New Ideas Festival 2011

Week Three Program:
Wednesday March 23 to Saturday 26, 2011

• LETTING GO by Neale Kimmel
• FROM HERE TO THERE AND BACK AGAIN by Rosemary Doyle
• ELEGY FOR A LOST BOOKMARK by Nicholas Sgouros
• TWO WEEKS IN NORMANDY by David Nicholson

Week Three Reading: Saturday March 26 at Noon

• MOON AND MURNA (Act II) by Betty Jane Wylie

IMPORTANT TRANSIT NEWS:
For those coming via TTC to the theatre on Saturday (March 26), please note that the Yonge/University/Spadina subway line will not be running in either direction between Bloor and Union this weekend. If you usually travel on the Yonge line to Alumnae Theatre, you'll need to find a different route. Thanks, TTC.

Week Three: The Shows

LETTING GO by Neale Kimmel

Have you ever had to say goodbye to someone when you weren’t ready to let go? Lucy and Darryl discover a new meaning for attachment when they try their hardest to let go of each other.

NEALE KIMMEL, Playwright
Neale Kimmel is thrilled to be involved in the New Ideas Festival! Since completing her BFA in Acting (Honours) at the University of Windsor, she has performed in New York, Minnesota, and Montreal with the play How Does a Drug Deal Become a Decent Third Date? New to the world of playwrighting, Neale’s first play, Like Bees and Honey, was produced at the Toronto Fringe in 2010. It is currently being translated and will be produced in Holland in late 2011. Neale would like to thank you for coming to the festival to support new ideas and emerging artists.

Read the interview with Neale Kimmel on www.theatromania.ca

JOANNE WILLIAMS, Director
Joanne Williams is a director and actor who lives in Toronto. She directed Theory by Norman Yeung at the 2010 SummerWorks Festival after previously directing in Kingston: Beckett's Not I, The Vagina Monologues, and Half-life, a piece she wrote and designed. She co-created, directed, and performed in Ritual Refuge for the SummerWorks Performance Gallery in 2009. Acting credits include The Whores (Toronto & Hamilton Fringe 2010), A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, & A Prayer (V-Day Toronto), Veronika Decides to Die (Darkroom), and the experimental film Milo. Her main interest is new and devised work, and she works at Canadian Stage as the Artistic Coordinator.

BIOGRAPHIES, Cast:

RAZIE BROWNSTONE, Older Woman
A long time member of Alumnae Theatre, Razie Brownstone has worked on and off stage in many capacities: from actor to treasurer; costumes and props mistress; to producing and assistant stage managing. Professionally, she has appeared in movies, commercials, music videos, and has done video game voice-over. First love: Alumnae Theatre.

SARAH CODY, Lucy
Sarah Cody recently moved to Toronto after earning her BFA in Theatre from the University of Victoria. Notable performances have included The Birds & The Bees (RLJ Productions), Julius Caesar, Romeo & Juliet (Victoria Shakespeare Society), Dark of the Moon, La Ronde, and The School For Scandal (UVic’s Phoenix Theatres). In addition to acting, Sarah is also the Artistic Director and co-writer for Phone It In Productions, whose inaugural show will be seen in this year’s Toronto Fringe Festival.

ROBIN CUNNINGHAM, Darryl
Robin Cunningham is extremely happy to be returning to the stage after far too long. In the meantime, he has focused his attention on creating original film work and recently completed the short film Waken. He hopes that this is the start of a beautiful friendship.

FROM HERE TO THERE AND BACK AGAIN by Rosemary Doyle

For some, life is a highway. For others, it’s a streetcar track. A little play about two $3.25 rides there and back again.

BIOGRAPHIES, Creative Team:

ROSEMARY DOYLE, Playwright
Rosemary Doyle’s play Carl, Suzanne and the Taximan premièred at the Bread and Circus Theatre in January. In February, her play The Date was remounted as Another Date at No Sweetheart Required, and the Village Players premièred A Family Well Knit. With the première of From Here to There and Back Again, what a lovely start to the new decade.

CLIONA KENNY, Director
Cliona Kenny has been dabbling as an actor and director for many years with The Toronto Irish Players. Most recent directing gigs include Someone Who'll Watch Over Me, Juno and the Paycock, Translations, and The Hostage. Recent acting roles include Hannah in Lovers (ACTIIF, best actress) and Eileen in The Cripple of Innishmaan (ACTIIF, best actress). It is a great privilege to be part of the NIF. Thanks to Rosemary for giving me the job of directing her fab play, to a very talented and hardworking cast, and to Gina Taylor, the best SM this side of the Atlantic.

GINA TAYLOR, Stage Manager
This year, Gina Taylor is participating in her first NIF, and she is delighted to be working with Cliona Kenny (Director), Rosemary Doyle (Playwright), and the cast of From Here to There and Back Again.

