I Am Marguerite

April 10-25, 2015

I Am Marguerite
by Shirley Barrie
directed by Molly Thom
starring Daniela Pagliarello, Chris Coculuzzi, Heli Kivilaht, Sara Price, Christopher Oszwald 

April 10-25, 2015, Alumnae Theatre Mainstage
Pre-show talk with Shirley Barrie April 12 @ 12:45.
Post-show talk-back with playwright, cast, director and designers April 19.
Approx running time 65 minutes
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1542: For choosing love over duty, Marguerite de Roberval was banished to the Isle of Demons off the north coast of Newfoundland. After two years on the desolate island and driven half mad by loneliness, hardship and memories, she now has a chance of rescue. Join us for the world première of this ORIGINAL play based on a true story in Canadian history.

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Watch the Video Trailer!

I Am Marguerite
Shirley Barrie writer
Molly Thom director
Starring Daniela Pagliarello, Chris Coculuzzi, Heli Kivilaht,
Sara Price, Christopher Oszwald
Ramona Baillie producer
Dale Stewart production associate
Marysia Bucholc set design
Peter DeFreitas costume design
Toni Hanson  costume design/wardrobe
Wesley McKenzie lighting design
Angus Barlow sound design
Kelsey Rutledge stage manager
Kimberly de Jong  assistant stage manager
James Langevin-Frieson composer
Gabrielle D'Angelo sound operator
Ayesha Mansur choreographer

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Naomi Priddle Hunter fight director
Susan Q. Wilson choral workshop assistance
Meg Moran assistant director
Razie Brownstone property master
Dave Casey head carpenter
Phil Laing set build
Su Martin set build
Mark Cope set painter
Fotini Paraschos set assistant
Donna Langevin casting host/catering
Sandy Schneider catering team
Bev Atkinson catering team
Victoria Shepherd reservations
Chloe Whitehorn marketing
Carina Cojeen audience development

Cast and Crew Bios

Bev Atkinson catering team
Bev loves the theatre and being a member of the Alumnae!  The camaraderie she’s experienced has enticed her to contribute to many opening night receptions and she fully expects to do so for seasons to come.

Ramona Baillie producer
Ramona writes for film, television and theatre.  Her film scripts have been produced in Canada, the U.S. and Europe and have won various film and screenplay awards.  Recent theatre credits include: Executive Producer A Woman of No Importance,  Producer Sylvia (Alumnae Theatre); Producer/Director Xmas Pageant & Spring Fashion Show (Heliconian Club); Writer A Little Happiness (Alumnae Theatre), You Have to Earn It (FireWorks Festival), I’m Still Here (New Ideas Festival/Central Alberta Theatre), Babies (Central Alberta Theatre); Writer/Director I’m Still Here & Drowning My Sorrow readings (Heliconian Club); Writer The Cape & Drowning My Sorrow readings (Alumnae Theatre).

Angus Barlow sound design
Angus is a freelance musician/engineer/sound designer who has been working with Alumnae Theatre for more than fifteen years. Sound designs for Alumnae include: Lettice and Lovage, Summer & Smoke, A Lie Of The Mind, Perfect Pie, Wit, Closer, A Delicate Balance, You Are Here, The Real Inspector Hound & After Magritte, Guinea Pigging, Rabbit Hole, A Woman of No Importance, The Lady is not for Burning, and now I am Marguerite .

Shirley Barrie writer 
Shirley co-founded the Tricycle Theatre in London, England, and Straight Stitching Productions in Toronto, and received two Chalmers and a Dora Award for Straight Stitching and Carrying the Calf, both produced by Straight Stitching Productions.  She has written many plays for both young and adult audiences.  Most recently:  Beautiful Lady, Tell Me…, (4th Line Theatre 2007), Queen Marie, (4th Line, 2012) and Measure of the World (Fireworks Festival, Alumnae Theatre, 2013).  She has worked on many projects with Molly and is delighted to have her bring Marguerite’s story to the Alumnae stage.   Shirley is a member and a Past President of the Playwrights Guild of Canada

Razie Brownstone property master 
Razie has occupied the chair of almost every Alumnae theatre department except the presidency.  There is wiggle room yet.  She has also occupied the stage.  Professionally she has specialized in the role of "the old lady" on screen, billboards and commercials.

