Cambrian Players Find First Permanent Home

Director Eva Burkowski emphasizes special connection with Lakehead University

Cambrian Players is a theatre group local to Thunder Bay. Serving the community since 1949,  the group has been without a permanent space for 70 years. Now, for the first time, the 100% volunteer run community theatre has purchased their first home. Director Eva Burkowski told The Argus about the exciting new space: “It is really affordable, so we can continue our long history of entertaining our local community…it’s a heritage building, and it’s had a long history of over 100 years serving the community as the Polish Hall and now it can continue serving the community.”

Since acquiring the former Polish Hall, located on 818 Spring Street, the Cambrians have been busy converting it into a community theater. Burkowski said that they have been painting the backstage black, designing the set for their rendition of Anastasia, setting up a green room, and even navigating an unexpected plumbing trouble.

Photo by Erich Otten

Not even grey water could prevent the Cambrians from launching their debut play in their new home. Anastasia by Marcelle Maurette and Guy Bolton is now playing, produced by special arrangement with Samuel Friend and directed by Eva Burkowski. This was the premiere play at Lakehead’s University Centre Theatre back in 1964. Burkowski said: “We feel that there is a special connection with Lakehead and we [are] always conscious of our history as the university was our partner for many years since 1964.” The current cast, crew, and production team features many Lakehead University Alumnus, including our own Dr. Rachel Warburton playing Baroness Livenbaum.

Cambrian Players’ current production, Anastasia, will be showing from February 27th to March 2nd and again from March 6th to the 9th. Burkowski describes the plot as a “…story set in the past, but it is also about the past and the hold it has on us. The girl Anna struggles both to reclaim her past, and to escape from it; she must do both, in order to own her identity, and have any kind of future.”