New Okotoks theatre group premieres slapstick comedy on Canada Day

A new theatre group is ready to hit the stage in Okotoks this Canada Day with an inaugural production designed to bring newcomers and experienced actors together.

The Okotoks Odyssey Theatre Company, which started in late 2025, will premiere its first production, Working Stiffs, on July 1 as the opening act for the Town of Okotoks' Canada Day Celebration at the Okotoks Recreation Centre grounds.

Working Stiffs is a short, family-friendly slapstick comedy about two workers who haphazardly try to erect a sign ordered by the town's mayor. "The basic premise is that the mayor has ordered this sign to be erected and these two workers are trying to put it up and they just kind of keep bumbling through," said board member Todd Trimble, who is directing and producing the show. "Then there's kind of a save the day moment at the end."

Trimble wanted someone prominent in the community involved in the production. After meeting Okotoks Mayor Tanya Thorn at a community event, he asked her to play the mayor in the story — and she agreed. "Had a meeting with her in her office, and yeah, she was agreeable," Trimble said.

The three-person cast features local talent. The group hopes to serve as a launchpad for people interested in acting who lack experience. "It's kind of hard to break into theatre if you don't have any experience," Trimble said. "We're just kind of in development now. We are going to try and invite people that might like to audition for future shows."

The Okotoks Odyssey Theatre Company plans to make appearances at many of the town's upcoming events this summer. For more information, visit the group's Facebook page.