Feminism, Sexuality and Modern Technology – There’s a lot of interesting theatre to enjoy in Fredericton this week.
It’s a big week for city theatre with three major productions happening as part of this year’s FROSTival celebrations. A community theatre group, a university theatre group and a professional theatre company will present an adaptation of a popular screenplay, a celebrated Canadian playwright and a story written right here in Fredericton by one of the province’s most promising playwrights. Let’s have a look:
Calendar Girls
“This is our fifth season of doing theatre in Fredericton,” said director Ben Harrison. “When we form our seasons we like to make sure that our shows are accessible to all, avid theatre goers and people who may have never seen live theatre before. Calendar Girls fits that niche.”
The play was inspired by the real life story of a group of Yorkshire women who came together to produce a nude calendar to raise money in support of Leukemia research following the death of character Annie Clarke’s husband. This story was first produced as a film in 2003 and adapted for the stage in 2008.
Calendar Girls | February 4 – 6, 2016 | Tom Morrison Theatre | 7:30 p.m. | Buy Tickets | More info
Age of Arousal
Theatre UNB begin 2016 with a production of Canadian playwright Linda Griffiths’ Age of Arousal, a witty, provocative and sexy comedy.
“For me, the words that best describe this play are smart, sexy, funny, and thought-provoking, all the things I best like in plays,” said director Len Falkenstein. “It’s a highly entertaining but also sharply insightful depiction of relations between men and women, and especially of women’s ongoing struggle for equality.”
Set in 1880s London, the play is steeped in themes of revolt, eroticism, and First-Wave Feminism.
Theatre UNB presents Age of Arousal | February 3 – 6, 2016 | Memorial Hall, UNB campus | 7:30 p.m. | Tickets at the door: $14 regular, $10 senior/underemployed, $8 for students
Returning Fire
Theatre New Brunswick’s season continues next month with a special one-of-a-kind theatre experience. Returning Fire, a new play by New Brunswick playwright Ryan Griffith, will unfold through a series of text messages before culminating in a live site-specific theatre experience.
Audience members will follow character interaction by receiving messages and images on their mobile devices and through the experience, will learn where to find the characters in downtown Fredericton. The two characters in the story will reunite in person where the audience will experience their reunion firsthand.
“I think this play answers a lot of questions around ‘what is live theatre’ and how are we embracing technology,” said TNB Artistic Director Thomas Morgan Jones. “For me, it’s also about how we’re embracing how we as humans are changing.”
Returning Fire | Feb. 4-7, 2016 | Downtown Fredericton | More Information | Buy Tickets
Check out all things FROSTival here.
