Jan. 19 - Feb. 3, 2018 |
Omissionby Alice Abracen
PRODUCED BY MARISSA OTTO DIRECTED BY ANNE HARPER January 19 - February 3, 2018 on the Mainstage Omission asks the question: is forgiveness and redemption possible? On the eve of a papal conclave, a young Canadian journalist interviews an ambitious, popular Latin American cardinal about his past activities during a period of disappearances under a military junta. When she agrees to turn her recorder off, they are forced to confront the ghosts that haunt them both. An edge-of-your-seat thriller written by emerging playwright Alice Abracen, Omission makes its world première exactly 100 years after Alumnae’s very first show. |
Special Events100th Anniversary Birthday Bash
January 19, 2018 at 6:30pm in the lobby Help us celebrate our 100 years of existence on opening night with balloons, cake and a world premier! Join past and present cast, crew and members to celebrate Alumnae Theatre Company’s 100 years of theatre productions and attend the inaugural performance of a new play. We're excited to be welcoming special guest, The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario. "Behind the curtain" Talk-backs January 21 & 28, 2018 following the Sunday matinee The lights go on, the curtain goes up and the play begins—but how does it all happen? Join the director, designers and cast for a look behind the curtain to reveal how the production is brought to life. |
Video Trailer by Nicolas Porteous
Click on the white arrow to view Video Trailer |
Photos by Bruce Peters
Artist Bios
Alice Abracen, Playwright
Alice is an emerging playwright enjoying her final year at the National Theatre School of Canada. She graduated from Harvard University in 2015 with a degree in English and Religious Studies. Her plays have been featured with the Harvard Radcliffe Dramatic Club, the Cape Town Women Playwrights’ International Conference, and the Montreal Fringe Festival. Omission, originally written as her Creative Thesis, was featured in the New Ideas Festival with Alumnae Theatre in 2016. She looks forward to a production of The Tour with the Chelsea BlackBox TheatreWorks in Boston in May, and her final piece at the National Theatre School will be featured in the Studio Hydro Quebec of the Monument National this spring. She is honoured and delighted to be featured in the Centennial Season of Alumnae Theatre.
Alice is an emerging playwright enjoying her final year at the National Theatre School of Canada. She graduated from Harvard University in 2015 with a degree in English and Religious Studies. Her plays have been featured with the Harvard Radcliffe Dramatic Club, the Cape Town Women Playwrights’ International Conference, and the Montreal Fringe Festival. Omission, originally written as her Creative Thesis, was featured in the New Ideas Festival with Alumnae Theatre in 2016. She looks forward to a production of The Tour with the Chelsea BlackBox TheatreWorks in Boston in May, and her final piece at the National Theatre School will be featured in the Studio Hydro Quebec of the Monument National this spring. She is honoured and delighted to be featured in the Centennial Season of Alumnae Theatre.
Anne Harper, Director
Anne Harper has directed several New Ideas productions at the Alumnae. She has also directed for The Village Playhouse, Amicus, East Side Players and Theatre Etobicoke. Thank you to Alice for a wonderful script and thank you to the cast and crew for being so dedicated, so talented and such fun to work with.
Anne Harper has directed several New Ideas productions at the Alumnae. She has also directed for The Village Playhouse, Amicus, East Side Players and Theatre Etobicoke. Thank you to Alice for a wonderful script and thank you to the cast and crew for being so dedicated, so talented and such fun to work with.
Gillian Reed, Cast
Gillian is a theatre and voice actor originally hailing from Kelowna, BC. In 2016, she received her Honours Bachelor Degree in Music Theatre Performance from Sheridan College and was the recipient of the Theatre Sheridan Mainstage Award for Outstanding Female Performance for her turn in Grand Hotel. Some favourite past performances include Into the Woods (Thousand Islands Playhouse), Atlantis (Canadian Music Theatre Project), My Fair Lady, and Nunsense (Kelowna Actors Studio). When she is not treading the boards, Gillian treads the streets of Toronto as a dog walker and pet care professional with All Dogs Pet Services.
Gillian is a theatre and voice actor originally hailing from Kelowna, BC. In 2016, she received her Honours Bachelor Degree in Music Theatre Performance from Sheridan College and was the recipient of the Theatre Sheridan Mainstage Award for Outstanding Female Performance for her turn in Grand Hotel. Some favourite past performances include Into the Woods (Thousand Islands Playhouse), Atlantis (Canadian Music Theatre Project), My Fair Lady, and Nunsense (Kelowna Actors Studio). When she is not treading the boards, Gillian treads the streets of Toronto as a dog walker and pet care professional with All Dogs Pet Services.
