Making magic on stage, diversity celebrated at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre; Panto world premiere coming next
Trying to bounce back in the middle of a pandemic is one thing – but it’s not just about a comeback at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre.
Rather, the designated National Historic Site – which debuted in 1930 and is considered a “rare architectural gem” – has a type of new life pumping through its walls and onto its stages, reverberating throughout the arts-entertainment venue. When speaking with Erin Peirce, the Cameco Capitol Arts Centre’s managing director hired in 2020, who’s tasked with ensuring the Capitol stands now and into the future; and Rob Kempson, the theatre’s artistic producer hired in 2021, this quickly becomes clear; they’re passionate about reinvigorating the Capitol and its future.
What do they want? Magic on stage. People connecting and sharing in the highest-quality of the arts – a true community, inclusive theatre. This is what we heard.
INVESTING IN ART, DIVERSITY, COMMUNITY:
Due to the fallout of COVID-19, some theatres have had to shutter their doors permanently. That’s not the case in Port Hope.
Trying to manage and pivot through the pandemic, it’s been difficult, acknowledged Peirce.
For Kempson, as he reflects on their journey, he described their efforts so far to like building a bridge – while walking on it – a saying a former mentor often used.
And yet, the Capitol just wrapped a “magical” season, closing out summer with “9 to 5: The Musical,” celebrating female empowerment. Now, comes the 2023 season.
The last season, it set the Capitol on a path to the future in a huge way, said Kempson.
“And so, it’s not like we’re starting fresh now. We started fresh already, in like some real trenches (last) October, and we started building the bridge, while we were standing on it and hoping that the two-by-fours underneath didn’t fall through.”
“And what’s been really exciting is to see that what we thought might be true, in terms of response from our community, both in audiences and critics, and also in community organizations, is true; (and that’s) if you put really great, high-quality artistic work on stage, people notice …”
It’s been incredibly rewarding to hear how people are seeing and experiencing quality art here that they’d expect to see in say Stratford or Toronto, added Kempson.
But the focus hasn’t been solely on “making really great art.”
Kempson doesn’t want the theatre to be considered just like a movie theatre or “transactional” – rather, more like a library, where people don’t just visit, but participate in the art, in the shared artistic experience, which when done right, can be powerful and unifying, he noted.
The “making connections” piece isn’t only for productions – “fostering deeper community relationships” is top of mind all around, said Peirce. This means more collaborating with local individuals, groups, and organizations, whether a team-up to help to shine a light on area artists, or something great SONG or students are doing, it was explained.
This also extends to donors, supporters, guests, volunteers, staff, casts and more. For instance, this may translate to supporters getting a peek behind the curtain with a visit to a first rehearsal, seeing up-close how they’re helping to get a show on stage, said Peirce.
To ensure the Capitol continues to stand – and is also being built up based on what the community is asking for – work is continuing on financial sustainability, to build out ways to stabilize the organization, to diversify funding, on operational effectiveness, and hiring and getting people in the right places, explained Peirce.
And it all ties together.
With greater diversity of funding, this means the Capitol can take more risks, it means more diverse programming, added Kempson, noting with this, with the more there is truly something for everyone, the more people will feel welcome in this space.
The Capitol’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion was top of mind this season – and this will continue and is also one of the five pillars of the theatre’s new strategic plan, explained the duo.
Like other theatres, the Capitol is on a journey to be better patrons of the cultural diversity in this community; and in this last season, there was “a huge number” of BIPOC-identified artists, LGBT2Q+ artists, artists who identify as non-binary or transgender, or who have disabilities, both on and off stage in theatre productions, said Kempson. The theatre isn’t doing this because it’s cool or to get a grant, it’s because it’s the right thing, and makes the work better, he added.
“We have already – and I say this with nothing bad about the legacy that we’ve inherited – but we have had more artists of colour in this season than in the rest of the Capitol’s history combined.”
WHAT’S NEXT?
On Oct. 13, the Capitol hosts its 2023 Season Launch events, offering residents a glimpse into what’s next, from comedies, to live music, youth programming, and more. Attendees will also hear about “Sleeping Beauty, a Panto Awakening,” which makes its world-premiere here Nov. 26.
“This show is being created right now,” said Kempson. “It has been commissioned by the Capitol Theatre, the writers have spent a lot of time in Port Hope making it relevant and specific to our community and our audiences.”
On Oct. 13, there’s a 2 p.m. official launch presentation in the mainstage theatre and a 7:30 p.m. meet-and-greet reception with Kempson in the Sculthorpe Theatre. All are welcome, and it’s free.
The beloved Festival of Lights and Trees will also return for its 26th year starting Nov. 26.
For 2023 subscribers, there will be exclusive offers during the launch celebration.
DID YOU KNOW?
When you catch a show at the theatre, it’s not created somewhere else or a touring show shipping in from out of town.
Everything on stage, the Capitol is creating and producing these shows, said Kempson.
This means the set designs don’t exist before or after, the cast isn’t playing these parts until the production here; these are productions made here for this community, he explained.
The artists come from as close as across the street and as far away as Charlottetown, P.E.I. – and those artists, too, live here throughout rehearsals and shows, with area families, invest in this community, and visit local shops, explained Kempson.
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