burnt by the sun | apprentice post | kimberley dawn

As a part of our new initiative to deepen our apprentices' connection with the broader theatre community, several theatre companies in town have kindly offered to partner with us in offering tickets to their shows. Last weekend apprentice Kimberley Dawn was able to check out United Players' production of BURNT BY THE SUN. Here is her experience:

This past Saturday I had the privilege of seeing BURNT BY THE SUN by United Players at the Jericho Arts Centre. The play, adapted by Peter Flannery from the screenplay by Rutsam Ibragimbekov and Nikita Mikhalkov, takes us to Nikolina Gora, a village outside of Moscow in the year 1936. The play centres on the household of Kotov, a prominent general for the Red Army, as it struggles to adapt to the world Communism has created. As pre-Revolutionary aristocracy, they long for the days of music and laughter, vodka and dancing, finding Kotov and his party affiliations downright stifling. When his wife's former love makes an unexpected appearance, Kotov finds himself fighting for his wife, and even his own life, surrounded by a family so distracted by their past, that they fail to realize the danger they have allowed under their roof.

Featuring excellent Properties work by Phil Miguel (THE GREAT DIVORCE, YOU STILL CAN'T), BURNT BY THE SUN is a dramatic piece rife with intrigue, romance and heartbreak. In its Canadian premiere, this hard-working cast gives it their all, demonstrating their dedication to and belief in the story. United Players has done it again, producing theatre full of humour, humanity and things to think about long after the curtain falls.