NEW IDEAS FESTIVAL 2008: Week Two
WEEK TWO: Wed March 12 to Sat March 15: Evenings at 8 pm • Saturday matinée at 2:30 pm*
- THE BIRTH DAY by Robert LaRonde • Directed by Elisabeth Westberg
- XTRO & JULIE by Frank and Gillian • Directed by Chris Coculuzzi
- PIGEON by Jayne Collins • Directed by Amanda Mallard
- THE THIRD TOMORROW by Mat Howard • Directed by Shannon Roszell
- AND WE WILL KNOW PEACE by Darrin Suzuki • Directed by Tracy Hovey
(Total running time with intermission: approx. two hours and ten minutes)
Saturday Readings at Noon:
- BEING CECIL GRAHAM by Cathy McKim • Directed by Barbara Larose
- HERE'S TALK FOR TALK by Esther Maloney • Directed by Morgan Norwich
*Warning: Semi-nude actors, foul language, good times.
Week Two Plays
THE BIRTH DAY
It's not yet four in the morning, but a confused and exhausted young woman named Christine returns tothe beach from her childhood in an attempt to reconcile her identity with the re-emerging ghosts of her past.
| Playwright: | Robert LaRonde |
| Director: | Elisabeth Westberg |
| Cast: | Marika Schwandt (Christine) |
| Running Time: | 20 minutes |
ROBERT LARONDE Playwright, The Birth Day
Robert LaRonde is a playwright, actor and co-artistic director of echoplay theatre. He co-created and performed their inaugural production, w/e, which premiered at the Boulder International Fringe Festival in Colorado. Also for echoplay theatre, Robert appeared in a staged reading of The Designated Mourner at Stong College (York University). While earning his B.A. Hons. from York's Dept. of Theatre, Robert worked as an actor (Nose to Nose, West Side Story) and assistant director (A Flea in Her Ear) for Vanier College Productions. He played a bartender in Self-Loathing, and designed lights and sound for Cigar Box in the PlayGround Festival.
MARIKA SCHWANDT Actor (Christine), The Birth Day
Marika is a transdisciplinary creator and performer. Her initial training was in classical ballet. She has performed a myriad of exciting dance styles across Canada and internationally, and appeared widely in local theatre and film productions. Recent credits include: 1,2,3,4 (Feist music video); The Spiegel Show (Harbourfront Centre); The Lesson (Toronto Fringe Theatre Festival); and The Deceased Woman (Alumnae Theatre/New Teatro). See Marika in This Is For You, Anna in April and look for Marika's next collaborative creation (The Movement Project) in June.
ELISABETH WESTBERG Director, The Birth Day
Elisabeth Westberg is a director and stage manager. While earning a BFA from Concordia University in Theatre and Music, she directed Jane Wagner's The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, Kurt Weill's Down in the Valley, Gian Carlo Menotti's The Telephone and Act I of Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel. She was an assistant director on Concordia's Marie-Antoine; Opus I by Lise Vaillancourt, and Jeremy Bouchard's Occasionally Good. Recently she stage-managed 36 Little Plays about Hopeless Girls (Birdtown and Swanville), For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again (Alumnae) and The Book of Liz (Birdtown and Swanville).
XTRO & JULIE
In the turmoil of New York in 1967, radical Xtro and free spirit Julie fall in love, but as Xtro's political resistance becomes more and more violent, he risks losing not only Julie, but everything they've built together.
| Playwright: | Frank and Gillian |
| Director: | Chris Coculuzzi |
| Cast: | Gordon Chan (Xtro) Victoria Murdoch (Julie) Greg Corkum (Historical Event 1) Sarah Swift (Historical Event 2) |
| Running Time: | 15 minutes |
GORDAN CHAN Actor (Xtro), Xtro & Julie
Gordan is very excited to be part of this years New Ideas Festival. He previously appeared in The Emperor's New Clothes (NAGs Players), The Miser (Gnu Ground Theatre), Jeremiad (Plastic People Theatre Company), and various productions at Queens University where he received his degree in Commerce. As a director, Gordon has staged 7 Stories for Fly by Night Theatre Company, and both Death was my Best Friend and Suddenly Shakespeare for The Woodlands School in Mississauga. He was a member of the Tarragon Spring Training Project and the Soulpepper Youth Mentorship Program.
