Fredericton has always been famous for its cultural scene and its theatre spotlight is no different. Playhouses carry out shows by professional and amateur companies alike, but if you’re too busy, too shy, or just looking for something to do on a Friday night, try the next best thing: University theatre clubs. Here’s a list of productions clubs, show times and audition dates to get you on your way:
STEEDS
A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Working as a year-long production, St. Thomas’s student-run club St. Thomas Early English Drama Society presents William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with an original modern flare. The play, rewritten and directed by fourth-year student Anthony Bryan, recounts Shakespeare’s age-old comedy about the antics of fairies and unrequited lovers.
Performance date and location: Jan. 13 to Jan. 15 in Ted Daigle Auditorium, Edmund Casey Hall, St. Thomas University
Audition dates and location: Sept. 22 to Sept. 24 in Ted Daigle Auditorium, Edmund Casey Hall, St. Thomas University
Theatre St. Thomas
The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest
Tirso de Molina’s Golden-Age Spanish play The Trickster of Seville and the Stone Guest features as TST’s first production of the year. Translated by Roy Campbell, the story recounts the exploits of legendary seducer Don Juan as he charms his way around the hearts of women and the hands of the law.
Performance date and location: Nov. 16 to Nov. 19 in the Black Box Theatre, Sir James Dunn Hall (St. Thomas University), with 7:30 p.m. regular showings and a Saturday matinée at 2:00 p.m.
Audition dates and location: Sept. 16 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre, Sir James Dunn Hall, St. Thomas University
No White Picket Fence
Written by STU Professors Robin C. Whittaker and Sue McKenzie-Mohr, No White Picket Fence is St. Thomas’s first verbatim piece and offers us the heartbreaking original tales young women’s lives in foster care.
Performance date and location: Feb. 1 to Feb. 4 in the Black Box Theatre, Sir James Dunn Hall (St. Thomas University), with 7:30 p.m. regular showings and a Saturday matinée at 2:00 p.m.
Audition dates and location: Sept. 16 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. in the Black Box Theatre, Sir James Dunn Hall, St. Thomas University
Theatre University of New Brunswick
A long-standing theatre club from our neighbours at UNB, Theatre University of New Brunswick offers a unique selection of short plays written and performed entirely by drama students. Though no plays have been selected as of now, TUNB opens up auditions to any UNB student taking a theatre course.
Performance date and location: Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, location TBA.
Audition date and location: Oct. 26 to Oct. 29, location TBA. Must be a UNB Theatre student to apply.
