NEW IDEAS FESTIVAL 2007 PROGRAM: March 7 - 24, 2007
WEEK ONE: March 7 - 10, 2007
- Gift Baskets by Siobhán Dungan
- Job Descriptions by Peter Bloch-Hansen
- Louise, Thelma and Something in the Middle by Julia Lederer
- Poached by Emily Pearlman
- Tea on New Year's Eve by Diane Forrest
Saturday Experiment: Eulalie and the Great March by Flora Stohr-Danziger
NEW IDEAS 2007: Week One Biographies
GEOFFREY ALLEN
Major Treblanche, Eulalie and the Great March
This is Geoffrey's third New Ideas Festival. In 2005, he played the role of an eccentric professor (a devotee of Jeremy Bentham) and in 2006 had progressed to providing the voice of a drowning fisherman (the captain, I might add!). He has been a fixture on the Toronto theatre scene for many years, his favourite roles including: Sweeney in Sweeney Todd the Barber; Deputy Governor Danforth in The Crucible and Arthur Birling in An Inspector Calls. Geoffrey lives in North Toronto without a TV.
KATHERINE BARCSAY
Vanessa, Gift Baskets
Katherine is thrilled to be a part of the New Ideas Festival for the first time. She is a recent graduate of the film program at the University of Toronto and hopes to continue on with film in some capacity. Theatre and acting have always been of great importance to Katherine and some of her favorite roles include: Amanda in The Glass Menagerie, Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream and, of course, the extremely memorable Elf #4 in her Senior Kindergarten Christmas Pageant.
JORY KEVIN BERGER
Director, Louise, Thelma and Something in the Middle
Jory Kevin Berger is a singer/songwriter, actor and director originally from Vancouver. He holds a degree in theatre with a minor in music from Concordia University in Montreal. Jory was the co-founder of the critically acclaimed theatre company Renegade Productions winning MECCA Awards for Best New Revelation and Best Ensemble two years in a row. He has toured across Canada and the U.S. as an actor, sound technician and M.C. for two recognized touring theatre companies. He has also just finished the musical score for an independent film The Sandbox screening at the NFB in February.
PETER BLOCH-HANSEN
Playwright, Job Descriptions
While studying Drama at the University of Western Ontario, Peter co-edited UWO's poetry magazine. Later, he helped convert a Louisiana cotton plantation into an organic beef ranch, rebuilt the sewerage system of a vintage Catskill resort, harvested hay in Colorado, built gas lines in British Columbia, operated Canada's prototype commercial hydroponics greenhouse, taught English in a residential school for emotionally disturbed adolescents, and researched for a NASA geologist who studies rock samples from the moon.
Prize-winning author, journalist, poet, actor and sculptor, Peter wrote and directed Stir-Fry, cited by EYE magazine as one of the 2005 Toronto Fringe's best shows.
IRENE CARL
Katrina, Poached
Irene is happy to return to Alumnae and to New Ideas in another two-hander with Melina! She is also grateful for the opportunity to work again with Morgan, having been onstage with her last time in Hart House's production of Wasps. Favourite productions include: The Pretender (independent feature); Amy Sweeney in The Last Hour of Flight 11 (History Channel) Denise in Problem Child (Alumnae Theatre) and all of the characters in her solo show Moving at the Speed of Life. She holds a Master's in Acting from the Actors Studio in NYC, and is currently in the Second City's Conservatory Program.
HEATHER COUCH
Eulalie, Eulalie and the Great March
Heather is thrilled to be part of Alumnae Theatre's New Ideas Festival. She has just finished working on a production of Lady Windermere's Fan with Alumnae Theatre. Heather is a recent graduate from Brock University where she received an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree with a major in Dramatic Arts. Recent credits include Duckling Smith in Our Country's Good and Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible. She has also appeared in several independent Canadian films. Heather is very excited and thankful to be working on this production!
