Celebrated Canadian actor Shawn Wright returns home to New Brunswick to make his playwriting debut.
Brian K.
Theatre New Brunswick continues its 2016-2017 season with the world-premiere production, Ghost Light, written and performed by New Brunswick native, Shawn Wright.
Born and raised in Saint John, Wright’s interest in theatre began while he was a student at St. Malachy’s High School. Inspired in part by his mother’s involvement in community theatre groups in the city, acting grew from an interest into a passion for Wright who would eventually become one of the country’s most recognized stage actors as a member of both the Shaw Festival and the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.
Throughout his career he has maintained close ties to his home province returning to perform in several Theatre New Brunswick productions including The Bricklin, Hockey Dreams, Oleanna and most recently as Ebenezer Scrooge in the company’s 2014 production of A Christmas Carol.
With Ghost Light, Wright has once again returned home, this time to make his debut as a playwright with a very personal solo performance.
“Shawn is a marvel,” said TNB Artistic Director Thomas Morgan Jones, who will also direct the production. “As an actor, his experience and his joy of performing emanates from every pore. As a first-time writer, I am inspired daily by his courage and love as he brings his own story to the stage. Fredericton and Saint John audiences are in for a very, very special night at the theatre. On a personal level, Shawn is someone that I’ve always hoped to get the chance to work with. Needless to say, I’m beside myself!”
Ghost Light is a story about a mother and son’s relationship. It’s about being the youngest of seven children and growing up in New Brunswick. But most importantly, Ghost Light is Wright’s personal tribute to his mother.
“Shawn often says that when his mother went to rehearsal she would often have two things in her arms – her script, and Shawn,” said Jones. “This play is his opportunity to give his mother her posthumous professional stage debut. As many of us do, Shawn now carries his mother’s memory with him everywhere he goes, and as we all sit to watch this story, he will carry that memory with him on stage.”
Ghost Light opens November 17, 2016 at Fredericton’s Open Space Theatre, 55 Whiting Road with performances running through until November 27. There will also be two performances in Saint John November 21 and 22.
Ghost Light | November 17-27, 2016 | Open Space Theatre | Fredericton | 7:30pm w/ matinees Saturday and Sunday at 2pm | Buy Tickets
Ghost Light | November 21-22, 2016 | BMO Theatre | Saint John | 7:30pm | Buy Tickets
