No pick of the day today. Instead, I’ll give you a heads up about this upcoming Regina Summer Stage production. The full title is Swept Off Our Feet: Boris Karloff & the Regina Cyclone. It was commissioned by RSS from local playwright B.D. Miller to commemorate the 100th anniversary of 1912 Regina Tornado.
I don’t have much information about the plot, but know that it does incorporate music from that period. Judging by the extended title, one narrative thread also concerns the presence of famed English actor Boris Karloff (pictured) in Regina when the tornado struck.
Born William Henry Pratt in 1887, he travelled to Canada in 1909 and began honing his acting chops by performing in a touring theatre group. Following the tornado, Pratt and his colleagues held several benefit performances to raise money for relief efforts. A decade or so later, of course, Pratt (now known as Boris Karloff) moved to Hollywood and became a star in such horror films as Frankenstein and The Mummy.
Swept Off Our Feet runs at the Regina Performing Arts Centre from July 10-14 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are Adults $25 and Students $20. For more info call 522-9078.
