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★ ★ ★ ★ “Like a cookie laced with arsenic, Christopher Durang's Baby with the Bathwater is a sweet-natured but poisonous treat, and the Alumnae Theatre Company wolf it down with relish.”
Paul Isaacs, eye weekly
Read the Entire Review in eye
NNN “. . .we're treated to sharp-edged comedy from Andrea Irwin, Michael Vitorovich and, most consistent of all, Tanya Lynne's manic mother.” - Jon Kaplan, Now Magazine
Read the Entire Review in NOW
A gleeful and outrageous comedy by Christopher Durang
September 22 - October 7, 2006
“Don't call the baby a baked potato.”
Unprepared first-time parents Helen and John don't know what to do when their new baby cries, can't decide what to name it, and are even uncertain of its gender. A zany Nanny (Mary Poppins, she's not!), a frighteningly oblivious school principal, and a sympathetic psychiatrist all attempt to help "Daisy" survive childhood and establish an identity.
“Christopher Durang is one of the funniest dramatists alive, and one of the most sharply satiric.”
- The New Yorker
JULIE BURRIS
(Cynthia)
Julie is thrilled to be back onstage at the Alumnae, she was last seen here in Oliver Goldsmith's She Stoops To Conquer. Previous acting credits include Ned Durango Comes To Big Oak (Village Playhouse) and The Vagina Monolgues (Stage West Theatre). She would like to thank her partner, family and friends for their continuing love and support. This performance is dedicated to H & J J.
NATALIE COLALILLO
(Mother in the Park)
With a start in community theatre at the age of 10, Natalie had her first spotlight on the Toronto stage in 2003, where she discovered her love for collaboration and improvisation with 3 Women and Extremities, and her comedic premiere, A Woman's Guide to Part-Time Jobs. Falling head over heels for comedy pushed Natalie into studying improvisation with The Second City, and writing/producing/starring in Fat Janice for the 2006 Toronto Fringe Festival. Since graduating from York University's Theatre Program in 2005, Natalie has leaped into the world of film and television with a feature entitled Bad Karma. Natalie is pleased to be making her Alumnae premiere in Baby With the Bathwater and thanks you for your support.
JACK CUNNINGHAM
(Psychiatrist)
Jack's recent one-person Fringe show Jassy's Sassy Cabaret, in which he played five different female characters, earned him acting kudos from the National Post, “definite charisma on stage”, and eye magazine, “obvious acting chops”. Wisp In The Wind, his award-winning one-act play is published by Samuel French. He wrote for CBC's popular sitcom King of Kensington and the afternoon drama Paul Bernard: Psychiatrist. PEEP, a feature film he wrote, produced and directed was shown on CBC and Radio Canada. Co-founder and co-producer of Instant Theatre in Montreal, the world's first professional lunchtime repertory theatre, it developed into the Centaur Theatre. He trained at New York University and Concordia University in Montreal.
ANDREW DUNDASS
(John)
Andrew has always wanted to be in a Durang play, and always wanted to be in a show with Alumnae, so this production kills two birds with one stone. Favourite roles include Christy Mahon in Playboy of the Western World, Chief Bromden in One Few Over The Cuckoo's Nest and Bill Sykes in Oliver! Love, as always, to Marilyn. No birds were actually killed in the making of this bio.
KATIA GOMEZ
(Susan)
Katia Gomez is a recent graduate of Humber College's Theatre Performance program. She has participated in productions of The Alchemy Of Wood as The Cat, The Threepenny Opera as Betty/Kimball and The Rover as Florinda. She has also been a part of an original production of A Midsummer Night's Dream as Snug The Joyner/Pease Blossom and Peter Pan as Wendy. Katia is delighted to be making her debut with Alumnae.
JENNA HARRIS
(Mother in the Park)
Originally from Kingston, Jenna moved to New York to study acting at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. Jenna is thrilled to be making her Toronto stage debut with the Alumnae Theatre in such a wonderfully dysfunctional play! Some of her NY theatre credits include: Top Girls, Rock Out (NY Int'l Fringe Festival), Women of Twilight, Ring Round the Moon and Much Ado About Nothing. She can also be seen in the upcoming international feature film, Rainbow Raani. She gives much love and thanks to her family and to her brother Brent, who is, as you are watching this play, out traveling the world. Enjoy!
ANDREA IRWIN
(Principal)
This is Andrea's second show with Alumnae; her first, Moonlight & Valentino earlier this year. Most recently, she played Capulet in the Brampton Flowercity Theatre Fest's Romeo and Juliet. Andrea is a graduate of Queen's University and George Brown Theatre School. Continual thanks and love to the Irwins, Browns and husband Patrick.
TANYA LYNNE
(Helen)
Tanya Lynne is thrilled to be part of this production of Baby With the Bath Water. She is a graduate of the Theatre and Drama Studies program, a joint program between U of T and Sheridan College. Some of her past theatrical highlights include playing Mrs X in The Stronger, Lucille in En Pièces Detachées and O. D. Loutzenheiser in Cannibal! The Musical. She is also a member of a burlesque troupe called The Shameless Dames (a group of time travelling tassel twirlers). Their next stop is Vegas! See you there! Actually it's at the Gladstone Hotel on November 24th. Go to www.shamelessdames.com for more info.
