Shakespeare a labour of love for Langley troupe

She sings and writes music and scripts.

She apparently even dances a bit, and does martial arts.

She acts and has just recently co-founded a new musical theatre group in the Fraser Valley.

She is Lauren Trotzuk, and she is described by fellow Shakespearean devotee and show producer Diane Gendron as a “bright, multi-talented” young woman who is once again lending her talents to Langley’s Bard in the Valley theatre group and its current production of Love’s Labour’s Lost.

In her third season with Bard in the Valley, 20-year-old Trotzuk has not only taken on a position in the cast, but she’s embraced the duties of the musical director, too – penning a few songs for LLL.

Trotzuk’s introduction to BIV came a few years back, when she had a small role in Comedy of Errors. Last year, she took on a larger, multi-faceted role in Julius Caesar.

This year, the D.W. Poppy grad is tackling her biggest role yet, playing Moth in Love’s Labour Lost.

But while twice-weekly rehearsals for the cast started in mid-April, Trotzuk’s work began months earlier, when she was asked to write two original songs for the show – including one number for herself to perform.

“Theatre is 100 per cent of my passion… As long as I’m doing this, I’m a happy person,” Trotzuk told the Langley Advance, explaining how excited she was to reconnect with all her thespain friends at BIV.

In addition to her volunteer duties with the local theatre group, Trotzuk has recently co-founded a new musical theatre group that hopes to present its first original production in Abbotsford this fall.

And all of this is done while juggling two jobs – one at the Marketplace IGA in Murrayville and the other as a taekwando instructor and being a full-time student at Kwantlen Polytechnique University.

“It’s a juggling act, for sure,” Trotzuk said, insisting how important scheduling has become in her life. “But I need to be busy… I always need a new challenge.”

Trotzuk is one of 60 actors and artists volunteering their time to present this early Shakespearean comedy over the next month under the watchful eye of director Mandy Dyck.

“Love’s Labour’s Lost has intrigued me since the first time I read the script,” Dyck shared.

“Shakespeare was writing beyond his time and this play is certainly relevant our modern-day audience. With the women being in control, I could not help but want to direct it. Take one part men being silly, one part women being ruthless, and one part complete ridiculousness and you get Love’s Labour’s Lost – a tale of love, courtship, loss and all the games that come with it.”

She insists that audiences will find the production “high-energy,” “face-paced,” and “fun.”

The show is running over the course of the next month on three different outdoor stages in town – a total of 16 performances between July 1 and Aug. 2.

Their sixth season kicked off with their first show on (Canada Day) and continues today and Friday on the lawn out front of the Fort Langley’s historic community hall.

That’s followed with a few shows during the next few weeks at the Township 7 Winery. Those performances are being held July 10, 11, 17 and 18 at 7 p.m., with a matinee on Sunday, July 12 at 2 p.m.

Then there’s eight performances being hosted on the bandshell stage in Spirit Square at Douglas Park. Those dates are July 23 to 26, and July 30 to Aug. 2, again with evening performances most days, except Sundays with a 2 p.m. matinee.

Admission to the public shows, in Fort Langley and Douglas Park, are free. There is a $20 charge for the shows at the winery, and tickets can be purchased ahead online at club7.township7.com/store.

The audience is invited to come early and bring a blanket, lawn chairs, and a picnic to any of the shows, Gendron said.

Chairs will also be available at all venues, as will snacks. And, donations will be welcome to help cover production costs.

Trotzuk has already asked all her friends and family to catch the show, but extended an invitation to others to check it out.

“It’s fun. It’s exciting. It’s free, which is never a bad thing. It’s family friendly… It’s hilarious. You can’t go wrong,” Trotzuk said.

How to win

Two lucky Langley Advance readers will each win a pair of tickets to Love’s Labour’s Lost at the Township 7 Winery on July 10, 11, 17 or 18 at 7 p.m. or July 12 at 2 p.m. CLICK HERE

Preference will be given to Langley residents.

Postings must be received prior to 5 p.m. on Monday, July 6, and the winner will be notified by email. No staff or family of the Langley Advance or Black Press are eligible. This giveaway is restricted to online participants, 19 years or older only. Must include name and phone number.