SIOBHÁN DUNGAN
Playwright, Gift Baskets
Siobhán observes people and loves to write about them. Gift Baskets is her first produced piece, and she is honoured to be part of the New Ideas Festival. The process has been a tremendous education for her as a writer, and she has been blessed with a very talented director and pair of actors. Siobhán is also working on her radio play entitled The Receptionist for which she hopes to have a public reading in the fall of 2007. Siobhán wants to thank her writing idol, Teige Reid, for his endless guidance, encouragement, and gorgeous smile.
KARA DYMOND
Stage Manager, Tea on New Year's Eve
Kara is a theatrical jack-of-all-trades, working alternately as an actor, playwright, musician, dramaturge and technician. Her play, Losing Berlin, won her the Hart House Theatre Award for Best Performance and the Robertson Davies Playwrighting Award and was remounted at the London Fringe. She recently completed a full-length, four character version of Losing Berlin. Selected acting credits include: Lampito in Lysistrata, Kent in King Lear, Kelly in The Drowned World, Braidie in The Shape of a Girl, Albertine in Past Perfect, Anne in Anne of Green Gables, Martha in The Secret Garden, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz and Ko-Ko in The Mikado.
LINDSAY EMPRINGHAM
Mrs. Macdonell, Tea on New Year's Eve
Lindsay is so very pleased to be back at the Alumnae performing in this years New Ideas Festival. Lindsay has taken part in various New Ideas plays over the past several years. On the mainstage, she has performed in several plays, including Dancing at Lughnasa, The Gut Girls and Thirteen Hands. Special thanks to Diane and Emily for this wonderful opportunity.
MORGONN EWEN
Maryanne, Gift Baskets
This is Morgonn's second New Ideas Festival. Presently, Morgonn is working with Bardbusters on The Scottish Play. She performed recently as Antonio/a in Alchemy Theatre's Twelfth Night. Other credits: Constance, Good Night Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet; Lydia Languish, The Rivals; Margaret, Much Ado About Nothing; Sophie, The Grace of Mary Traverse. Morgonn won critical acclaim for her portrayal of Doris Day in Doris Lives! Que Sera in the 1997 Toronto Fringe. She won Excellence in Performance for the same role in the 1999 New York Fringe, and performed it again in 2000 at the Toronto Fringe. Selected media: CBC's Eleven Cameras, This is not the Opera, Metro Morning, YTV's System Crash, and a number of independent films.
YEVGENIYA FALKOVICH
Director, Job Descriptions
Yevgeniya is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design and current student of the University of Toronto Drama Program. Her own company, Theatre F, has been performing contemporary Russian plays for the Russian-speaking community of Toronto for the last three years. Yevgeniya joined the Alumnae Theatre as a stage manager for last year's New Ideas Festival. She is back this year as a director and thrilled to work on her first project in the English language.
DIANE FORREST
Playwright, Tea on New Year's Eve
An award-winning magazine journalist and copywriter, Diane has had several works produced with the New Ideas Festival and the Fringe. Tea on New Year's Eve was written with Lindsay Empringham in mind, so it's a delight that she, along with the exactly right Chris Reid, have been available. Thanks also to Emily for her guidance; the Aluminum Ladies for their ongoing support for playwrights; Andrea Romaldi and the rest of the team for producing yet another excellent NIF; Alumnae's New Play Development Group; and Betty Redner and Suzanne Courtney for their Prince Edward County stories.
TAMMY FREDERICK
Director, Gift Baskets
Tammy is thrilled to be a part of the NIF. Tammy last directed the short comedy Emotional Baggage for Playhouse 66 and is excited to continue to flex her directing muscles with Gift Baskets. When Tammy is not directing or performing herself she is the owner/operator of Tammy Frederick's Voice Studio where she teaches private voice lessons and conducts workshops. For more information please visit her website at www.tammyfrederick.com. Tammy would like to thank Siobhán for her great script, Jennifer for her enthusiasm and energy, and Katherine and Morgonn for all their hard work and dedication. Enjoy the show!
