Shaw Magazine, Summer 2023

MAGAZINE FOR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS SUMMER 2023

Season

Spiegeltent is a Dutch word which translates as 'mirror tent'. This rare structure was recently erected on the Festival Theatre Grounds as a home for plays and concerts this summer. It is a hand-hewn pavillion, built from wood, cut mirrors, canvas, leaded glass and detailed in velvet brocade. Also called a Magic Mirror, these tents, originally from Belgium, have been used as travelling dance halls since the early 20th century.

Editor: Marion Rawson

Design: Key Gordon Communications

Production photography: David Cooper Photography

Backstage and outdoor photography: Peter Andrew Lusztyk

Spiegeltent photography: Andrew Broderick

Cover: Kiana Woo and Qasim Khan in Prince Caspian

TOGETHER AGAIN

Jackie Maxwell, Artistic Director Emerita (2003-2016) and Eda Holmes, former Associate Artistic Director (2009-2017) are reunited at the Shaw Festival, directing The Playboy of the Western World and The Apple Cart, respectively. They graciously agreed to sit down and record a conversation for the magazine. As you read this, picture two old friends, reminiscing and catching up over a glass (or two!) of wine.

Jackie Maxwell

Eda Holmes

EDA:

Here we go. It’s Jackie Maxwell and Eda Holmes for the magazine. The old partners in crime are together again for the first time since…

JACKIE:

It’s been quite a while. In March of 2020 I was here to direct Playboy. It was my first time back after having left as AD. And just about two weeks in, we got the call that there was this pandemic. At first, they said it wouldn't be long, so we just hung out in our apartments. As you know, that was not the case. Then we went on Zoom – I think we were some of the earliest ‘zoomers’ – but obviously it was not going to happen. I went home thinking, “I didn’t get to do that play, which I love, with people that I love, in a theatre that I love.” I was really, really sad. I’m thrilled that TC [Tim Carroll] decided to give Playboy another go. It’s funny, when I used to direct at The Shaw, my executive assistant,

poor Janet Hanna, would be standing outside the rehearsal door waiting so she could give me the long list of things that needed to be discussed or dealt with or whatever. Now, of course, I just kind of…

EDA:

You go and bother Janet!

JACKIE:

Ha, ha! Can you imagine? No, I just skip happily out the door.

EDA:

It’s funny that you mention March 2020, because that was originally when we were both supposed to be back. I had just closed my theatre, Centaur Theatre. In Montreal, the public health mandate came

down on the 13th and I had to shut down a very popular show. And when I came to The Shaw for my first day of rehearsal for The Devil’s Disciple , everybody had been told not to shake hands or spend too long in the building, which meant we didn’t do a read through. I did the design presentation by myself, then we went home and by the time we got home we weren’t allowed to leave our houses. That’s when we started the Zoom thing.

JACKIE:

And that’s when you and I started our daily walks on The Commons. We would walk and ask each other, “What do you think is going to happen now?” And of course…

EDA:

After two weeks, it was clear that nothing was going to happen, so I went back home.

JACKIE:

I was practically weeping in The Commons car park as you drove away.

EDA:

We rehearsed The Devil’s Disciple online for six weeks. Then it was over, and I thought, “That’s it.” But the next summer, TC said that they were going to do a season which I thought was crazy, but sure enough, The Shaw did a season. Just as I was coming to Niagara, things got worse again. I think TC and I were thinking along similar lines, because I was going to call him and say, “Can we do it in the yard? Can we do it in The Commons?” But instead, he asked, “Would you do it in the parking lot?” And my first response was, “How about the yard?” But we ended up with our crazy Devil’s Disciple in the parking lot.

JACKIE:

Which I loved – if any play could be done that way, that was it.

EDA:

Yes! We were able to have a rough and ready take on it – it is a story about a group of people in the wilderness after all – and it was so much fun. And because we’d done so much text work on Zoom for weeks the previous year, we just started. The pandemic was still at its height – we didn’t take off our masks until dress rehearsal and we had masks made to match people’s costumes in case we had to go that route. It was just wild. But we did it. Then I thought, “Well, that’s going to be my swan song at The Shaw.”

Previous page: Sophia Walker, Nathanael Judah and Monica Parks in August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean (2022); This page: Martin Happer in Arcadia (2013)

JACKIE:

But it wasn’t. In fact, it was so great when I heard – wait, I can’t remember when I heard that you were going to be here this season doing The Apple Cart.

EDA:

I can’t remember when I said I would do it! Because, in the meantime, I’ve been trying to run a theatre in Montreal. The brilliant thing for The Shaw was that insurance they had, which meant they came out of the pandemic in pretty good shape, but that’s very rare and certainly not the case at Centaur. I’ve cancelled more shows than I’ve put on in the last three years. I’m still cleaning up from the pandemic at this point, still struggling to bring the audiences back, which is the same for everybody. There is a big challenge in bringing back the artists and the arts workers too – so many people had to leave the business because of how long it took.

