After You was first produced by Alberta Theatre Projects in 1994, under its previous title, Kawartha (which people had trouble pronouncing!). Playwright Dave Carley re-titled the play After You for its next production at New Stages in Peterborough, and has enjoyed working with director Jane Carnwath and the actors on Alumnae Theatre's Toronto premiere. Carley calls it “a memory play without the memories. The past and present live in the same moment for the characters”. Born in Peterborough, Ont., Dave Carley's works for radio and stage have been produced across Canada, the U.S., Europe, and Japan. Many of his plays have won or been nominated for major awards, including A View From The Roof, Taking Liberties, Writing With Our Feet and Orchidelirium.

Director Jane Carnwath is a fan of Carley's scripts; she also directed a production of his era-spanning drama A View From The Roof at Alumnae Theatre in 2000. “I love After You because it is funny, poetic, universal and intensely human,”, she says. “Imagine bridging the chasms of time to confront and embrace our younger, idealistic selves, to watch them play the games we remember, to judge and be judged by them, and perhaps, with whatever wisdom age has given us, to learn from them. All who reflect on their life story, or who hold summer in their hearts as a charm against the winter cold, will love this play.”.

Alumnae Theatre Company is very proud to present the Toronto premiere of After You, featuring veteran stage and screen actors Elva Mai Hoover and Meg Hogarth (who both appeared in The Bush-Ladies) as Adele and Jean respectively; Alicia Flaherty (The Rocky Horror Picture Show) and Margaret Evans (The Moon Bath Girl) as their younger selves; and Aaron Hutchinson (The Widower) as Paul.

Inspired by the paintings of Group of Seven artists A. Y. Jackson and Franklin Carmichael, Set Designer Doug Robinson (original production of George F. Walker's Zastrozzi) has created an impressionist version of Ontario northland, complemented by Michael Spence's (Beautiful City) subtly atmospheric lighting. Sound Designer Angus Barlow (A Lie of the Mind) blends an evocative lakeside ambience with wilderness music by R. Murray Schafer. George Brown College graduate Althea Ambosta makes her debut as Costume Designer on this production.

TOP

AFTER YOU Cast Biographies

DAVE CARLEY (Playwright)
The works of Dave Carley have been produced across Canada, the U.S., and Europe, as well as New Zealand, Australia and Japan. Many of his plays have won or been nominated for major awards, including A View From The Roof, Writing With Our Feet, The Edible Woman and Orchidelirium. His acclaimed look at civil liberties in a small town, Taking Liberties, was first produced here at the Alumnae Theatre as part of the New Ideas Festival, in conjunction with the CBC. Dave has been playwright in residence at the Stratford Festival and the Barrington Stage Company in Massachusetts, and works as Script Editor with CBC Radio Drama. Dave continues to write for theatre, and a new drama, The Last Liberal, opens at Ottawa's Great Canadian Theatre Company in April. He is also working on a novel. After You is set in the Kawartha Lakes, where Dave grew up. The play was originally called Kawartha, and produced at Alberta Theatre Projects. Re-named After You, its next production was at New Stages Peterborough. The play is dedicated to Dave's mother and aunt, Margaret Carley and the late Alicia Perry. www.davecarley.com

JANE CARNWATH (Director)
has had a long and varied association with the Alumnae as actor, director and administrator. Her most recent directing project at Alumnae was another Dave Carley play, A View From The Roof. Previous productions include The Gut Girls, On The Verge, The Madwoman of Chaillot, as well as her own stage adaptation of a CBC radio play on the life of Aimee Semple MacPherson for the New Ideas Festival. Non-Alumnae productions include En Piêces Detachèes and Jennie's Story (York University Drama Department); Not Wanted On The Voyage, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and You Can't Take It With You. Jane adjudicates all over Canada, and leads workshops on acting and directing for Theatre Ontario. Until recently, she taught acting for the Music Theatre Department at Sheridan College. She was also a longtime participant in R. Murray Schafer's ongoing wilderness-theatre project, And Wolf Shall Inherit The Moon.

