Theatre director blasts poor attendance
NACC shows to Inuvik could be cancelled
Shawn Giilck
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, November 6, 2014
INUVIK
Shakespeare is coming to Inuvik, but does anyone care? .
Christopher Hunt is the star of When That I Was, the latest offering from the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre. It will play in Inuvik on Nov. 12. - photo courtesy of Summer Meyer
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Marie Coderre, the executive director of the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC), has been disappointed with the turnout by Inuvikmiut on recent tour stops. This includes the 32 people who came out to see the last production, A Spell to Bring Lost Creatures Home.
"This is not acceptable," she said.
If attendance remains poor, Coderre said she would have little choice but to stop scheduling performances in Inuvik for at least the near future. The centre simply can't afford to keep offering this kind of quality programming for such a poor turnout.
"I've seen a major improvement in Fort Simpson, and Inuvik could be much better," Coderre said. "It's extremely expensive to bring a performance here, and when I see 30 people out of 3,000 come out for NACC, it needs to change and it needs to improve.
"People need to understand we are an arts centre, and we're not going to bring folk musicians and country music musicians. You can't expect us to bring the kind of show you see all the time.
"People need to start coming out. It's a privilege that Inuvik gets these kind of high-profile acts that you would never see in a small community around Toronto. It's important that they know they're lucky to have these kind of programs."
Coderre said she would re-evaluate the status of the Inuvik tours in February after Juno Award-winning singer Alex Cuba performs.
"If we have 30 people out for that, I will pull the plug," she said. "I'm not going to spend up to $20,000 for a show and have no one show up. There has to be a desire for us to come, otherwise we will focus our efforts on Yellowknife."
Norman Wells and Hay River are also slow markets for NACC, Coderre said, and they too are under scrutiny.
When That I Was playing Nov. 12
NACC will host When That I Was featuring Christopher Hunt at Our Lady of Victory Roman Catholic Church on Nov. 12.
Hunt, a Calgary-based actor, plays 25 different characters in the show, said Coderre. The story centres on Jack Rice, an old man who was once a part of Shakespeare's acting company.
"The play's about memory sharing and an insider's view of Shakespeare," said Corderre. "This play has had outstanding critical reviews, and Christopher Hunt has had many awards. It's a challenging play in terms of how you're going to feel about it. You're going to feel happy, you're going to feel sad. It's a deeply captivating play, and I would be surprised if the patrons are not moved by this play."
This is a rare chance to see something of this nature in the Western Arctic, said Corderre.
"This is a high-quality performance, so I'd like people who love theatre, or those who don't know theatre, to come out," she said.
If not, it could mark one of the last stops in the community for the kind of entertainment NACC has been offering for several years, Coderre said.
She's expecting the show to sell out in Yellowknife. In an ideal world, the same thing would happen in the smaller communities on the tour, including Inuvik.
