P.E.I. community theatre celebrates 29 years, with big things to come

ACT-ing out: P.E.I. theatre history ACT – A Community Theatre celebrates a milestone with a special exhibit.

It’s a big year for a Charlottetown community theatre as they put on one of their most ambitious shows ever, and celebrate their long history.

As this exhibit says, it all began in 1995. That’s when a small group, having just found success with a Christmas show, decided to make something a little more permanent.

ACT, A Community Theatre, was born.

That was 29 years and dozens of shows ago. The group has featured classics like Gilbert and Sullivan’s HMS Pinafore, Sweeney Todd, the Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Hamlet.

The current president is a long-time actor and volunteer; her face is on some of the 67 show posters which line the walls.

“Every single one of these posters, it represents hundreds of hours of work done by dozens and dozens of people,” said Teresa Wright.

Through all that time it’s been the support of dedicated volunteers that’s kept the show going.

The reason for this display is two-fold: to show off the history of the group, but also to raise a little money. ACT recently lost its long-time storage space, where many of these pieces lived, and is looking for a new home.

Wright said amateur theater has an important place in the local arts scene.

“It a way for you to share another part of yourself and explore your personal creativity,” she said. “It’s also a way to meet other people that are like-minded.”

Keir Malone was in the second-ever show ACT put on before taking a 16-year break, returning in 2011. Now he’s the producer for one of the troupe’s most ambitious projects, the Broadway sensation RENT.

“It’s a challenging piece vocally, in that it’s a rock opera. It is about 80 to 90 per cent sung, as opposed to spoken,” said Malone. “It moves very, very quickly, so that cast of 20 people, we have to rely on each other quite a bit.”

RENT will run for two weeks in April. When should you go? Malone recommends opening night.

The display closes on Thursday.

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