JACKIE:

This is interesting for me – you were running a theatre, and, of course, obviously TC was and many others. You were all “pedal to the metal” just to try to keep working. Now, if you weren’t running a theatre, if you were a freelance artist –as I now am – it was fascinating. Well, it was horrible in one sense because I had four projects that were planned that just disappeared. But for many, many people it was the start of a long period of just – being at home. You and I kept in close touch, and I’m thrilled that we have this second chance to work together at The Shaw. I mean, I’m sure TC wasn’t thinking, “I must make sure that Jackie and Eda…”

EDA:

The broads need to get back together again!

JACKIE:

Somebody was talking recently about Tom Stoppard and how complicated his stuff can be. And I had this vision that popped into my head of when you were doing Arcadia [2013].

I was working in my office and Martin Happer was walking up the stairs from the rehearsal hall, very slowly, with this incredible contorted, agonized look on his face. And I thought, “Oh my God, what happened in rehearsal?” So, I asked, and he said, “It’s the math. It’s really difficult.” But, of course, that was always happening with shows that you did. The plays were always so crazy and complicated.

EDA:

One of my clearest memories of working here, though, was when you offered me Floyd Collins [2004] and that show was so hard. I remember going out for a drink at The Angel Inn to talk about how it was going – back in the days when we drank Scotch – and I was panicking about how to make the transitions work. I remember you saying, “You just have to divert the eye – just make something happen in the corner while you do something that you don’t want people to watch.” It was the best advice I’ve ever gotten!

JACKIE:

Do you find that more of those memories come to mind as you wander about?

EDA:

I’ve run into so many people recently. You develop relationships after living here for so long. On the first day of rehearsal, Diane King – who is sponsoring our show – was there and also [Board members] Martha and Tom Hyde were there. Just to see people like that, it’s so heartwarming and it’s so inspiring to know that there are people – from both sides of the border – that care that much about this place.

JACKIE:

Yes! Michele Darling and Michael Eagen, sponsors for Playboy, also came to one of my rehearsals. And so did Elaine Triggs [Board member].

EDA:

I was thinking about that – seeing the names “Donald & Elaine Triggs” on the Production Centre – along with the words “Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre.” How does it feel to have a theatre named after you?

JACKIE:

It’s beautiful and it’s very moving. It means a huge amount, because I love that space. I loved last season – going to see Gem of the Ocean and Everybody – such beautiful productions. It’s so exciting to see what’s happening in that space – with these plays, old and new – that are just poking the beast.

EDA:

I think Bernard Shaw’s influence on this theatre festival is why it is unlike any other, anywhere else in the world. This Festival has always been inspired by plays that ask a question that no one else would ask. And it’s been supported by people who are looking for those plays. That’s the brilliant thing about it.

JACKIE:

That’s one of the great things about doing Playboy now. I love that in 1907 at the Abbey Theatre, this play caused a riot. For a week and a half, the whole place went bonkers. If I thought I could direct a play that would cause a riot, I would be just thrilled. Doing these plays that somehow hit a nerve is what I have always loved about the Shaw Festival – and Shaw himself.

The Apple Cart Production Sponsor

Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre Sponsor

The Playboy of the Western World Production Sponsor James & Diane King Michael Eagen

Amen to a Bit of Gospel, Built on Love

Did you know the Shaw Festival has not one, but two Gospel Choirs this year? The first will be prominently featured in the 2023 production of The Amen Corner, directed by Kimberley Rampersad, and comprised of actors in the play. The second, called The Company Gospel Choir is a hidden gem, directed and led by Ensemble Member Jeremiah Sparks.

By Heather Sargeson-Callara

The Company Gospel Choir – now in its third year – includes a vast array of talents, all of whom volunteer their time and voices out of a pure love for singing. Performers include members of our Ensemble, Wardrobe, Creative Management and Administrative Teams, as well as members of the Shaw Guild. It’s an inclusive space inspired by Jeremiah’s love of LOVE!

I recently interviewed three company members to talk about their ties to gospel music and The Shaw’s Gospel Choirs: Jeremiah Sparks, Gospel Choir Director and Brother Davis in this season’s production of The Amen Corner; Kimberley Rampersad, Shaw’s Associate Artistic Director and Director of The Amen Corner; and Suzin Schiff, Company choir member and The Shaw’s Ensemble and Housing Liaison.

Heather: What’s your connection to gospel music?

Jeremiah: I was first introduced to Gospel at the age of five at Cherrybrook United Baptist Church in Preston, Nova Scotia where my father and mother were Deacon and Deaconess. I was instantly moved – it’s been moving me ever since! I was their church organist and choir director for more than 20 years. I also directed the Nova Scotia Mass Choir, comprised of both believers and non-believers.

Kimberley: Mine began as a child in the basement of my parents’ home on Hathway Road. They had a great record collection and it included Mahalia Jackson, who was one of my mother’s favourite gospel singers.