CHRIS COCULUZZI Director, Xtro & Julie
This is Chris's second time directing in New Ideas; his first was directing Tina Silver's Anger Begets in 2001. Since then he has been busy producing, directing and co-writing the Shakespeare's Sports Canon series of plays at the Toronto Fringe Festival, as well as assisting youth with their own creative expressions working as a high school English and Drama teacher. In 2003, Chris helped to found The Beach School an independent school based on self-initiated learning and democratic governance. Chris's next direction is Brad Fraser's Love and Human Remains in April at the Alumnae Studio Theatre with Neon Black.
GREG CORKUM Actor ((Historical Event 1), Xtro & Julie
This is Greg's first appearance in the New Ideas Festival, however he recently performed on the Alumnae mainstage in the role of Arthur Warnes in Last Dance of the Dark Cloaked Avenger (Beautiful Lie / Triple Take Productions, 2007).Other credits include Elyot Chase in Private Lives (Village Playhouse, 2007) as well as various characters with Upstart Crow's Shakespeare's Sports Canon (Toronto Fringe Festival, 2002 - 2005), including a co-writing credit for Shakespeare's Comic Olympics (2004).
FRANK & GILLIAN Playwrights, Xtro & Julie
Separately, Frank & Gillian have had plays produced at Factory Theatre Lab, Theatre Passe Muraille, Theatre Aquarius, Vancouver Playhouse and CBC TV and Radio, and have published novels with Groundwood, Puffin, Delacorte, Kinderjury and Nimbus. Together they wrote The Careerfree Life (Mosaic Press), Luminosity (Random House of Canada), Sea-Change (Mosaic Press) and most recently a film script. They are delighted to be part of Alumnae Theatre's New Ideas Festival.
VICTORIA MURDOCH Actor (Julie), Xtro & Julie
Victoria is a graduate of the York University Theatre Creative Ensemble program. She has completed an Integrated Acting System session with Coach Miriam Laurence and is currently studying audition dynamics with Casting Director Ron Leach. Last week, Victoria finished an Aurora run of Stellar Productions In-Security: An Alarmingly Romantic New Comedy, written by award winning Canadian playwrights T. Gregory Argall and Todd McGinnis. Victoria can next be seen at the Mississauga Living Arts Centre performing Emilia in Forward Theatres production of Othello, directed by Tommy Taylor. You can view more at www.victoriamurdoch.com.
SARAH SWIFT Actor ((Historical Event 2), Xtro & Julie
Sarah is a theatre and film actor living in Toronto, and graduate of Eastwood C.I.'s Integrated Arts Program. This is Sarah's second appearance in the New Ideas Festival after playing Jane in Haley McGee's Between the Tree and the Sweetest Pea in last year's festival. Other credits include: The Hound of the Baskervilles (NAGS Players), The Tempest (Bard in the Park), Oedipus Rex (Canopy Theatre), Othello (Hart House Theatre), as well as a multitude of characters in Macbeth with the educational troupe, Bardbusters. She has also appeared in the last two Fringe Festivals in First Heist Club and Macbeth's Kitchen.
PIGEON
An unexpected visitor is brought home.
| Playwright: | Jayne Collins |
| Director: | Amanda Mallard |
| Cast: | Jory Kevin Berger (Man) Jennifer Rumberger (Woman) |
| Running Time: | 20 minutes |
JORY KEVIN BERGER Actor (Man), Pigeon
Jory Kevin Berger is a singer/songwriter, actor and director originally from Vancouver. Jory has a Major in Theatre and 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. Last year Jory directed Louise and Thelma by Julia Lederer at New Ideas, and is proud to be a part of Pigeon this year.
JAYNE COLLINS Playwright, Pigeon
Jayne is a theatre artist originally from St. Johns, Newfoundland who has been living in Toronto since 2001. As an actor, her recent stage credits include: Canon in D Minor (Core Theatre/SummerWorks2007) Looking After Eden (Toronto Fringe), Out (Theatre Inspirato), Boxed In (Theatre in Her Shoes/Hysteria!). Film and TV: Unseen Summer (Burdock Root), Control (Butler Films), Ride of the Yoga Valkyries (Metal Dog Films/BravoFact), The Shields Stories (W Network). Her first play Ablaze was part of the Paprika Festival in 2006 and received a reading at the SummerWorks Festival the same year. Most recently, she developed Pigeon through Nightwood Theatre's 'Write from the Hip' program. Jayne is a founding member of Theatre in Her Shoes. www.theatreinhershoes.com
AMANDA MALLARD Director, Pigeon
Amanda is from the beautiful Island of Newfoundland and has traveled to Toronto to feed her creative habit. She is a graduate from the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts and has played various roles in random short films and many crazy characters on numerous stages across Canada. She is excited to make her directorial debut with her talented cast in Pigeon written bya fellow Newfoundlander, Jayne Collins. You can also check her outon the stage in Not Like Her directed by Julie Lederer in the third week of the New Ideas Festival.
