A touching drama by Judith Thompson
“I will not forget you, you are carved in the palm of my hand.”
Francesca is now a successful actress, but 30 years ago, she was an awkward girl named Marie, living in smalltown Ontario. Out of the blue, she receives a tape - and a homemade rhubarb pie - from Patsy, once her best friend, now a farmer's wife in the same small town. After such a long estrangement, they come together to rekindle their friendship and confront the terrifying incident which tore them apart. Renowned Canadian playwright Judith Thompson touches on the bonds of childhood friendship which reach across the years and miles.
“Judith Thompson hears the poetry of the inarticulate and the semi-literate . . . She frees her words to carry their wild, unruly, seeking spirits.” - Urjo Kareda
PAUL HARDY
- Director
Acting credits include: The Luminous Veil (Real Live Theatre, Fringe 2004), Showdown/How Can You Tell (Mixed Co.), A Midsummer's Night Dream (Allegoria Productions), Marvin's Room and 1949 (Amicus Productions). Paul has also designed lighting for Praxis Theatre's Eugene and Steel; Gizmette for Theatreworks; Portrait for Allegoria Productions; and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, A Lie of the Mind, The Real World?, Amy's View and Collected Stories for Alumnae Theatre. He has directed productions including The Evil That Men Do (Alumnae Theatre's New Ideas Festival 2002), Northern Lights (staged reading, New Ideas 2003), and Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind (Alumnae mainstage, 2004); Lanford Wilson's Burn This (Tuesday Prod.) and Sam Shepard's Geography of a Horse Dreamer for One Man Tag Productions, a company of which he was co-founder.
ANDY FRASER
- Patsy
Andy's recent Alumnae theatre credits include Moonlight and Valentino, Criminal Genius, The Real World?, Absurd Person Singular, Woman in Mind and The Real Thing. Other favourites outside of the Alumnae walls include The Uninvited Guest, Office Hours, Semi-Private, Rumors, I Hate Hamlet and Death Defying Acts. Andy has had some minor roles in independent films over the years but as she hasn't seen any of them and doubts very much that anyone else has either. Many thanks go to Paul for his thoughtful and caring direction, to Austin for his constant support, to Tracy for making sure we were taken care of, and to the very talented Heidi, Heather and Alison for their generosity. Finally, much love and special thanks to Jack, the greatest kid in the world.
KATHERINE ALISON PORTER
- Young Patsy
Alison is so pleased to be back at Alumnae for her second time. Her first production here was A Lie of the Mind, in which she played fiddle in the pit band. Other fiddle/theatre credits include playing for the Dora nominated productions Hank Williams: The Show he Never Gave (Lovesick Productions), Thy Neighbour's Wife (Unspun Theatre) and Art Is A Cupboard (The Sweat Company). Some favorite acting credits are Molly, in Fire (Bluewater Playhouse) and Louise in Always Patsy Cline (Bluewater Playhouse). Alison is also the creator/producer/co-writer of the vagina based comedy revue, Panties on Fire, and plays in the Alt-Country Band, Yonder, with fellow Alumnae Alumnus Zach Bennett.
HEIDI WEEKS
- Francesca
Heidi's many theatre credits include Doris in SameTime Next Year at Theatre Collingwood, and Titania in Acropolis Theatre's A Midsummer's Nights Dream. Her work in film and TV includes principal roles in the Canadian series This is Wonderland, Blue Murder and Peter Benchley's Amazon, and an appearance in the feature film Loser, directed by Amy Heckerling.
ALUMNAE THEATRE COMPANY
70 Berkeley Street
Toronto, Ontario • M5A 2W6
Phone: 416-364-4170
Email: contactus@alumnaetheatre.com