Meteor shining bright again
With a five-month hiatus for refurbishment over, the Meteor Theatre has immediately cranked up to high gear, with three productions gracing its stage in June.
Although the official relaunch of the building is scheduled to take place in July, the task of providing the people of Hamilton with a multitude of shows could not wait any longer, manager Deborah Nudds said.
The Meteor opened the doors of its newly reconstructed ‘‘black box’’ auditorium on May 19 with a sold-out season of One Hill of a Fight, a play by Hamiltonian Michael Switzer about the story of the creation of Garden Place.
This will be followed by a trio of shows as diverse as they are intriguing: Coaltown Blues, Bodies Entwined, and thursdays.child. One-man play Coaltown Blues, which recently had a season in Huntly, will be staged at the Meteor from June 7-10. Featuring solitary performer Chris Green, it tells the story of a young boy growing up in a West Coast coal mining town during the Depression and World War II.
‘‘We are looking forward to welcoming Chris and Coaltown Blues to a Hamilton audience,’’ Nudds said. ‘‘He’s such a talented performer, is so passionate about the play, and the story he tells has real resonance in our region.’’
This will be followed by what is tipped to be a stimulating and original double bill dance show, Bodies Entwined, on June 16 and 17. Brought to the stage by choreographers Mike Sorenson and Madison Hughes, with guest choreographer Miriana Arihia, Bodies Entwined is described as ‘‘a modern piece that can be enjoyed by all and will inspire a younger generation of Hamilton performers’’. And this will be followed by another local production penned by Hamilton theatre stalwart Benny Marama. Thursdays.child opens at the Meteor on June 21 and runs until June 24.
A science fiction comedy-drama ‘‘one trimester in the making’’, thursdays.child offers a glimpse into the future and asks what happens when the only support systems we have in our lives are our technology devices. The story is about recently single lawyer Jessica van Kampen who, to her surprise, learns she is pregnant. Van Kampen decides to download a new type of artificial intelligence system – FLORENCE – a program designed for people expecting and raising children, with unexpected results.
The official relaunch of the Meteor will be on July 21 when the new Victoria St access ramp is completed and it is fully accessible to the community, Nudds said.
‘‘We want to ensure all Hamiltonians can enter the new theatre through the same, new front door before we officially reopen to the public.’’