Lawrence Aronovitch, Cast
Lawrence is an award-winning playwright. Born in Montreal, he studied history and physics at Harvard University before starting a career in the U.S. and Canadian space programs. His plays, many of which touch on the themes found in "Omission," have been produced in Canada, the U.S., England and Ireland. Favourite roles as an actor include Juror 8 ("Twelve Angry Men") and Algernon ("The Importance of Being Earnest"). Lawrence has also served on the boards of the Ottawa Little Theatre and Evolution Theatre and is the former artistic director of Toto Too Theatre. His latest work, "Motherhood," was recently featured at Toronto Cold Reads.
Lawrence is an award-winning playwright. Born in Montreal, he studied history and physics at Harvard University before starting a career in the U.S. and Canadian space programs. His plays, many of which touch on the themes found in "Omission," have been produced in Canada, the U.S., England and Ireland. Favourite roles as an actor include Juror 8 ("Twelve Angry Men") and Algernon ("The Importance of Being Earnest"). Lawrence has also served on the boards of the Ottawa Little Theatre and Evolution Theatre and is the former artistic director of Toto Too Theatre. His latest work, "Motherhood," was recently featured at Toronto Cold Reads.
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Thomas O'Neill, Cast
Thomas is an actor/playwright who, after a very long absence, returned to the stage by way of community theatre. This is his first production at the Alumnae Theatre. Previous to this production, Thomas played Vanya in Christopher Durang’s, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at The Curtain Club Theatre. Thomas has appeared in pantomime as King Dom in Sleeping Beauty for the Nags Players and for Amicus Productions as The Prospector in The Madwoman of Chaillot, Friar Tuck in Robin Hood and as Will Hays in Shakespeare in Hollywood. Thomas portrayed George Frederic Handel in the East Side Players production of Joyful Noise as well as their production of Norm Foster’s Office Hours in the part of Warren Kimble and as Orgon in the Scarborough Theatre Guild production of Tartuffe. When not writing plays, blogging his website or acting in theatre, Thomas works as a television director and announcer. Thomas was an altar boy in the Archdiocese of Toronto. |
Andrea Irwin, Cast
Andrea Irwin - Laura Ballan-Kohn** Recently: Wake Up & Smell the Coffee (co-director - LowDown Theatre Company), The Hogtown Experience (Hogtown Collective), Proof (Theatre UnBlocked). With Alumnae Theatre: The Clean House (Lane), Blood Relations (The Actress/Lizzie), The Lady's Not For Burning (Jenette Jourdemayne) among others. Training: George Brown Theatre School and Queen’s University Drama. Other: Much thanks to The Family, cast and crew. **Appears courtesy of Canadian Actors' Equity Association.
Andrea Irwin - Laura Ballan-Kohn** Recently: Wake Up & Smell the Coffee (co-director - LowDown Theatre Company), The Hogtown Experience (Hogtown Collective), Proof (Theatre UnBlocked). With Alumnae Theatre: The Clean House (Lane), Blood Relations (The Actress/Lizzie), The Lady's Not For Burning (Jenette Jourdemayne) among others. Training: George Brown Theatre School and Queen’s University Drama. Other: Much thanks to The Family, cast and crew. **Appears courtesy of Canadian Actors' Equity Association.
Marissa Otto, Producer
Marissa is an actor and producer hailing from the northern shores of Lake Superior. She is thrilled to be working on her first production with Alumnae theatre. Recent Credits include: Mill on the Floss, The Long Christmas Dinner and Pericles Prince of Tyre (Theatre Erindale). Marissa is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto's and Sheridan College's joint theatre specialist program.
Marissa is an actor and producer hailing from the northern shores of Lake Superior. She is thrilled to be working on her first production with Alumnae theatre. Recent Credits include: Mill on the Floss, The Long Christmas Dinner and Pericles Prince of Tyre (Theatre Erindale). Marissa is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto's and Sheridan College's joint theatre specialist program.
Natalie Castellino, Associate Producer
Natalie has been involved in the Toronto arts community since 2007 acting and producing. Graduating with honours she earned a BFA from York University in Fine Arts and Photography while completing a mentorship with the Actors Repertory Company. She worked as a photo editor and video producer for various publications including The Grid, Fashion Magazine, Canadian Business, Strut and Money Sense. Natalie produced her first play with Alumnae in 2016 with Motherland. She is pleased to be part of the production team of Omission.
Natalie has been involved in the Toronto arts community since 2007 acting and producing. Graduating with honours she earned a BFA from York University in Fine Arts and Photography while completing a mentorship with the Actors Repertory Company. She worked as a photo editor and video producer for various publications including The Grid, Fashion Magazine, Canadian Business, Strut and Money Sense. Natalie produced her first play with Alumnae in 2016 with Motherland. She is pleased to be part of the production team of Omission.
