Behind every laugh, every heartfelt moment, and every standing ovation is a team of incredible people who make it all happen. From the familiar faces you see on stage to the steady hands working behind the scenes, the cast and crew of The Sweet Delilah Swim Club have brought their talent, stories, and summer memories to Cow Patti Theatre this season. We’re excited to introduce you to the full Delilah crew, one bio at a time. Click through below to meet the people who make the magic happen.

THE COW PATTI THEATRE COMPANY IS GONNA START OFF THE NEW YEAR WITH SASS, SUNSHINE, AND SCRUMPTIOUS BUFFETS

BRINGING JOY TO ALBERTA:

COW PATTI’S FIRST SHOW IN 2026

As the calendar turns to 2026, Cow Patti Theatre is set to ring in the New Year with a dazzling new play that promises to deliver sass, sunshine, and scrumptious buffets, right in the heart of Alberta. The local favourite is once again ready to fill the Tin Roof Event Center with laughter, warmth, and delicious food, inviting audiences across the province to be entertained together.

A RECORD-BREAKING HOLIDAY SEASON

Following the extraordinary success of Ethan Claymore’s Christmas, which shattered box office records and left audiences grinning from ear to ear, Cow Patti Theatre, in partnership with beloved Canadian playwright Norm Foster, has created unforgettable moments for Albertans from every corner of the province. Not only did Ethan Claymore’s Christmas make a lasting impression on theatre lovers, but through Cow Patti’s Benefit program, it also brought awareness and financial gain to cherished organizations including Kasota East Camp, I Challenge Diabetes, the Lacombe Performing Arts Centre, and the Millet Museum. Thanks to the generosity of the community and the overwhelming support for the holiday production, a remarkable $28,000.00 was raised, further amplifying the “ear wagging” effect that continues to ripple through Alberta. The collaboration’s unique spirit keeps spreading festive cheer and fostering a sense of togetherness.

Meet the Gals: Storytellers of Joy

The Sweet Delilah Swim Club tells the story of five women who meet every August at a beach cottage in North Carolina. Formerly members of the same college swim team, these lifelong friends gather to catch up, reminisce, and support one another through life’s ups and downs. The play is renowned for its humour, warmth, and genuine portrayal of female friendship.

This season’s play features the dynamic talents of AnnaMarie Lea, Susan Greenfield, Heather MacDonnell, Elana Post, and Rennie Wilkinson. These exceptional performers are ready to take centre stage, weaving a story that promises to boost everyone’s happiness. With their blend of wit, charm, and heartfelt storytelling, these “gals” are set to bring a fresh, uplifting energy to Alberta’s theatre scene.

Fun Facts About the Playwrights

The Sweet Delilah Swim Club is a heartwarming comedy that has delighted audiences across North America. Written by the talented trio of Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope, and Jamie Wooten, often collectively known as Jones Hope Wooten, the play celebrates friendship, resilience, and the joy of reunion.

• Jamie Wooten is an Emmy Award-winning writer, best known for his work on the classic sitcom The Golden Girls. His knack for clever dialogue and heartfelt moments shines in the group’s stage productions.
• Jessie Jones is known for her sharp wit and engaging storytelling. She has previously worked in television and theatre and has collaborated on numerous plays with Hope and Wooten.
• Nicholas Hope has a background in both playwriting and acting. Nicholas Hope brings a unique perspective to the trio.

Jamie Wooten’s experience on The Golden Girls heavily influences the dynamics and humour found in their plays. The trio has written more than a dozen popular comedies together, including Dearly Beloved, Christmas Belles, and The Dixie Swim Club (the original version of The Sweet Delilah Swim Club). Their scripts are a favourite among theatres across North America for their relatable characters and laugh-out-loud humour.

COME ON DOWN TO OUR
“NECK OF THE WOODS”

AND JOIN THE “HERD” AT COW PATTI

Whether you’re a lifelong theatre lover or new to the Cow Patti experience, this show is sure to lift spirits and create lasting memories. With its blend of sass, sunshine, and community warmth, Cow Patti Theatre invites all Albertans to come and be part of the “HERD” that truly belongs to the heart of the province.

