Lessons learned of love and loss through times of widespread illness weave a thread between past and present.
The Douglas College departments of Theatre and Stagecraft & Event Technology present Kevin Kerr’s Unity (1918). The production will have its opening night on November 12 at 7:30pm in the New Westminster Campus’ Studio Theatre.
Unity (1918) tackles the looming impact of World War I and the reign of the Spanish Flu over the citizens of a small town in Saskatchewan. This dark comedy brings to light the confrontation of fear and despair at a young age.
Director Deborah Neville explains the importance of putting on a production like this in current times, which addresses the isolation, loss and impermeable love brought on by war and pandemic, much like what the world has seen with the ongoing war in Ukraine and the spread of Covid-19.
“There is a great deal of shared experience from this time, just over a 100 years ago, that is completely relatable to what we have faced over the last few years,” says Neville. “This cycle of human experience is steeped with revelations. But what drew me closest to this play is the resilience and tenacity found by the characters.”
She notes that despite the helplessness and isolation that the characters in the play feel, they choose to find themselves and each other through courage, care, laughter and connection during a time of great horror. Something so many of us can relate to.
The cast of Unity (1918) includes Elijah Sommers Bamberry, Riya Chahal, Abrielle Sarah Dumansky, Taylor Montalbetti, Celine Nguyen Ho, Marnie Nitchie, Sadé Stewart, Sean Whittaker and Douglas College Theatre program alumnus Darren Bolognese.
Unity (1918) will run from November 12–16, with livestreams available at select performances. For more information about tickets, please visit douglascollege.ca/arts-events.
Douglas College is the largest degree-granting college in B.C., combining the academic foundations of a university and the employer-ready skills of a college to graduate resilient global citizens who adapt, innovate and lead in a changing world.
For more information, visit douglascollege.ca
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Elizabeth Douglas
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douglase2@douglascollege.ca