Mr. Speaker, I rise today to wish a very happy opening to the entire team behind Neptune Theatre's The Color Purple, which opens tomorrow night in Fountain Hall.
The show, which has eagerly been anticipated by the Nova Scotia theatre community since it was announced, will be the first mounted regional production of the play in Canada. Featuring a cast entirely of people of colour and predominantly women, the show opens not a moment too soon.
Directed by Winnipeg's Kimberley Rampersad, the show tackles race, queerness, social class, and gender as well as love, betrayal, and self-doubt - all things that make a compelling story.
It's based on Alice Walker's book of the same name from 1982, and has been called a Black feminist manifesto. From what we hear, Kimberley Rampersad is taking that fully to heart. When asked how many times the actors have worked with Black women directors, most of them said it was their first time.
Mr. Speaker shows like this highlight the importance of Black voices, storytellers, and art makers. I cannot wait