Suzin: I’ve been singing since I was a kid. Music moves me and connects me to the greater world. I did a workshop with the Ontario Music Educators where I attended a gospel lesson, and I loved the music and loved the connection one has to it.

Jeremiah Sparks

I love the cadence – everything about it, and I’ve always wanted to see what it would be like to sing in a gospel choir.

H: Jeremiah, what inspired you to first start a Gospel Choir at The Shaw back in 2017?

J: When I began the choir, my only plan was to bring people together. I’m fascinated by what happens to the energies of individuals when brought together in a choir. Every time I revive the choir, I feel more blessed than the time before! I love bringing people’s hearts together in the spirit of love. It’s a blessing that’s unworldly.

H: What was your motivation for opening the choir to everyone in the company, instead of only professional performers?

J: It brings in people who are really enthusiastic and happy to sing with everyone else – an opportunity they may not have otherwise. And of course, the more the merrier!

H: Suzin, what was it like being one of many non-actors in the Gospel Choir last year?

S: Joining the choir was a no-brainer. I felt like it was meant for me, so I jumped in. Like so many places, I know that people think their ‘role’ defines them. The choir helped to bridge that gap between the Ensemble and Administration.

H: Kimberley, you’re directing The Amen Corner this year, which features a Gospel Choir. What is the role of the choir in this play?

K: The gospel music provides liturgical context for either the preceding or proceeding scenes in The Amen Corner. The choir itself functions as a Greek chorus at times and can be the portal through which some members of the audience may choose to see the play. Characters David and Margaret each find liberation in their own music and find the other person’s music challenging, if not problematic.

H: How has The Company Gospel Choir evolved since its inception?

J: It’s evolved because I evolve – every time I do this. New ideas come to me according to the people in the choir. I have some ideas, but I’m not sure what I’m going to do until that first rehearsal. Then everything happens and love takes over!

H: Where do you see the choir moving this year?

J: I’m not sure what’s about to happen this year, but I know it’s going to be fabulous! A real blessing from above. I’m super excited for this choir and those who attend. This year I’ll also let people into my life a little. A personal touch.

H: A choir requires a special connection amongst its members: a collective blending of voices, rhythmic syncopation, call and response. How does this affect your role in the Gospel Choir?

Kimberley Rampersad

Suzin Schiff

J: I believe I have a way of bringing minds together through the beautiful power of love! Before each rehearsal I ask us to embrace our spirit of love and begin with prayer. Love must be engaged the whole time and when this happens, everything else is easy and beauty sets in. I love love and what it does to us. For God is simply that: LOVE! What I feel from those lovers of love on that first rehearsal inspires my song choices.

S: I don’t have a lot of choral experience. It invited a lot of letting go – a release of self-consciousness and more immersion into the experience. You’re falling into something bigger than just you. I think it requires a lot of vigilance and circumventing any perfectionism or fear of failure into just a joy of the experience and the sharing of that joy.

H: Will there be any intersection between the choir in The Amen Corner and The Company Gospel Choir?

K: The intersection is singularly embodied in the person of Jeremiah Sparks, who leads our Company Gospel Choir and leads the choir in The Amen Corner – as well as appearing as an actor in the production!

J: I am the choir director for The Amen Corner. The only intersection I believe will be with the singers. My work with the choir in the play will be a bit more formal – there’s a difference in the freedom I’ll have with The Company Gospel Choir. But of course, my influences still have to come through. I’ll call it: The Amen Corner with a dash of Jeremiah and a cup of Sparks!

H: Any favourite choir songs?

S: Patty Jamieson did a song last year: “Lord I will lift mine eyes to the hills?” That’s the one that comes to mind because it goes from explosive passion back to quiet introspection, beginning with a solo and then passing the baton to the choir. It gave me goosebumps every time. I think it runs the gamut of what I think the genre can bring.

J: My mind can’t come to terms with “favourite song” for some reason. Choir directing is one of the favourite things in my existence. It feeds my soul so much. More importantly, when I am responsible for having a choir of beautiful souls affect people, that is my all time favourite! That fills my heart with love beyond explaining.

H: Any final thoughts? Words of wisdom?

S: If you’ve always wanted to sing with a choir, then just come. What’s the worst that can happen? It will help you to connect to the bigger purpose and the bigger philosophy and existence of this beautiful place.

J: Love is everything. God is Love!

“I'm fascinated by what happens to the energies of individuals when brought together in a choir. ”

BMO Stage Sponsor

The Amen Corner Production Sponsor

Out of the Shadows

An early play by Edith Wharton has been rediscovered by two scholars – Mary Chinery, Professor of English at Georgian Court University, Lakewood, New Jersey, and Laura Rattray, Reader in North American Literature at the University of Glasgow, Scotland – thanks to a passing reference to its title at the 2016 Wharton in Washington Conference. A chance encounter that brought to light one of Edith Wharton's earliest works and the first - and only - original, full-length play of hers ever to be discovered.

