In 2008, the first “good sketch and underpainting” of Mary-Colin Chisholm’s To Capture Light was presented to critical acclaim at the SuperNova Festival. Since then, the play has been further workshopped and has grown to a more fully-realized and technically stunning production. It tells the story of Frances Jones Bannerman, a little-known Nova Scotian artist who in the late 19th century became the first woman elected to associate status in the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts. But Bannerman’s story is just the jumping off point for the exploration of bigger issues such as the role of women in society and the intrinsic value of art. As well as being food for thought, this play is a feast for the eyes: Ben Chiasson’s gorgeous projections give the feeling of stepping inside a painting. The large cast of characters (including Oscar Wilde, Mary Cassat and Anna Leonowens) who make up Paris’s lively art scene are brought to life by the four actors of LunaSea who transform themselves in the blink of an eye. With its happy mixture of art, history, theatre and social commentary, To Capture Light has something for everyone.
Neptune Studio Theatre, Oct. 26-28, 8 p.m., with tickets at $25 plus tax.
This article appears in Oct 28 – Nov 2, 2010.
