By Norm Foster
Director Max Reimer
Set Designer Sean Mulcahy
Stage Manager
Barbara McLean Wright
Costume Designer Julia Holbert
Assistant Director Troy Defour
Lighting Designer Siobhán Sleath
Assistant Stage Manager Jeff Soucy
The Cast (in alphabetical order)
Susie Burnett................................................................................Rita
Tyrell Crews......................................................................Sean Merrit
Rebecca Gibian.........................................................................Janine
Helen Taylor.......................................................................Mary Ellen
Karen Wood....................................................................................Vi
HALFWAY THERE is staged by arrangement with Pam Winter, GGA, www.ggagency.ca
HALFWAY THERE was first produced by the Foster Festival in St. Catharines, ON in August, 2016. The video or audio recording of this performance by any means is strictly prohibited.
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Our EPIC Summer Camps give like-minded youth a chance to have fun, make lasting friendships, and build life-skills while learning about the exciting world of live theatre in a fun, safe and welcoming environment.
DATE | Monday, July 29 to Friday, August 2
Ages: 6 – 13
the cast (in
alphabetical order)
Susie Burnett (Rita)
Drayton Entertainment: Brighton Beach Memoirs, Run For Your Wife, Murder at the Howard Johnson’s, Who’s Under Where?, On Golden Pond, The Heiress, One For the Pot, The Mousetrap. Other Theatre (selected): Chapter Two, Screwball Comedy, (Stage West Calgary); Clown in The 39 Steps (Grove Theatre); Darlene in the world premiere of Hurry Hard (Lighthouse Festival Theatre); The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival); two seasons with the Stratford Festival including Blithe Spirit; four seasons with The Shaw Festival including The Coronation Voyage Susie is thrilled to be returning to Drayton Entertainment with this heartwarming and hilarious show!
Tyrell Crews (Sean Merrit)
Drayton Entertainment: A Few Good Men. Other Theatre: Noises Off, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, One Man Two Guvnors (Theatre Calgary); King Lear (Bard On The Beach); Disgraced (Alberta Theatre Projects); Pride and Prejudice (National Arts Centre); Merchant Of Venice, Three Musketeers (Stratford Festival); Major Barbara (American Conservatory Theater); The 39 Steps, Clue, Deathtrap (Vertigo Theatre); Lucky in Waiting For Godot (Black Radish Theatre). Film/TV: Horses of McBride (CTV), Hell On Wheels (AMC); Heartland (CBC); Wynonna Earp (Sci-Fi). To my loves, Adelaide and Cynthia.
Rebecca Gibian (Janine)
Drayton Entertainment: Perfect Wedding. Other theatre (selected): Open House (Infinitheatre); Paradise Lost (Centaur Theatre, META nom. best supporting actor); Clean Slate (Talisman Theatre, META best ensemble); two seasons at the Shaw Festival; Directing - The Flick (Centaur Theatre produced by Persephone Productions); Pool No Water (Segal Studio produced by Persephone Productions); All Shall Be Well (Repercussion); Indecent, (Ass’t., Studio 180); The Wolves (Ass’t., Howland). Film/TV: Indéfendable (TVA); Sex/Life (Netflix); Blue Moon (Illico). Rebecca Gibian was recently appointed artistic director of Persephone Productions Montreal, a theatre company dedicated to emerging artists with an over-20-year history, and artistic associate at Centaur Theatre.
Helen Taylor (Mary Ellen)
Drayton Entertainment: Looking. Other Theatre (selected): 12 seasons with Shaw Festival, including Lulu, The Plough and the Stars, Afterplay, You Never Can Tell. Over 80 productions across Canada, including Much Ado/Measure for Measure (Shakespeare in High Park); Same Time, Next Year (Lighthouse Festival); God of Carnage (Theatre Calgary); Twelfth Night (Citadel Theatre); The Cherry Orchard (Tarragon Theatre); Fire (Theatre Passe Muraille). TV/Film: Painkiller, Murdoch Mysteries, Anne With an E. Helen received a Dora Award for her performance of the alcoholic mother in Wrecked for Roseneath Theatre, which toured Toronto high schools. For four years she was the voice of Volvo for radio/TV ads.
Karen Wood (Vi)
Drayton Entertainment: Sweet Delilah Swim Club, All Shook Up, Ladies Foursome, Too Many Cooks, Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, Perfect Wedding, See How They Run, Oliver!, Damn Yankees, Vaudeville. Other Theatre: Danny and Delilah (Foster Festival); The Birds and the Bees (Lighthouse/STC); James and the Giant Peach (YPT); Addams Family (Neptune Theatre). Karen was directed by George F. Walker in his play The Ravine (LTP). Karen spent eight seasons at the Stratford Festival and 10 seasons at the Shaw Festival. She was dramatic coach at the Centre for Opera Studies in Italy.
the creative team
Max Reimer (Director)
Drayton Entertainment: Norm Foster plays: The Men’s Foursome (2017, 2007, 2006), Office Hours. Other Theatre: Norm Foster plays: The Ladies Foursome (Regina’s Globe); The Last Resort (Globe, Theatre Aquarius); The Love List (Vancouver Playhouse, Aquarius); Opening Night (Aquarius); The Long Weekend (Port Dalhousie, Aquarius, Grand Theatre Kingston); Looking (Aquarius); Office Hours (Guelph River Run, Aquarius); Jasper Station (Thousand Islands, Aquarius); Self Help (Stage West, Aquarius); The Foursome (Stage West, Aquarius). Max has directed over 200 other plays by other writers, such as Strawberries in January (Aquarius) featuring actor Norm Foster, and Come Blow Your Horn (Aquarius) by Neil Simon, USA’s Norm Foster.
