes we did before and we’re more comfortable with them now and we can find new little nuances to expand on them.”