August: Osage County

April 8 - 23, 2016

​August: Osage County
by Tracy Letts

April 8-23, 2016
Directed by Victoria Shepherd

When the family patriarch vanishes, the Westons return to rural Oklahoma to care for their afflicted, manipulative mother. Winner of the 2008 Pulitzer Prize, Tracy Letts’ darkly comic drama August: Osage County is a harrowing epic that puts the “fun” in “dysfunctional”.

Watch the Video Trailer!

Special Events
"Designing August: Osage County"
Pre-show and Snacks: 
Sunday, April 10, 2016
12 noon- 1 pm

Meet the director and designers of August: Osage County as they reveal the intricate process of collaboration, transforming the words of the script into the magic of the stage with set, lighting, sound and costume design. 

Come to the theatre lobby at 12 noon on Sunday, April 10, and be treated to a snack and coffee or tea and what are sure to be interesting insights. Stay to see the "pay what you can" matinee or come for a stand-alone opportunity. Don't miss it!

​August: Osage County

PRODUCTION TEAM:
​Director: Victoria Shepherd
Producers: Ellen Green and Barbara Larose
Asst. Director: Liz Best
Stage Manager: Liz Currie
ASM: Carina Cojeen
Set Design: Alexis Chubb
Costume Design:Peter DeFreitas, Trish Worrall, Toni Hanson
Lighting Design: Jamie Sample
Music & Sound Design: John Stuart Campbell
​Master Carpenter: Brent Shepherd
Properties: Razie Brownstone
Fight Choreography: Ryan Armstrong

CAST (in alphabetical order):
Kathleen Jackson Allamby, Karen Weston
Andrew Batten, Sheriff Deon Gilbeau
Neil Cameron, Little Charles Aiken
Rob Candy, Charles Aiken
Paul Cotton, Bill Fordham
Marie Carriere Gleason*, Violet Weston
Thomas Gough, Beverly Weston
Pearl Ho, Johnna Monevata
Melinda Jordan, Jean Fordham
Andrea Lyons, Ivy Weston
Carol McLennan, Mattie Fae Aiken
Kelly-Marie Murtha, Barbara Fordham
Chris Peterson, Steve Heidebrecht
*Appearing by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association

Production Team Bios

Victoria Shepherd, Director
Victoria Shepherd is delighted to return to the Alumnae Theatre Company with August: Osage County, having made her mainstage directorial debut with Summer and Smoke.  She has since directed for several New Ideas and Big Ideas Festivals at Alumnae.  It is an honour and a privilege to stage Tracey Letts’ astonishing play with this remarkably talented company.

Ellen Green,  Producer
Ellen has directed musicals and comedies including favourites Little Shop of Horrors, Anything Goes, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Harvey, Into the Woods and Noises Off.  She has enjoyed various roles at the Alumnae Theatre Company and with the Village Playhouse including directing, assistant directing, and assistant stage managing. Ellen is very happy to be producing once again, this time for August: Osage County with Barbara Larose. 

Barbara Larose, Producer
Barbara studied theatre at Concordia University in her home town of Montreal.  In addition to producing theatre, she is an experienced director, actor, dramaturge, and acting coach. Her recent producer credits at the Alumnae Theatre include The Lady’s Not for Burning, Cosi, and Closer.  

Liz Best, Assistant Director
Liz is an actor, director and playwright, appearing in commercials, film and television roles in Canada and the U.S. She was nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Female Performance in a TV series for her work on Meet The Family.  Two of her plays have been selected for Alumnae’s Fireworks and New Ideas Festivals.  She’s thrilled to be embarking on her next adventure as general manager of Plain Stage Theatre Company, offering performance opportunities to aspiring actors.

Liz Currie, Stage Manager
This is Liz's second mainstage show as stage manager with Alumnae, and she couldn't be happier to be returning with August! Past stage manager credits include:  Stepping Out (Alumnae), A Christmas Carol (Curtain Call Players), Sizzle and Spin (Plan A Productions), Sabrina Fair (Amicus), (En)Lightning (New Ideas Festival). Although not seen on stage, she always feels a part of the show family, and she wants to thank the entire cast and production staff for this wonderful opportunity! Thanks to all the friends and family who support me!

Alexis Chubb, Set Designer
Alexis is happy to be working with Victoria and the Alumnae Theatre Company on August: Osage County.  Alexis has also worked with Victoria on Sabrina Fair, Scotland Road, Moonlight and Magnolias, and The Tale of the Allergist's Wife with Amicus Productions and on Queen Milli of Galt, and Real Estate at the Village Playhouse. Enjoy the show.

