Jaime Maunula(L), who portrays Sally Trimble, shares the stage with her daughter, Natalie Maunula(R), who plays Melissa Trimble. This mother-daughter duo not only captivates audiences on stage but also shares a special bond offstage. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW staff)

By Kenneth Cheung

AUNTIE PEARL PLAY

‘Christmas with Auntie Pearl’ brings laughter and holiday magic to the Battlefords

Dec 5, 2024 | 4:35 PM

The latest offering by Battlefords Community Players, ‘Christmas with Auntie Pearl,’ promises to bring the community together for a good holiday laugh.

“It’s Christmas time; have fun, drink or not drink, but laugh for sure because life is hard if you don’t ever laugh,” said director Roy J. Challis.

“It’s such a nice feel-good story, like a wonderful life. It has that kind of quality, and there’s a certain amount of mysticism about it, but it leaves you feeling good about things.”

The comedic play follows the Trimble family—George, Sally, and their daughter Melissa—who are surprised by a visit from George’s Auntie Pearl two days before Christmas. The plot twists as George discovers he didn’t know she existed, leading Melissa to suspect that Auntie Pearl holds many secrets.

Challis shared that one of the main reasons he chose this play is that it was written by Norm Foster, a well-known Canadian playwright who was celebrated for his comedies.

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After reading the script and discussing it with his Executive Producer Donna Challis, Roy felt it would make a ‘cute little Christmas play’ with a touch of magic.

“Those are the kinds of things that you want for Christmas. So I said to her that I would even direct it if she wanted, and she read it and thought, ‘Yeah, and it’ll be good,’ he recalled.

The team spent approximately seven weeks preparing the stage setting and costumes.

One standout character is the rebellious 14-year-old Melissa Trimble, who quickly becomes a favourite among the audience.

Played by Natalie Maunula, a talented 12-year-old from the Battlefords, Melissa’s playful defiance contrasts sharply with Natalie’s real-life personality, as she is quite the opposite of rebellious.

“I’m definitely not naughty like that at home. I’m outgoing, smart, and talkative, for sure, but me and Melissa are the same in a way that we just want to read our book. I’m always reading,” Natalie noted.

Despite their contrasting personalities, she believes that after all the practice she has put in, it is easy to embody the character, noting that she has done it ‘justice.’

“I have had a lot of people come up to me and say, “Wow, you played that role perfectly.” A lot of people thought I was actually 14, even though I’m only 12. I actually had someone come up to me and say, “Are you 17 years old?” They asked me, and I said, “No, I’m not.” So the audience definitely helped a lot with that,” Natalie shared.

Alongside her on stage is her mother Jaime Maunula, who also takes on the role of being her ‘mum’ in the performance as Sally Trimble.

“It’s definitely been fun, and it’s something that we’ll be able to look back on and say that we did,” Jaime noted.

When asked about her favourite moment, she said it was the scene where she had to scold Melisa with the line, “We spend all that money on electronic devices, and you have the nerve to read a book,” which she finds pretty ironic.

“Because there’s not too many parents that would give their kids heck for reading a book, so the audience kind of gets a kick out of that, ”Jaime said.

Donna Challis is the executive producer, and Roy J. Challis is the play director. (Kenneth Cheung/ battlefordsNOW staff)

With only three more shows left, both agree it has been an enjoyable journey. Jaime also thinks that this play not only brings the community together for a good laugh but also contributes to a vibrant atmosphere for the local performing arts scene.

“The fact that Natalie is in this production brings in a lot of different people that don’t typically come to the shows. So hopefully, that will get a whole new generation of people interested in coming to the theatre and maybe look at getting more young people involved,” Jaime noted.

Challis is proud of how everything turned out after six successful shows and appreciates everyone who contributed to making it happen.

“Absolutely a resounding success,” he noted. “I was very, very pleased with the audience reaction, as well as the job that the actors did. But the reaction of the audience was very important to me, and they really seemed to enjoy it.”

The play kicked off on Nov. 28 and has nine shows, eight of which are sold out; the last showing will take place on Dec. 7.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com