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Artistic Director’s Message
British Author and Philosopher Alain de Botton once said. “A good half of the art of living is resilience.”
Throughout the years, one could say we, at ACT ran before we could walk, sprinting towards an unmarked finish line. Our collective passion combined with strong determination has continually pushed us to challenge ourselves along the way. We saw the possibility of what could be and dared ourselves not to sit still but instead to dream the impossible. We have weathered a pandemic and always took the road less travelled, all while using the uniqueness and importance of the theatre medium to educate and inspire ourselves and others to do better and be better in our community.
I cannot believe it will be ten years of ACT! In this short time, ACT has become a leader in diversity and inclusion in the Windsor Essex Theatre community. We have delivered some of the most talked about musical productions our community has seen while also producing original plays and musicals that have taken on social issues such as bullying, homelessness and dementia. Together, these shows have impacted and educated thousands in our community, not only creating insightful conversations but lived actions that carried out positive change.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about what we should do in our decennial year. What would it look like? What should we say, and how could we measure our story of hard work and passion over the last decade?
In late spring 2023, it became clear we should give homage to shows that display a sense of survival and resilience, as well as shows that are rooted in our quest for social awareness and highlight our excellence in diversity and inclusion. These are the pillars of ACT, it is who we are. We excel in conversations that challenge systemic and societal norms and through them, give hope for the future.
Next year ACT will deliver three productions that examine survival and resilience.
The first will be our North Of 50 program. This year’s show will be an intergenerational show titled The Social Exchange – a one-act comedy about the social and generational divisions of society. I have heard so many seniors say – “I just can’t relate to these young people” or “These kids today!” – This show will examine how our viewpoints change over time and may just reveal how we are more connected than we are separated. We are pleased to introduce writer/actress Cristina Orlando, who will head up the project as our writer and workshop facilitator. The Social Exchange will showcase human survival and resilience through generational perspectives.
ACT’s Youth Creative will be Disney’s Newsies Jr. Last year, the response of Seussical Jr. the Musical blew us away. Since the pandemic, we at ACT have invested much energy and time into youth programming. We need to educate and provide our youth with the social opportunities they need to grow and develop the skills needed to be future arts leaders. NEWSIES Jr. follows a group of orphans (the newsboys) as they strike for more fair and equitable wages in 1899 New York City. I love the resilience and the spirit these characters exude as they fight for what they believe in. I think this show will resonate with our city’s industry. I’m thrilled to bring on the talented Becca Silvius as lead Director and Choreographer of this program.
ACT’s 2024 Community production will be Jonathan Larson’s RENT. I have spent the last two years pondering what major musical would be best for ACT to bring to life for our 10th season. What show would be able to capture ACT’s diversity and showcase ten seasons of love – and without a doubt, that show is RENT. This musical is about survival and resilience at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is an interesting time we are living in because RENT is having a renaissance right now as we come out of the pandemic, and are witnessing people struggling with drug addiction, homelessness, LGBTQAI2S+ inequality, and the need for acceptance and, ultimately, LOVE. With one of the greatest-known musical theatre songs of all time, “Seasons of Love,” RENT reminds us that there is No Day But Today!
So, to answer the question – how do we measure 10 years of ACT…well… WITH LOVE!
We are always looking to grow our ACT team, so if you’re interested in volunteering or being on stage, please get in touch. We would love to hear from you.
Let’s continue to dream and keep acting together.
Chris Rabideau
Media
Sober, second thought, after seeing Guys and Dolls Sunday afternoon, has not swayed me one iota from the decision made hastily as the final curtain fell. That was the best stage production of local, live theatre that I’ve ever seen anywhere in the last fifty years.
I had the great pleasure of seeing ”HAIR” on opening night and there are simply not enough words to explain this extraordinary, exciting, and spectacular play! Go if you can, it’s a must see & 50 years later, this cast brought me right back to my era ~ Loved it
This show was UNREAL.
Saw a performance of Dream Girls, put on by the Arts Collective Theatre at the Capital Theatre. For amateurs, this group of first time performers, were incredible. They deserved their standing ovation.
ACT Windsor’s West Side Story is a must-see production, the entire cast is incredibly talented and should be unbelievably proud of themselves. To the production team, thank you for all the hard work that is put into the show, from the costumes to the lighting and the sound, to the directors and ACT Management, thank you for the tremendous amount of time that you have certainly put into the production.
The choreography, the direction, everything was perfect, the way it all blended to help tell the story is phenomenal. Good on all of you, because this show was perfect.
The harmonies throughout the show were sensational, everything sounded fantastic and in line with the music. Congratulations for a show well done.
I still have yet to be disappointed by an ACT production… Every show I have attended has been nothing but phenomenal. You can really see the passion and hard work in every show. Somehow, the energy each night is just as heightened as it is opening night. It’s incredible to see the diversity of our community come to life on stage.
I’ve truly fallen in love with this organization. Absolutely cannot wait for what’s in store!
THESE PEOPLE ARE A GAME CHANGER IN WINDSOR AND ESSEX COUNTY.NO MORE LIP SERVICE TO DIVERSITY.THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF TALENT BEING DEVELOPED.KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK.
When I started rehearsals with ACT I was extremely nervous and anxious to play piano in front of others, but after continuous support and encouragement from the ACT mentors I was able to play on stage at the Capitol theatre for their production of Hair. The ACT mentors helped me build confidence as a player and an individual. Windsor is lucky to have this non for profit group bring art into our community and believe in young performers.
It was absolutely amazing!! 💜 The vocals, the acting, the costumes, the orchestra just everything was 🔥🔥
Great show with lots of amazing talent! Looking forward to seeing more shows in the future 🙂
Not only was Guys and Dolls one of ACT’s best theatre productions ever but that was one of the best theatre productions ever seen in Windsor. I know y’all work very hard. The hard work definitely paid off! Congratulations!
Wonderful show, so much talent all around!!!
Who missed this has missed the best talent in Ontario! Maybe Canada!
