Flatlands Theatre Company presents Father of the Bride at the P.W. Enns Centennial Concert Hall in Winkler this week.
While many people are familiar with the 1991 Steve Martin movie of the same name, FTC director Jeannette Hoeppner says they’re going back to the source material for this production.
“That movie was based off Edward Streeter’s [1949] book which was the basis for a stage play in 1951,” she shares, noting Spencer Tracy starred in a film adaptation in 1950.
The stage play, written by Caroline Francke, is set in the ‘50s and so is a bit of a departure from the modern version, as the ‘90s comedy updated the story to fit the time period.
“We’re not quite as racy as they are in the movie,” Hoeppner observes, noting some characters have different names or don’t exist at all in this version of the story. “When we had auditions, everyone was like, ‘I want to audition for Franck’ [the wedding planner flamboyantly played by Martin Short in the film] … there’s no Franck in this one.”
But the show is still packed full of laughs and family story beats that resonate no matter the decade, says actor Darren Kehler, who brings the show’s eponymous character to life.
“Stanley Banks is a middle-aged man … very devoted to his family, particularly his daughter Kay, who’s his only daughter and his little girl who he refuses to accept is growing up and is planning to get married,” Kehler says. “It’s really difficult for him to come to terms with that, and he gets overwhelmed by all the hoopla and wedding planning and all the expectations and the financial constraints.
“He’s a little emotional, a little on edge … I’m sure there’ll be a lot of fathers out there that will relate, and some young couples planning to get married that would relate as well.”
“When it comes to weddings and everybody’s trying to do what they want to do—whether the bride wants this and the groom wants that— there’s always going to be challenges that are faced,” Hoeppner says, noting the 16-member cast of characters face it all with sincerity and plenty of humour. “The emotions that goes into preparing for something like this, what they’re experiencing in the show for 1951 is what we all still experience today.
“Hopefully we can make everyone laugh at what’s happening on stage, even recognize a little bit of the ridiculousness that can happen.”
There are 7:30 p.m. showings this Thursday (May 2), Friday (May 3), and Saturday (May 4) and a 3 p.m. matinee show on Sunday, May 5.
Ticket information is available at www.winklerconcerthall.ca.
