The latest fundraiser hosted by the Cape Breton Stage Company, Art 4 Act II, will be held on Friday, December 16, 9pm, at The Upstairs Club, Dolbin and Ferry Streets, in Sydney.
“It’s for the show that we’re putting on in February,” explains Cape Breton Stage Company board member Jenn Tubrett. “The early new year doesn’t have many grant opportunities, and the end of the year is no time to ask for sponsorship from businesses (most businesses reach their quota before then), so we’re raising money to pay for the venue and the equipment rentals.”
Besides the musical acts, there will also be baked goods sold by donation (last year, the cupcakes sold out fast) and a silent art auction (great for Christmas gifts). Admission is $8 at the door ($6 for Cape Stage members).
“(Board member) Jason Burke is responsible for outreach to other artistic groups, so he’s in charge of booking the acts,” Tubrett says about the event. “He’s got two bands locked in (Bella Rebellion and The Loser Birds) so far and he’s still waiting for confirmation on a few other performers and (board member) Kyle Capstick is in charge of sponsorship and fundraising, so he’s looking into getting us some art donations. I have a few people who have offered so far, I’m just hoping for as good a result as we had last year.”
The Stage Company had a similar fundraiser last year to raise money for their one act show, Coffee Bar.
“We did Art 4 Act and raised just over $400, which was enough to pay for the venue and the equipment for the show,” Tubrett recalls. “Most of the money was brought in from the silent art auction (just before Christmas, lots of people bought things as gifts) but we also took a good chunk from the door and the bake sale.”
This year’s Stage Company production doesn’t have a title yet but will be a double bill of one-act romantic comedies scheduled for the weekend before Valentine’s Day and use the amourous sentiments of the holiday to help market it.
The two one-acts are Cupcakes, directed by Gena DiFlavio, and Audition, written by Donovan Purcell and directed by Jason Burke. The venue is still being finalized.
“As for other productions, we’re dong a sketch comedy show in May, it’s called The Dead Puppets,” Tubrett says. “That production is an equipment fundraiser (lights and things of that sort) in the hopes that we won’t have to rent them all summer, and will run once a week for three weeks on Thursday nights. The show will be similar every week but we will change over some of the sketches, so every week will have a some new material and a different musical act.
“Also, Scott Sharplin is directing a show in June, and we are also hoping to do another Bit Sized Theatre Production in January (probably with scenes from Cup Cakes or Audition or both) but that’s still up in the air.”
