Hello from Trent Film Society and Anne Shirley Theatre Company!

We here are writing to you to excitingly announce an upcoming engagement that we have in store for you all. This upcoming Monday February 29th, ASTC and TFS will be teaming up to present to you a fantastic event as a way to not only kick off your first ‘post midterm’ week, but to also proudly announce the arrival of this year’s brilliant musical production of Heathers! What is Heathers you may ask? Well, based off of the cult classic 1989 film, Heathers: The Musical follows the story of Veronica Sawyer, a brainy, beautiful teenage misfit who manages to find her way into the most powerful clique at Westerberg High: The Heathers. But before she came make herself comfortable atop the high school food chain, Veronica falls in love with the dangerously mysterious new kid J.D. But when Veronica rejects the Heathers evil regime it’s her new boyfriend J.D. who plans to put the Heathers in their place – six feet under.

The musical Heathers: The Musical is a dark comedy brought to the stage by award winning creative team Kevin Murphy, Laurence O’Keefe and Andy Fickman. Heathers: The Musical is a hilarious, heartfelt and homicidal new show based off one of the most beloved teen comedies of all time. With its moving love story, laugh-out-loud comedy and unflinching look at the joys and anguish of high school, Heathers won over the hearts and minds of musical and comedy fans all across the country!

Now, ASTC is extremely excited to be able to let this play win over the hearts of you all in Peterborough. So excited, in fact, that they will be holding a free preview of their show on Monday, February 29th at Market Hall. Here, the cast will holding a delicious bake sale, followed shortly after with a performance of one of their musical numbers from the production, then followed by an open “talk back” with audience members regarding their behind the scenes preparation for their upcoming debut! Then (Yep, there’s more!), TFS will be hosting a free screening of the 1989 film which inspired the musical! Like the live production, this film is chalk-full of dark humour, teenage romance, satire, and violence, and is sure to illicit an all-around fun time for those of you who would love to join us! If that isn’t enough to make you want to come out to the event, here is a personal statement from the director of the production, Trent student Lucas DeLuca:

“Heathers: The Musical holds a very special place in my heart for a few reasons. First of all, it tells a story everyone knows: the trials and tribulations of high school. Most people have been there; they can relate to at least one character that walks onto that stage, which makes these characters experiences resonate so strongly with those who’ve experienced similar turmoil’s.

Beyond connecting to these characters, Heathers: The Musical does something really special. It grips and moves the audience in a way that most dark comedies don’t.

There is something to be said for a musical that offers audience members something to talk about when they leave the theatre, and I’m a firm believer that those kind of theatrical experiences can be the most memorable. People ask me, “why Heathers: The Musical,” and to be completely honest, it’s because in my 4 years at Trent I got to experience the fun of Legally Blonde, the heart of Spring Awakening, and the darkness of Sweeney Todd. Heathers: The Musical takes all of those elements and puts them together in a surprising and exciting package that keeps the audience on the edge of their seat. We have all put so much heart and soul into this project, so believe me when I tell you that it’s going to be so very…”

As you can tell, there is an immense passion for this production, and we would be very much appreciative if you could join us for this screening and the productions upcoming performances (Which fall on Friday March 11, 2016 – 8:00 PM, Saturday March 12, 2016 – 2:00 PM & 8:00PM, Friday March 18, 2016 – 8:00 PM, Saturday March 19, 2016 – 2:00 PM & 8:00 PM). Again, like all of the other TFS screenings, this event is absolutely free (although, bring some change if you would like to purchase some really tasty baked treats!). Come out on Monday and support the immense hard work that the ASTC has put into this musical. We promise that it’ll be “so very.”