Tuesday was an exciting day for 15 budding actors from this area. They learned that they are being considered for parts in Corbin Bernsen’s upcoming movie, 3 Day Test.

While a few had earned their chance during competitions held last summer, for the most part the prospects were chosen following auditions held Sunday evening at Kipling Community Centre. After a briefing about what would be expected, and a short time spent on rehearsal, they took to the stage Tuesday evening for an hour long script reading before an audience of nearly 100.

The troupe skipped through the entire movie plot, reading or reciting scenes selected by Bernsen to give audience and actor alike a feel for the story.

Onstage with Bernsen Tuesday were Alex Weeding, Denise Singleton of Kennedy, Mike Kernahan of Corning, Abdoul Teuw, Steven Greenbank of Wawota, Skylar Debreceni, who was reading for wee Isabel Wilson, Chesney Caswell, Holly Poirier, Ryder Debreceni, Margaret Duke, Nolan G.L. Hubbard, Lloyd Warner, Duane Leicht, Mark Edmonds and Kirk Olver.

Bernsen said others being considered are Audrey Tennant, Brad Kearns and Max Krecsy, all of Kipling, and Ryan Dumontel of Estevan.

He also said other Canadian “name” actors may be brought in for key roles in the film.

Bernsen outlined the plot of the movie during the script readings:

Modern society has made it easy for people to fall into a constant, busy routine. Making us aloof to the people closest to us, the daily grind has particularly taken its toll on the Taylor family. Now, on the verge of Christmas break, one man is about to take his family hostage in order to reconnect.

Deep in the heartland… Martin Taylor is your average father. An accountant, whose nature is to dutifully “ account” for the lives of his clients and his family, he drives over an hour a day each way to work in the “city” while his wife and kids enjoy the safer and more comfortable haven of a “small town life.” He works hard to support his family and loves them with a zealous passion, but feels severely underappreciated. Lately, the books aren’t adding up, he’s not getting back what he puts in…

One night, after finding his seventeen-year old daughter Lu having had a little too much “Christmas cheer” with her friends, it becomes painfully clear to him that he’s missing out on his kids’ lives, and quickly loosing all communication with them. Jessie, his five-year old daughter, wears Sponge Bob pajamas and carries around a Cabbage Patch doll named Tina, who “speaks for Jessie” on most occasions.

Martin’s twelve-year old son Adam is a soft-spoken tech whiz with a little bit of an Internet theft problem. The kid has a digital billboard on his bedroom door; the only way that he communicates with his family lately - heck, they wouldn’t know if his voice had changed. His wife, Jackie, who always seems to be at some sort of “self improvement class,” is oblivious to any problems within the house. She assures Martin that everything is all right – the children are just going through “stages” - but Martin can’t go on like this and becomes frustrated. Add to that, his house is also in slight disrepair, and some TLC is needed there too. He’s got all the tools fix everything, but simply lacks the time… and motivation.

After a particularly hectic day, he escapes to the garage, like he always does, to sneak a forbidden cigarette and reflect. Looking at all of the unused tools hung neatly nearby, Martin gets an idea. He runs to his computer and pops in a disk that his survivalist brother Sam has given him. Martin is a little too skeptical to consider what the disk suggests because his brother, presumably inspired by the same disk, has turned his own house in town into a fortress with bunkers to protect his family from “the coming Armageddon.”

Needless to say, most in town consider Sam to be the resident “nutcase.” Reluctantly, and at wits end, Martin watches the disk anyway. He’s drawn in as it challenges him to save his family and take the “THREE DAY TEST.”

The “test” is designed to put a family into an emergency situation as follows: Without warning and as a total surprise, at a most inconvenient time, turn off all utilities coming into the home. No water, no gas, no electricity, no heat. Round up the cell phones and lock ‘em away. No land line, no Internet. Pull the curtains, lock the doors; nobody leaves the house, nobody comes into the house… for three full days. The family must use only the resources they find inside.

“And that’s it,” said Bernsen. “Just like a real emergency might happen. All well and good, except Martin Taylor pops this on his family three days before Christmas!”

Bernsen, who will play the lead role (Martin) in 3 Day Test, will make his final selections for roles over the course of the next few weeks.

Filming is slated to begin in Kipling in mid-March. Bernsen also revealed some of the plans for the set and location.

Following the readings it was noted that the nearly $170,000 invested to date with Kipling Film Productions Inc. will secure it a 25 per cent interest in the movie rights.

A listing of the board members, with whom potential investors must have an affiliation, was published earlier. It is also available at the RDC office.