February 28, 2011 - 7:43am
Theatre artist and Vancouver Island University Professor Ross Desprez will discuss his 30-year exploration of transforming history into relevant musical theatre in a presentation at Vancouver Island University on Friday, March 4.
Desprez will give his talk in the Malaspina Theatre (Bldg. 310) from 10 to 11:30 am as part of the Arts and Humanities Colloquium series. The colloquium event is free and open to everyone. It is offered in conjunction with the VIU Theatre Department’s presentation of We Too which opens Thursday.
We Too is a play by Jeremy Long and Phil Savath based on award-winning historian Lynne Bowen's book Boss Whistle about coal mining and the struggle for workers' rights on Vancouver Island.
The name of a tug working in the Nanaimo harbour, “We Too” was also the name of a miners’ newspaper. Following Boss Whistle, We Too describes the rise of organized labour and unionism in the early to mid-20th Century as the miners and their families struggled courageously to improve the harsh working conditions in the mines in Nanaimo. Their inspiring stories are an important part of local oral history.
The production of We Too is an updated and reworked revival of the show’s original Malaspina College production. For Ross Desprez, acting in the original production 28 years ago was his first experience with historical theatre.
“I remember realizing what a great way this was to learn about history,” he says.
In his personal quest to define Canadian culture, Desprez has used his theatrical endeavours to delve into a number of historical eras. Moving beyond mere facts, Desprez draws on the cultural life of the past as a means of telling peoples' stories. Each creative situation comes with a unique set of factual, cultural, or even contractual circumstances and restrictions that need to be balanced or, at times, exploited, to create relevant and historically accurate entertainment.
Ultimately, each show shares the same goal. “Historical theatre entertains in order to instruct,” Desprez says.
Tickets for the play are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students. Call the Theatre Box Office at 250-740-6100. Tickets are also available at the VIU Bookstore and Nanaimo Museum. Visit www.viu.ca/theatre for more information.
Tags: In the Community
