Article written by Alex Rudoy, Alginquin College Journalism student. Photo credit to Anastasiya Krachkovskaya. KingDOM theatre put on its annual Halloween performance, “The Pirate Chest”.
After being unable to put on a show last year due to gathering restrictions, even the cold afternoon Halloween breeze couldn’t dampen the excitement felt by the audience, the performers and the theatre workers alike. More than 250 people saw the show, according to organizers.
The show was held on Oct. 31, 2021 in Nepean Creative Arts Center, in compliance with current COVID-19 regulations.
“The Pirate Chest” is a non-verbal stage performance. It tells a story with performance, dance and audience interaction, and is conducted with 12 actors on stage.
The show was performed by the theatre’s advance troupe, directed by Ekaterina Vetrov and Anatolii Gensirovskii, and featured choreography by Mariya Bugrova.
KingDOM theatre is a not-for-profit organization that is headed by Ekaterina Vetrov. The organization promotes love of theatre among all children, and is dedicated to building a community of theatre lovers in Ottawa.
The tradition of putting on an annual Halloween show began five years ago when Ekaterina and Alexander Vetrov decided to turn their front yard into a stage for kid’s performances on Halloween night.
Kids in costumes could come and perform in front of their peers and passersby in a safe and supportive environment.
The audience for these shows were encouraged to pay their respects with Halloween candy, so the young actors would not miss out on the holiday’s treats.
Since the start of this tradition, the Vetrov’s front yard hosted countless shows, one person performances and even a shadow theatre that was displayed in the house windows.
Alexander Vetrov said, they saw this as an opportunity to bring some theatrical experience to kids through the atmosphere of mysticism that comes along with Halloween. This private tradition is now a consistent event in the KingDOM theatre.
The organization relies heavily on a dedicated volunteer group of parents and theatre lovers to shoulder the hard work of putting on a professional show.
Natalia Lyasheva a parent volunteering at a hot-beverage stand, said she likes the work being done by the theatre and the sense of community it provides. While Lyasheva was serving coffee and hot chocolate at the theatre’s entrance, her daughter was performing on stage inside.
Ekaterina Vetrov said it would be almost impossible to achieve what the theatre has already achieved without dedicated people, so she is very grateful for the community surrounding the theatre.
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