MARGARET EVANS (Young Jean)
A graduate of the Actor's Studio Drama School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art's Shakespeare Intensive, Margaret is thrilled to be involved in her first production at the Alumnae. Recent Toronto performances include Encore Entertainment's Crossing Delancey, the 2004 SummerWorks production of Graeme Gillis' The Moon Bath Girl, and she recently made her television debut on CBC's SpyNet.

ALICIA FLAHERTY (Young Adele)
This is Alicia's second time performing at the Alumnae Theatre: she appeared in A Question of Earlobes in 2004's New Ideas Festival and is thrilled to be here again. Most recently she was seen in Hamilton as Janet Weiss in The Rocky Horror Picture Show (Frilly Underpants Productions). She was also a part of the hilarious Australian comedy He Died With a Felafel In His Hand for Toolkit Productions and has completed roles in two short films. She is very happy to be on board for this Toronto premiere of After You.

MEG HOGARTH* (Jean)
In a performing career of over 50 years!! Meg has played in theatres across Canada in both contemporary and classical works. Some of her recent favourite roles are Anna Jameson in The Bush-Ladies (which also starred Elva Mai), Emma in Over The River And Through The Woods at The Red Barn, and Maureen in The Tomorrow Box at The Georgian Festival Theatre. Meg has appeared in over 100 Canadian and American television and film productions. Roles as diverse as Nellie McClung in 20th Century Gals, Hildy in Swann (based on a Carol Shields novel), Dorothy (Matt Dillon's mom) in The Big Town and Dr. Colleen in the four Canadian RoboCop movies. She last performed for the Alum 40 years ago as Masha in The Three Sisters. Meg is a 'cultural activist' and currently serves as President of PAL Canada and a member of Dying With Dignity.

ELVA MAI HOOVER* (Adele)
Last summer, Elva was absolutely thrilled to play the amazing Nana in Michel Tremblay's For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again at the Georgian Theatre Festival and the Capitol Theatre in Windsor. Other recent work includes Esther in Kilt, Grandma in The American Dream at the Toronto Fringe Festival, Goodbye Piccadilly at the Blyth Festival, and the Canadian premiere of Lanford Wilson's Book of Days. She also created the role of Anne Langton in Molly Thom's highly acclaimed The Bush-Ladies. Other work includes continuing roles in television ­ like Mrs. Lawson in Road to Avonlea, Beth in Riverdale, and her film work in both Anne's Story and The Terry Fox Story merited major award nominations. More recent television include Ted's mom in Queer as Folk, Aunt Bibby in Patti on the Comedy network, and numerous American movies of the week. As well as her acting career, she is a well-known teacher and voice-over coach.

AARON HUTCHINSON (Paul / Jeffrey)
This is Aaron's first production with Alumnae Theatre. He is a graduate of University of Windsor's BFA acting program. Previous to this production he was involved Ante-M Theatre's adaptation of Arthur Schnitzler's The Widower, which debuted at the 2004 SummerWorks festival. Other recent theatre roles have included Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice, and Detective Troughton in Run For Your Wife. He also appeared on television in an episode of CTV's The Eleventh Hour.

*With permission of The Canadian Actor's Equity Association

AFTER YOU Creative Team Biographies

ALTHEA AMBOSTA (Costume Designer)
A recent graduate in Fashion Techniques & Design from George Brown College, this is Althea's debut as a Costume Designer. She was wardrobe assistant for Etobicoke Musical Productions' Mame, and has sold her self-designed garments at The Clothing Show. Upcoming in February: auctioning off her own clothing designs for Project 417, a fundraiser for the homeless.

ANGUS BARLOW (Sound Designer)
Angus was first lured into Alumnae Theatre to run sound for Collected Stories in October 2002. He then assisted with lights on Amy's View, and was promoted to Assistant Technical Director for the New Ideas Festival 2003. He was Sound Designer for Lettice and Lovage and Summer & Smoke in 2003. For A Lie Of The Mind a year ago, he led the band Hogtown Harmony Machine (playing mandolin and guitar) in instrumentals he composed especially for the Alumnae production of Sam Shepard's midwest drama, and performed live onstage.

