activities before the show and is a pay-what-you-can performance. On top of all these performances, there are other activities available through the theatre. This year, they’re offering full-day drama camps, with both a junior and senior version. One half of the day is theatre creation, while the other half tackles prop and costume building. There is also the Ship’s playwright in residence, Francesca Ekwuyasi. Her book Butter Honey Pig Bread has been nominated for several awards, and Laura is excited about the writing she will accomplish while residing in Parrsboro. As excited as everyone is for the Ship’s 40th season, that doesn’t stop them from thinking about the future. One major goal, according to Laura, is for it to become a year-round art centre. Currently, the theatre isn’t winterized, but there’s a hunger for more community shows and a more accessible venue. Ship’s Company Theatre is no stranger to awards. As previously mentioned, last season’s Downed Hearts was nominated for 11 Robert Merritt awards, winning
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 24 ISSUE 2 85 This brings everything back to Laura’s love for Parrsboro. The Ship’s Company Theatre has helped make the town a cultural center in Nova Scotia because it’s positioned itself as a storyteller and celebrator of Atlantic Canadian stories and playwrights. But it’s also just one part of a unique collective of attractions that make Parrsboro what it is. The Band Hall, The Fundy six. The year before, the company’s performance of Dayboil was also nominated for 11 awards and won seven, just a slightly well-deserved brag. The theatre itself has also won several awards, including Best Cultural Events from Attraction Canada, and Best Attraction Award from the Central Nova Scotia Tourism Association. Overall, Laura feels that theatre in Nova Scotia and Atlantic Canada is flourishing. Independent theatres are doing interesting, innovative work, and “it’s an exciting time to be a theatre maker.” She emphasizes how important this is since it’s such a localized medium. “Theatres are such a key facet of Nova Scotia’s cultural makeup because they provide a platform for local and regional stories.”
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