Even arts venues can’t escape the wrath of thousands of angry transport truck drivers rolling through Ottawa this week.
The National Arts Centre in Ottawa has announced they have closed its doors due to security challenges caused by the trucker protest on Parliament Hill.
The decision was prompted after Ottawa issued a public warning to avoid the downtown area due to the ongoing “security challenges” and uncertainty of the protest.
The closure will delay productions slated for this week, including the much-anticipated run of Walter Borden’s The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time.
NAC’s canal-side restaurant was scheduled to reopen but has also been put on hold as well.
Honk if you hate theatre!
The Globe & Mail’s Theatre Critic Kelly Nestruck was quick to condemn the protests in a scathing article, calling the rally “a crime against the performing arts”. Nestruck’s comments were aimed at The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time. The play is significant as it serves as one of the first Canadian plays to examine homosexuality from a Black perspective.
Borden initially portrayed 14 personalities, each of whom was critical to his perspective on the path of life. Using the voices of ten characters, Borden now presents a solo performance as his autobiography.
“…[Walter Borden] lost two years of his acting career to the pandemic at this point in his life – but that the so-called “freedom convoy” has now extended that hiatus is unforgivable.”
Taking the delay in stride
“It’s been a 48-year journey, so a few more months is just a walk in the park,” Borden said in a statement. “I have a message to deliver and deliver it I will. Onward!”.
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