Congratulations on a successful performance

I’d like to extend hearty congratulations to the cast and crew of “alterNatives,” the Drew Hayden Taylor play performed here in Iqaluit, and featured in last week’s paper.

Erin Brubacher and Odile Nelson deserve great credit for assembling a fine cast and crew, and for co-directing and acting in a challenging production. Most theatre companies or drama departments would devote several full-time weeks to a play of this magnitude.

But this group of volunteers had only a few weeks to cast, rehearse and stage this dialogue-heavy, wordplay-laden think-piece. The cast, rounded out by Vinnie Karetak, Aluki Rojas, Lori Idlout and Gary Pon, did a phenomenal job and they should be very proud.

And thanks to Tony Rose, Greg Younger-Lewis, Jim Tegler, and Claude Roussel for a fantastic job off-stage. The Qaggiq Theatre Company was honoured to support your efforts.

Special thanks to the families and friends of the cast and crew for supporting these folks. It’s not easy for people with children and-or day jobs to also pursue the arts in their spare time. Take a bow — you are unsung heroes no more!

Finally, community theatre takes a community to be successful. Everyone involved in the production appreciates the support of the many Iqalungmiut who came, laughed and applauded — and, most importantly, encouraged the cast and crew to continue.

We at the Qaggiq Theatre Company will continue to support the efforts of this community to pursue the literary and performing arts.

Look for upcoming arts and culture workshops with Sylvia Cloutier, our artistic director, including a second Theatre For Living workshop in September — a follow-up to last year’s workshop and performances at the CASP conference.

Again, congratulations and nakurmiik!

Jonathan Dewar
The Qaggiq Theatre Company
Iqaluit