An evening of wine and plays to retain Niagara’s artists
Essential Collective Theatre is serving up new plays to go with your wine tonight.
The company’s Wine & Reading event is back for the 13th year, presenting two new works by Niagara playwrights at Hernder Estate Wines, with doors open at 7:30 p.m.
The series aims to put a focus on play development within the region, says ECT artistic director Colin Bruce Anthes.
“Niagara’s cultural climate is evolving before our eyes, and as a border area with close proximity to other cultural cities, we have a unique cultural identity,” he says. “The themes and geo-political references of our productions express this shifting identity, which makes us unique in our area.”
This year’s plays will be Andrew Lee’s “Where the Wind Carries Us” and Gyllian Raby and Federico Holten-Anderson’s “A Glass of Wine with Noam Chomsky.” Both will have a professional cast performing selections, followed by a question and answer session with the writers.
Lee’s play is a dreamlike story of a Montreal waitress and dancer in the 1920s hiding a dark connection to the mob. Lee is a member of the Theatre Aquarius Playwriting Unit in Hamilton, and has seen 11 of his plays reach the stage.
“A Glass of Wine with Noam Chomsky,” meanwhile, is being developed with local company Stolen Theatre Collective for a possible spot in ECT’s 2020/21 season.
A key part of the night is to keep Niagara’s artists here, says Anthes.
“We also believe strongly in providing work to retain local art workers who would normally have to go outside the region in order to make a living wage.”
Past works at the event include Stephanie Jones’ “She’s Mine,” Spencer Smith’s “A Shot to the head” and David Fancy’s “Our Lady of Delicias.”