Both Mary and Laura have had a particular focus on Edith Wharton as a playwright. Laura was well-known for writing about the variety of genres in Wharton’s writing, especially her early drama before The House of Mirth. Mary had separately been working on the origin of Edith Wharton’s 1899 dialogue, “The Twilight of the God,” In Mary’s presentation about that dialogue, she referenced The Shadow of a Doubt, from an article that Mary found from The New York Times, published in 1901, which reported that the production was being postponed.

Laura, in the audience, had never heard of the play and questioned Mary about it. Ultimately, the 1901 production of the play was cancelled, after which it seemed to vanish, and was not mentioned in other writings by or about Wharton. That conversation sparked a search by the team, and it is thanks to the connection made at the conference, and some great detective work, that Mary and Laura found two copies of the manuscript in the Playscripts and Promptbooks Collection (Performing Arts) at the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin. A working rehearsal manuscript also resides at the Billy Rose Theatre Division of The New York Public Library.

As Mary says: “No one had ever looked for the play because they did not realize it was there.” The Shaw Festival is delighted, after 120 years, to bring this play fully into the light, with the first fully-staged version of The Shadow of a Doubt by Edith Wharton on our Royal George stage, directed by Peter Hinton-Davis.

About The Shadow of a Doubt

By Mary Chinery, Ph.D. and Laura Rattray, Ph.D.

The Shadow of a Doubt (1901), is an unknown, original three act play by Edith Wharton, recovered in 2016. Although renowned in multiple literary genres during her career, Wharton also wrote a series of now forgotten plays before she published the works that made her famous. Wharton was a lover of plays from her early childhood. As an adult, she enjoyed many types of drama, from the social realism of Henrik Ibsen, the bracing social commentary of George Bernard Shaw, to the wit of Oscar Wilde.

During 1899-1906, Wharton wrote several dramatic works. She published two brief plays called “dialogues” in her first collections of short stories: “The Twilight of the God” in The Greater Inclination (1899) and “Copy” in Crucial Instances (1901). She also completed several full-length plays, including The Tightrope, probably written around 1900, which is now lost. She adapted her favorite novel by Abbé Prévost, Manon Lescaut, at the request of actress Marie Tempest, who thereafter decided to give up costume dramas. Wharton’s translation of Hermann Suderman’s Es Lebe das Leben (The Joy of Living) for George Bernard Shaw’s favorite actress, Mrs. Patrick Campbell, brought Wharton residuals for years, to her surprise. Campbell’s production toured the United States and ended in London, with “adapted by Mrs. Wharton” prominently displayed on the marquee.

By 1900, Wharton was an adept playwright who worked with the best talent on Broadway. The Shadow of a Doubt, produced by Charles Frohman, represented by drama talent agent Elizabeth Marbury, and starring Elsie de Wolfe, was intended as a matinee for The American Academy at the Dramatic Arts and Empire Theatre Dramatic School. It is likely this was a preview for a longer run

on Broadway. According to letters from her friend Walter Berry, Wharton attended some rehearsals of The Shadow of a Doubt at The Empire Theatre in New York City, and it is possible she may have worked on revising the manuscript while it was in rehearsal.

The Shadow of a Doubt, set at the turn of the twentieth century London, explores controversial issues of the day, such as social position, remarriage, the roles of women, and euthanasia. Some of these ideas were later reworked in her best-selling novel, The House of Mirth (1905) as well as in the lesser-known novel, The Fruit of the Tree (1907), albeit transferred to American settings.

The Shadow of a Doubt showcases Wharton’s skill with witty repartee, dramatic tension, and superb characterization. The women’s roles are especially strong, with bonds formed across social class and life situation. Kate Treddenis’ station has risen with her marriage to her wealthy late best friend’s widower, John Derwent, but her good fortune seems precarious even as she embraces her new role as wife and stepmother to Sylvia. What will happen when Kate’s past becomes known?

While Wharton moved on to a successful career as a novelist, she never lost interest in dramatic form. She collaborated with Clyde Fitch to stage The House of Mirth in 1906, claiming to her friend Robert Grant that even if the play was not a success, she would not regret the experience. Several of her works were later dramatized by others, including The Age of Innocence (1928) and The Old Maid (1935), for which Zoe Atkins won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Since the discovery of The Shadow of a Doubt, it has been brought to the stage several times for brief runs and readings. But the Shaw Festival’s production represents the first complete run and costumed staging of this significant play. It will no doubt fulfill Edith Wharton’s wish for it to be performed in front of an enthusiastic audience.

Mary Chinery, Ph.D. and Laura Rattray, Ph.D.

To read more about the discovery of this play, look for an article, published in The New Yorker in 2017: “A Lost Edith Wharton Play Emerges from Scholarly Sleuthing” by Rebecca Mead.

Edith Wharton, Getty Images

Beyond the Stage at the Shaw Festival

The Power of Burlesque

Want to meet the expert who taught the cast of Gypsy “The Power of Burlesque”?

Join award-winning burlesque and cabaret artist Bianca Boom Boom (they/she) who has been teasing and teaching for over a decade and learn how this art form evolved from the 17th century to today!