KATHRYN MALEK
(Miss Pringle)
Kathryn is thrilled to be a part of Baby With the Bath Water. Recent theatre credits include By Any other Name and Embracing the Black Madonna. Her recent film work includes the independent films To Hell With You, This Years Girl, and Wish upon a Star. Thanks and love to Rob, Isabella and Beckett for all of their patience and support.
CHELSEA P MANDERS
(Mother in the Park/Baby Cries)
Chelsea is delighted to be working with Alumnae on such a hilarious play! A recent graduate of Ryerson Theatre School, she has also trained at the British American Drama Academy and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Recent credits: Portia (Julius Caesar, Alchemy), Lady Macduff (Macbeth, Classical Theatre Project), and upcoming, Feste (Twelfth Night, Alchemy). She also writes and performs as part of a comedic folk duo, The Black Roses, who have performed at HYSTERIA! (Buddies in Bad Times) and can be heard on CBC & XM Satellite Radio. Their 2006 Fringe Tour received Funniest Show and Producers Pick (London Fringe). They are currently developing a play for The Grand Theatre's playwriting seed grant program.
ED ROSING
(Lighting Design)
Ed received his B A in Drama and English at Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. He went on to study at Yale School of Drama and finished his education in London, England at the Chelsea Art School and the Central School of Drama. Ed has done set and/or lighting for productions of The Madwoman of Chaillot, Flora the Red Menace, The Marivaux Project, In Trousers, King John and Chekhov Vaudevilles. This wacky comedy of Durang's is a favourite of mine.
J R RUDGE
(Sound Design)
Well, it's been a while since I made some noise at the Alumnae (ha ha) and I'm glad to be back. If you remember any of my past accomplishments here, such as Talley's Folly, The Illusion, View from the Roof, or even way back with Sisters Rosensweig, and wish to drop me a line about sound or sound design, contact me at jrrproductions2000@yahoo.ca.
SARA SHERMAN
(Nanny)
This is Sarah's first production at Alumnae Theatre, and she has enjoyed the opportunity to dive into the weird and wacky as Nanny. She was last seen as a be-plagued chorus member in Oedipus Rex (Canopy Theatre). Sarah is a recent graduate of George Brown Theatre School, where favourite credits include The Girl (Hot'L Baltimore), Jane (Jane Eyre), Caroline Romanof (Hated Nightfall) and Princess (The Paper Bag Princess).
DENNISON SMITH
(Baby in the Park)
Having just emigrated from the United States, this is Dennison Smith's debut in Toronto. Dennison graduated from Northwestern University in Performance and over the last twenty years she has performed, directed and taught theatre across the United States and Great Britain. Her recent work includes Elena in Uncle Vanya, Titania in Midsummer Nights Dream, and the White Witch in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Dennison was first known to Toronto as a playwright, poet and novelist: her novel Scavenger was published in Canada by Insomniac Press, and a book of poetry NonNecessity is due to appear with LyricalMyrical. In her other career as yoga instructor, Dennison and her husband are presently opening Renaissance Yoga and Ayurveda in Cabbagetown this November.
MICHAEL V. SPENCE
(Master Carpenter)
Mike's been building sets for the Alumnae for many years. Last year he worked on Moonlight and Valentino. When not building sets, he can be found wandering around the theatre, doing whatever is necessary to keep the physical plant in shape! There are always plenty of jobs to keep him occupied.
MICHAEL VITOROVICH
(Daisy)
This is Michael's first production at Alumnae Theatre, second go at a Christopher Durang show (having previously appeared as Nurse Ratchet in The Hardy Boys and The Mystery of Where Babies Come From), and his third attempt at pulling off a kilt. Michael has recently been seen in the Alchemy Theatre productions of Anthony and Cleopatra and Timon of Athens; the Woodsworth College Drama Society production of Medea; as well as The Chekhov Vaudevilles at the U of T Graduate Centre for the Study of Drama. Michael would like to thank his family and everyone that hangs out with him for their continuing support and ability to convince him that his idiosyncrasies are simply normalcy disguised.
DINAH WATTS*
(Director)
Dinah made her directing debut at the Alumnae earlier this year with Moonlight and Valentino. As an actor, Dinah has performed with several Toronto companies in such ventures as The Rivals, The Real World? and Ashes to Ashes (Alumnae); Audience/Unveiling/Protest (The Co.); Ines de Castro (Whetstone Productions); The Lysistrata Project (Belltower Productions); Titus Andronicus, King John (Shakespeare in the Rough); Romeo and Juliet (CanStage); and several Fringe and SummerWorks productions including The American Dream, Sparta, and most recently, Finish Line. She has been delighted to take care of this Baby!
*Dinah appears with the permission of the Canadian Actors Equity Association.
ALUMNAE THEATRE COMPANY
70 Berkeley Street
Toronto, Ontario • M5A 2W6
Phone: 416-364-4170
Email: contactus@alumnaetheatre.com
