Two short plays share a single evening on the Scott Block stage
Red Deer theatre-goers will have the unusual option this fall of seeing two distinct local-stage works in a single visit to the Scott Block Theatre.
Riverbend Theatre Company confirmed rehearsals are under way for a double bill that pairs a new piece by a local writer with a play by an Alberta playwright. The Kiss, written by Red Deer playwright Fleur Jacobs, will be presented alongside Conversations with Cows, by Alberta playwright Blaine Newton.
The company has scheduled several evening performances and two weekend matinees. Audiences can expect the pairings to explore sharply different worlds: one a tight, personal drama rooted in faith and temptation, the other an examination of life altered by an oil-industry workplace culture.
What the plays are about
The Kiss follows an Amish woman whose encounter with a travelling man forces her to weigh desire against the expectations of marriage and community. The play centres on that decision and the consequences it will have for her future.
Conversations with Cows tracks a married couple navigating a major life change after the husband accepts a new job in the oil industry. The play looks at how workplace culture and shifting circumstances reshape relationships and daily life.
Performance schedule and tickets
Riverbend has announced the following dates and times at the Scott Block Theatre. Tickets are available now from the company website.
| Date | Time |
|---|---|
| Sept. 25 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 26 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Sept. 27 | 2:00 p.m. (matinee) |
| Oct. 2 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 3 | 7:30 p.m. |
| Oct. 4 | 2:00 p.m. (matinee) |
Tickets are on sale at www.riverbendtheatre.com/upcoming. The theatre company has not released additional ticketing details in its announcement beyond the online purchase option.
Local context and what to expect
Riverbend’s choice to programme two short plays together gives audiences an efficient way to see fresh Prairie and Alberta voices in a single evening. For Red Deer, that matters: preserving space for locally written work at downtown venues such as the Scott Block keeps the city’s cultural calendar active and provides a stage for regional stories that reflect Alberta life.
For those monitoring the local arts scene, the pairing also highlights two themes common in recent regional theatre: intimate, character-driven drama, and work that interrogates the social and economic pressures tied to Alberta’s energy sector. Both subjects resonate here — whether through community, family and faith, or through the lived experience of jobs that can redraw household and community dynamics.
- Venue: Scott Block Theatre, Red Deer
- Plays: The Kiss (Fleur Jacobs); Conversations with Cows (Blaine Newton)
- Performance run: Sept. 25-27 and Oct. 2-4, 2026
Rehearsals are continuing and Riverbend expects the production to proceed as scheduled. Red Deerians interested in supporting local theatre or seeing new Alberta writing should consider booking early through the company’s website.
