New Glasgow Youth Theatre Company

A brand new youth theatre company in Nova Scotia opens its very first show tonight, which just happens to be I Don't Want to Talk About It. I'm honored that they have chosen my play to start this new venture and I can't wait to hear how the production is received. Judging from the commitment and creativity of its director and cast, I'm sure it will be a huge success. Below is a copy of their press release. Break a leg!

YOUTH TROUPE TO PRESENT PRODUCTION
I Don’t Want To Talk About It
At GLASGOW SQUARE THEATRE

NEW GLASGOW, NS, February 28, 2013…….There’s a new theatre troupe in town, a group of teen actors who have been busy rehearsing a play they don’t seem to want to talk about.  Well, that’s not entirely true.  It’s their characters who would rather not talk…at least, not at first.  The play is called, I Don’t Want to Talk About It, and is the first production of the New Glasgow Youth Theatre Company, recently formed under the direction of Amanda Jefferson-Gillis, an accomplished local actor.

“Glasgow Square is very excited to have the play I Don’t Want to Talk About It presented at our theatre,” says New Glasgow’s Program and Events Manager and Manager of the Square Carlton Munroe.  “We were very proud of the presentations by Amanda Jefferson-Gillis in our Summer Curtain Call series last year with playwright Gary Blackwood and are thrilled Amanda is back with this incredible youth troupe. The emerging talent in our region is just as strong in theatre as it is in the musical field. This promises to be a great production and we hope the community will come out and support these talented young actors.”

Jefferson-Gillis describes the “dramedy” as a series of monologues and duologues that provides a glimpse into the lives of teenagers who are trying to cope with various issues such as sibling rivalry, relationships with parents, school, peer pressure, and death.  One by one the characters begin to talk and each shares a personal experience - ranging from the humorous to the extreme tragic.  And with each vignette, a story unfolds - Kyle’s story.  Kyle, played by Joel MacNeil, faces the challenge of understanding life, particularly his life and centred among his peers, he struggles with disconnection and isolation.  His story strikes a chord with the current ‘bullying’ issue.

The one-act play, written by Toronto playwright, Bradley Hayward, will be presented at Glasgow Square Theatre on Thursday, March 14 at 7pm.  Admission is $5 and tickets are available at the door.  Doors open at 6:30pm.

The group will also present the play in Theatre Antigonish’s One-Act Play Fest which runs March 14 to March 17.  For more information, contact Glasgow Square Theatre at 752-4800 or send an email to agillis38@yahoo.ca.