Daron Letts
Northern News Services
Published Friday, August 01, 2008

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Devon Hall and Kira Hall made their acting debuts in a production of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel.

Devon was nine and Kira was 7 at the time. Both siblings continued to act in a long list of plays at Sir John Franklin High School and as part of Kitsch n' Sync and Ptarmigan Theatre.

The pair are working together again in next week's Theatre on the Lake, a series of three short outdoor plays next to the Prince of Wales Heritage Museum.

As part of the inaugural Slapped by an Otter Productions series, Kira will play Arthur in the David Mamet play Squirrels. She directs Northerner Chris Gamble's play The Picnic, in which her brother plays the role of Rabbit. Devon also plays The Lover in Gamble's play The Assassin's Alibi.

Devon, who studies voice at the University of Calgary, performed in two Gilbert and Sullivan productions at school last year: Trial By Jury and The Pirates of Penzance. In the latter musical, Devon played the stumbling and bumbling Police Sergeant.

"I like the comedic roles," he said. "When you get a laugh it's a real boost."

His sister enjoys a more sinister charge on stage.

"Evil characters are the most fun," she said. "Good guys are so predictable."

Kira plays trumpet and studies music at the University of Victoria. She didn't have time for acting while playing in the jazz ensemble and studying last year, but she hopes to continue on stage next term.

"I would really like to make performing part of my career," she said. "Ideally I would like to act on stage while conducting for an orchestra, but it's not the most probable situation, unfortunately."

Devon plans to always keep acting and singing in his life, as well.

"I don't know if I'd ever pursue that professionally, though" he said. "I don't think I have the drive for it."

He does plan to pursue the role of Bernard in the University of Calgary's student production of West Side Story in the upcoming semester.