For those in Sudbury, the idea of spending a night out at the theatre might seem like a distant memory.
The past two years of pandemic restrictions have hit the local artistic economy hard, but the people behind the YES/STC partnership see the situation as an opportunity to come back stronger than ever. The two theatre companies are producing a collaborative season of programming, and have a number of plans in the works to invest in the community more than ever before.
YES and STC, who announced their partnership in May of this year, are kicking off their first season together with a Summer Festival series.
Sudbury Theatre Centre is the venue for each performance. The Festival opens Thursday, July 14, with a production of The Wizard of Oz: In Concert (July 14-17), which will feature a full 18-piece orchestra.
Later this month begins “Ride the Cyclone,” (July 28-August 14) a Canadian-written original musical that has taken critics across the theatre world by storm.
The 2022 Season will then continue into the fall with a production of “Into the Woods” (September 15-October 9), a fairytale-inspired classic for all ages, reimagined by acclaimed Canadian theatre Director, Mitchell Cushman in a take that will explore the climate change emergency.
Closing the year will be the family-friendly Christmas hit, “Elf: The Musical.” (November 25th-December 18th).
Last week, YES Theatre also announced the final funding contributions for the Refettorio.
This open-air performance venue is set to open next spring. The Refettorio, which comes from the Latin word “Reficere,” meaning to “remake and restore,” was conceptualized during the pandemic as a way to bring the community together. The idea is that YES Theatre’s Refettorio will be used in conjunction with the nearby Sudbury Theatre Centre and downtown Place des Arts as a trifecta of performance venues to cultivate a world class arts district in the heart of downtown Sudbury.
The Refettorio will also be available rent-free to artists who need a space to perform.
“This new outdoor performance venue will fill an important need for performers and audiences of all ages,” says Alessandro Costantini, Artistic and Managing Director of YES and STC. Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger has described the Refettorio project as “forward-looking” and exemplary of how “innovative people from Sudbury are changing the world.”
The project has received a total of over $2.7 million in federal, provincial, and municipal funding to bring the vision to life.
An integral part of YES Theatre and Sudbury Theatre Centre’s plans for this upcoming season is the idea of citizen artistry – a process that looks to actively engage artists who come from various backgrounds, experiences and careers to contribute to professional art practice. Costantini points out that leveraging the artistic talents of Northern Ontarians both on and off the stage will enhance the connection between theatre and community in Sudbury, while evolving the structures that constitute professional practice, that in many ways have kept theatre inaccessible to the broader public.
“Principally we want to encourage regional artists to lean into the concept of Citizen Artistry,” says Costantini. “We want individuals who live, work and play in our community and who believe in artistic connection.”
The message here is clear—theatre in Sudbury is back in full force, and it welcomes everyone.
In order to make this exciting new chapter as impactful as possible for Sudbury, Costantini hopes the community will show its support by purchasing tickets for the productions this summer. “Going to your community theatre is the ultimate form of supporting local,” says Costantini. “Especially with what we believe in and how we operate at YES and STC, when you buy tickets and come to a show, you’re making an important investment in your community, in its people, and in the local economy.”
Tickets for YES Theatre and STC’s upcoming productions are available online here or by calling the Box Office at 705-674-8381. To purchase your 2022 Season Pass drop by the Sudbury Theatre Centre Box Office and save 20%!