There is no musical show at St.Thomas University that doesn’t take place at the Black Box Theatre. If the black walls could talk, students would discover a new perspective on the theatre scene.
This year, Black Box Productions (BBP) is celebrating its 30th anniversary. The theatre opened in the fall of 1994.
This year’s season will open with A Number, a play that addresses the nature vs. nurture conundrum and futuristic topics. This production is planned to premiere in late October and will be directed by Black Box’s founder, Ilkay Silk.
“I feel like we’ve all caught up to her teachings in a way which is really beautiful,” said the artistic advisor of BBP, Tania Breen.
After graduating from STU, Breen helped bring up a theatre school with a close friend of hers. She worked at Theatre New Brunswick for 20 years and returned to STU in 2017.
“I said to myself one day ‘I want to be Ilkay Silk’ and isn’t that funny, I am trying to carry on the legacy in a small way,” Breen said.
She said that from personal experience she can guarantee that the relationships students are forming in the theatre live on after graduation and so will the passions they’re fostering.
She highlights how this community is something precious to be part of.
Breen said that live theatre brings out a precious community through an energy exchange between the audience and performers.
“It’s visceral in a way that you don’t get from sitting on your couch and watching a movie. It makes you think. It makes you interact. It is present. It is in the now,” said Breen.
Even though there may be limited resources and space, Breen emphasizes the importance of honouring everyone’s commitment and involving everyone as much as she possibly can. She said that commitment was one of the biggest challenges she has faced as the artistic advisor.
Lucas Gutierrez-Robert, a STU Alum and Fredericton-based theatre artist, added on BBP’s influence on his life as a student and as a theatre professional.
He recalls his first memory in the Black Box Theatre as bittersweet. Although he was going through a time of self-doubt and didn’t feel capable of delivering a good performance, Breen cheered him on and reminded him of the value of sticking to what you love no matter what.
“As soon as the show was done, I rushed off into her arms, gave her a big hug and said ‘I did it. I did it. I didn’t think I could do it, but I did it,’” said Gutierrez-Robert.
He also mentions how STU and Fredericton as a whole are lucky to have a space like the Black Box Theatre since nowhere else in the Maritimes has this style of theatre space.
“It has the capacity to kind of turn into anything you want and I think for a theatre space, that’s the greatest thing that you could ever ask for,” he said. “It gives you the opportunity for your own genius to thrive.”
Gutierrez-Robert hopes that in 10 years, the box will keep getting financial support from the university and the provincial government to continue funding meaningful projects and festivals that help young people discover their passion in life.
Emily Bessey, a fourth-year student double majoring in fine arts and women and gender studies, also acknowledged directors and choreographers like Breen and Sydney Hallet. She said they fostered an environment for self-expression and learning at the box.
Bessey recalls how nervous she was during her first Black Box annual meeting, which took place at the beginning of her first week of classes.
“I think the Black Box is one of those things that once you get involved, you will be involved for the remainder of your life,” Bessey said.
Bessey is soon to graduate and talked about the bittersweet nature of graduation, as she has many fond memories associated with the Black Box and the theatre community at STU.
She hopes to stay involved if she remains in town after graduation.
”I would like to thank Tania Breen, Lisa-Anne Ross and Sydney Hallett … I’ve just learned so much from all of them,” she said. “You learn a lot about yourself and they allow space for that.”
