The ATF: Use it or lose it

People are funny. Not ‘funny’ ha-ha, but quite odd: capricious, inconstant, always of two minds.

I remember a little over a year ago the push to resurrect the Atlantic Theatre Festival from enforced dormancy, and the groundswell of excitement that carried it through last season.

Folks were happy to see the ATF return. It brought not only world-class actors to the thrust stage in Wolfville, it afforded local business another hook upon which to hang its collective hat.

When ATF announced the relaunch, you could almost hear a collective sigh of relief from businesses that had fought hard to recoup the market share they had lost when the footlights winked out.

Fast forward to this season and I’m wondering what’s up.

I had the good fortune to see The Drawer Boy Saturday night and I must tell you; it’s a provocative piece of theatre.

The ensemble of Raymond O’Neill, Lee Campbell and Pasha Ebrahimi peel back the layers of a dark tale to uncover a nugget of truth that changes the lives of each of their characters.

The play has whimsy and humour, emotion and heartbreak. It depicts the unadulterated simplicity and underlying tangle of daily life, and the actors -- under Richard Donat’s skillful direction -- bare their hearts on their sleeves for the benefit of the audience.

Problem is, only a handful was there Saturday night and I don’t get that. It was Mud Creek Days in Wolfville, people were all over the place earlier in the day, there was a cycling event right up until showtime, and there might’ve been 50 people in Festival Theatre.

Why? Has the word not gotten out yet? Do people not know what we have here?

The actors onstage Saturday are pros and if the turnout fazed them, it didn’t show. They were exceptional in evoking their characters and this production deserves better in terms of bums in the seats.

Indeed, the crowd on hand rose at the end to give O’Neill, Campbell and Ebrahimi a richly deserved standing ovation. Their rendering of Michael Healey’s play is that good.

But where are all those who hooted and hollered, clapped and cheered last season? Where are the bandwagoners who applauded ATF’s revival a year ago?

If this theatre company is to survive and continue to attract much-needed dollars to the region, local folks like you and I have to get behind shows like The Drawer Boy, Shirley Valentine and A Midsummer’s Night Dream.

We can’t rely on the kindness of strangers anymore, kids. If you enjoy live theatre, show it. If you believe you’re the beneficiary in a business sense from what ATF offers, support it in word and deed.

The turnout Saturday night left me feeling uneasy and concerned. We no longer have the luxury of two minds about something as valuable as the Atlantic Theatre Festival.

It’s time to get off the fence and get behind it before it’s gone forever. Period.