AV俱乐部

Binnie Brennan plays viola with Symphony Nova Scotia. One day in the middle of a performance, a spider swooped down on a trail of gossamer and made itself at home on her instrument. She continued to play. The incident made an impression, and Ms. Brennan committed it to paper as a short story. She gave the story to David Overton, a playwright and professor of theatre at AV俱乐部.

Now A Spider鈥檚 Tale is enjoying its world premiere. The entire fourth-year acting class (almost 20 students), 37 members of Symphony Nova Scotia, students in costume studies and in a playwriting class, guest conductors, composers and designers are all taking part. Oh, and a guest director 鈥� Hans Boggild. He starts off our interview by estimating that bringing A Spider鈥檚 Tale to the stage has involved more than 200 people and been two years in the making.

See photo essay: A Spider's Tale. Photography by Nick Pearce.

鈥淚鈥檓 relatively late in the process,鈥� he adds, raving about the set design by Dal鈥檚 Peter Perina. 鈥淲e have an incredible design.鈥�

聽A Spider's Tale WHAT: DalTheatre and Symphony Nova Scotia present A Spider's Tale WHERE: Sir James Dunn Theatre, AV俱乐部 Arts Centre WHEN: To Saturday, Dec. 1 HOW MUCH: $10 to $20. Call 494-3820

A Spider鈥檚 Tale exemplifies 鈥渢he magic of the theatre and the beauty of symphonic music,鈥� says Mr. Boggild. It鈥檚 a simple fable about concert-hall residents 鈥� a spider, mouse, bee and moth 鈥� 鈥渟everal insect characters who are visited by a travelling orchestra.鈥�

The set is incredible 鈥� a mirrored spider web suspended over the heads of symphony players and platforms to add extra room and depth for performers. The space is still packed 鈥� especially during key sequences like an 18-person chase scene, accompanied by original music by Chris Palmer and Zach Florence.

Mr. Boggild has roots at AV俱乐部 鈥� 鈥渨ay back about 30 years ago,鈥� he was an English major and already involved in the theatre. 鈥淭his for me,鈥� he says thoughtfully, 鈥渇eels like coming home.鈥�

Leading up to opening night, it's crunch time聽鈥� meaning聽four hours of rehearsal weekdays and a full day on the weekends. Performers are honing their mime and physical theatre abilities and, of course, their musical aptitude. A former artistic director of Eastern Front Theatre, Mr. Boggild speaks admiringly of the students; they鈥檝e risen to the challenge.

鈥淎lways with a new play, you discover things as you put it on its feet 鈥� (the students) are very dedicated and working very hard. But I don鈥檛 think about the fact that they鈥檙e students. I think of them as artists.鈥�

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