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 itsa国际传媒檚 like watching him do his on stage at the Cleland Theatre on Dec. 12. Come prepared to laugh.

sa国际传媒淵ou cansa国际传媒檛 take this thing seriously. There are people that love Star Wars enough that they well up with tears, but thatsa国际传媒檚 because they are like me, theysa国际传媒檙e a nerd,sa国际传媒� said Ross. sa国际传媒淲hat it is, is me on stage with no costume, no set, no props, just reenacting the trilogy, but itsa国际传媒檚 in an hour so there are huge jumps in the timeline.

sa国际传媒淚 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.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 the original trilogy, the one I grew up watching. In my mind, so far, thatsa国际传媒檚 the best one.sa国际传媒�

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.

sa国际传媒淧aul and I have been trying to make this happen for a long time,sa国际传媒� 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.

sa国际传媒淓verything 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,sa国际传媒� said Ross. sa国际传媒淟iterally, right there, it was about 70 feet from Broadway itself.sa国际传媒�

Though Ross is a big Star Wars fan, he says there are things in the trilogy that are sa国际传媒渃harmingly annoying.sa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淟ike Luke Skywalker. Hesa国际传媒檚 just the whiniest character ever put to screen,sa国际传媒� said Ross. sa国际传媒淚f I just try to honestly be what he was, that is brilliant in itself. He did all the work for you.sa国际传媒�

Itsa国际传媒檚 not just the characters. When Ross said he does the whole trilogy, he means it.

sa国际传媒淗ow do I be all the spaceships, how do I be Princess Leia?sa国际传媒� joked Ross. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 just by using The Force, I guess, and hoping no one gets up and starts leaving.sa国际传媒�

One-man Star Wars might be right up nerd alley, but Ross says itsa国际传媒檚 really for everyone, all age ranges, all demographics.

After the One-Man Star Wars on Tuesday, Ross switches gears for the next nightsa国际传媒檚 show, One-Man Pride and Prejudice.

sa国际传媒淭he format of every romantic comedy yousa国际传媒檝e ever been dragged to in the movie theatre is based on this,sa国际传媒� said Ross. sa国际传媒淵ou 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.sa国际传媒�

Itsa国际传媒檚 a story we all recognize now: Two people meet each other, they overcome misunderstandings and hurdles, they fall in love.

In Jane Austensa国际传媒檚 time, though, it wasnsa国际传媒檛 so widespread sa国际传媒� Ross calls her a trailblazer and an sa国际传媒渋ncredibly droll writersa国际传媒� 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.

sa国际传媒淪urprisingly it does. I think itsa国际传媒檚 because it is already so ridiculous, people just sort of buy-in,sa国际传媒� said Ross. sa国际传媒淵ou know itsa国际传媒檚 going to work out, but still they get so totally worked up about it.

The switching roles are key to making it work.

sa国际传媒淚 think it is funny when you see a person trying to fall in love with themselves on stage because itsa国际传媒檚 a guy being a man and a woman and itsa国际传媒檚 a romantic comedy. Yousa国际传媒檙e trying to build up tension between you and yourself,sa国际传媒� said Ross. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 really wonderfully ridiculous.sa国际传媒�

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.

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