Press Release
This May, Canterbury High School’s Dramatic Arts Programs graduating class will be producing and performing Not about Nightingales by award winning playwright, Tennessee Williams. Not about Nightingales explores the terrible reality of United States prisons in the late 1930’s, and the abuse and neglect the prisoners suffered at the time. The play is an emotional rollercoaster and exposes the dark reality for all social groups near the end of the Great Depression, as well as raises questions about issues still taking place in prisons, and changes that need to be made. Not About Nightingales will be put on starting on Tuesday May 1st at 7:30pm in the Barry Alexander Auditionirum and will continue Thursday May 3rd at 7:30pm, Friday May 4th at 4:30pm and will end on Saturday May 5th at 7:30pm.
The show dates for the performance are May 1,3, and 5th at 7:30pm and May 4th at 4:30pm in the Barrie Alexander auditorium at Canterbury High School. Student/senior prices are $8 for a regular ticket and $10 for a double bill ticket. The adult prices are $12 for a regular ticket and $15 for a double bill ticket.The double bill tickets offer a chance to see both Gradshows this year, Not about Nightingale and A Woman Killed with Kindness. The show contains mature content, we hope to see you there!
About the show
This year’s Gradshow, Not About Nightingales is a three-act play written by Tennessee Williams in 1938. The play was based on real events that took place in a Philadelphia prison where inmates were inhumanely tortured and killed. The play is a roller coaster of melodrama that focuses on a group of inmates who attempt to improve their living situation. Additionally, the piece features a love story between the two protagonists; Eva, the new secretary at the prison, and Jim, an inmate trying to get parole by working for the warden. The play is both stark and compelling and flourishes with intensity as it progresses.
Director
The director of Not About Nightingale is Sheila Knight. Sheila graduated from the theatre program at York University, and has worked as a dramatic arts teacher at Canterbury High School for over 20 years. She has previously directed shows such as The Man of Mode, Schoolhouse and Lysistrata. She has been very influential in advancing the acting skills of her students, encouraging independence, creativity, and helping her students create a show that is entirely their own.
For more information, please contact :
Sheila Knight (Director/ Supervisor) – sheila.knight@ocdsb.ca
Allegra Peterson (Publicity) – allegrabellep@gmail.com
Our general email account – chsgradshownan@gmail.com
Barrie Alexander Auditorium
900 Canterbury Avenue
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1G 3A7
About Arts Canterbury
Canterbury High School is a unique school as it offers specialized arts programs, which include dramatic arts, visual arts, music, dance, and literary arts. These programs draws in a diverse group of students from all around the city, and offers courses that encourage essential skills such as leadership, teamwork, and creativity.
The Arts Canterbury program has produced many productions which have included aspects from all the arts offered at the school. This fall, Canterbury put on a musical production of The Drowsy Chaperone, and past shows have included Lysistrata, Candide, Di Kollective, and Shrek the Musical.
Canterbury Gradshow is a performance put on by graduating students of the Dramatic Arts Program. It is both the highlight of many student’s high school careers’ as well as an enlightening experience for audience members both interested in theatre as well as in registering children of their own into the program. With ambition and drive, the students work together for months on both production and performance components in order to create a truly remarkable and unique piece. As a result, the freedom and responsibility given to the students provides them with valuable skills that cannot be obtained through most compulsory credits.
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