Howard Lopez provided the introduction to our guest speaker, Conrad Beaubien, someone who has had an extensive career in the arts, covering his extensive contributions in music, radio, film, television, theatre, and journalism. Howard also touched on the relationship Conrad and John have developed in creating a professional theatre arts program here in Prince Edward County.
Conrad arrived in the County 20 years ago at a time when he was transitioning from film & television into a career focused on theatrical arts, appreciating the immediacy and uniqueness of theatrical performances.
He spoke of the value of his documentary work allowing him to travel across the country, living on the road, enabling him to see communities from the inside out.
Previously Conrad worked at CTV in Toronto in the television industry, exposed to many key people in the business, opening his eyes to the business side of things. Moving into being an independent filmmaker furthered his experiences broadly, turning oral histories he encountered into documentaries for film & television.
Conrad spoke of his work with John Burns on developing a mobile theatre troupe based on his horse-drawn trailer, calling his company Theatre Roulant. His group uses a medieval approach to bringing theatre to the community in Prince Edward County. Conrad reviewed past and present programmes and in particular the inspiration for many of these, and spoke to the importance of drama in educating as well as entertaining.
The 2025 programme for Theatre Roulant was introduced.
A vibrant Q&A session ensued.