Marysia Bucholc set design
Marysia has been designing sets for 15 years.  Recent credits include: Burying Toni (Alumnae Fireworks Festival, world premiere), You Have to Earn It (Alumnae Fireworks Festival, world premiere), The Killdeer (Alumnae), If We Were Birds (Randolph Academy), The Last Days of Judas Iscariot (Randolph Academy), Peggy’s Song (Montybaby Productions), After Magritte/The Real Inspector Hound (Alumnae).   She has also created set pieces for The Outsiders, Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet (Upper Canada Repertory Company).  She received a Dora nomination in 2006 for her design for Kafka and Son (Theaturtle). Marysia is currently an English language tutor at Centennial College, narrates and records books for the CNIB Library, designs and creates stained glass windows and rejoices in her wonderful family.

Dave Casey head carpenter
Dave is a professional contractor (houseandlotrenos.com), who has been involved in a number of Alumnae productions.  He was the carpenter for 2014’s Fireworks Festival productions of You Have to Earn It and Burying Toni, as well as the previous productions of The Killdeer and After Magritte/The Real Inspector Hound.  Before that he appeared onstage, acting in Alumnae’s production of Pride and Prejudice.    

Chris Coculuzzi Jean Francois, Sieur de Roberval
Chris has been involved in community, independent, educational, and professional theatre as a producer, director, performer, and playwright for over twenty years. For Alumnae he has participated as a performer and director for the New Ideas Festival and was Thomas Mendip in last season's production of The Lady's Not for Burning. Most recently he was seen as Linus Larrabee in Sabrina Fair and the title role in Cyrano de Bergerac, both for Amicus Productions. In addition to his many theatrical contributions, Chris works as a high school teacher for the Toronto District School Board

Carina Cojeen audience development
Carina has been volunteering with Alumnae since last April, when she was ASM on Rabbit Hole. Since then, she has taken on many backstage "roles" at Alumnae, as well as her first onstage role in New Ideas Festival in March (Friends with Benefits). She will be also be appearing in this year's InspiraTO festival (Waiting for Grace).

Mark Cope set painter
Mark is an artist living and working in Toronto, with a primary focus on painting and illustration. Past work has included design and photography, props and sets in film and theatre, cartooning and storyboards, murals, private commissions and sculpture. Common themes of history, evolution, astronomy and pop-culture remain prevalent in his work. Mark has been set painter on Blood Relations and Rabbit Hole recently at the Alumnae Theatre.

Gabrielle D'Angelo sound operator
Gabrielle has always had a passion for music, which led her to study music production and audio engineering at Metalworks Institute.  Since graduation, Gabrielle has worked independently as a studio, mix and live engineer. She has recently begun working in post-production and composition work for the stage. She has worked with Alumnae as the sound designer for their Fireworks Festival (2013-2014).

Peter DeFreitas costume design
Peter is a successful fashion designer in Canada and the U.S.  Designing for the Alumnae Theatre was at the request of his cousin who was producer for The Sisters Rosensweig by Wendy Wasserstein.  Other works for the Alumnae are Closer by Patrick Marber, February by Lisa Moore, Trojan Women adapted by Gwendolyn MacEwen and Guillaume Bernardi’s production of Progress of Love  by Alice Munro.  Also with Bernardi: Six Characters in Search of an Author by Pirandello, Duos by Anne Nenarokoff-Van Burek and Il Furiosi Baroque – Ensemble.  Their collaboration continued with productions of L'Isola Disabitata by Haydn, Through Roses by Mark Neikrug, and Il Nozze di Figaro by Mozart, all for Opera Frankfurt.    

Kimberly de Jong  assistant stage manager
Kimberly has been involved in theatre for just over eight years. She recently worked as ASM with The Fight (Humber Theatre), and has been heavily involved back stage in Theatre Ancaster community productions. Kimberly is a graduate from Humber's Theatre Production Program.

Toni Hanson costume design/wardrobe  
 Toni is making her debut in costume design with the Alumnae Theatre Company. Toni has concentrated on technical product development for the apparel industry, and has also worked as a costume builder and cutter. Favorite projects include building costumes for Total Recall (2012), and building costumes for various Cirque du Soleil shows while with Kelly Francis Costumes in Etobicoke. She has a Diploma in Creative Fashion Design from George Brown College (1997).  Toni is currently a Quality Control Associate at Kleinfeld Bridal in Toronto.

Heli Kivilaht Damienne 
Trained at New York’s Hagen/Berghoff Studios, Heli has appeared on stage, film, and TV in NYC, Estonia, and Toronto.  She continues to work as a theatre arts teacher while pursuing her own performing career.  Selected theatre credits:  Edna in Butley (The Courtyard Playhouse), Louise in The Channeller (Samuel Beckett Theatre), Jill in Orient Beach (American Playhouse Theatre), Mme Maute/Eugenie in Total Eclipse (TSP Studios), Beatrice in Servant of Two Masters (Columbus Centre Theatre), Mrs. Bradman in Blithe Spirit and Cissy in Quartet (The Village Players), Nora in Escape from Happiness (Alumnae Theatre). Heli is honoured to be back at Alumnae!