Don’t miss out, reserve your seats, bring your loved ones, and get ready for a story that will leave you smiling well into the long hot days of summer.

The Cow Patti Theatre Company is Getting Geared up for their “29th Harvest”

Bringing Laughter, Community, and Unique Experiences to the Region!

This year’s line-up features a carefully curated selection of side-splitting comedies performed by a talented cast members that will be coming to Alberta from all corners of Canada. Each show is paired with a delicious buffet, creating a full afternoon or evening of entertainment for audience members. Whether it's the classic Norm Foster play - Ethan Claymores Christmas or a witty new play spanning over four decades of 5 college girlfriends – The Sweet Delilah Swim Club, guests can expect laughs, surprises, and memorable moments throughout the season. Our commitment is to  bring  a delightful blend of hilarious performances and homestyle buffet dining experiences. This, our 29th  Season, will  continue in the tradition of combining the joy of live theatre with the warmth of community gatherings, making it a must-attend event for residents and visitors

Benefits of Comedy Dinner Theatre

• Community Engagement: The dinner theatre format encourages guests to connect, fostering a welcoming atmosphere where friendships are forged over shared laughter.
• Economic Impact: Local businesses, catering and rental partners benefit from increased business, supporting the regional economy.
• Accessibility: Cow Patti Theatre Company’s commitment to affordable ticketing ensures that live theatre remains within reach for families, seniors, and students.
• Unique Entertainment: The combination of food and performance offers a one-of-a-kind experience, setting the company apart from traditional theatre offerings.
• Supporting Local Non-Profit Groups: Proceeds from the season through Cow Patti’s Benefit Program help fund community outreach initiatives, nurturing the arts ecosystem in the region, using the tool of professional theatre.

To date, the Cow Patti Theatre Company has raised over $800,000.00 in their 29 Seasons of producing. During Ethan Claymores Christmas we will hold 4 Benefit Saturday Brunch Shows: Saturday November 22 -  The Millet Museum, Saturday November 29th - I Challenge Diabetes, Saturday December 6 - Kasota East Camp and Saturday December 13 - The Lacombe Performing Arts Centre

Howdy folks and welcome back to another season of Homegrown Hospitality, Downhome Humor and Homestyle Cooking!

The HERD of Cow Patti is thrilled to be announcing our 29th Season of Professional Comedy Grub Theatre.

Coming off of our most successful season to date, the importance was on to create a new season with the same “wow factor” but also ensuring a new season full of laughs, alluring characters and enticing stories that will uplift and entertain the thousands that come out to Cow Patti. The theatre is a wonderful place to gather folks and give them a moment to forget the troubles in our world today and escape into the magic of live theatre and at Cow Patti the magic is alive and well!

We are thrilled to be working with HT Catering again this season and after lengthy meetings we've fashioned a refresh on all our buffets. Our audiences will enjoy new flavors and tastes while keeping with the tradition of a scrumptious spread our audiences have come to expect.

With great pride we are following in the path of ensuring that everything about Cow Patti is 100% Canadian. Our first show this season is written by Canadian playwright Norm Foster, our director, technical team, front of house and actors are all proudly Canadian.

As always, we will source out all aspects in building shows working with local Canadian/ Alberta businesses- whether it's set building materials, creating and printing material for marketing, gathering props and costumes. Every aspect of producing our shows will focus on local Canadian products, talent and services.

Our first show of the season Ethan Claymore’s Christmas by Norm Foster is a show we produced 11 seasons ago and we wanted to bring it back to the Cow Patti stage simply because it is a huge crowd pleaser that encompasses the essence of  delight, mirth and family.

Directing the show is Lisa Horner, a thirty-five-year veteran of theatre and film, Lisa has performed across the country as a performer and is best known onstage for her role as Beulah in Come From Away with Mirvish Productions, which played over 1500 performances at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. She is a two-time Dora award winner as well as a Bessie award for her iconic commercial as the ‘Ikea Lady’ where she yelled ‘Start The Car!’, which was recently voted ‘the number one commercial of the century’ in Canada.