Sashay into the historical and performance aspects of this artform in this fun two-hour morning session.

June 18, July 9, Sept 17 10am-12pm at the Festival Theatre | $25

The Art of Ideas

One Room. Two speakers. Big themes

Joins us as we explore the ideas of the 2023 Season! Even Bernard Shaw would attend!

June 24 — The Allure of Ghosts

The Art: Megan Gilchrist, former Shaw Education Coordinator with 25 years as a Ghost Tour Guide at Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake

The Ideas: Dr. Anne Porter, archaeologist of the ancient Near East leading her to study the many roles the bodies and spirits of the dead play in ancient (and modern) societies

July 15 — Are We Despairing of Democracy?

The Art: Brendan McMurtry-Howlett, Shaw Director for A Christmas Carol 2023, and Masters from York University on researching community-focused approaches to governance, structure, and programming of arts organizations and Nidhi Khanna, Arts Consultant and Strategic Advisor for Work In Culture and Co-Chair of Generator's inaugural Strategic Advisory Committee

The Ideas: Dr. David Moscrop, columnist, podcaster, and the author of Too Dumb for Democracy? Why We Make Bad Political Decisions and How We Can Make Better Ones

Aug. 12 — Individuality and Community

The Art: Jeremiah Sparks, Shaw Ensemble Member and choir director for over 20 years where he was born and raised in Preston, Nova Scotia

The Ideas: Tim Johnson, Shaw Board Member and the former Associate Director for Museum Programs at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian. Dedicated to creating legacy projects that educate the public about the Indigenous experience

Sept. 16 — Suspicion VS Intuition

The Art: Jaime Watt, Shaw Board Member and Executive Chairman, Navigator Limited with 20+ years as a specialist in public affairs and communications strategy

The Ideas: Melissa Negrini, Psychotherapist and Mindfulness Leader with over 20 years of work in community development, workplace training, and mental health.

10am-12pm at the Festival Theatre | $25

For more information about The Shaw's 2023 Beyond the Stage programming visit shawfest.com/beyond

“Creativity

is intelligence having fun.” — Albert Einstein.

GIVING

By Kimberley White

After meeting new residents of Niagaraon-the-Lake, Andrew Colwell and Richard Ellis, it became immediately clear that giving back was both very important and a natural fit for them.

Though new to the town in 2022, they are certainly no strangers to the Shaw Festival. As passionate theatre-lovers they have visited the Shaw Festival yearly. They reveal, “One of the key reasons we decided to move to Niagara-on-the-Lake was The Shaw. We feel pretty lucky to have a world class theatre only a few blocks away from our home.”

Andrew is a realtor and Richard is a retired business leader, executive coach, and board director. They have lived in Toronto, Chicago, Muskoka, and Naples, Florida. With huge smiles as we chatted, it was obvious they have found their forever home in their dream community – right here.

Andrew and Richard have always subscribed to the old adage, “To whom much is given, much is required.” They are active community volunteers and supporters of numerous charities. After listening to what’s most important to Andrew and Richard, their desire to give back was obvious and they know that the

BACK

arts – especially live theatre – is something they want to support. As they said, “The theatre helps us to engage and connect with others.” The couple’s approach to philanthropy includes a joint commitment to supporting not-for-profit organizations through a focused planned giving strategy. As experienced business leaders, they know that carefully planning their legacy giving strategies will also offer significant tax benefits – “It’s all about saving money so that we can give more money.”

Working with The Shaw’s Development team, Andrew and Richard have designed a fully customized approach to their legacy giving. They have focused their giving on the direct support of the amazing artists who grace our stages. They will also support the many innovative outreach, community and education activities for Shaw patrons.

As two of our newest members of The Doherty-Rand Legacy Circle, Andrew and Richard have made a commitment to supporting The Shaw through their lasting legacy gift. It’s their hope that by supporting The Shaw in this way, they will help ensure a strong and vibrant future for both the Shaw Festival and the Niagaraon-the-Lake community.

Thank you, Andrew and Richard!

“Every time we visit The Shaw, we leave feeling a little happier and a little lighter. That’s why making a legacy gift was an obvious choice for us. And it’s a win-win — we’re supporting a world-renowned theatre company while strategically managing our estate.”

To help plan for your Legacy Gift or for more information, contact Kimberley at 289-783-1924 or 1-800-657-1106 ext 2397 kwhite@shawfest.com

Kimberley White is the Senior Development Officer, Individual Gifts and Legacy Giving.

MAKING MAGIC

One of the busiest and biggest departments at The Shaw these days is our Wardrobe Department. We spoke with Jason Bendig, Head of Wardrobe, to see what was on his mind as we launched the 2023 Season.