BIOGRAPHIES, Cast:

JUSTYNE ESCUJURI, Katie
Born a Capricorn, Justyne Escujuri is infamous for being hardworking, unemotional, shrewd, practical, responsible, and persevering - in other words, people think she is a workaholic jerk. But in REALITY, she needs a lot of motivation to follow through with her goals at times. Justyne has been in love with the stage since she was enrolled in Cawthra Park Performing Arts School and in love with film since she was 8 years old. Her first workshop classes were at Toronto Academy of Acting and have expanded from there. Although laziness takes over sometimes, she always try her hardest in the thing she loves most: Theatre.

MATT JENSEN, Craig
Matt Jensen began acting at an early age in his hometown of Belleville, Ontario, appearing in various school productions and student films. He is a graduate of the Acting for Film and Television program at Niagara College, where he studied with Canadian actor Martin Doyle. He will soon be appearing on Rogers Television as the lead in a short film. Upon hearing about the New Ideas Festival, Matt was eager to audition and is happy to play the role of Craig in From Here to There and Back Again. Matt has recently been signed by a top agency in Toronto, and continues to hone his skills and pursue his career.

MACIEK KACIAK, Billy
Maciek Kaciak enjoyed reciting poems as a young lad. He appeared in two high school plays and one University of Waterloo play entitled Romeo You Idiot. After graduating, he talked about taking an acting class for fun. A few years later, he talked about trying out for community theatre. He got tired of being asked how the acting thing was coming along. Maciek will be performing the part of Billy in From Here to There and Back Again.

AINE MAGENNIS, Polly
Aine Magennis has recently returned home to Canada and the acting scene after gallivanting around Chile, Japan, and Ireland for the past 12 years. Most recently in 2009, Aine acted with Dublin's Dalkey Players, which landed her with a second place finish at the All Ireland One Act Festival, three best actress awards, and the honour of representing Ireland at the all British Finals. Aine is absolutely delighted to be part of the New Ideas Festival and involved in a such a great ensemble!

ANNE SHEPHERD, Mom
This year, Anne Shepherd appears in her second New Ideas Festival. Last year, she played a betrayed wife with the Village Playhouse in Tea for Two, and a 300-year-old witch in the movie Witch Slayer. As she has to play a well-balanced psychiatrist in her day-to-day life, she much prefers to play characters with a dark side. She is a vegetarian, has just taken up adult ballet, and her favourite actor is Tom McCamus. She has a private practice in the Annex, three grown sons, a husband who is a movie nut, and four cats. Namaste!

ELEGY FOR A LOST BOOKMARK by Nicholas Sgouros

Phil has lost his bookmark. When this lonely poet returns to the beach where he last had it, he meets Jane, another literary-minded soul with a sympathetic ear to lend.

NICHOLAS SGOUROS, Playwright
Nicholas Sgouros is a playwright, critic, and dramaturge originally from Indiana. He holds a BA in English from Ball State University and an MFA in Theatre from Ohio University, where he also taught playwriting for two years. His plays have been staged in Indiana, Ohio, Minnesota, and California. Other writings have appeared in FarWest Almanac, Paper Darts, and The Naskwaak Review. He currently lives in Toronto.

VALARY COOK, Director
Valary Cook has an Honours Specialist degree in Dramatic Arts (U of T) and, as drama teacher for many moons in the TDSB, directed musicals (Camelot, Peter Pan, Godspell, Into the Woods), plays (Midsummer Night's Dream, The Crucible) and regional and provincial award-winning Sears Festival entries. For New Ideas Festival, she has directed Deadman, The Secret Self-Loathing of Florence Nightingale and, last year, Catcher. She is most happy to be back.

BIOGRAPHIES, Cast:

DARREN HARRIS, Phil Osgoode
Born and raised in Oakville, Ontario, Darren Harris holds a Bachelor of Mathematics from University of Waterloo. However, his enduring love for music and performance, which began at age nine with formal piano lessons, has led him to forgo a successful career in technology to pursue acting and performance. Darren will also be appearing in the independent film The Bronze Detective set for release later this year, co-starring as Ken 'Bump' Jackson.

SARAH WILLIAMSON, Jane Lampert
Sarah Williamson is delighted to be a part of the New Ideas Festival and is very excited to be a member of the Elegy team. Sarah received her BFA in Acting from the University of Windsor. Since moving to Toronto, she has been seen both onstage and onscreen.

TWO WEEKS IN NORMANDY
Translated & adapted by David Nicholson from Villégiature by Henry Meilhac

How does a 1950's Parisienne tell a man his wife has left him? Maybe the same way he breaks the news about her husband . . .

DAVID NICHOLSON, Playwright/Adapter
David Nicholson has been involved with various facets of theatre in Whitehorse, Kingston, and Toronto, but is especially tickled at the enthusiasm Toronto audiences have shown his translations of Tartuffe (East Side Players) and Cyprienne (Village Players). He delights in giving new life to classic French comedies, including this one originally written by Henri Meilhac (librettist of Bizet’s Carmen) in 1894. Watch for a second Toronto production of his award winning translation of Tartuffe in September, 2011.

