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A professional theatre troupe that provides great summer entertainment and fun. Available from Canada Day to Labour Day, every year. Come join us in Officer’s Square of in the Historic Garrison District of Downtown Fredericton, New Brunswick.
Fredericton Outdoor Summer Theatre (FrOST) is now in its 26th season, offering a variety of theatrical performances, walking tours, historic animation and participatory adventures for all ages. All FrOST offerings are family-oriented and follow the Calithumpians’ tradition of adapting material from various sources: folklore, literature, history and local satiric humour. Music and song parodies are a FrOST speciality interwoven into many programs.
The program began in 1982 and yearly the cast and production values have improved to the point where today FrOST is a mainstay of Fredericton’s summer season. The company boasts a richly talented troupe and a wide reputation for professionalism and enthusiasm.
All programs are family oriented and follow the Calithumpians’ tradition of adapting material from various sources: folklore, literature, history and local satiric humour. Calithumpians is an ancient tradition wherein young people, dressed in costume and disguise, paraded through the streets celebrating.
The mandate of FrOST is two-fold: one, to allow young people a chance to develop their talent and life skills in a nurturing environment that stresses participation and fun; and two, to provide a series of educational theatre experiences exploring and celebrating the many facets of our Canadian culture and heritage.
In our long tradition we have provided very meaningful summer employment to over 275 young people, which has improved their sense of history and nationhood, their communications skills and future employability. Our “graduates” have gone on to a variety of careers from doctors and lawyers to architects, politicians, teachers, museum workers and so on. All of them have attributed our summer work experience as being key to their personal growth and development and helping them choose a career path. Mentoring and employing these students we have constantly been aware of the need for this kind of theatre or dram experience for all young people hence our very worthwhile drama workshops and camps for kids.
Every year the Troupe perform four shows which are essentially modern morality plays: one centre piece taking issue with some aspect of contemporary society or world events; two, a special message for families about the world around us through child’s eyes by way of fable, fairy tale or spoof; and finally two historical period pieces marking two separate events, inventions, or anniversaries of significance to Fredericton, New Brunswick or Canada.
Peter Pacey, who still produces and directs the troupe, initiated the company after returning to Fredericton from two seasons at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. Pacey is an educator by trade and also a nationally recognized cultural interpreter. The theatre program fulfils an educational mission in a public environment. Pacey is also known throughout New Brunswick as “The Bull of the Woods”, a term which describes his reputation as a storyteller, tall-tale raconteur and champion moose caller of the deep woods. Lately he has been specializing in “personations” an innovative approach to historical reenactment and public performance wherein he has portrayed the likes of JJ Audubon in New York City and Lord Beaverbrook, to celebrate his birthday at the BAG.
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