It's set in a time more than 100 years ago, but the drama plays out against a societal backdrop that's all too familiar: a time of loss, pandemic and war.
Douglas College is presenting Unity (1918) onstage at the New Westminster campus Studio Theatre starting this Saturday, Nov. 12.
Kevin Kerr's dark comedy, brought to life by students in the department of the theatre and the department of stagecraft and event technology, tackles the looming impact of the First World War and the reign of the Spanish flu over the citizens of a small town in Saskatchewan.
Director Deborah Neville said it's important to stage a production like this in current times — when the First World War and Spanish flu find modern echoes in the war in Ukraine and COVID-19.
"There is a great deal of shared experience from this time, just over 100 years ago, that is completely relatable to what we have faced over the last few years," she said in a press release. "This cycle of human experience is steeped with revelations. But what drew me closest to this play is the resilience and tenacity found by the characters."
The cast of Unity (1918) includes Elijah Sommers Bamberry, Riya Chahal, Abrielle Sarah Dumansky, Taylor Montalbetti, Celine Nguyen Ho, Marnie Nitchie, Sadé Stewart, Sean Whittaker and Douglas College theatre program alumnus Darren Bolognese.
Catch Unity (1918) onstage at Douglas College
- Where: Douglas College, New Westminster campus (700 Royal Ave.), Studio Theatre (fourth floor north)
- When: Saturday, Nov. 12, 7:30 p.m.; Monday, Nov. 14, 7:30 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 15, 7:30 p.m. (with livestream option); Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2:30 p.m. livestream only, 7:30 p.m. live performance
- Tickets: $11.62. Buy through eventbrite or see more at the Douglas College website.
Follow Julie MacLellan on Twitter @juliemaclellan.
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