The casting call came, scenery was constructed, lines were memorized and blocking rehearsed as St. Catherine of Alexandria performed  “Prince Caspian” at the Terry Fox Theatre in Port Coquitlam on October 20, 21 and 22.

This was the third production in the Chronicles of Narnia series of stories by C.S. Lewis. St. Catherine”s produced the first play, “The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe” in 2004, and followed that with “The Horse and His Boy” last year. Planning, preparing and performing have now become traditional fall activities for the congregation.

While it always seems to be a rush, in the end “everything seems to come together, each production to date has been better than the previous and of top quality,” notes Shelley Reeder, the photographer for the plays.

“These productions are a great way for the church to reach into the community”, explains the Rev. Paul Strudwick, the writer and producer of the plays. “We are a small parish and this is a way to open our doors to aspiring young actors from both our own youth and the community to fill the parts."

"In addition, we receive support from the City of Port Coquitlam through a cultural grant and the use of the Terry Fox Theatre. It is a great way for our parish to assist young and old to discover their talents. Without this outside support, it would be unlikely we could produce a high-quality event and to perform it in such a wonderful theatre with full lighting and music systems, in addition to comfortable seating.”

 “Families in the Tri-cities region were especially encouraged to support the event”, remarked parishioner Tony Sauder. “It is a fun event, and thoroughly enjoyed by all that have seen the previous plays. It provides an opportunity for children to see stories they have heard or read brought to life, and hopefully encourages them to read more. And, who knows, a child in the performance or sitting in the audience may go on to write their own stories, or go into professional acting as a result of their introduction to live theatre.