After a recent award, a local playwright is preparing for a three day run of her play in Airdrie.

Kim Cheel took her new play, Carolien and Wessex, to the Foothills Region One Act Play Festival in Okotoks on April 29, where it was awarded an Honourable mention for Best Original Script from an Alberta Playwright.

"It's certainly validation," said Cheel. "You know, we don't go into the arts thinking we don't need validation for some aspects of our craft, so it's certainly validating."

Carolien and Wessex centers on a young woman burdened by other people's expectations, and her talking cat that comes to her help. Cheel starred as Carolien in the play, and was praised for her ability to create relationships and characters that the audience was invested in.

Cheel has submitted her play for consideration elsewhere.

"I have submitted it. Unfortunately, the place I submitted it didn't want it but that's ok. That is the life of a playwright, of an author, of an actor, of anything. You get a lot of "no"s before you get a yes."

In the meantime, Cheel is preparing for a three-day run of the play at the Town and Country Centre in Airdrie this July. She says preparation for the run is not as involved, since she has had some time to hone the script. She has also had lots of help from the local creative community, who has been very supportive.

"The theatre community and the arts community in Airdrie is really becoming super, super inclusive and familial and we all want each other to succeed."

You can learn more about the upcoming run of shows here.

 

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