Kathleen, Hank and Sarah (L-R) meet for the first time in Flight Risk. Photo by Ryan Zadery.

The audience goes quiet as the stage fades into darkness, calming music envelopes the theatre as everyone waits to see what happens. The sound of metal hitting the floor echoes around the hall as stars and lights start to twinkle on the stage. Everyone looks to the stage as a figure appears in the darkness. The theatre bursts with lights signaling the start of the show. 

From Oct. 15 to 24, the scripted play Flight Risk by Meg Braem took flight inside the Sterndale Bennett Theatre.    

Produced by New West Theatre, Flight Risk is about a nursing student named Sarah taking care of a WWII veteran Hank who is about to celebrate his 100^th birthday. 

From the start of the play Sarah is a hidden closed-off character that isn’t ready to reveal her secrets just yet.  

“The best part about playing Sarah is her arc. She starts off as a character that you don’t really know too much about and she doesn’t want to share too much. You get to learn about what is underneath,” said actress Aiden Boon who plays Sarah.  

From learning how to reach out and being vulnerable around others, Sarah was the emotional glue to this story.  

Since 2025, New West Theatre has embarked on telling new diverse stories that connect to all audiences. Flight Risk hit all the spots for live theatre from emotional connection to comedic timing.   

This dramatic comedy has been on New West Theatre’s radar since they produced an online version of the play during the pandemic.  

Written by the Alberta playwright Braem; the intimate and local story made audiences feel every emotion from start to finish. 

“Well, what’s lovely about this play is it’s a very intimate story. It’s storytelling, beautiful writing and relationships. To do a play like this in the Sterndale Bennett Theatre, where the audience is up close and personal has a different impact than to do it on the stage of the Yates where you have 400 people in the audience,” said Kelly Reay, artistic director of New West Theatre. 

The play starts on a comedic light tone where characters (Hank) played by Terry Gunvorgahl and (Kathleen) the lodge resident played by Erica Hunt have a snappy back and forth about his time in the war.  

Sarah and Hank are then left in his room where the play becomes more dramatic. From Hank telling stories about his days as a tail gunner to Sarah sharing about her life outside the hospital, the nature of how both of their pasts were revealed pulled at the heart strings off the audience.  

The visualization of the play comes from Sarah and Hank building a replica Lancaster Bomber plane that Hank fought in. As they continue to build the plane, new details and secrets are revealed about themselves adding to their relationship.  

When the plane is finished, the emotional journey of the story comes to an end as both Hank and Sarah are ready to embark on their new journeys.  

The production of Flight Risk shows New West Theatre can adapt to any audience and is ready to produce any play southern Alberta theatre lovers can enjoy.