Peter DeFreitas, Costume Design
Peter has created a successful career as a fashion designer in Canada and the U.S.  His theatre design work at Alumnae includes Divine Wrecks by Chloë Whitehorn (NIF), I Am Marguerite by Shirley Barrie, and with with director Guillaume Bernard: Six Characters In Search Of An Author and Duos.  He has designed for Opera Frankfurt including L’isola Disabitata by Haydn; Through Roses by Mark Neikrug; and Il Nozze Di Figaro by Mozart.  

Toni Hanson, Costume Design
Toni has concentrated on technical product development for the apparel industry, and has also worked as a costume builder and cutter. Favourite projects include building costumes for Cirque du Soleil. Most recently, she has designed with Peter DeFreitas on I Am Marguerite and as a trio with Peter and Trish Worrall on the Fireworks Festival 2015 for the Alumnae Theatre. She has a Diploma in Creative Fashion Design from George Brown College (1997).  Toni is currently a quality control specialist at Kleinfeld Bridal in Toronto. ​

Trish Worrall, Costume Design
Trish is a product designer for a large North American giftware company. After completing her degree in fashion design at Sheridan College, she has worked as a production manager and accessory designer with some of Canada's premiere clothing companies. Trish loves to create and make “one of a kind” leather bags and clothing.  She is thrilled to have the opportunity to use this passion and knowledge for costume design with the Alumnae Theatre Company.

,Jamie Sample Lighting Design
Jamie is a freelance lighting designer and technical director based in Toronto. He is a founding member and current Production Manager of Theatre Symbiosis. For Alumnae Theatre: For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again (lighting design), New Ideas Festival 2008-2010 (technical direction). Selected other credits: Sabrina (Amicus), Scotland Road (Amicus), The Allergists’ Wife (Amicus, Thea nomination), The Honour Killings (Avenal Players), Exposure (Theatre Symbiosis), Real Estate (The Village Playhouse). 

John Stuart Campbell, Music and Sound Design

Razie Brownstone, Properties
A long-time member of Alumnae Theatre, Razie has served in many capacities - treasurer, ASM, head of the costume department, head of props, light operator, costume designer as well as actress. Doing what we love and sharing our love of theatre with others is what Alumnae Theatre is all about.

Cast Bios

Kathleen Jackson Allamby, Karen Weston
A Chicago native, this is Kathleen's fourth Alumnae production. Selected credits include Blood Relations, You Have to Earn It! , and February (Alumnae), Mr. Pim Passes By (Village Playhouse), A Month in the Country, The Voysey Inheritance (Amicus), and The Children’s Hour (Encore Productions). Film credits include TIFF selected A Small Thing (Girlboy Productions). Produced plays include: Glory’s Grace (Entertainment by Demand at Theatre Passe Muraille), The Secretary Pool and A Fair Play (Mary-Arrchie Theatre, Chicago).

Andrew Batten, Sheriff Deon Gilbeau
Andrew is happy to be back on the Alumnae stage after a few years' break.  Previous Alumnae appearances include A Woman of No Importance, Gloria’s Guy, Sylvia, Hedda Gabler, The Memory of Water and Lady Windermere’s Fan.  Thanks to Debbie, friends and family, and the Morning Hosts, Marty and the T-Bone, for all their love and support over the last several months.

 Neil Cameron, Little Charles Aiken
As a writer/performer: The Effects of Time Travel on Neurotic Homos, The Man on My Face, The Popcorn Show (Toronto Fringe), My First Moustache (Bus Stop Theatre, Halifax) and Where the Boys Are (3 Yrs.,Buddies in Bad Times Theatre).  Acting credits include Him (Glen Morris Theatre), Assassins (Markham Theatre), Naomi in the Living Room (The Studio Space) and The Office Jerk (Toronto Shorts Film Fest).  As a writer/director: Stray Witness (Inside Out Film Festival).  Special thanks to Patrice and Christian.

Rob Candy, Charlie Aiken
For Alumnae: Blood Relations, Radical, The Lady's Not for Burning, The Killdeer, The Real Inspector Hound/After Magritte, and Delicate Balance, as well as New Ideas Festivals. Other credits include Mr. Pim Passes By, Strictly Murder, Dangerous Obsession, The Price, Ravenscroft, The Heiress, The Winslow Boy (Village Playhouse); The Glass Cage (Snowdrop Productions); Richard III, Midsummer Night's Dream (Hart House Theatre); Lysistrata, Romeo and Juliet, As You Like It (Canopy Theatre); Piecing Together Pauline (Fringe Festival); and Borrowed Time (film, Mind Refinery).