Simone Goldberg, Stage Manager
Simone has always been involved in some kind of production whether it has been in Professional Theatre and or Community Theatre; her love for the art has remained constant. Her roles have varied working initially in Stage Management (National Arts Centre, Centre Stage Productions and Toronto Free Theatre) to performing in the CHAT Alumni musicals to producing and directing 6 musicals. Recently she finished work at Teatron Theatre as Assistant Director and it is her pleasure to work with Alumnae Theatre in this production of "Omission".
Simone has always been involved in some kind of production whether it has been in Professional Theatre and or Community Theatre; her love for the art has remained constant. Her roles have varied working initially in Stage Management (National Arts Centre, Centre Stage Productions and Toronto Free Theatre) to performing in the CHAT Alumni musicals to producing and directing 6 musicals. Recently she finished work at Teatron Theatre as Assistant Director and it is her pleasure to work with Alumnae Theatre in this production of "Omission".
Cleo Brown, Assistant Stage Manager
Cleo Brown is a film and television professional having worked in feature films, TV shows and commercials as a script supervisor in the Toronto area since 2015. She has written and directed a short film The Young Wife which is scheduled for release in 2018. This is her first foray into theatre as Assistant Stage Manager for Alumnae.
Cleo Brown is a film and television professional having worked in feature films, TV shows and commercials as a script supervisor in the Toronto area since 2015. She has written and directed a short film The Young Wife which is scheduled for release in 2018. This is her first foray into theatre as Assistant Stage Manager for Alumnae.
Wes Babcock, Lighting Designer
Wes Babcock is a Toronto-based writer, performer, and theatre designer. Recent design credits include How Do I Love Thee (Angels and Heroes, Halifax - Set), Bone Cage (Matchstick, Halifax - Set). He was selected as lighting design apprentice to Kimberly Purtell as part of Crows Theatre's Artist Cross Training Program in 2017. His most recent written work, Your Princess is in Another Castle, a play for two actors co-created with Nancy Kenny, currently in its second stage of development following a successful tour in 2017. You can find him on Instagram @wildrnesswes, or online at www.wesbabcock.com
Wes Babcock is a Toronto-based writer, performer, and theatre designer. Recent design credits include How Do I Love Thee (Angels and Heroes, Halifax - Set), Bone Cage (Matchstick, Halifax - Set). He was selected as lighting design apprentice to Kimberly Purtell as part of Crows Theatre's Artist Cross Training Program in 2017. His most recent written work, Your Princess is in Another Castle, a play for two actors co-created with Nancy Kenny, currently in its second stage of development following a successful tour in 2017. You can find him on Instagram @wildrnesswes, or online at www.wesbabcock.com
Teodoro Dragonieri, Set Designer
Teodoro is a multi-disciplinary artist and educator who has developed acclaimed programs for all levels of education. He has worked with arts organizations, cultural institutions, museums and theatre companies. Teodoro has served Indigenous communities, individuals with special-needs, at-risk and street-cultured youth. He has led workshops, given lectures and shown his own artwork internationally. He is artistic director of Zanni Arte, a company dedicated to promoting inter-disciplinary arts and fostering the use of masks, in theatre and education. He is the recipient of the Theatre Ontario Michael Spence Award and The Harold Award (from Toronto’s Independent Theatre and Dance communities.)
Teodoro is a multi-disciplinary artist and educator who has developed acclaimed programs for all levels of education. He has worked with arts organizations, cultural institutions, museums and theatre companies. Teodoro has served Indigenous communities, individuals with special-needs, at-risk and street-cultured youth. He has led workshops, given lectures and shown his own artwork internationally. He is artistic director of Zanni Arte, a company dedicated to promoting inter-disciplinary arts and fostering the use of masks, in theatre and education. He is the recipient of the Theatre Ontario Michael Spence Award and The Harold Award (from Toronto’s Independent Theatre and Dance communities.)
Ali Berkok Composer, Sound Design
Ali is a Toronto-based pianist, improviser and composer. His solo piano and electro-acoustic quartet project Aurochs have been documented and are available on the All-Set! Editions imprint. His compositions include Battleship Potemkin, and music for Arkana. He also maintains longstanding collaborations with the Mike Smith Company and Tova Kardonne. A multi-grant winning artist (Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council), Ali is also pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Toronto, where he researches multidimensional musical time.
Ali is a Toronto-based pianist, improviser and composer. His solo piano and electro-acoustic quartet project Aurochs have been documented and are available on the All-Set! Editions imprint. His compositions include Battleship Potemkin, and music for Arkana. He also maintains longstanding collaborations with the Mike Smith Company and Tova Kardonne. A multi-grant winning artist (Canada Council, Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council), Ali is also pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Toronto, where he researches multidimensional musical time.
