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Acts
Theatre Society
Acts
Theatre Society: Ministry of Drama is celebrating its tenth
year of ministry in Pictou County, reflecting on its past
presentations while planning its new season. Although
ACTS was not officially organized into a theatre
company until 1996, its roots were laid when some of its
members staged the original two-act drama, The Mystery of
Faith, at the deCoste Entertainment Centre in 1990. ACTS is
an inter-denominational ministry with members from a
wide variety of Christian traditions. The theatre company
combines drama and ministry, education and entertainment,
religious and secular presentations.
The
presentations can be in various genres: musical drama, dinner
theatre, dessert theatre. Music is an ingredient common to all
presentations.
After
nine sold out dinner/dessert theatre productions, Pictou
County audiences have discovered that ACTS can produce
successful comedies as well as more serious fare! Acts
has raised over $40,000 for various charities
and
organizations. The largest attendance for any production was A
Dickens Christmas with an audience of over 2000 seeing parts
of that production.
A
unique approach to scripts:
All
scripts are written by Acts Theatre’s artistic director,
George R. Henaut, author of With Love, With Connie. When
planning a dramatic presentation, all members of the theatre
company are contacted to see if they are available for the
production. Based
upon the number of members available and the specific venue,
the script is crafted.
After
nine sold out dinner/dessert theatre productions, Pictou
County audiences have discovered that ACTS can produce
successful comedies as well as more serious fare! Acts
has raised over $35,000 for various charities and
organizations. The largest attendance for any production was A
Dickens Christmas with an audience of over 2000 seeing parts
of that production.
ACTS
has created enduring characters:
Acts
Theatre Society has created numerous colourful and memorable
characters for its secular and religious dramas; the most
enduring character is Barbara Bonkers.
Typically, a Barbara Bonkers dinner or dessert theatre
production features Barbara Bonkers (Brenda MacLaughlin) as
television’s most successful interviewer who is forced by
her network to do broadcasts from remote areas of the country.
She is not amused when she finds herself in Pictou County nor
is she prepared for the enthusiastic but somewhat eccentric
guests she encounters. The dramas normally begin on a serious
note but soon deteriorate as Barbara is forced to deal with
her guests who, though awed by her fame and overwhelmed by
being on national television, entice the audience to support
them in their foibles. The productions feature original music,
audience participation, and delicious Pictou County meals
and/or desserts. A standard feature is an interview with
Horace Wingfield, a local author, who has written an expose of
a segment of Pictou County life. It is during this part of the
show that the cast go off script and involve the audience in
impromptu drama; anything can happen and it usually does.
ACTS
at the deCoste Entertainment Centre
Members
of ACTS have staged eight
dramas at the deCoste Centre.
THE
MYSTERY OF FAITH (1991)
THE BIRTH OF CHRISTMAS (1991)
THE
JESSE TREE (1992)
WESTVILLE ON STAGE (1994)
TRENTON
ON STAGE (1995)
NEW GLASGOW ON STAGE (1998)
A
DICKENS CHRISTMAS (1999)
A CHRISTMAS WISH (2003)
Acts
web site:
http://www.homestead.com/actsts/index.html
Playwright
web site:
http://www.homestead.com/henaut/index.html
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| The Mystery of Faith |
Westville On Stage |
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| A Dickens Christmas |
Trenton On Stage |
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| A Christmas Wish |
Barbara Bonkers with
Admirers |
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