Thanks to one of those strange coincidences that can happen sometimes, two plays that were planned for our cancelled 2020 Season, are together again on the playbill for 2023: Gypsy and Prince Caspian, both designed by Cory Sincennes (another coincidence). That means the incubation period for these two productions was more than three years! Jason noted: “It’s going to be fantastic to get Gypsy on its feet. There is nothing like pressing pause on a major musical right in the middle of the process. We also had to switch costume designers on it, between 2020 and 2023, which complicates things for the Wardrobe Teams. Likewise, with Caspian – we got so close to getting it on its feet and then had to say, ‘Sorry everyone – go home.’ It’s nice to see that artistry complete. To me, it is sort of like a long love letter. You start writing and you keep writing because you really can’t sign off until it’s done.”

Gypsy and Prince Caspian are part of what Jason describes as the busiest year yet for the Wardrobe team. Officially, the 2022 Season – The Shaw’s 60th –was the largest ever in terms of number of productions and performances, but Jason says, “Actually – for Wardrobe at least – the 61st Season will be our biggest yet. Last year I ran with five cutting teams and approximately 50 people. I will be trying very hard

BY HEATHER SARGESON-

to get up to eight cutting teams and a staff of over 60. Partly this is about the pandemic – we are still catching up from the pandemic, that’s the sad truth of it – everybody is – and the things we learned from it in 2022. The main thing is that you need to have so much more coverage when cast members go out due to illness; and what you need today may be different tomorrow. Everybody has used the word pivot to a point where it’s nauseating, but we really mean it. In 2022, unlike any other year, we had understudies in every play, and many weren’t necessarily the first assigned understudy to go on. The responsiveness from my team, and their ability to pivot, was huge and amazingly quick. Sometimes, if we were lucky, we might have a day’s notice! And when these scenarios are happening, they’re happening on top of what is already scheduled.”

When asked about other challenges, Jason mentions his concern about the future and keeping the skills required for this work: “I started here six years ago, and I have an excellent staff. But our biggest challenge now is the fact that our senior staff – some of them have been here for 35 years – are retiring. We do have some younger people who are coming up, and we have been actively training them in the various skills needed, but we have very few people in the middle who are ready to take on those senior roles for the next 5 to 10 years. We are at a point where we are in danger of losing a large skill set. I’m not saying that these young people aren’t talented, but they don’t have the range of skills needed yet. That’s our biggest challenge.”

CALLARA AND MARION RAWSON

Part of this skill set has to do with the way costumes need to be designed for the realities of theatre, for example, the quick change. The Wardrobe Running Team is responsible for the costumes during the performance: they are busy behind the scenes, especially in a musical, where there are a lot of quick changes. They help the actors change clothes – sometimes unbelievably quickly! – and come back on stage as totally different people. Jason explains what’s involved in taking a costume from design to reality by the Wardrobe Team that builds the costumes – quick changes must be considered: “That’s about rigging. How does it come apart? How does it undo quickly? Sometimes we have to take other things into account when building a costume. There is magic in rigging a costume that melts, like in Damn Yankees: how does it just magically disappear and fall away? Another example from Damn Yankees is the floating baseball effect. The magic for that was, in part, in the creation of velvet suits to cover people entirely, including covering their shoes. You saw none of their skin. We had to make four people go away, in the best possible way, and we had to work with other departments to make this happen. It was the combined work from the Lighting Department, including some fog atmosphere, and the Props Department which built the baseball on a pole and the Wardrobe Department to create those velvet suits that allowed the actors to disappear. There were many questions as this effect evolved, and that process, which is cross-departmental, takes hours, days, sometimes weeks to figure out, but the effect was fantastic. We did have a special effects magic consultant on Damn Yankees, which helped drive how those effects were created. But ultimately, it was a kind of cross-departmental magic of our own which made it all happen.”

When asked what he is looking forward to for 2023, Jason says, “It’s such a fantastic mix of designers this year; including some people I’ve never worked with, which is always fun. And from the designers I’ve been talking to, I’m excited to hear where they want to take their designs, their approach to the plays this season. At the same time, we are working with designers who have been here before, of course, including Cory who is on both Gypsy and Caspian – two of the first plays in Wardrobe. He has more energy than anyone I’ve ever met. Ingenious is a great word to describe his designs, and I’m looking forward to some of the love for arts and crafts that is shown in Prince Caspian. I call it magic – magic in a different way, because it’s the magic of making people believe in creatures. It’s the magic that allows audiences to invest and enjoy our storytelling, which is why we are all here, right?”