Read the interview with David Nicholson on www.theatromania.ca

ANNE HARPER, Director
Anne Harper has been involved with New Ideas as a Producer, Director, and Actor in the past few years, and now she's back as a Director. She recently directed The Lion in Winter for Amicus and A Family Well Knit at the Village Playhouse. Previous work for New Ideas includes The Gay Parrot, The Vigil Crasher, Eulalie, Faeries Inc, and Pearls. She enjoys the challenges and excitement of new works, so really appreciates being part of New Ideas and having such a great team to work with.

JESSICA HALLIS, Stage Manager
Jessica Hallis is thrilled to be involved in her first New Ideas Festival. A graduate of Queen's and York Universities, she has directed, produced and stage managed numerous productions. Selected productions include The Seagull, Floyd Collins, One Good Marriage, and A Dream Play. She would like to thank the rest of her Two Weeks team for all their hard work and good times. Enjoy.

BIOGRAPHIES, Cast:

LINZEE BARCLAY, Lucie
A graduate of the Acting Program at Dalhousie University and a native of Toronto, Linzee Barclay is thrilled to be involved in this years New Ideas Festival. Favourite past credits include The Memory of Water, Private Lives, Self Help, Urinetown!, and MacBeth. Having spent the last 2 years abroad in Australia, she is happy to be stomping the boards once more. Special thanks to Anne, David, Derek, and Jess for making this unique opportunity such a memorable one, and to Peggy Redmond for the constant guidance, love, and laughter. Hope you enjoy the works of so many talented emerging playwrights!

DEREK PERKS, Jacques
Derek Perks studied theatre at both the University of Windsor and Humber College. He currently takes Scene Study Intensives with acting coach Tom Toddaroff, and has been acting in Toronto for the last 3 years. His previous credits include David in My Darling Judith (Scarborough Theatre Guild), Louie in Lost in Yonkers (Theatre Etobicoke), and Don Carlos in A Flea in Her Ear (Amicus), for which he received a Thea nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy. Derek played Victor in Private Lives and was last seen as the Hound in The Real Inspector Hound - both for Alumnae.

MOON AND MURNA (Act I)* by Betty Jane Wylie†

An old bag lady picks up a young homeless man and takes him to her place for a quiet tea, talk, and terror.

BETTY JANE WYLIE†, Playwright
Betty Jane Wylie is a published, produced author and playwright with a D.Litt. (University of Manitoba) and an Order of Canada. She has published about three dozen books (everything but fiction), including plays, musicals, screenplays, biography, cookbooks, belles lettres, poetry, self-help, and childrens plays and puppet plays. She is a founding member of the Professional Association of Writers in Canada and of what is now called the Playwrights Guild of Canada, and a past chair of The Writers Union of Canada.

JEANETTE DAGGER‡, Director
Jeanette Dagger, director/singer/actor/teacher, has graduate degrees in both music performance and theatre. She has enjoyed a long career in opera and stage work, and has taught at the Canadian College of Performing Arts and the University of Windsor in both the music and theatre departments. She was also Artistic Director of Kingsville Repertory Players, a talented community theatre group. Jeanette is happy to be directing for Alumnae and especially to work with Canadian playwright Betty Jane Wylie.

BIOGRAPHIES, Cast:

CONOR HEFFERON, Moon
Moon and Murna is Conor Hefferon's debut with the Alumnae theatre, and he is very excited to be working with such a great crew. Having just finished working with Sue Morrison in Clown Through Mask, he is reassessing his life. Enjoy the show.

BRENDA SOMERS, Murna
Last year's NIF was particularly exciting for Brenda Somers. Not only did she appear in An Inked Heart, but she also saw her short play Pearls performed. She has previously appeared in NIF productions Insane Uncle Leroy, China 1949, The Letter, and Blood Suit. Other credits include the recently completed run of The Real Inspector Hound, as well as Pride and Prejudice. In 2008, her first writing effort, Waxing Lyrical, was a huge NIF hit. This success was due to the wonderful Lindsay Empringham, who will now and forever be missed by everyone fortunate enough to have known and/or worked with her.

†Betty Jane Wylie would like to acknowledge the support of the Ontario Arts Council through the Writers Reserve program for the development of Moon and Murna.

‡Appearing with the permission of Canadian Actors Equity Association

Go to: New Ideas Main Page

Go to: New Ideas Week 1

Go to: New Ideas Week 2

Go to: New Ideas Week 3

ALUMNAE THEATRE COMPANY
70 Berkeley Street, Toronto, ON M5A 2W6 • 416-364-4170
Email: contactus@alumnaetheatre.com
New Ideas: newideas@alumnaetheatre.com

Return to Top