On the University of Ottawa campus, the Unity for Action club has been established for 14 years as a philanthropy club which raises money through the arts. This year, their musical production, Loverboy: An Original Student Musical will be showing at the Jock-Turcot University Centre until April 7. Apt613 sat down with the writer and director of the musical, Ally Segreto, to learn more.
Loverboy is a show that follows the story of a young Cupid attempting to navigate the world of human emotions. After graduating from the school of loverboys, this Cupid discovers there are many different types of love out there. It’s a jukebox musical, so the performance is full of pop hits that everyone can enjoy.
“I think it’s a relatable storyline,” says Segreto. “It highlights all different forms of love, it doesn’t just focus on romantic love—it focuses on the love between friends, the love between siblings, the love for doing the right thing. It’s very much a feel-good show.”
While Unity for Action has been creating theatrical performances for over a decade, this is not the only way they give back to the community. Each year, the club executives choose a beneficiary and run events like flea markets and sustainable fashion shows in which all proceeds go directly to their organization of choice. Their student-run and written musical is their largest draw.
“It’s a completely student-run event—it’s all people that have other things on the go and are working and studying and have so many other responsibilities,” says Segreto. “But they’re still taking the time to come to rehearsals and give 110 percent when they’re in the rehearsal space.”
Segreto says that the club and their philanthropic events were on hiatus over the COVID-19 pandemic, but the decision to put on a piece of theatre as an annual fundraiser came with the club’s inception.
“The original Unity for Action founders decided that there wasn’t a ton of theatre on the uOttawa campus that was just open to everyone,” she says. “They wanted to create a medium for togetherness and community, but also wanted it to be a good cause. And that just continued for 14 years.”
This year, the chosen organization is Belong Ottawa—they help unhoused or precariously housed individuals through meals, laundry, showers and other programs.
“Belong Ottawa’s values go hand-in-hand with ours,” says Segreto. “They have free mental health services for those who can’t access therapy, and as a group of students, we believe that this is a group that lined up well with our priority and values.”
While this event is hosted and run by students at the University of Ottawa, this show is open to all members of the public. Segreto hopes that audiences can see themselves in this performance and that they’re able to come out and support a good cause.
“I hope the theatre-goers leave the theatre with a smile, maybe a song stuck in their head and a little more hope than they did when they came in.”
Loverboy will be performed at the University of Ottawa from April 5–7. Accessible seating is available upon ticket purchase. To find showtimes, location, and ticket prices, head over to the Unity for Action website.
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