Costume sketches for Gypsy and Prince Caspian by Cory Sincennes

Bob & Dorothy Aaron

Sherri & William Appell

Kathleen & Richard Aregood

Melissa Balbach & John Bace

Blake & Heyerdahl

David P. Boyd

James A. Burton Family Foundation

Janice Coles

Andrew Colwell & Richard Ellis

Kim Cranfield

Bob & Diane Czarnik

Mrs Margot Devlin*

Mr Michael Disney

Steven Endicott

Caroline Gill & David Jackson

Susan Ginsberg

Richard & Lorraine Gretsinger

Katharin Ramelle Harkins

Marion & Ren Henderson

Martin & Maria Hoke

Steve & Irene Johnson

Ms Patricia Knipe

Thomas & Kathy Kuhl

Wendy Luce, in loving memory of Dr John T. Luce

Heather L. McKee

Scott McKowen* & Christina Poddubiuk*

Mr Jonathan A. Millen

Elizabeth Molson, in memory of Gerda Molson

Peter & Paraskeve Petrakis

Robert & Emily Pfohl

Gregory Prince‡ & Erin O’Brien

Mr & Mrs Terry Reideler

Linda Seppanen

Ivor & Renee Simmons

Bryan Smale & Sherry Dupuis

Stephen & Monica Spaulding

Gary & Marie Van Graafeiland

Lyman & Deana Welch

Robert & Dana Wilson

Mary V Zimmerman

4 anonymous gifts

Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited

“We are thrilled to offer a warm welcome to our newest Governors Council members and Corporate supporters. Thank you!”

Noble Caplan Abrams

Tim Carroll, Artistic Director

Tim Jennings, Executive Director

Celebrating Canadian Talent from Across the Country

By Laura Langlois

Black Shoulders

Robert Ball

“This award will allow me time to be able to write, explore and research, as well as for me to take classes and workshops, be mentored and coached … It’s validating in that I am being seen for my artistic merit and aspirations. That I’m being seen for my capability and potential as a creator of art and not only as someone who embodies and performs it.”

Ghislaine Doté

“This award will allow me to workshop my first bilingual Opera. Recently, I played the role of Florence Price, one of the first African American women composers … After reading her story, I don’t want to take this award for granted. I don’t have to battle overt racism, segregation, lynching, (etc..) as Florence Price did. So, I feel the responsibility to make the best of this opportunity, to make great music, to joyfully delve into the creation process! So, what this award means: an opportunity to do great work and a reminder of whose shoulders we stand on.”

Earlier this year, the Black Shoulders Legacy Award steering committee proudly announced the 2023 winners of the inaugural Black Shoulders Legacy Awards. The first recipients of the award are: Robert Ball (Toronto/Stratford), Ghislaine Doté (Vancouver/Montreal), Peter Fernandes (Toronto), Dela Ruth Hini (Kelowna/UK), and Anthony Santiago (Calgary/Vancouver).

Each of these talented artists has been awarded a $5,000 honorarium towards training and other opportunities to enhance and grow their artistic craft.

The Black Shoulders Legacy Award was founded in June 2020 at the end of Philip Akin’s tenure as the Artistic Director of Obsidian Theatre. This ground-breaking award was created to safeguard the legacy of support for emerging Black Canadian theatre artists that Philip Akin catalyzed. It is the first award of its kind, solely dedicated to the success of Black Canadian theatre artists, ensuring creators are equipped with the skills to be at the top of their professional game. It aims to support and nurture young-in-craft Black Canadian theatre artists through financial support, artistic guidance, and promotion.

National in scope, this award is given to both performing and non-performing artists who show promise and are working towards a future in theatre, further amplifying Black voices in the Canadian theatre landscape.

A very special thanks goes out to the individuals who were involved in the initial conception and fundraising of the award, and those who have contributed to this initiative in support of some of our country’s most promising creators.

A few words from each of this year’s recipients:

“It is incredibly moving to be receiving this award – as it means that I have the support of the people who have had a significant effect on my growth as a performer –to explore and expand my skills in other theatrical disciplines I am passionate about. Moving into this next stage of my career, I see my responsibility to the next generation of Black, Filipino, and mixed-race artists and the importance of seeing more BIPOC creators in leadership roles. The award means I can learn to take on another position in creating a supportive space for BIPOC theatre creators, in the same way my past mentors, including Philip Akin, have for me.”

Dela Ruth Hini

“I currently live in England, where I’m an immigrant twice over. First, I was an immigrant to Canada, where my family had moved from Ghana. Now, I’m an immigrant anew, this time having moved on my own. In both cases the decision to move countries was made based on a desire for more opportunities and new experiences … Receiving this award gives me the opportunity to dig deeper into my artistic practice with greater freedom. As well, it means that I get to contribute more boldly to the theatrical and creative landscapes of both Canada and the UK.”

Anthony Santiago

“This award will allow me to dig deeper into my practice with the support of my community behind me: that in itself means the world to me. I am extremely proud that this award exists and am confident that it will be a great boon to current and future Black theatre practitioners. I look forward to engaging with the myriad ways this evolving journey grows, prospers, and shapes not only our community but the world at large.”

Peter Fernandes

PHILIP AKIN Legacy Award

Shaw and Niagara: Explore it

Prince Caspian Needs You!

