ELK POINT – The first three performances of ‘You Cant’ Beat the House’ had near-capacity crowds at the Elk Point Allied Arts Christmas Dinner Theatre howling with laughter at the antics that ensued when a bumbling burglar finds himself suddenly turned into a real estate agent for the upscale home he had targeted. He and his fellow hapless housebreaker get more confused by the minute as potential purchasers, the real realtor and a policeman looking for suspicious characters join the party… And that’s even before the potential purchasers find out the place could be haunted, which adds a meddling mother-in-law and her medium to the mix, not to mention the policeman’s over-protective mother.
The would-be thieves are part of a 10-member cast of Elk Point Allied Arts performers who are no strangers to this stage. Shaun Sheplawy, as burglar Merle, Velma Hudson as the medium and Barb Maile as the wife who wants a home for a reason she’s keeping secret, have starred in many former successes. More recent additions to the lineup include Ross Kreskosky as the apprentice burglar, Braden Campeau as the husband who wants the house for a different reason, Amber Cook as the real realtor, Roger Smith as the policeman, Jan Young as the mother-in-law, Elizabeth Smith as the husband’s secretary and Sherry Milholland as the policemen’s mother, most of those with two or more previous roles to their credit.
Director and producer Don Conrad and his assistant Dixie Coleman are not on stage in this one, but along with lighting and sound technician Rob Walker, have been part of virtually all the Christmas and spring dinner theatres since the Allied Arts opened its doors, as well as those staged at Elk Point Elementary School before that time.
The production crew also includes set builders Lavern Kittlitz and Dean Rogal, dining room supervisor Doris Osinchuk and a long lineup of others who had a part in making this yet another huge success.
Two more performances are scheduled for this coming Friday and Saturday, before the Allied Arts wraps up another successful year with the return of Mick Della-Vee and Michael Sicoly, who wowed the crowd as Simon and Garfunkel earlier this year, this time appearing as Beatles Lennon and McCartney to bring their audience ‘a little bit of Christmas Magic on Tuesday, Dec. 12. On Friday, Dec. 15, the Elk Point Community Choir will wrap up the season in song at their annual Christmas Concert.