Phil Laing set build
Phil is a telecommunications tech.  With his past experience in construction working for houseandlotrenos.com, this is the second set for Alumnae that he has been able to help 
out on. 

James Langevin-Frieson composer
James, pianist for the National Ballet School, graduated from the Glenn Gould School of Music in 2003.  In 2014, he signed on with music licensing giant Premium Beat to record works by Chopin, Mozart, Elgar and Shostakovich. Several electronic works have also been published with Organic Music Library, GrooveDen, and Mibe Music. In 2015, Chilled Moods EP was released by Asnazzy Productions.  In the realm of theatre, James contributed recorded music for The Kreutzer Sonata (Fringe Festival, 2007), The Man with the Butterfly Hat (Alumnae Theatre NIF, 2011) and Welcome to Nuit Blanche (50+ festival, Ryerson Act 2 Studio, 2014). He is thrilled to be composing for I Am Marguerite.    

Donna Langevin casting host/catering
The author of four books of poetry, Donna’s short play The Man with the Butterfly Hat was performed in 2012 at Alumnae's New Ideas Festival, and her play Welcome to Nuit Blanche was produced by Act 2 Studio, Ryerson at the 50+ Festival in 2014. Violin for Sale, read at Alumnae' Big Ideas festival, 2014, was the recipient of an “Honorable Mentions” Stella Award from Act 2 Studio, Ryerson.  The Dinner won first place in the one-act play competition in the Eden Mills Writers’ Festival, 2014.  Auditions hostess and minutes taker for the Alumnae's New Play Development group, this is Donna’s debut in the food management department.

Ayesha Mansur choreographer
Ayesha is an actress and choreographer based in Toronto, Canada.  She is a graduate of both the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, and The City University of New York (BA Film Production).  Ayesha has appeared in several TV shows, films and on stage, in both New York and Toronto, and is especially proud of her own work, including her one-woman show BEFORE: the ramblings of a former dancer, and short film Friendly Fire.  She is Artistic Director of AMG Youth, a pre-professional performance and dance film program, and is currently teaching classes and workshops throughout Toronto.

Su Martin set build
Su is a landscape designer and owner of Queen Beez Garden Design.  "Loved volunteering my skills to assist Marysia's set design for this wonderful production."    

Wesley McKenzie lighting design
Wesley is a Toronto-based lighting designer. Previous lighting design credits include: Elvis’s Toenail (Toronto Irish Players); Assistant designer for Bella the Colour of Love (Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company); 2014 inspiraTO festival; The Three Muskateers (Lakeshore Collegiate Institute); The Beggar’s Opera (Theatre@York). Wesley has also worked as an assistant lighting designer with Canadian Stage. Wesley is looking forward to working as the resident lighting designer at the Classical Theatre Festival in Perth, Ontario this summer.

Meg Moran assistant director
Meg studied theatre at York University.  Directing credits include: You Can Ask Me How I’m Doing (Alumnae Theatre/New Ideas Festival) Here After (Upstart Theatre/The Toronto Fringe), The Seagull In Four Movements (Upstart Theatre).  Assistant directing credits include: Restoration (dir. David Storch), Laramie: 10 Years Later (dir. Anita La Selva).  Meg recently completed an Artistic Internship with Canadian Stage and is currently completing a second internship there in Dramaturgy.  Upcoming: Meg is a collaborator on DASH at the Paprika Festival in May.

Christopher Oszwald Eugene
Christopher graduated from York University's acting conservatory in 2014. Originally from Vienna, Austria, he came to Toronto to pursue an acting career in North America. Before coming to Canada, Christopher has appeared in several TV shows and short movies and is also the founding member of an award winning music-group called "No More Encore." At York, Christopher played Richard III, directed by Estelle Shook and Brink in Jim Cartwright's "ROAD" directed by Mark Wilson. Christopher is honoured to make his debut at Toronto's Alumnae Theatre and wants to thank the incredibly talented cast and crew for their hard work and dedication.

Daniela Pagliarello Marguerite de Roberval
Daniela (BFA York Acting 2013) is an emerging actor who starred as  Arturo Ui in Red Light District's critically acclaimed The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui. In a dramatic shift, she went from playing a maniacal tyrant to the visible personification of absolute perfection as Cecily in the Guild Festival's The Importance of Being Earnest. She has now taken on the role of Assistant Director for Buddies In Bad Time's 2016 production of Lulu, directed by Ted Witzel. She is thrilled to transform herself once again in the role of Marguerite de Roberval.