SUZANNE COURTNEY (Props Goddess)
Suzanne is an artist, playwright and occasional actor. Writing credits include Headhunters' Tango, Water Under the Bridge and Death on a Hot Tin Possum. As a performer, Suzanne specializes in playing the crazed and confused, and has appeared most recently in A Lie of the Mind and The Pear is Ripe at Alumnae.

DANIELLE GUSLITS (Stage Manager)
Danielle graduated from Mount Allison University in sunny New Brunswick, then jumped feet first into stage management in Toronto. She's been working non-stop since last spring, when she stage managed Defrosting and My Red Feather Boa at Alumnae Theatre's New Ideas Festival. Other recent projects include stage managing Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Alumnae Theatre Company - Mainstage), The American Dream (a hit at the Toronto Fringe Festival 2004), and assistant stage managing Power Of The Dog at Equity Showcase Theatre.

ANDY FRASER RHODES (Producer)
After You is Andy's third stint as producer, following The Uninvited Guest (in which she also appeared as 'God') at the Tarragon Extra Space, and the Alumnae Theatre production of Tennessee Williams' Orpheus Descending. Most of Andy's recent theatre experience has been on stage in the Alumnae's 2003 - 2004 season productions of The Real World? and Absurd Person Singular. Thanks to Jane and this most talented cast, who with a fantastically hard-working crew have brought this beautiful play to life. Special thanks to Mike Spence for sharing his knowledge, talents and time; to Jack Rhodes for being the best kid in the world; and to the Alumnae Executive for believing.

JO HULL (Assistant Stage Manager/Rehearsal Stage Manager)
Jo wanted a way to get her feet wet in the theatre world, and joined Alumnae not knowing a thing about stage management. What a way to learn! She'd like to send out big thanks to the cast, and to patient teachers Jane and Danielle. From owning her own set of theatre keys (a proud moment!) to being the cast's dresser (!!) and everything in between ­ this has been a huge thrill.

VALERIE LEMIEUX (Props GIT [Goddess in Training])
The siren call of the stage - or most likely Suzanne - has lured Valerie back to one of her early loves: the theatre. Her skills as an avid eBay shopper and dollar store aficionado, have led to some great finds. She's hoping to earn official Props Goddess status, but recognizes that not all can reach the pinnacle.

DOUG ROBINSON (Set Designer)
Doug is a graduate of The National Theatre School, the Motley Theatre Design Course, London England and The Institute of Scenography (CBC Toronto). Mr. Robinson has accumulated 30 plus years of experience as a stage designer and worked for over 15 years as an assistant art director on various television and film productions. Doug began his design career in Toronto with The Factory Lab Theatre and Toronto Young People's Theatre before continuing his training in Britain in 1975. Upon graduating from the Motley Theatre Design Course, he worked in British theatre, returning to Canada in 1980 to resume his career and to study television and motion picture design. Set designs for previous productions for Alumnae Theatre include You Can't Take It With You, An Italian Straw Hat, The Real Thing and Bag Babies. His most recent design was for Stephen Massicotte's The Boy's Own Jedi Handbook for Magnus Theatre in Thunder Bay, last November.

YULIA SHTERN (Scenic Artist)
Yulia received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Ontario College of Art and Design. Since 1999, her artwork has been exhibited in over 5 solo and more than 25 group exhibitions throughout Ontario. To date, she has participated in over 20 theatrical productions in the capacity of Scenic Designer and/or Scenic Artist. Her work has been recognized by the Ontario Arts Council Exhibition Assistance Grant (2003), Sophie Massin Memorial Award for Theatre Set Design (2000, 2001) and John Hirsch National Scholarship (2001). Yulia is affiliated with Visual Arts Ontario, Canadian Institute for Theatre Technology and Canadian Opera Volunteer Committee. She lives in downtown Toronto with her cat Tosca.

MICHAEL SPENCE (Lighting Designer)
Michael has been hanging around the Alumnae for about four decades. He has designed lighting for both Mainstage and Studio shows, including Talley's Folly in the Studio, and On The Verge on the Mainstage. A couple of years ago, he created a Toronto-centric lighting environment for the wonderful characters in George F. Walker's Beautiful City, and now is having fun leaving town and delineating eras for After You.

2004/2005 Season Page

RETURN TO TOP