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One-Man Star Wars Trilogy coming to Penticton

One-man Star Wars might be right up the nerd alley, but creator explains itѻýs really for everyone
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Picture an eight-year-old boy acting out his favourite scenes from the original Star Wars trilogy.

Charlie Ross says that might give you an idea of what itѻýs like watching him do his on stage at the Cleland Theatre on Dec. 12. Come prepared to laugh.

ѻýYou canѻýt take this thing seriously. There are people that love Star Wars enough that they well up with tears, but thatѻýs because they are like me, theyѻýre a nerd,ѻý said Ross. ѻýWhat it is, is me on stage with no costume, no set, no props, just reenacting the trilogy, but itѻýs in an hour so there are huge jumps in the timeline.

ѻýI make all kind of side comments and jokes throughout. Just trying to have the same fun you did when you were a kid, maybe re-enacting whatever your favourite story was.

ѻýItѻýs the original trilogy, the one I grew up watching. In my mind, so far, thatѻýs the best one.ѻý

Ross developed the show almost two decades ago while working in Barkerville, which is where he also met Paul Crawford, now curator at the Penticton Art Gallery.

ѻýPaul and I have been trying to make this happen for a long time,ѻý said Ross.

The One-Man Star Wars Trilogy and the One-Man Pride & Prejudice on Dec. 13 are fundraisers for the art gallery.

Ross said Barkerville used to be his main acting gig for the year, but that all changed when he developed One-Man Star Wars. He started with small theatre festivals before getting an invitation to do the show in Chicago.

ѻýEverything picked up. I started doing the show in more and more places, and then I went to New York City for six months and did the show at an off-Broadway venue,ѻý said Ross. ѻýLiterally, right there, it was about 70 feet from Broadway itself.ѻý

Though Ross is a big Star Wars fan, he says there are things in the trilogy that are ѻýcharmingly annoying.ѻý

ѻýLike Luke Skywalker. Heѻýs just the whiniest character ever put to screen,ѻý said Ross. ѻýIf I just try to honestly be what he was, that is brilliant in itself. He did all the work for you.ѻý

Itѻýs not just the characters. When Ross said he does the whole trilogy, he means it.

ѻýHow do I be all the spaceships, how do I be Princess Leia?ѻý joked Ross. ѻýItѻýs just by using The Force, I guess, and hoping no one gets up and starts leaving.ѻý

One-man Star Wars might be right up nerd alley, but Ross says itѻýs really for everyone, all age ranges, all demographics.

After the One-Man Star Wars on Tuesday, Ross switches gears for the next nightѻýs show, One-Man Pride and Prejudice.

ѻýThe format of every romantic comedy youѻýve ever been dragged to in the movie theatre is based on this,ѻý said Ross. ѻýYou could almost say that Han and Leia, the format for their adversarial love story, that is Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, they hate each other, but of course, they love each other.ѻý

Itѻýs a story we all recognize now: Two people meet each other, they overcome misunderstandings and hurdles, they fall in love.

In Jane Austenѻýs time, though, it wasnѻýt so widespread ѻý Ross calls her a trailblazer and an ѻýincredibly droll writerѻý for her subtle takedown of the propertied classes.

Ross worked on the adaptation and the dialogue for Pride and Prejudice with his wife but admits to worrying how it would work on stage, especially with a man playing all the parts, including Lizzie.

ѻýSurprisingly it does. I think itѻýs because it is already so ridiculous, people just sort of buy-in,ѻý said Ross. ѻýYou know itѻýs going to work out, but still they get so totally worked up about it.

The switching roles are key to making it work.

ѻýI think it is funny when you see a person trying to fall in love with themselves on stage because itѻýs a guy being a man and a woman and itѻýs a romantic comedy. Youѻýre trying to build up tension between you and yourself,ѻý said Ross. ѻýItѻýs really wonderfully ridiculous.ѻý

Tickets to the shows are $20 for adults, $10 for students and available in advance at the Penticton Art Gallery, 199 Marina Way, or by phone at 250-493-2928. Doors open both nights at 6:45 p.m.

For more information, visit


Steve Kidd
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