Whitehorse theatre company debuts first play this week

A new performing arts venue in Whitehorse hopes to give thespians and theatre fans another outlet for the arts, in a space where squash players used to sweat it out. 

Larrikin Entertainment is preparing for its first performance, Often I find that I am naked. 

Crews have been busy over the last few weeks converting the venue — a former squash court on Lewes Boulevard — into a theatre. 

Katherine McCallum, artistic executive producer, said the idea of launching a new Whitehorse production company started years ago, but only recently came to fruition.

"I just decided in about September that I wanted to get back into theatre production again, and [so I] started a theatre company," she said.  

McCallum wrangled a few supportive friends and started a society. 

"It's the fun part now — everything's starting to come together," she says. "The lights are being screwed into the walls ... and the sound is coming together, and all of the tech stuff is going happen this weekend, so I think we're on track."

Bizarre, funny play to kick off

The inaugural play was created in Australia, and Larrikin brought in its original director to direct it. 

"The play is about Jezebel, who is a woman who ventures into the world of relationships, and basically she's looking for that special someone, and she finds herself in some very funny, bizarre situations," says director Eva Hamburg.

McCallum is hoping this will be the first of many productions in the new venue, located behind Epic Pizza.

She said Larrikin would eventually like to put on two or three plays a year.  

The premiere of Often I find that I am naked is on Tuesday at "The Courts" in Riverdale. It will run until Feb. 20, with visits to Dawson City, Atlin and Watson Lake.