Spring Arts Night Returns to Q.E. Park
On Monday, June 5, Chisholm Academy held their annual Spring Arts Night at the QE Park Black Box Studio Theatre in Oakville. The evening included two Drama performances, a musical interlude featuring guitarists, as well as artwork created by Chisholm’s Grades 7 and 8 Art classes. The program opened with Ethan Johnston’s “The Puzzle of Innocence,” performed by the Grade 12 Drama class. The award-winning script, directed by Ms. Edwards, is a cleverly-devised mystery play set in an escape room that requires many pieces to solve the ultimate puzzle. The Drama class performed the play earlier this year as competitors in the prestigious NTS DramaFest. Cast member Danya Qablawi thought the production went well despite a challenging technical rehearsal: “There was some chaos during the Tech Run due to the fact that the original technical advisor quit the week before. But once we were on stage, the cast was great, the transitions went smoothly, and everyone played their part really well.”
After an intermission, Chisholm’s Music Club took to the stage with Jessie Hall playing Culture Club’s “Karma Chameleon” on acoustic guitar, followed by J.J. Purnell performing the popular John Denver’s “Country Roads” on bass guitar.
This was followed by the zany comedy “Crushed,” written by Don Zolidis, which offers a dating guide on what not to do in a relationship. The play is a hilarious and wild look at the pitfalls of having a crush. Directed by Ms. Edwards and Mrs. Moss, it features a large cast, including Emily Tufford, Dylan Fullarton, Ethan Johnston, Kaitlyn Hales, Jasper Noel, Josh Stevenson, Adam Cipparroni, Anika McAmmond and Shreya Malhotra. The audience laughed hysterically throughout at the comedic skills of the well-rehearsed cast. The fact that the stage curtains collapsed at the very end of the play only added to the hilarity.
Director Ms. Edwards was extremely happy with the production: “I’m so proud of my Drama students who participated in this night! From completely rejigging all of the set design and transitions to accommodate the QE Park stage, to filling the theatre with laughter, to gracefully dealing with hiccups such as challenging quick changes and the dramatic, climactic collapse of the set, our cast and crew did an exceptional job of making the evening a success!”
Congrats to all the talented actors, musicians, backstage crew as well as the supportive parents and staff.
Kevin W. and Danya Q.
Grade 12 Drama Class Students