JENNIFER RUMBERGER Actor (Woman), Pigeon
Jennifer Rumberger has been acting for many years and is a 2007 graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Favorite roles include Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), Emily (Our Town), and Ophelia (Hamlet). She has also appeared in several short films, including Writer's Block, the winner of the audience award at the New York City 48 Hour Film Festival.
THE THIRD TOMORROW
After falling in love with Niamh, an immortal selkie, Aaron wishes to return just once to the world he will have to leave behind. When he wakes, he finds ten years have passed, and his journey back to his love may be stranger than anything he could have imagined.
| Playwright: | Mat Howard |
| Director: | Shannon Roszell |
| Cast: | Chantale Groulx (Patricia) Duncan McCallum (Aaron) Shannon Roszell (Niamh) |
| Running Time: | 20 minutes |
CHANTALE GROULX Actor (Patricia), The Third Tomorrow
Chantale was last seen as a ghost - Vi in Alumnae's The Memory of Water and as Amanda in Private Lives at The Village Playhouse. One of her favourite roles has been Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream. You'll also catch sight of her on Capital One's website and this March break at Toronto Public Libraries performing in English and French for the kids.
MAT HOWARD Playwright, The Third Tomorrow
Mat Howard is a playwright, theatre director, animateur and performer, having produced over 30 main-stage and studio productions in Australia, Canada, Thailand, and the USA. In 1998, Mat was named Young Australian Shakespearean Artist of the Year, and studied at the Globe Theatre, London, and RSC. Mat has since taken on many ambitious challenges, re-interpreting both classical and contemporary texts and devising original works. His plays include The Life Education Van (2000), Blunderland (2003), Fractured Flesh (2003), Fallen Fruit (2005), A Story Told Four Times with Four Different Endings (2006) and The Third Tomorrow (2007), a trilogy of short plays.
DUNCAN MCCALLUM Actor (Aaron), The Third Tomorrow
Duncan McCallum began his theatre career in the ranks of Theatre Aquarius youth programme. After three years of training, he went on to study devised theatre at York University. Once graduating with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Theatre with a minor in English, he attended Queen's University's Artist in Community Education program and received his Bachelor of Education in 2006. Since that time, Duncan has been working both as a theatre artist and an educator. His interest lies in the stories of those who are overlooked, marginalized and abused. Directly out of university, Duncan began work with Simon Malbogat and Mixed Company Theatre.He has worked passionately in their ranks for the last two years, climbing up as a paid actor to aiding in creation and facilitation of their forum theatre performances. He has worked with many schools in the GTA as well as in youth and adult shelters, dealing with issues like homelessness, HIV and STI awareness, bullying and mental illness. He is also a licensed Ontario educator and an occasional teacher in the Peel District School Board. He feels extremely passionate about the issue of the missing and murdered women of Vancouver and can see parallels in their community to that of Toronto's. His hope is to raise awareness of the issues and stories surrounding these peoples. Currently, he is creating a forum piece with street youth from the GTA as well as working to facilitate a forum piece with TDSB students concerning sexual assault in the school system.
SHANNON ROSZELL Director/Actor (Niamh), The Third Tomorrow
Shannon Roszell graduated from York University where she studied devised theatre, lighting design and psychology. Selected credits include: the Teacher in I Will Not Hatch, Gaby in Vacancy and Karen in Rule of Thumb. She has designed for Theatre @ York, Pushover Productions, Hank Marvin Theatre Company, The Creative Ensemble and at the Toronto Fringe Festival. Shannon is currently completing her Bachelor of Education in the Artist in Community Education track at Queen's University and is excited to be remounting the devised theatre piece, Rule of Thumb, at the Toronto Fringe Festival this summer.
AND WE WILL KNOW PEACE
Marcia, a recovering alcoholic, battles her way through relapse, resentment and the past.
