Cape Breton University’s Boardmore Theatre is gearing up to begin its 48th season of plays. The season will kick off with a new James F.W. Thompson stage adaption of Night of the Living Dead, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the classic horror movie in late October. James F.W Thompson, the play’s director, says that the audience can expect a night of interaction, saying, “In a horrifying world that spills off the stage, Night of the Living Dead will have audiences questioning: who among them is living and who is dead?”
This year, The Outsiders–based on the novel by S.E Hinton, adapted to the stage by Christopher Sergel, and directed by Todd Hiscock–will be staged for Middle and High School students in late November. Hiscock, Artistic Director at the Boardmore Theatre, is looking forward to this upcoming production saying, “Theatre in Education continues to be an important part of the Boardmore Theatre’s yearly offerings. Boardmore Theatre has consistently produced relevant and high-quality productions for visiting Cape Breton students.”
The Boardmore Theatre will also present KlusKap Tales in 2019. Under the direction of Wayne MacKay, this production will give students from Elementary Schools across Cape Breton Island an insight into the Mi’kmaw Creation story through music, shadow puppetry and storytelling.
In addition, Machinal by Sophie Treadwell, under the direction of Rod Nicholls will take the stage in Feburary. Machinal is a production that will keep the audience intrigued at all times. Nicholls is very passionate about the play saying, “What price is one young woman (played by Lindsay Thompson) willing to pay to escape? To find love and freedom? I want Machinal to be a stylish, entertaining and deeply moving theatrical Valentine’s gift for thinking adults.”
In April of 2019, the Youth Theatre Festival will see local Drama Schools and community theatre groups take to the Boardmore stage to perform in a series of scripted and original productions – fifteen plays will take to the boards over a seven-day festival.
New Play Development will once again be the focus of the Elizabeth Boardmore One Act Play Festival. To date this festival has produced close the 250 original plays, many of which have been written by CBU students.
Dinner (Flavor 19) and Theatre Season Packages are available at a price of $75 for the entire Season of Plays if purchased by October 28.The CBU Boardmore Playhouse box office is open Monday through Friday 1-5pm during the week of the performance and one hour before each show. For more information about tickets and a full list of this year’s productions, visit cbu.ca/boardmore.