ANTHONY FUREY
King, Job Descriptions • Husband, Eulalie and the Great March
Anthony directed Mermaid's Tears at the New Ideas Festival in 2004. He has acted in several plays and films. Anthony was the founding artistic producer of Paprika Festival. In May, he will direct the feature film Brush Strokes (written by New Ideas alumnus Lily Miller), starring, amongst others, Karen Black.
EMILY GERHARD
Director, Tea on New Year's Eve
This is Emily's third experience as director, having most recently worked on Tom Walmsley's Delirium at the 2006 Summerworks Festival. She graduated this past June from the University of Toronto, where she specialized in Drama and majored in Semiotics. This is her first show with Alumnae. Acting credits include: Imogen in Cymbeline (University College Drama Program, Kate Lynch) and Mace in Fish And For Dessert (Toronto Fringe Festival, Laurel Green). Emily extends her thanks to Alumnae for their unique Festival, and to Diane, Chris, Lindsay and Kara, each a pleasure to work with.
ROSS GOODFELLOW
Sound Designer, Eulalie and the Great March
Composer, arranger, multi-media producer, Ross has been behind the scenes in Toronto's entertainment community for over twenty-five years. With a wealth of experience in everything from music and video production to sound design for theatre, Ross is a proud contributor to the New Ideas Festival.
ANNE HARPER
Eulalie, Eulalie and the Great March
Anne has been involved with New Ideas as a producer, director and actor. Some of her favourite roles include Lady Bracknell in The Importance of Being Earnest, Lettice in Lettice and Lovage, Melissa in Love Letters and Countess Aurelia in The Madwoman of Chaillot. She recently directed Private Lives at the Village Playhouse. Previous work at Alumnae includes Under Milk Wood, Thirteen Hands, Departures and Arrivals, Orpheus Descending and last year's The Gay Parrot and The Vigil Crasher. Anne appreciates being part of New Ideas for the challenge of presenting new works.
LINDSAY KANE
Stage Manager, Poached
Lindsay adores her dramatic comrades Morgan, Melina, and Irene. She is very busy in her second year studying Radio and Television Arts at Ryerson University. Lindsay relishes working on the New Ideas Festival, and is pleased as punch to be working on another fantastic play.
ALEX KOUZNETSOVA
Stage Manager, Job Descriptions
Job Descriptions at the New Ideas Festival is Alex's second collaboration with director Yevgeniya Falkovich. Having a great passion for theatre and a constant need to organize, Alex is happy to play the role of the stage manager.
JULIA LEDERER
Playwright, Louise, Thelma and Something in the Middle
Julia has a diverse background in theatre. She is a graduate of the University of King's College and Dalhousie, where she was the recipient of the Christine Zinck Book Award for Theatre. Her play, Puzzled Man was produced in the 2006 New Ideas Festival. Currently she is the Play Development Coordinator for the 2007 Paprika Festival, and an MA student in Drama at the University of Toronto. Upcoming projects include developing a new script as part of Nightwood Theatre's Write From the Hip program, and playing life-sized cutlery in Beauty and the Beast.
CAROL LIBMAN
Dramaturge, Job Descriptions
Carol Libman is one of the founders of Playwrights' Workshop Montreal, one of Canada's foremost national centres for the development of plays and playwrights. Her plays have been performed in professional and community theatres as well as in high schools, and have received awards from the Ottawa Little Theatre, Clifford E. Lee, National Multicultural Theatre Association, and Fireweed Playwriting Competitions. Since moving to Toronto, she has been involved in both professional and community theatre, and is an active member of the Alumnae's New Play Development program.
ESTHER MALONEY
Thelma, Louise, Thelma and Something in the Middle
Esther completed her Theatre Performance degree in her hometown of Montreal at Concordia University. Esther has performed throughout Europe as part of Diversity Dance Theatre, led workshops in Budapest for youth and spent a season at Stratford in Dracula. Favourite credits include playing Grusha in The Caucasian Chalk Circle at Concordia, her 8-month TYA tour of Not So Dumb with Geordie, and assistant directing Emily: A Musical for Talk Is Free Theatre in Barrie. Esther was in Canopy Theatre's Oedipus Rex last summer and recently completed a school tour of the GTA with Mixed Company Theatre.
