Young Company returns
As part of The 2015 Charlottetown Festival the Confederation Centre Young Company presents “We Are Canadian”, Monday through Saturday at 12 noon, until Aug. 15.
Founded in 1993, the Young Company - or “the YoCo” to locals - is a renowned training ground for high-school and college age Canadians to receive experience in a professional theatre setting.
“There isn't another program where you get the combined experience of performing outside on a thrust stage everyday and also taking classes with professionals for two months,” states Kerry Gage, long-time director and choreographer with the company.
“We Are Canadian” is a free public musical - a 45-minute show profiling many nations that form the fabric of Canada's cultural mosaic including Acadian, Scottish, Irish, Indian, Caribbean, and Eastern European.
“This production is a high octane showcase of song and dance,” says Gage. “It features the music, dance styles, languages and cultures that have contributed to our diverse and beautiful Canada.”
The 2015 cast is from as far west as Whitehorse and as far east as Halifax. The troupe includes returnee Jamie Murray and Islanders Colin Kelly and Lacey Koughan, as well as Jessica Burrett, Stephane Gaudet, Thomas Goetz, Kiana Gouveia, Heather Kosik, Connor Lucas, Andrew MacNaughton, Kevin McLachlan and Emily Robertson. The musical director is Jacqueline Sadler, Assistant Choreographer is Taryn Verkerk, Company manager is Seren Lannon, and Darryl Bernard is production assistant.
As part of their education the Young Company is also participating in developmental rehearsals of “Bremen Rock City”, a modern musical version of the Brothers Grimm story “The Bremen Town Musicians”. This is being led by instructor and festival mainstage performer Bruce Dow and the musical's score composer Colleen Dauncey, with lyricist, Akiva Romer-Segal.