Yellowknife (Apr 11/05) - The Qitiqliq High Music and Drama Club wrapped up its third production of An Easter Story this past month in Arviat.

The play was co-written by Qitiqliq drama teacher Gord Billard and principal Fred Durant.

Billard, who also directed the production, said this year's play went well, even though it was produced a week ahead of its usual schedule.

The play had to be staged early because Billard attended a drama workshop in Baker Lake with two other drama teachers from the Kivalliq region.

"The change in scheduling didn't really matter because a number of kids involved with the production were familiar with the play from years past," said Billard.

"We had about 14 kids involved in the nine roles and 24 more in the choir."

The club did one performance for each of Arviat's two schools and two public performances in the grey steps area of Qitiqliq High.

Billard said a number of cast members performed in both English and Inuktitut in this year's play.

"We even had a couple of senior students who actually played different roles in the two productions, one role in English and another in Inuktitut.

"It was quite amazing for me, as a director, to have these kids doing two different roles during rehearsals."

Billard said the club is now looking at doing an excerpt from either The Diary of Anne Frank or The Outsiders before the end of this school year.

He said both stories have been studied by Grade 9 students this year and there seems to be keen interest in producing them, especially The Outsiders.

"Either one, as a complete production, would be too large to pull together in six weeks, but I'm going to try to pick out one or two of the more exciting scenes and see if the kids would like to do that.

"A lot of the boys want to do the rumble scene in The Outsiders, but that would be too large of an undertaking this year.

"Besides, I don't have enough of a background in stage combat to keep that scene from getting out of hand."