Lisa brings a wealth of skill, talent and heart that we know will not only thrill the cast she will be working with but also, she will take our audiences on an unforgettable journey as the show unfolds. 

We are  very excited to announce three young local actors that will be in the cast of Ethan Claymore’s Christmas. Within the show, Norm takes us back in time where we get to understand the complexity of Ethan and Martin’s relationship as youngsters and what a treat it will be to have these young fellas treading the Cow Patti boards!

Ethan Claymore’s Christmas promises to be a show encircling  family, friends, neighbors, one’s childhood, pond hockey, egg farming and romance. All these elements will be bundled up in a feel good, laugh out loud show that will entice and thoroughly entertain the masses at Cow Patti!

 

Yours in Theatre,

AnnaMarie Lea

Artistic Producing Director - Cow Patti Theatre Company

The Cow Patti Theatre Company is producing the Canadian Classic... Ethan Claymore's Christmas by Norm Foster this November/ December 2025.

We will be holding auditions for two roles that require young talent to join the “Herd” for this wonderful play about Family, Mercy and Christmas.

• Young Ethan 11 years of age
• Young Martin 16 years of age
• Rehearsal will begin Tuesday October 28, 2025, and run till November 14, 2025.
• The show runs November 13, 2025, till December 14, 2025.

Both characters don’t need to be the specific age noted but need to look as though they could be 11 and 16 years of age.

Rehearsal will begin Tuesday October 28, 2025, and run till November 14, 2025. The actors cast will not be required to be at rehearsals during the day but will be called in after school. Once we move into production week we will be needing them in rehearsals for full days before we open the show.

The show runs November 13, 2025, till December 14, 2025. We perform 8 shows a week - 4 of those 8 shows are matinees during the day and the other 4 shows are evenings and weekends. Realizing that it is a vey full schedule with a huge time commitment we are looking at double casting each role to allow for the opportunity and workload to be shared.

It is very important that the parents of the casted actors have a sense of this commitment and are willing to work with us to create a wonderful opportunity for their child.

The casted actors will be paid in accordance with the D.O.T. Agreement with our Canadian Actors Equity Association.

Auditions will be held the week of June 2, 2025. Interested actors wanting to submit an audition please send a picture of yourself and a resume with any theatre experience to AnnaMarie Lea at lacombecowpatti@gmail.com.

If the actors and or parents have any concerns or questions before submitting please call AnnaMarie directly at 403-304-6329 or send an email to AnnaMarie at lacombecowpatti@gmail.com

We look forward to meeting local talent and casting 4 young actors that will be a part of the cast this heart-warming play.

 

BREAK A LEG!

AnnaMarie Lea

Artistic Producing Director - Cow Patti Theatre Company

Sunday Afternoon, April 6th we took our final bow with our 28th Season.

It was an incredible Season that entertained the masses with Homestyle Cooking, Homegrown Hospitality and Down-Home Humour. Our Benefit Program, which has been helping folks in our Communities for 28 Seasons, was phenomenal.

What a treat it is for us folks at Cow Patti to use the tool of Professional Theatre to enhance the needs and platforms of these very deserving groups and organizations. In our 28th Season we had Benefits every Saturday Afternoon for the following well deserving groups: Kasota East Camp, The Lacombe Performing Arts Center, The Rocky Mountain House Museum. The Optimist Club of Red Deer, The Golden Circle Seniors Resource Center, The Lacombe Legion, and Grama Link Africa. Our Benefit Program in our 28th Season raised over a whopping $36,000.00.Along with our Benefit program, we broke all House Records in our 28 years of producing. Our Theatre is back and stronger than ever! The Cast, Crews, Sponsors, Caterers, Volunteers and all of our invested Patrons was what enabled Cow Patti to have a joyful, Bang on Season. Great pride and love for our Country Canada, (especially in the second half of the Season) was felt by the Herd at Cow Patti and all of our Patrons.