NATALIE MATHIESON
Dramaturge, Louise, Thelma and Something in the Middle
Natalie has a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from the University of Waterloo, and is currently completing a Master of Arts at the Graduate Centre for Study of Drama at the University of Toronto, where she played Consuela in He Who Gets Slapped, stage managed the Festival of Original Theatre, and worked as dramaturge on F.O.O.T. show Playground by Thomas Morgan Jones. Natalie is a relief worker at a shelter for abused women and children, where she facilitates discussion and recreation groups. She is thrilled to be working with such an outstanding team at the New Ideas Festival.
MELINA NACOS
Hazel, Poached
Melina is thrilled to be a part of Alumnae's New Ideas Festival again this year! Recent theatre credits include co-creating and performing in After the Crash (Toronto Rehab Institute), Work and How to Enjoy It (Alumnae Theatre) and Hell is a Cubicle (Alumnae Theatre). Recent film credits include: Pookums (Breath Films) and He's No Dummy (Baby Jewels Prod.). She is a graduate of The Neighborhood Playhouse (NYC), and has a B.F.A. in Production from York University (TO). Many thanks to Alumnae, Emily, Morgan, Lindsay, Irene and Diane.
MORGAN NORWICH
Director, Poached
Morgan is an emerging theatre artist completing her B.A. as a Drama Specialist at U of T's University College Drama Program. Past directing credits include Pie in the Sky (Sears Drama Festival), Featuring Loretta (StageBlue), and Stage Directions (UCDP). She is a performer with and founding member of Pink Jellybean Productions and Nobodys Business Theatre, which have premiered new works at Summerworks (A Girl Named Graceland, 2004) and the Toronto Fringe (The Zoo-Keepers Love Song, 2005). Morgan directs Poached for Alison.
KELLY OTHMER
Courtesan, Job Descriptions
Kelly is a graduate of the University of Guelph, where she studied theatre. Since moving to Toronto, she has been involved in many independent film projects and is happy to have been an active member of the theatre community. Kelly is very excited and grateful to be a part of this years New Ideas Festival.
EMILY PEARLMAN
Playright, Poached
Emily is a writer/actor/director who hails from Ottawa. Favorite projects include performing her solo shows Swimming Lessons with Paisley Kite and Radio Collar on the fringe circuit, directing a.k.a Jason and Work and How to Enjoy It at the New Ideas Festival, producing a festive radio documentary for CBC, and hooking up a golden bicycle to an amplifier so that when you pedal, it plays stories about cycling. Her new solo show Free Range (which is also vaguely about bird flu) can be seen on the fringe circuit this summer. She is an MFA candidate at SFU. www.criticaldistanceproductions.com
MK PIATKOWSKI
Stage Manager, Eulalie and the Great March
This is MK's second year involved in the New Ideas Festival. She directed The Barbeque King for the 2000 edition and has previously stage managed All Hams on Deck (Summerworks), The Condom, The Cucumber and The Girl From Ipanema (Toronto Fringe) and A Bed of Garlic (Toronto Repertory). She has directed numerous plays including Volpone (Squeeze Box), Saint Joan (Upstart Crow) and A Man for All Seasons (U of T Theatre Company). She is the artistic director of One Big Umbrella (www.onebigumbrella.com) and directed the company's Australian premiere of The Kabalistic Psychoanalysis of Adam R. Tzaddik at the Adelaide Fringe.
MIRANDA PLANT
Louise, Louise, Thelma and Something in the Middle
Miranda Plant is a student at the University of Toronto graduating with a double major in Theatre and English. She is currently the Associate Artistic Producer of the 2007 Paprika Festival at the Tarragon Theatre, and a co-founder of Theatre Revolve. Select Acting Credits: Take Your Kid To Work Day (Hart House Drama Festival), King Lear: Selected Scenes (University College Drama Program), Butterfly (Paprika Festival/Tarragon Theatre), Not Now Darling (Drayton Entertainment), The Entertainer (Hart House Drama Festival), Nine: The Musical (UC Follies).
