Homeless UPEI Theatre Society to be Given Shelter... Finally

By Brodie MacRAE

. The UPEI Theatre Society has been rewarded for its years of patience while wandering aimlessly from place to place around the campus. Once ren- ovations are complete, the former yearbook office in the basement of Main will house the Thespian society of UPEI. This is an important event for UPEITS, explains last year's chair Andrew MacPhee. "It will give us a greater sense of continuity, allowing us to strive for longer term goals, whereas in previous years, we began anew each September. We can also store scripts and other such theatrical related items and it will be a cool place to meet and relax." It is also hoped that a perma- nent home for UPEITS will bring a greater awareness of itself and of the- atre to the University community. © Many students are unaware of the Theatre Society's existence and activi- ties. As Scott Robinson notes, "Even I was unaware of the Theatre Society's existence and activities."

While the first Theatre Society meeting will have passed by the time this reaches publication, you shouldn't be concerned about having missed the

* boat. "It is at the second meeting that I

“ we '4d like to see a large attendance, as

' thi: .s the meeting where important

da.es are decided upon and potential

ple for this term are discussed", says

MacPhee. When asked about potential

plays for this year, MacPhee replied,

"At this point, it is looking like a night

of student directed light one-acts for

the first semester and a Shakespeare, possibly "As You Like It" for the sec- ond. However, if a student wants to

- produce or direct another play in addi-

tion to these, we will certainly encour-

age the endeavour." In order to get involved in any capacity, a student has to only email theatre@upei.ca to be led along the right path. "Anyone can be involved," adds MacPhee.

Likely venues for these plays include the Duffy Amphitheatre and the Carrefour. "The Student Centre is (Aa) i

4idird aia

also a possibility, as it has a large stage and room for a large audience. Unfortunately, we would have to set up wings for a backstage, and the fact that the bar isn't soundproof from the stage makes it very difficult to work with. It isn't as conducive to theatre as it could have been," adds MacPhee. When asked about whether or not a proper theatre on the University campus would be a worthwhile ven- ture, MacPhee replied, "Of course we could use a theatre, it could even be profitable for the University. We could build a black box theatre which seats about 120 people and make it a versa- tile space so that many different types of theatre would be comfortable in it. Different theatre groups, especially student run groups who can't afford Charlottetown theatre (such as The Arts Guild, The MacKenzie Theatre and the Carrefour) would want to use it. We could even feature groups from other universities. Having a black box theatre on campus would encourage riskier, more groundbreaking plays from student playwrights like Mickey Acorn or Matt Stewart." It should be noted here that UPEI is one of only four undergraduate universities of out of all the undergrad schools in Canada (as listed by MacLeans Magazine) without a space devoted specifically for theatrical presentations. "The University has a duty to act as the cul- tural centre of Charlottetown and I don't think we are living up to our potential. The University should be a seedbed for new ideas, techniques, and creations which should leave UPEI and enrich the community and beyond, helping to form the core of Canadian culture. After all, it has often been from universities that revolutionary ideas have sprung forth. The plays of Ibsen are an example. More than any- one, we have a responsibility to act as a catalyst to culture, and a theatre on the campus is a step in that direction." So there.

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