Inspiration to create can come at any time — just ask high school senior Mya Kelln.
Kelln was driving to a music lesson when the opening lines for a new play came to her. She felt inspired to put her ideas to paper and wrote L’Auberge, a Tragedy in Four Acts.
Perhaps most astounding, writing a play was something she had never done before. L’Auberge is her four-act debut.
“I started it in late September and I finished around mid November,” Kelln said. “It was a speedy process and I was quite obsessive.”
Her story is set in a Victorian England boarding house, where the characters come together for a night of suspense, romance, and mystery.
Kelln teamed up with Fully Productions to assemble a cast of 16 and production team of 15 to bring her vision to life. Being fully youth-led, Kelln describes the cast dynamic as a “balance of near chaotic almost goofy side…to this hyper-professional – we get things done.”
Describing herself as a “behind the scenes” kind of girl, Kelln has been primarily focused on music, where she has played the French horn in the orchestra pit in other productions. While L’Auberge is not a musical, it does have an entirely original musical score, complete with an Italian aria in the seon.
Kelln said they had created an environment where there is a lot of laughter and a lot of friendships being made. The cast ranges in experience from high school drama students to performers with post-secondary degrees in acting.
Kelln is off to university next year to study history where she hopes to develop as a writer and join a play writing group. She said she’s excited to see what opportunities arise from this project.
L’Auberge, a Tragedy in Four Acts takes place at 6 p.m. from June 14 to 17 at St. Joseph High School Theatre. Tickets can be purchased at the door or on http://laubergefullyproductions.eventbrite.com.
