ARVIAT
John Arnalukjuak High School's (JAHS) Arviat Drama Club hits the stage today to perform the first of four showings of the Norman Foster play, Dear Santa.

Santa (Justin Suluk), left, listens to Lou Flapdoodle (Ramon Kaviok) try to sell him a new rocket sleigh during the Arviat Drama Club's rehearsal of Dear Santa in Arviat this past week. - photo courtesy of Gord Billard

The club will perform at the JAHS theatre today, Dec. 16, for Grade 5 to 8 students at 1:30 p.m., and then return at 7:30 p.m. for its first public showing.

Tomorrow, Dec. 17, the club will perform Dear Santa at 1:30 p.m. for high school students and a final public show at 7:30 p.m.

Dear Santa is ambitious, featuring a number of subplots about a teenage girl named Kit Bishop, Santa, his housekeeper, Octavia and his chief-of-staff, Algernon.

Grade 11 student Justin Suluk, 16, has taken on the role of Santa in Foster's play, with his character having almost 500 speaking lines.

It's Suluk's second lead role, having also played the title character in How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

Suluk said far from being intimidated by the number of lines he'd have to learn as Santa, he was actually attracted to the role because of its complexity and the volume of work that came with it.

He said it's an exciting feeling when a director casts you in a lead role.

"It took me about two months to learn all of the lines and be comfortable with them, and I was off script for about the final two weeks of rehearsals," said Suluk. "The play is mostly a comedy, and I think people are really going to enjoy it.

"There's a lot going on in the play, and it's fun to see how Algernon finally has the Christmas spirit at the end.

"There's surprises at the end too, but I don't want to give anything away."

Suluk said his favourite scene for Santa comes early in Act 1, Scene 1.

He said the scene revolves around an exchange he has with Algernon.

"The scene is about this hat, which Algernon thinks looks really silly.

"I want him to wear it, even though the hat is silly.

"But, really, the scene is about Santa accepting him."

Suluk said learning so many lines is the most challenging part of the lead role.

He said he only started to really get comfortable as Santa during the final week of rehearsals.

"Sometimes, leading up to the play, I try to stay in character when I leave rehearsals.

"I like to try things with friends and family to see how they react.

"It helps me get more comfortable with the character, actually."

Grade 12 student Shelby Angalik, 17, plays the role of Octavia, Santa's housekeeper.

Angalik said if Octavia was a real person, she'd describe her as being really silly and a little on the "simple" side.

She said she'd be friends with Octavia in real life because she's so funny.

"Octavia would be, like, the silly friend in your group," said Angalik.

"She has a crush on Algernon in the play and, at the end, he finds his Christmas spirit and finally realizes that.

"I have a few hundred lines to say and I really enjoy playing Octavia."

Angalik is a seasoned veteran in the Arviat Drama Club, having appeared in every JAHS play since she was in Grade 9.

She said Octavia is one of the hardest characters she's ever played because she has so many lines.

"Octavia is definitely the funniest character I've ever played.

"I kind of have to try to be funny because of the way I have to act around Algernon during the play.

"Octavia gets very clumsy and forgets where she is when Algernon is there."

Angalik said she has to really focus to get into character because she and Octavia are very different from one another.

She said being so different from Octavia can make it hard for her to become her character.

"Octavia can be shy, but most of the time she's really silly.

"I'm more serious so, even though it can be hard, it's fun for me to play Octavia.

"The whole play is fun for me, so I can't really say I have a favourite scene.

"It was a challenge learning how Octavia stands and stuff because she has very distinct body language when she's around Algernon."

Angalik said she was comfortable in her role during the final two weeks or so of rehearsals.

She said she expects people who see Dear Santa will have a very good time.

"It's a very silly play that's a different take on the usual Christmas stories.

"Dear Santa is the type of play I think most people would want to see.

"Cinderella is still my favourite role because I got to play a princess, and The Bright Blue Mailbox Suicide Note was very difficult for me because I had to play the ghost of a girl who committed suicide.

"I'd place Octavia somewhere in the middle, but she's still a lot of fun to play."

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