Drayton Entertainment Opens ‘ART’ with an Important Announcement

Last night we were invited to attend the opening of Drayton Entertainment’s production of ‘ART’.  There was an important announcement made before the show began.  The St. Jacobs Schoolhouse has been officially donated to Drayton Entertainment. Prior to this news, Drayton Entertainment had been a long-time tenant that rented to the space to perform long-run stage productions. The St. Jacobs Schoolhouse is located the Village of St. Jacobs, just minutes from The St. Jacobs Country Playhouse where last night’s production was performed. 

Mersynergy Charitable Foundation, founded by the Milo Shantz and Ross Shantz families, announced that the historic 1867 Schoolhouse, located on 11 Albert St. W., has been donated to long-time tenant Drayton Entertainment. 

This bodes well for the future of arts and culture in the Region of Waterloo. 

The Art of Conversation is the Underlying Theme of Drayton Entertainment’s ‘ART’ 

After the announcement, the audience was all a buzz with the news, which in turn heightened the excitement as the play began.  ‘ART’ is a production that would strike a chord with many, as it shows how friendships change and people evolve over time.  While the subject of a questionable art piece is the conversation starter in this play, it is the conversations that each character has with one another that becomes the true art of the performance.  The quick-paced speech in the comedy/drama is filled with many aspects of the art of conversation.  The dialogue covers tact, humour, subtlety, truth, lies, anger, and disappointment all within the confines of a 20-year friendship that now hangs in the balance. 

Each of the characters portrayed has a stance on the painting with varied viewpoints. This shapes the storyline to show how their lifestyles and life changes have brought them to a tipping point. 

Much to his friends’ dismay, modern art collector Serge decides to purchase a large, expensive, painting – a white canvas with fine diagonal white streaks. The abstract piece sparks a fierce debate about the value of art, and lines are drawn as the three friends square off over the canvas, testing the limits of their friendship. As the discussion becomes less theoretical and more personal, truths are revealed, egos are bruised, and buried emotions come to the surface. 

Ticket Information 
PLEASE NOTE THIS PLAY CONTAINS COARSE LANGUAGE (SWEARING)

Regular performance tickets are $48 for adults, $29 for youth under 20 years of age.
Because of the foul language this is best for a PARENTS NIGHT OUT 
Tickets for select Discount Dates and groups of 20 or more are $39. HST is applicable to all ticket prices.  

‘ART’ runs October 2 to October 20 at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse in Waterloo. Tickets may be purchased in person at any Drayton Entertainment Box Office, by calling the Box Office toll‐free at 1‐855‐drayton (372‐9866), or online instantly at www.draytonentertainment.com.