Impromptu
Productions was formed in the summer of
2011 to bring Shakespeare in the Park back to Kingston. This remains our
primary aim, but since then we have broadened our scope. We are passionately
committed to accessible theatre for all in Kingston, and to that end we are
focused on the following goals:
Summer Shakespeare in the Park
Bringing the community together
There is a great deal of theatrical talent in both the Kingston and Queen's communities. However, there is often a gap between these worlds, and we are determined to bridge it by aiming our work at both. We have a chapter at Queen's and the Board contains representatives from both the local and Queen's communities.
Accessibility
Our productions are accessible to a broad audience - e.g. families, seniors, students, tourists. We accomplish this by presenting quality, diverse theatre in public and alternative theatre spaces, having by-donation performances, and networking with other community groups.
Showcasing local talent
A thriving arts community exists in Kingston but this community can often remain segregated, and we intend to bring different types of creative artists together. Our annual Arts Showcase each November features music, theatre, dance, poetry, comedy, and more by groups and individual artists from the local and Queen's communities, and our actors, production team members, crew members, and Board members are also drawn from both the amateur and professional spheres. Promoting new theatre
One important aspect of our work is promoting and highlighting new work by members of the community. We plan to workshop and eventually perform new plays so that local writers can have an outlet for their talents and local people can take advantage of what is on offer. To this end, our 2012-2013 season featured the staged premiere of local playwright Clayton Garrett's Mercutio and His Brother Valentine, which delighted audiences and critics alike.
We are a new company, created in summer 2011 by Bonnie MacLeod, who was adamant that Kingston would be an amazing place to put on Shakespeare in the Park. It wasn't long before she found a group of talented and dedicated actors, aged 17 to 71, to stage Much Ado About Nothing with minimal budget and tickets by donation. The show was a great success, and several of the people involved who were interested in taking the company further became our Board.
Recently we became officially affiliated with Queen's University's AMS, creating a continuous partnership between the community and the university. Our casts and production teams for our subsequent productions of Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Romeo and Juliet and Mercutio and His Brother Valentine, and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) have been balanced between both worlds, and that's just the way we like it!
