VOS awards scholarships and prepares for Frozen
Photo of Brodick Ewing. Photo submitted.
By Cecilia Nasmith
The VOS Theatre group's annual general meeting this week was their first at their new location in Baltimore, and an occasion to announce its annual scholarship winners.
Meeting at 9288 Burwash Rd. in Baltimore, the group saw two local students receive scholarships named in memory of treasured volunteers who inspired so many.
Cobourg resident Mark Nugent, recipient of the Ruth Harcort Scholarship, is a recent St. Mary Secondary School graduate, in his high school choir for four years and part of La Jeunesse choir (in both English and French) for eight. He has performed in numerous productions, most recently as Sam Carmichael in the St. Mary production of Mamma Mia.
Port Hope resident Brodrick Ewing, recipient of the Garth Watson Scholarship, graduated from Cobourg Collegiate Institute, where he contributed to a variety of productions building sets, conceptualizing set pieces, creating lighting, and other technical aspects in audio-visual productions. He is also an accomplished bagpiper and hopes to pursue a post-secondary degree at Trent University this fall.
Board Chair Meghan Flindall praised the students as “two very deserving recipients who have demonstrated a passion for furthering the arts in our community.
“Whether through performance or behind-the-scenes work, both Mark and Brodrick have dedicated themselves to the arts in a way that promotes inclusion, ingenuity, generosity of spirit and commitment to the project.
“We wish them the best in their future studies, and hope they continue to practice their respective arts. Thank you to all those who applied,” Flindall said.
Other highlights includes reports on completed and planned renovations on the new location, and a report on the successful 2025-2026 season and its productions of Cinderella (starring Jessica MacNeill in the lead role and directed by Melanie Racine) and Murder on the Orient Express (starring Jeff Halligan as Hercule Poirot and directed by Matt Blundell).
“These two productions were both extremely successful at the box office and, in the case of Murder on the Orient Express, also garnering critical acclaim, picking up the most number of awards of any single production at the Eastern Ontario Drama League at this year's awards ceremony,” Executive Producer Jeff Halligan reported.
The production won for highest degree of period accuracy and set decor, effective use of video project, best set design and best visual production, and was also nominated for four other awards.
Halligan announced the cast of their November production of Disney's Frozen, with Monica Soleil and Laura Murphy starring as Princess Anna and Queen Elsa. Tickets are now available at the Victoria Hall Concert Hall box office.