Fotini Paraschos set assistant
This is Fotini’s first time volunteering at Alumnae Theatre Company. She is a recent Ryerson graduate from the Theatre Production program. Ryerson Theatre School credits include: Prop Supervisor; House Head of Props, The Piper; Assistant Head Carpenter, Marathon 33; Head Carpenter, Clown (2011).

Sara Price Queen of Navarre
This is Sara’s first year performing on the mainstage at Alumnae Theatre Company, and she is very excited to be a part of it. She is a graduate of the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and has also studied with Equity Showcase Theatre. Credits include Would You Do It Again? (New Ideas Festival), The Dolphin Kick, His Best Friend, Metallica is the Last Straw, Daughters (InspiraTO Festival), The Sisters Rosensweig (Amicus), Alice in Wonderland (Village Theatre), Emma, The Queens, Scenes & Revelations (AADA), A Christmas Carol (Urban Theatre) and Cyrano de Bergerac (Gateway Theater)

Naomi Priddle Hunter fight director
Naomi has staged duels, brawls, murder and mayhem in over 50 productions, including The Incredible Murder of Cardinal Tosca (Scarborough Theatre Guild), Cyrano de Bergerac (Amicus Productions) and Simply Murder (Village Playhouse) in 2014-15. Last season was equally busy, with Dangerous Liaisons (Village Playhouse), Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde (Amicus) and Big Maggie (Toronto Irish Players). Past Alumnae productions include Hedda Gabler, Criminal Hearts, and Alarums & Excursions (New Ideas Festival/Toronto Fringe).

Victoria Shepherd reservations
Victoria made her directing debut with Alumnae Theatre’s Summer and Smoke.  Also for Alumnae:  New Ideas Festival (Celebrity, Hang The Jury and Really, Sort of, Almost Getting There), Big Ideas (Forgivenss, Divine Wrecks) and the upcoming August: Osage County.  Victoria has served as reservations manager for many Alumnae productions.

Dale Stewart production associate
Dale’s working life began with a decade in television production for CBC Toronto, interspersed with and eventually supplanted by a career as an actor/singer in theatre, concert and nightclubs.  Subsequent studies in piano and voice with RCM, WLU and the elegant Portia White led to teaching both privately and in Toronto schools. Currently, she attends creative writing classes at George Brown College and The Toronto New School of Writing.

Molly Thom director
Molly Thom has directed five other works by Shirley Barrie, including Beautiful Lady, Tell Me…for 4th Line Theatre. She is the author/director/producer of the much-loved play about Canadian pioneer writers, The Bush-Ladies, director/producer of The Gambler by Ronald Weihs for Beggarly Theatre/Artword Theatre, and is now the resident director of Shoestring Opera. For Alumnae she has directed many plays by women: Caryl Churchill's Fen and Top Girls, Pam Gems’ Camille, Timberlake Wertenbaker's The Love of the Nightingale, the Quebec collective La Nef des sorcières, and Cate Frid’s GuineaPigging. Her Toronto premiere of Carol Shields' Thirteen Hands appeared on the Best Of lists of the Toronto Star, NOW Magazine and CBC Radio.

Chloe Whitehorn marketing
A graduate of Queen’s University’s theatre program, Chloë Whitehorn is a playwright, actor, and underwater photographer. Chloë’s work often examines taboo moralities, tragic love, and the licentious desires and imaginative reasoning of human beings.  On stage she often winds up running a kingdom or going insane. Chloë also enjoys taking editorial style portraits and specializes in underwater photography.

Susan Q. Wilson choral workshop assistant
This is Susan’s first foray into the production side of Alumnae’s season. She has appeared on its stages as Dahlia Day in I’m Still Here!, Jean Rhys in After Mrs. Rochester, and the Mother in After Magritte. Other selected stage: Helen in Radical (Toronto Fringe 2014), Dowager Countess in Uptown Abbey (Mysteriously Yours), Edith Bouvier Beale in Jackie & Jack (Theatre Lab), First Witch in Macbeth (Hart House Theatre). Selected film: Esther, Senior Drivers (Dir: Gary Hayes); Granny, Route of Acceptance (Dir: Heather Tobin), Television: Eleanor Gavazzi, “The Lost Boy” (Paranormal Witness 3). Web: Maddie Miller, Out With Dad (Dir: Jason Leaver).