During our Production of Perfect Wedding, our audience joined us  in singing of our beloved Canadian National Anthem! Which was an indescribably, beautiful Canadian moment filled with so much love, respect and community. It was a very distinct gesture that connected us all in a very special way, a way only the theatre can create.

So, what can a little Alberta Theatre Company do for Canadians…Eh?

Investing in the performing arts in Alberta has a significant economic impact. For every $1 invested, it generates approximately $1.60 in economic activity. This includes direct spending on arts activities, as well as the ripple effects of that spending throughout the economy, such as job creation and tourism. The arts sector in Alberta contributes over $1.2 billion to the GDP and supports more than 17,000 jobs. It's clear that the arts are not just a cultural asset but also a vital part of the economy. Arts, entertainment, and recreation offer a lot of value to the economy in terms of direct, indirect, and induced value added per million dollars spent. The average Alberta Arts & Culture tourist spends 2 times as much per trip as does a typical tourist. Small businesses play an essential role in the vitality and success of Alberta’s local communities and economy, making up 95.4 percent of businesses in the province and employing a significant portion of our labour force.

Perhaps even more impactful than numbers, our shows are deeply funny and lift people’s spirits which supports the wellbeing and mental health of our community. The presence of arts is linked to increased neighborhood livability, community identity, and social wellbeing. Research ties the benefits of arts participation to the informal education and empowerment of the community, and to a sense of pride and community ownership.

I am already busy planning our Canadian Professional Comedy Dinner Theatre’s 29th Season, which we will, fittingly announce - Canada Day, July 1, 2024. Stay tuned, follow us on Facebook. It's going to be a Fabulously Funny Season filled with Canadian Content, Talent and Alberta Beef!

Until then, again many thanks for your invested love and interest in CPTC and have a wonderful sunny summer.

 

ELBOWS UP!

AnnaMarie Lea

Artistic Producing Director - Cow Patti Theatre Company

WE'RE PROUD TO BRING COMEDY DINNER THEATRE TO CANADA!

For 28 Seasons the Cow Patti Theatre Company has produced Live Professional Comedy Theatre throughout our great Canadian nation and has always been conscientious of working with Canadians in all aspects of producing Dinner Theatre.

• ✔ We hire 100% Canadian Actors, Stage Managers, Directors, Stage Craft Workers, Box Office and Front of House Staff.
• ✔ We commission Canadian Playwrights 90% of the time in producing their shows.
• ✔ We work with HT Catering, a family-run Alberta company with Head Chef Shelby, confirming that 90% of his ingredients, when creating his buffets, are Canadian Ingredients, with 60% of those ingredients being Alberta grown.
• ✔ We lease space from the family at The Tin Roof Event Center, an Alberta-based business and local Alberta farmers for generations – quite notably potato farmers that our caterers use!
• ✔ Cow Patti works with Diamond Liquor out of Blackfalds, another Alberta family-run company. For our production of *Perfect Wedding*, we will be working with Justin to serve our patrons Canadian beverages.
• ✔ During *Perfect Wedding*, we will be working with Lionel at No Frills in Lacombe for all of our drinks, ensuring they are from Canada. During all Brunch Buffets at *Perfect Wedding*, we are switching up the serviced juices to Apple and Cranberry!
• ✔ When we build our sets, Technical Director Tom Lea sources all Canadian products, including lumber, paint, nails, screws, gaffer tape, tools, brushes, and all sound and lighting equipment. Products are purchased from companies like Home Hardware, Peavy Mart, and Timber Mart—right in Lacombe, AB.
• ✔ Costumes, props, and set dressings are sourced from Canadian companies, with a focus on local businesses. During the production of *Perfect Wedding*, we are working with a local Lacombe AB store, Elite Bridal and Fashion Boutique. Our in-house Costume Designer is also a locally hired Canadian!
• ✔ When marketing our shows, we work with local Alberta businesses such as Strand360, Sunny 94, New Country 95.5, and 880 CHED. All of our marketing content is designed and produced by Canadian talent.
• ✔ 100% of our sponsorship dollars are generously donated by Alberta small businesses!