Actors with a children's theatre company that had speakers stolen from their trailer prevented a performance disaster with some quick thinking.
Actors with a children's theatre company that had speakers stolen from their trailer prevented a performance disaster with some quick thinking.
Goodger-Pink Family Theatre producer and actress Samantha Duff and her crew were preparing to set up for their outdoor production The Princess and the Pea at Drake Landing Park in Okotoks' northeast on June 24 when they opened the trailer and realized the speakers were missing.
“When we opened it up, it was about an hour and a half before the show,” she said. “We had two shows that day. I just couldn't cancel them.”
One of the actors rushed to Costco and bought new speakers.
In the meantime, Duff and the other actors received overwhelming support by people at the performance and those who responded to her Facebook posts.
“The people that came out of the woodwork to offer their help and their speakers was so amazing,” she said. “People were saying if you need anything let me know. That's the really heartwarming part is the Okotoks community jumped on that and everything they could do to help they would. Everyone was so gracious and generous.”
Duff said the not-for-profit children's theatre company was able to get the new speakers up and running in time for the performance.
She suspects the speakers went missing from the trailer while it was parked at her DeWinton home during the evening of June 23 or morning of June 24.
“We always keep all of our things in the trailer that we take back and forth at every show,” she said. “Our trailer was parked in front of our place and someone helped themselves to the speakers.”
Duff said the crew keeps the trailer padlocked when on location, but after the June 23 performance left it unlocked at her home in case she needed to access it in the morning.
All the other electronics from the trailer were in the house being charged, she said.
“They probably thought they would find much more exciting things than they did,” she said. “Everything else was silly children's props and costume pieces. They must have opened it up and thought what the heck have we found.”
This is the second time Duff's property has been a target of theft in just over a month. In May, culprits stole various items from her shop including a generator, Weed Whackers and a blower motor, she said.
“We certainly learned our lesson,” she said. “You don't think about it when you're back at your own place.”
Okotoks RCMP Sgt. Sukh Randhawa said the detachment hasn't received reports of many other thefts in the area and considers it a “random hit.”
“I'm not aware of any activity that's been going on that we're concerned about,” he said. “These kinds of things happen from time to time. It's regular police business for us.”
To prevent thefts from taking place, Randhawa recommends the public watch for suspicious individuals or activity in their neighbourhoods and report it to the RCMP.
He also encourages the public to lock doors and windows, and remove valuables that might encourage theft from sight.
Anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the area or who has more information can to contact Okotoks RCMP at 403-995-6400. Anonymous tips can be made to CrimeStoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477).