Sean Mulcahy (Set Designer)*
Drayton Entertainment (selected): Evita, Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, A Few Good Men, Blue Champagne. Other Theatre (selected): Costumes for Bend It Like Beckham: The Musical (Starvox); set for Gloria: A Life (HGJT/Obsidian). Awards: Guthrie and The Tom Patterson Award (Stratford Festival), 3 Merritt awards for Outstanding Design (Theatre Nova Scotia), Best Group Costume Design (PRIDE Toronto), Pauline McGibbon Award, shortlist (2011), Laureate of the prestigious Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Award for Costume Design (OAC/OAF, 2020). Sean is a graduate and MFA candidate of York University, a member of the Associated Designers of Canada, IATSE 659, and a design instructor at Toronto Metropolitan University. Special thanks to the team at The Talent House for their support. www.seanmulcahydesign.com
Julia Holbert (Costume Designer)
Drayton Entertainment: Beehive, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, The Sweet Delilah Swim Club, You’ll Get Over It … The War Show (2019), The Rain Maker (2018), Out of Order (2018), Office Hours (2017). Other Theatre: Costume Designer: The Haunting of Hungerford (Tweed & Co., 2019); Stalkyard Hurts (Tweed and Co., 2015). Associate Designer: Wendy and Peter Pan (Stratford Festival, 2024); Assistant Designer: Henry VIII, Mother’s Daughter, Nathan the Wise (Stratford Festival, 2019); Macbeth (Stratford Festival, 2016); She Stoops to Conquer (Stratford Festival, 2015). Film/TV: Reacher Season 1 and 2 (Amazon Prime; Costume Assistant).
Siobhán Sleath (Lighting Designer)*
Drayton Entertainment: Steel Magnolias, The Sweet Delilah Swim Club, Sexy Laundry, The Ladies Foursome, The Men’s Foursome, It Runs in the Family, Unnecessary Farce. Other Theatre: Witness for the Prosecution, Horse and His Boy, Wilde Tales (Shaw Festival); The Hobbit (Adirondack Theatre Festival); Ring of Fire, Steel City Gangster (Theatre Aquarius); Ann (Arkansas Rep Theater); Figaro’s Wedding (Against the Grain); The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (Alberta Theatre Projects); Wow Factor: A Cinderella Story (Canadian Opera Company); Brighton Beach Memoirs (Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company). For more information: www.siobhansleathdesign.com
*Indicated designers on this production are represented by the Associated Designers of Canada, IATSE Local ADC659.
Troy Defour (Assistant Director)
Drayton Entertainment: Assistant Director for Kinky Boots (2023). Other Theatre (selected): Homiesexuals (NYC Fresh Fruit Festival); Don’t Judge Me - A Short Kink Opera (Tisch/AOP); Borderless (Loose Tea Music Theatre 2021); Black Father Black Son (Loose Tea Music Theatre); MAZE (American Opera Projects 2022). Director: True Dating Stories (FUSE TV, CBC Gem, 2021); Love, Black Love - A Concert (SITC Musical Productions, 2022); birthday, birthday, birthday (Columbia New Plays Festival, Assistant Director, 2022); Opera Makers (Canadian Opera Company, Short Documentary, 2023); Nightingale of A Thousand Songs (Canadian Opera Company - Observing Director 2023). Troy is a writer and director of musical theatre and opera whose works often encompass the myriads and perspectives of Black life.
Barbara McLean Wright (Stage Manager)
Drayton Entertainment (selected): Death of a Salesman, Legends of Rock and Roll (2016, 2015, 2007), Canadian Legends (2016, 2015), Anne of Green Gables, I’ll Be Back Before Midnight, Sorry I’m Canadian. Other Theatre: Rock Of Ages (More Entertainment, Elgin Theatre); Drinking Alone (Upper Canada Playhouse); The Little Mermaid (Capitol Theatre, Moncton); Miracle on 34th St (Theatre Northwest). Personal: Upcoming: The Thanksgiving Play (Mirvish). As always, Barb thanks her family and friends for their never ending love and support.
Jeff Soucy (Assistant Stage Manager)
Drayton Entertainment: Debut. Other Theatre: The Effect (Coal Mine Theatre): The Death of Walt Disney, No Save Points (Outside The March); Mamma Mia! (Tweed & Co); Les Zinspiré.e.s 11, Le club des éphémères (TfT); très loin (BoucharDanse); Sweeney Todd, She Visits, Pal Joey (TIFT); Heroine (TNB). Jeff is a proud graduate of the Randolph College for the Performing Arts and recipient of their Triple Threat Award and the Governor General Academic Medal.
Norm Foster (Playwright)
Norm Foster has been called Canada’s preeminent comic playwright, and he is also one of the most prolific and most produced of all Canadian playwrights. Halifax Chronicle-Herald columnist Ron Foley writes, “Foster’s stage writing remains one of Canada’s greatest theatrical treasures”, and The Calgary Herald describes him as “one of the funniest writers of intelligent comedy in Canadian theatre today”. Mr. Foster has close to forty plays to his credit including Ethan Claymore, The Foursome, The Melville Boys, The Affections of May, Wrong For Each Other, Jasper Station (with Steve Thomas), The Last Resort (with Leslie Arden), The Love List, Outlaw, Jenny’s House of Joy, and Mending Fences. He is the recipient of the Los Angeles DramaLogue Award for his play, The Melville Boys, and he was recently honoured with an award from Theatre Ontario for his “distinguished service to Ontario’s theatre community.”
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