- Coarse language -
| Playwright: | Darrin Suzuki |
| Director: | Tracy Hovey |
| Cast: | Geoffrey Allen (The Patient) Erick Fournier (Michael) Andrea Lui (Eden) Vanessa Taylor (Marcia) |
| Running Time: | 40 minutes |
GEOFFREY ALLEN Actor (The Patient), And We Will Know Peace
This is Geoffrey's fourth involvement with the New Ideas Festival. His past appearances have included: an eccentric professor (a devotee of Jeremy Bentham); a drowning fisherman (the captain, I might add!); and the ghost of a dead farmer. 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 still lives in North Toronto without a TV.
TRACY HOVEY Director, And We Will Know Peace
Tracy is thrilled to be making her first major foray into directing at Alumnae. Other Alumnae credits include serving as producer on For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again and Perfect Pie and performing on stage as Julie in Death to Dating and Cooper in Selling Out in the Nuit Blanche performance of 365 Days/365 Plays (a fun short piece which she also directed). She would like to thank all her friends and family for their support and for understanding that when she doesn't have a project that energy is coming in their direction and for learning how to duck.
ANDREA LUI Actor (Eden), And We Will Know Peace
Andrea Lui is a graduate of York University's Theatre Program, as well as the Randolph Academy's College Program. Recent credits include Jewtopia (M. Rubinoff Productions), Duel of Ages (True Edge Productions), The Crucible (Annex Theatre), Red Phoenix (Fu-GEN Theatres Potluck Festival), The Fall of Team Justice (Atomic Legion Theatre) and The Golden Mickeys (Disney Cruise Lines). Andrea is also an intermediate actor combatant with Fight Directors Canada. She enjoys martial arts, circus arts, and rock climbing.
DARRIN SUZUKI Playwright, And We Will Know Peace
Darrin is grateful to the Alumnae Theatre for producing, And We Will Know Peace. He directed Rope for the New Ideas Festival in 2007 and currently works as a video editor for the broadcast industry. He enjoys long walks, third person narrative (he finds it empowering) and the collected works of Alan Smithee. He is 32 years old and thanks H.P.
VANESSA TAYLOR Actor (Marcia), And We Will Know Peace
Vanessa is tickled to be making her debut appearance with The Alumnae Theatre. Her most recent theatre credits include Meredith in Five Women Wearing The Same Dress and Emma in Storm Warning. Vanessa thanks her extraordinary family and friends for their unwavering support and cheekiness."Life has no rehearsals, only performances."
Week Two Readings
BEING CECIL GRAHAM
A gay woman pretending to be a gay man pretending to be straight. Based on a true story. Seriously. In this short one-woman show, a lesbian actor tells the story of how she took on the role of Cecil Graham, playwright Oscar Wilde's mouthpiece, in a production of Lady Windermere's Fan and got way more than she bargained for. But in a good way.
- Semi nudity; adult language and themes -
| Playwright: | Cathy McKim |
| Director/Dramaturg: | Barbara Larose |
| Costume Design: | Margaret Spence |
| Rehearsal/Consulting Performer: | Tabitha Keast |
| One-person Show Consultant: | Tracey Erin Smith |
| Cast: | Cathy McKim |
| Running Time: | 8 minutes |
CATHY MCKIM Playwright & Performer, Being Cecil Graham
A George Brown Theatre School grad, published short story writer and an associate member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada, Cathy's playwriting credits include She Never Bought Me an Easy-Bake Oven (the coming out scenes) and The Girls Do Brunch. Recent acting credits include Lady Windermere's Fan (Alumnae, 2007), The View from Here (Toronto Fringe, 2004), Celebrity (New Ideas Festival, 2004) and An Appearance of Jack & Spider (NIF, 2003). She's a regular columnist for Alumination; you may have also seen her working behind the bar. Many thanks and hugs to Barbara for taking this journey twice.
BARBARA LAROSE Director & Dramaturg, Being Cecil Graham
Barbara studied theatre at Concordia University in her home town of Montreal and has worked as an actor, director, dramaturg and acting coach for many years. She has directed Really Great Hats, The Meeting, The Poet's Wife, Time and Longings, Spitting Distance and Fast Track in past New Ideas Festivals. Barbara's numerous directing credits include the critically acclaimed Toronto Fringe production's of Edward Albee's The American Dream for Fireplay Productions and Millennium Madness Sale! for Thick and Thin Theatre; and several mainstage productions at the Alumnae Theatre, most recently, Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's Fan and Shelagh Stephenson's The Memory of Water.
