As Black History Month approaches its conclusion, thespians with the Ellipsis Tree Collective prepare to honour the achievements of those who paved the way with a performance of the play, The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God.
“The Ellipsis Tree Collective was born out of a need to provide visible minority artists with professional opportunities in order to nurture them and foster their creative growth,” explains Janelle Cooper, who founded the company in 2009.
Janelle is proud of what the collective has accomplished during its brief history.
“I see the work that we've been able to accomplish over the last six years. We have been able to provide a number of visible minority artists, particularly black actors in Calgary, with a variety of opportunities on the professional stage.
Christopher Clare is one of the actors benefitting from Janelle's passion.
It's inspiring to see somebody take an idea and mold it and shape it and bring it to life,” said Christopher.
Norma Lewis has played numerous roles with other theatre companies and says Janelle’s unique approach has been a welcome addition to Calgary’s theatre scene. Among the positives is the collective’s mentorship program.
“I'm working with a young lady named Ivana who is from the University of Calgary as a drama student,” explains Norma. “She's been given the opportunity to be a part of this process.”
Janelle says involvement with the Ellipsis Tree Collective often leads to additional opportunities outside of the organization.
“I'm contacted often by people who've seen one of the actors that I've cast in a show and asked me for their contact information.”
The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God runs through this weekend at Calgary Opera's Arrata Centre on 7 St. S.W. Scheduled performance times and ticket information is available at Ellipsis Tree Collective
For her contributions to Calgary’s theatre scene, Janelle Cooper is this week’s Inspiring Albertan.