CHRIS REID
Peter, Tea on New Years Eve
Chris is very excited to be making his first appearance with Alumnae Theatre. Last season he performed in Forward Theatre's Lifeboat (Toronto Fringe Festival), participated in a staged reading of Caryl Churchill's A Number and earned a THEA award for his portrayal of Father Bartolomeo in Vinci (The Oakville Players). Future projects include A Nobel Pursuit this spring at The Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts.
REBECCA ROUSE
Dramaturge, Poached
Rebecca Rouse is working toward an MA degree at York University's Communication and Culture program in Toronto. She holds a BA in Theatre Studies and German Studies from Brown University and has studied at La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York City. Rouse's background includes extensive theatre experience as a playwright, director, and performer, and she has worked as an associate producer for PBS television in Rhode Island. Her current research at York focuses on augmented reality technology in theatre, museums, and theme parks.
RAY SMITH
Philip Kgosana, Eulalie and the Great March
Ray Smith began acting in Virginia in 2000. The bulk of his training is in improvisational theatre. His onstage experience is split equally between scripted and unscripted works. Ray nurtured his stage growth with Live Arts Theater, central Virginia's premier professional theatre venue and he was involved with nine Live Arts productions between 2001 and 2005 before moving to Toronto in August 2005. Since then, Ray has dedicated his life to honing his craft. He has just graduated from the Second City Conservatory and performs regularly at the Bad Dog Theatre. He teaches improv and has produced two long-running improv shows.
FLORA STOHR-DANZIGER
Playwright, Eulalie and the Great March
Flora's previous writing credits in the New Ideas Festival include: Not a Still Life!, My Red Feather Boa and Finale, based on the life of Nannerl Mozart. Both My Red Feather Boa and Not a Still Life! have won awards in national playwriting competitions. Flora also wrote Behind the Yellow Door, an anti-apartheid play in three acts first performed in Cape Town and subsequently in Shreveport, Louisiana. She is a member of The Playwrights Guild of Canada and The Arts and Letters Club, Toronto.
MAAJA WENTZ
Director, Eulalie and the Great March
Maaja Wentz enjoys writing and directing school musicals. She is currently working on a novel for young adults. Directing Eulalie and the Great March has been an irresistible opportunity as it explores the great themes of our times. Maaja lives in Scarborough with her husband and seven-year-old son.
JENNIFER WILLOW
Stage Manager, Gift Baskets
GABRIELLE ZILKHA
Fatima, Eulalie and the Great March
Originally from Montreal, Gabrielle Zilkha moved to Toronto after completing a 3-year Professional Theatre program at Dawson College. She is currently finishing up an academic degree in Equity Studies and English while pursuing a career in acting and playwriting. Her most recent creation and production was her one-woman show Figure Me Out which was performed in 2006 and may be performed again at the Montreal Fringe Festival.
WEEK TWO: March 14 - 17, 2007
- Between the Tree and the Sweetest Pea by Haley McGee
- Conscientia by Michelle D'Alessandro Hatt
- Rope by Mary Frances Pocrnic
- Fish Face by Ginette Mohr
- Death to Dating by Kathryn Malek and R.J. Downes
Saturday Experiment: Insane Uncle Leroy by Stephen Kunc
Go to: Week Two
WEEK THREE: March 21 - 24, 2007
- Intimacy Inc. by Katherine Koller
- Rendering by Deanna Kruger
- Libraries Are Exciting Places by Anthony Arnold
- Shakespeare's Brain by Allison McWood
Saturday Experiment: 4 10 2000 by Helen Yung
Go to: Week Three
TICKETS
- Email Reservations: reservations@alumnaetheatre.com
Festival Artistic Producers:
- Amy Connolly
- Bell
- Andrea Romaldi
Contact Us: new.ideas.festival@gmail.com
ALUMNAE THEATRE COMPANY
70 Berkeley Street
Toronto, Ontario • M5A 2W6
Phone: 416-364-4170
Email: contactus@alumnaetheatre.com