HERE'S TALK FOR TALK
After the death of her boyfriend, Leila stops talking entirely and her friend Caleb reaches out to her. Their friendship is challenged through their artwork, their desires and the struggle to communicate.
| Playwright: | Esther Maloney |
| Director: | Morgan Norwich |
| Dramaturg: | Thomas Morgan Jones |
| Stage Manager: | Courtney Walker |
| Cast: | Kevin Dowse (Caleb) Jennifer Rumberger (Leila) |
| Running Time: | 25 minutes |
KEVIN DOWSE Actor (Caleb), Here's Talk For Talk
Kevin Dowse is excited to be taking part in this years New Ideas Festival. He has worked as a playwright and actor in various projects throughout Canada. Favourite projects include: Winter in Pieces Hamilton Fringe Festival (also playwright); Jaques in Loves Labours Lost Smashin Bat Theatre (also co-producer, cross-country tour); as well as regular work as a member / co-founder of the sketch comedy troupe Frenzy.Kevin would like to thank his friends and family, as well as the fantastic company of Heres Talk for Talk.
THOMAS MORGAN JONES Dramaturg, Here's Talk For Talk
Thomas' work as a director, playwright, fight/movement/clown choreographer, dramaturg, and instructor has been seen across Canada, and in Ireland.He has been a member of the Charlottetown Festival company since 2002. Recent dramaturgical credits include Pyaasa by Anusree Roy (Theatre Jones-Roy), and Production and Movement Dramaturg for The Sheep and the Whale (Cahoots Theatre Projects and Modern Times Stage Company in Association with Theatre Passe Muraille).
ESTHER MALONEY Playwright, Here's Talk For Talk
Esther Maloney is a writer and actor, her solo-show Leashkid was read in September with Theatre In Her Shoes. Esther plays Maddie, the lead voice on the new animation series G2G! (March Entertainment). Recently, she performed in Criminals in Love (Hart House), Canon in D Minor (Core Theatre/Summerworks) and Boxed In (Theatre In Her Shoes/Hysteria!) Esther played Grusha in The Caucasian Chalk Circle (Concordia), and worked a season at Stratford in Dracula. She has toured TYA shows with both Mixed Company Theatre across the GTA and Geordie Productions across Eastern Canada. Esther will be apprenticing at the Shaw Festival this summer.
MORGAN NORWICH Director, Here's Talk For Talk
Morgan Norwich is an emerging theatre artist and graduate of the University College Drama Program.She is a founding member of Nobodys Business Theatre.Directing credits include Muhammad of Yorkville (SummerWorks 07), Poached (New Ideas 07), and Stage Directions (UCDP 07).This spring, Morgan will assistant direct Factory Theatres production of Beyond Mozambique.She is delighted to be part of the New Ideas Festival again this year.
JENNIFER RUMBERGER Actor (Leila), Here's Talk For Talk
Jennifer Rumberger has been acting for many years and is a 2007 graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA). Favorite roles include Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), Emily (Our Town), and Ophelia (Hamlet). She has also appeared in several short films, including Writer's Block, the winner of the audience award at the New York City 48 Hour Film Festival. Jennifer is very excited to be a part of Here's Talk For Talk.
COURTNEY WALKER Stage Manager, Here's Talk For Talk
Courtney Walker is a recovering student who now works in television. Her last jaunt with Morgan Norwich was as stage manager for the 2007 Summerworks production of Muhammad of Yorkville.
Go to New Ideas: Main Page
Go to New Ideas: Week One
Go to New Ideas: Week Three
Contact New Ideas 2008: newideas@alumnaetheatre.com
TICKET INFORMATION
Dates
WEEK ONE: March 5 - 8, 2008
WEEK TWO: March 12 - 15, 2008
WEEK THREE: March 19 - 22, 2008
Times
Wednesday to Saturday: 8:00 pm
Saturday Reading: 12 Noon
Saturday Matinée: 2:30 pm
Admission Prices
Wednesday to Saturday: $12
Saturday Reading: PWYC
Saturday Matinée: $12
New Ideas Pass: $30 - Good for all 3 weeks + Readings
Reservations
Email reservations@alumnaetheatre.com
Cash Only! Box Office does not accept credit or debit cards
ALUMNAE THEATRE COMPANY
70 Berkeley Street
Toronto, Ontario • M5A 2W6
Phone: 416-364-4170
Email: contactus@alumnaetheatre.com
New Ideas 2008: newideas@alumnaetheatre.com