Paul Cotton, Bill Fordham
Paul is excited to be doing his third production at the Alumnae Theatre. Other favorite roles include Felix Unger in The Odd Couple (Scarborough Players) and Christian in Cyrano de Bergerac (Amicus Productions). Paul would like to thank the wonderful and talented ensemble cast, the hard working and intuitive director and the dedicated crew.

Marie Carriere Gleason*, Violet Weston
​Marie is very happy to be back at the Alumnae Theatre.  She recently appeared in the short films A Monk Walks Into A Bar and Momemo. In theatre she has played Mrs. Budge in James Reaney’s The Kildeer, Amanda in Private Lives, Harriet in Key For Two, Mrs. Soames in Our Town, the Player Queen and Gertrude in  Hamlet as well as eight different women in her one-woman show First Woman Plural with which she toured Fringe Festivals in North America. *Appearing by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.

Thomas Gough, Beverly Weston
Thomas was first on stage at the age of five. In the last few months he has appeared as
Polonius in Hamlet at the Hart House Theatre, as Louis de Rougemont in Shipwrecked at the Grand
Theatre, Kingston, in the first Kick and Push Festival, as Andrew Borden in Blood Relations at the
Alumnae Theatre, and as Don Grey in Human Furniture at the Storefront Theatre. He has worked with
several Toronto independent theatre companies, including Soupcan Theatre, Single Thread Theatre,
Safeword Theatre, and Thought For Food Theatre. He also does film, television, and recording work.

Pearl Ho,  Johnna Monevata
Pearl is ecstatic to make her debut with Alumnae Theatre in August: Osage County. Recent credits include TV series Motives & Murders and See No Evil as well as roles onstage and offstage with Scarborough Music Theatre and Scarborough Players. She studied on-screen acting at Armstrong Acting Studios and theatre at The Second City. In addition to acting, she also continues to train in singing. Much love to the cast, crew and artistic staff of this beautiful production.

Melinda Jordan, Jean Fordham
Melinda is thrilled to be making her Alumnae Theatre debut. Melinda is a classically trained actor with a degree from the conservatory program at AADA NYC. She is a former company member of Killer Stage Ensemble. Recent Toronto credits include Tilly Evans in the DnD epic She Kills Monsters and The F Word. Prior to that, Melinda spent two years as ASM with Jubilations Dinner Theatre Edmonton. Favourite roles include Jo in The Lady From Dubuque and Jo in Little Women. Melinda also enjoys singing and hip hop dance. Many thanks to my family and BAS for the inspiration.

Andrea Lyons,  Ivy Weston
Andrea was last seen at Alumnae in Surrender Dorothy, part of the 2015 New Ideas Festival. This past year she performed her solo clown turn Rabbits at the Toronto Festival of Clowns and played a Christmas reindeer at Solar Stage Children's Theatre.  For 11 seasons, she has been the voice of Trixie Dixon, Girl Detective in the podcast series Black Jack Justice with the award-winning Decoder Ring Theatre. 

Carol McLennan,  Mattie Fae Aiken
Carol is thrilled to be part of August: Osage County working with this talented cast and crew. She last appeared on this stage as Margaret in Fry’s The Lady’s Not for Burning. She has also performed there in Albee’s A Delicate Balance, Wilde’s Lady Windermere’s Fan and in a number of plays in the New Ideas Festival. Other appearanceS include: Waiting for Grace (InspiraTO), Dust Motes Dancing (Act 2 Studio Works), A Month in the Country and The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife (Amicus), The Heiress and The Winslow Boy (Village Playhouse). Love and thanks to Peter, my most loyal supporter.

​Kelly-Marie Murtha,  Barbara Fordham
Kelly-Marie is a busy Toronto-based actor/director.  She has film projects in the works as writer/director – one of which will team her with Canadian actress Tonya Lee Williams, and a theatre project based on the art installation The Baggage Project.  She is very pleased to be part of the amazing cast and crew of August: Osage County. This makes her fourth appearance at Alumnae, where she was most recently seen in the role of Rose Levine in last year’s Fireworks Festival production Radical.

Chris Peterson,  Steve Heidebrecht
​​Chris is proud to be gracing the Alumnae mainstage as part of Tracy Letts’ amazing play. In the past years, he has returned to his longtime love of acting after a 10-year absence and made his Toronto debut last fall with Scarborough Players' Alone Together and his Alumnae debut in March with the New Ideas Festival. He studied at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in NYC, and has been in a number of plays and film/TV projects. Chris can next be seen in May as part of Plain Stage Theatre Company’s Sorry, Wrong Number and The Hitch-Hiker.