September 25 - October 10, 2009
Share a tense weekend in the suburban home of Agnes and Tobias, as they entertain their much-married daughter Julia, Agnes' drunken sister Claire, and their fearful, empty-nester friends Harry and Edna. A metaphysical drawing room drama with a touch of absurdism.
Read the Press Release: 0910press-balance.pdf
Performance Dates
Friday September 25 - Saturday October 10, 2009
Performance Times
Wednesday to Saturday: 8:00 pm
Sunday Matinée: 2:00 pm
Box Office opens one hour before performance time
Admission Prices
Wednesday: 2-for-1
Thursday, Friday & Saturday: $20
Sunday Matinée: PWYC
CASH ONLY! Box Office does not accept credit or debit cards
Reservations
Email: reservations@alumnaetheatre.com
Phone: 416-364-4170 (Box 1)
TRICIA BRIOUX,
Claire
Tricia includes among her most favourite roles Martha in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Gina Mae Sabatini in Beautiful City, Lady in Orpheus Descending, and the Duchess of Berwick in Lady Windermere's Fan (Alumnae Theatre). She has also worked with Globus Theatre (Talking Heads, Knickers), Nightwood Theatre, and has performed in numerous Toronto Fringe and SummerWorks productions (Guests Who Harangue: Two Plays by Durang, The American Dream, The Molly Murders, Who Am I This Time?, Jellied Salad). Film and television appearances include roles in Escape Clause (MGM), The Great Defender (Warner Bros.) Missing Children and DeGrassi: The Next Generation. Tricia also works as a voice-overartist and has voiced numerous commercials for both radio and television.
ROB CANDY,
Harry
This is Rob's debut on Alumnae Theatre's Mainstage. He previously featured in the New Ideas Festival: Conscientia (2007) and Offerings (2000). Recent stage credits include: Romeo & Juliet, As You Like It (Canopy Theatre); Hamlette (Studio BLR); Ravenscroft, The Heiress, Relatively Speaking, The Winslow Boy (Village Players); Shakespeare's Brain (Cabbagetown); and The Tempest (Alchemy). Rob has also directed for the Village: 40 Carats, Who Killed Santa Claus, and The Unexpected Guest.
PATRICIA HAMMOND,
Julia
Playing Julia marks PJ's return to the stage after a 14 year absence. Upon graduating from George Brown Theatre School, she quietly proclaimed “Well, I don't want to do that anymore.” Since then she has directed, produced, run sound and lights and even took her turn moving set, and has not yet found an aspect of theatre that she does not enjoy. But this . . . this is acting, in an Albee. And in this moment of acute anxiety, she needs to thank the mega-talented cast and crew for making it so easy. Thanks Margot and Christine for taking care of the details, and Barbara, for insisting that PJ act her age.
CAROL McLENNAN,
Edna
Carol is delighted to be appearing as Edna in Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance. She played most recently at Alumnae in the 2009 New Ideas Festival as the bitchy mother in R.J. Downe's The Stranger. (You may notice a pattern here.) Also in 2009 she appeared as Maggie in Brent Barkley's Wallflower Maggie at Cabbagetown Theatre's No Sweetheart Required. Last fall Carol appeared as Aunt Penniman in The Heiress at Village Playhouse. Thanks, as always, to supportive husband, Peter, and family.
DINAH WATTS,
Agnes
Dinah has enjoyed a long and happy association with the Alumnae Theatre. Recent roles include Mrs. Erlynne in Lady Windermere's Fan, Amanda in Private Lives and Vivian Bearing, the central character in last years production of Wit. Work with other Toronto companies includes a compilation of Havel's Audience/Unveiling/Protest (The Co.), Ines de Castro (Whetstone), Titus Andronicus, King John (Shakespeare in the Rough), and The Case of the Wandering Corpse (Solar Stage and the Edinburgh Festival). She has also had a lot of fun doing Fringe and SummerWorks productions, including Albee's The American Dream (also with Tricia Brioux and director Barbara Larose); Finish Line, Sparta, Revengers Tragedy, Forensic Tables, and Jellied Salad. Film and television projects include My Dog Vincent, some CBC fare, and a few very small roles in very big productions.
MARK WHELAN,
Tobias
Originally hailing from Dublin, Mark is delighted to be back with the Alumnae Theatre, having last played here in 2004 as George in another Albee classic, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolfe?. Other theatre credits include: A Skull in Connemara (McDonagh), Dinner with Friends, A Lie of the Mind (Shepard), You Are Here, Da (Leonard), The Memory of Water, Of Mice and Men and 1949 (French), for which performance he received a Thea Award. Recent television and film appearances include: The Listener, The Border and Murdoch Mysteries. Mark is also featured in the soon to be released film, Love and Savagery.
EDWARD ALBEE,
Playwright
Edward Albee was born in 1928, and his affluent adoptive parents exposed him to theatre from an early age, but did not approve of his aspirations to be a writer. He left home in his late teens, after being expelled from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut (an experience he later incorporated into Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?).
His one-act play The Zoo Story, written in 1958 and first produced in Berlin, then off-Broadway, was hailed as the birth of American absurdist drama. A series of one-act plays followed, including The Death of Bessie Smith (1959), The Sandbox (1960), and The American Dream (1961). His first full-length play, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1962) was the first to be produced on Broadway, and is the one for which he is best known. The production earned five Tony Awards, among many honours. Albee has won the Pulitzer Prize three times - for A Delicate Balance (1966), Seascape (1975), and Three Tall Women (1994). In 2008, in celebration of Albee's 80th birthday, several of his plays were mounted in distinguished Off-Broadway theatres, and Albee himself directed The American Dream and The Sandbox.
