Pictou County has a rich culture that deserves at every opportunity to be recognized.
We have such a wide variety of art and entertainment in the county that there is always more to discover about it.
Theatre is just one example.
I’ve been covering the annual Broadway performances put on by the Rotary Club of Pictou for several years, and club members are helping to get ready for another three-night edition next week at the deCoste Entertainment Centre.
This year, 42nd Street has been chosen to mark the 40th anniversary of such stage plays.
Meanwhile, last month during the run-up toward the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, I was in Lismore for the end of the Winter Olympics for residents around the community and learned about the Wintertime Revue dinner theatre, whose 13th edition was presented last Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Both efforts represent fascinating studies in the human capacity for creativity, and our ability to simply work hard and have fun.
The projects are distinct in some ways, but they also have much in common. The performances virtually sell out in both venues, and proceeds from them support vital community work.
In the case of Rotary, the Pictou club uses the funds from the play for ongoing work, as well as special local projects and work being done on behalf of Rotary International around the world.
The Wintertime Revue’s funds help maintain the community hall in Lismore, which is a focal point of activity along the Northumberland Shore throughout the year.
The Rotary presentations are bigger because they’re usually musicals consisting of at least 40 voices and more than a dozen musical instruments, as well as a varying number of cast members.
Casting, research and scripting proceed for nearly half a year.
Then there is the stage crew and a host of Rotarians who build the props, which in recent years have become massively ambitious. The result has been productions that keep raising the standard and have been lauded for their professionalism.
The Wintertime Revue has smaller dimensions, a tiny stage with simple scenery and props. But it all works because of the extraordinary dedication and imagination of its cast members.
While the selected play in Pictou is known well in advance, what is performed in Lismore is a secret until opening night.
Last weekend’s program in Lismore was original, hilarious and ingenious. It was wonderful being there.
Both venues offer clear evidence that stage as an art form is alive and well in Pictou County.
Steve Goodwin