A Night of New Work

Four New Brunswick theatre companies perform new work March 6 at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre.

Four New Brunswick theatre companies have partnered to present new work through the series, Shorts and Sweets/ Culottes Courtes Et Sucreries, a bilingual night of performance happening Monday March 6, 2017 at the Charlotte Street Arts Centre.

The series was put together by Marc-André Charron of Moncton’s Satellite Theatre as a way develop new friendships, encourage new work and to bring various theatre groups together.

“When I lived in Toronto I did these nights all the time because it was a way to get seen by other people and a way to meet other people in the community,” said Solo Chicken Productions’ Lisa Anne Ross, who will be performing as part of the series. “They often led to other things and sparked new projects. It was also just nice to have the opportunity to test some material.

“I think Marc-André wanted to create a night that connected the two communities and the two languages,” said Ross. “Even though Moncton is only two hours away, we don’t collaborate a lot in the theatre community.”

The March 6 event will feature performances by Fredericton’s Solo Chicken Productions and Next Folding Theatre Company and Moncton’s Satellite Theatre and Théâtre la Cigogne, each sharing something created specifically for the series or offering a glimpse at work in development.

The idea was first tested in Moncton in January at the Aberdeen Cultural Centre and despite a power outage and a snow storm that nearly canceled the event, the evening proved a success with audiences enjoying a mix of physical theatre, puppetry and a bilingual comedy.

“Sometimes they’re called Scratch Nights,” said Ross. “Basically they’re a night of new work and a chance for artists to get out and try something new. They provide an opportunity to do something without all the cumbersome grant writing and usual leg work. It can be very much like, ‘I have an idea. I want to make a piece, and I’m going to perform it’.”