ANGUS BARLOW,
Sound Designer
A freelance musician/engineer/sound designer from Toronto, Angus has been working with the Alumnae Theatre for over six years. Sound designs include: Lettice and Lovage, Summer & Smoke, A Lie Of The Mind, Perfect Pie, Wit and Closer.
MARYSIA BUCHOLC,
Set Designer
Marysia has recently designed sets for Pride and Prejudice (Alumnae), Adam's Attic (Bespoke Theatre), A Streetcar Named Desire (Upper Canada Repertory Company), Daughter of the House (Alumnae), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (Randolph Academy, reconfigured for St. Andrew's College) and For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again (Alumnae). She received a Dora nomination in 2006 for her design for Kafka and Son (Theaturtle). She also works in the audio library at the CNIB, and has a truly wonderful family.
ELLEN GREEN,
Assistant Director
Ellen thanks Barbara, Margot and the excellent team, both onstage and behind the scenes, for an exciting and rewarding experience. Recent credits include: Producer on Closer, Assistant Stage Manager on Pride & Prejudice, and Assistant Director on Wit. Other adventures include Assistant Director for Guests Who Harangue: Two Plays by Durang (2008 Fringe Festival); Director of He, She, and It (New Ideas Festival 2008); and Assistant Director for Alumnae's Lady Windermere's Fan and The Memory of Water. Ellen is most grateful always to family and friends for their unwavering support and encouragement.
JENNIE GRIMARD,
Costume Designer
Jennie has been dabbling in theatre for a few years and has worn many different hats throughout her journey. She started out as an actor (Cecilia in Sam Shepard's Simpatico/Red Mill Theatre) but then soon found that behind the scenes is where all the action happened. She has since directed and produced a couple of pieces for the Toronto Fringe Festival, directed Chance in last year's New Ideas Festival and now is trying her hand at costume design. By day, she is a graphic designer/illustrator and teaching assistant at Humber College.
PAUL HARDY,
Lighting Designer
Paul most recent lighting designs include The Stranger for Praxis Theatre, and Closer for the Alumnae Theatre, as well as many others. This is his twelfth lighting design for Alumnae Theatre, where he also directed Judith Thompson's Perfect Pie and Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind. As an actor, leading roles include Underneath (Praxis Theatre), As You Like It (Canopy Theatre), For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again and She Stoops to Conquer (Alumnae Theatre), Step Up (Stagekids), Macbeth (Classical Theatre Project), and You, In The Shadows, a global awareness theatrical presentation for youth.
CHRISTINE KRUPA,
Producer
As a rookie producer, more accustomed to banging out news stories than haunting backstage corridors, my experience on A Delicate Balance has been every bit as exhilarating as it has, at times, been terrifying. But I've enjoyed every last minute of it! A truly thrilling ride! And that's the wonderful thing about the Alumnae - you get to live out your fantasy, even the inevitable scary bits, in the company of people who support you at every turn with professionalism and generosity of spirit. I'm so glad I took the plunge. Thanks, everyone, for making me look good. And a very special thanks to Barbara.
BARBARA LAROSE,
Director
Barbara Larose studied theatre at Concordia University in her home town of Montreal and has worked as an actor, director, dramaturge, and acting coach for many years. At the Alumnae Theatre, Barbara has directed Margaret Edson's Wit, Wendy Wasserstein's The Sisters Rosensweig, Michel Tremblay's The Real World?, Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan and The Memory of Water by Shelagh Stephenson. Other directing credits include several productions at the New Ideas Festival and the Slaw Festival, Rick Jones' Millennium Madness Sale! for Thick & Thin Theatre, the box-office hit Franca Miraglia's Life on a Diet for By the Word Productions and Guests Who Harangue: Two Plays by Durang for Svengali Productions. Previous forays into directing Edward Albee plays include Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Alumnae Theatre) and The American Dream for Fireplay Productions at Toronto Fringe.
EMILY SANFORD,
Assistant Stage Manager
Emily is happy to be back at the Alumnae, and is enjoying the stage from a different perspective this go around, as ASM for A Delicate Balance. Previous Alumnae credits include Summer and Smoke and Criminal Hearts. She has also recently performed with the Toronto Irish Players, Amicus, and the Ontario Renaissance Festival. Emily is an actor, singer, and writer, and has an MA in Drama from University of Guelph.
MICHAEL SPENCE,
Master Carpenter
Michael has been hanging around the Alumnae for about four decades. He has built sets for too many productions to mention - his most recent construction was for Pride and Prejudice - and designed lighting for several shows as well, including She Stoops to Conquer, On The Verge, Beautiful City, After You, and Talley's Folly.
DOROTHY WILSON,
Properties
Dorothy just loves doing Props, especially in a show like this one, where such a variety is needed. Previous Props credits at the Alumnae include Summer and Smoke, The Real World?, She Stoops To Conquer and Lady Windermere's Fan. Thanks to Barbara, Christine and the cast and crew for being such a great group to work with.
LYNDA YEARWOOD,
Costume Designer /Assistant Stage Manager / Props Assistant
Lynda is more than thrilled to be a part of this production. If Albee were a rock band, Lynda would be the screaming teenager in the front row, and watching this exceptionally talented cast and crew bring his work to life has been better than having an all-access backstage pass. Lynda got involved in theatre because it gives her the opportunity to practice her two favourite hobbies, herding cats and inserting large square pegs into small round holes; never have the cats moved in such unison or the pegs slipped so neatly into place.
ALUMNAE THEATRE COMPANY
70 Berkeley Street
Toronto, Ontario • M5A 2W6
Phone: 416-364-4170
Email: contactus@alumnaetheatre.com
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