July | Market Room, Court House

This fun, 40-minute preshow workshop begins one hour before all performances. Engage in activities to help create the show! $5 with ticket to performance

Outdoors @ The Shaw Pop-up Patio

Thursdays in July | 4:30pm

Food! Refreshments! Live Music! Thursdays in July following matinee performances at the Festival and Studio Theatres. Open to all, no theatre ticket required. Food & beverages available ($)

Governors Council

Governors Council Rehearsal

July 6 | 7pm | Royal George Theatre

See an onstage rehearsal of The Shadow of a Doubt Free

July

Canada Day Celebrations

July 1

For more information, visit friendsoffortgeorge.ca or 905-468-6621

For Friends

Friends Post-Show Chats

Wednesdays through October Wednesday after select Festival Theatre matinees (except those marked P or OC) please check the website for dates. Post show chats begin approx. 10 minutes after the show. Free | For all Friends, Governors Council and Corporate Partners

Backstage Tours

Various Dates & Times | Through December Peek behind the stage curtain! An hour-long guided tour of the Festival Theatre. $10, $5 with a ticket to a performance

Tuesday Q & A

Tuesday Evenings | Post-Show, through October

An informal question-and-answer session with actors following Tuesday evening performances (except Previews & Openings), in all three theatres. Free

Continue the Conversation

Multiple Dates | Post-Show, through October

Following Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday matinees and all Village Wooing performances (except Previews and Openings). Join fellow patrons for engaging guided discussion. See calendar online for dates/times. Free

Sponsored by Riverview Cellars Estate Winery

The Power of Burlesque

July 9 | 10am-12pm | Festival Theatre

How has this art form evolved from 17th century to today? Find out in this two-hour interactive program. $25 | $20 for Friends

Outdoors @ The Shaw Speakeasy

July 14 | 8pm | BMO Stage

Join us for an evening of Jazz hosted by Associate Music Director Ryan deSouza, featuring members of the Shaw Orchestra and special guests. $20

Sponsored by Spirit in Niagara - Small Batch Distillery

The Art of IDEAS: Are we Despairing of Democracy? (Power Structures)

July 15 | 10am-12pm

Two speakers – one an academic and one an artist – reflecting on big ideas connected to our 2023 productions. A two-hour morning program. See page 12 for detailed descriptions and more information. $25 | $20 for Shaw Friends

Outdoors @ The Shaw Gospel Choir

July 16 | 10:30am | BMO Stage

Big, beautiful uplifting vocals, enjoy the euphoric and inspirational musical experience performed by glorious voices in our Company. $20

Meet Shaw Directors and Designers

July 18, 20 | 11am | Online (Zoom)

Intimate conversations with our Directors and Designers who share their visions and work:

A Short History of Niagara (July 18), A Shadow of a Doubt (July 20) $10

Outdoors @ The Shaw

A Short History of Niagara

July 20 – August 3 | Fort George

A charming thirty minutes of pure storytelling, brought to life by wordless puppets. Free with admission to Fort George.

Sponsored by Humeniuk Foundation

Outdoors @ The Shaw

What’s in your Songbook?

July 21 | 8pm | Spiegeltent

An intimate and interactive evening of songs and stories by Company members and accompanied by Associate Music Director Ryan deSouza. $20

Shaw Symposium

July 21-23

A three-day event for anyone wishing to learn more about Bernard Shaw. Co-hosted by the Shaw Festival and the International Shaw Society, check website for schedule. Includes reception, picnic lunch and parking.

$175 | $100 for Students & Online

For Friends

Friends Rehearsals

July 22 | 12pm

See an onstage rehearsal of The Amen Corner Free

Theatre Ghost Stories

July 27

Join us in the Baillie Courtyard following Blithe Spirit to hear first-hand ghost stories from Shaw Festival cast, crew & colleagues. Free

Happy Hour

July 27 | 5pm | Online

Watch your inbox one week prior to each date for registration information. Free

Outdoors @ The Shaw Coffee Concerts

July 30 | 10:30am-11:30am | Spiegeltent

Classical music concerts performed by members of the Shaw Festival Orchestra. $10

August

Prince Caspian Needs You!

August | Market Room, Court House

This fun, 40-minute preshow workshop begins one hour before all performances. Engage in activities to help create the show!

$5 with ticket to performance

“The

all”

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing”

— George Bernard Shaw

Outdoors @ The Shaw

Pop-up Patio

Thursdays in August | 4:30pm

Food! Refreshments! Live Music! Thursdays in August following matinee performances at the Festival and Studio Theatres. Open to all, no theatre ticket required. Food & beverages available ($)

Meet Shaw Directors and Designers

August 1,2 | 11am | Online (Zoom)

Intimate conversations with our Directors and Designers who share their visions and work.

The Amen Corner (Aug 1), The Clearing (Aug 2), $10

Shaw Seminar

August 3-6

Four days, seven plays and engaging sessions with Shaw professionals, writers and scholars. Includes two lunches, wine, cheese reception, guest speakers and parking. Cost does not include theatre tickets. $400 | $200 online

Outdoors @ The Shaw

A Short History of Niagara

August 5 - 13 | Humeniuk Foundation Stage

A charming thirty minutes of pure storytelling, brought to life by wordless puppets. $10 I $5 Youth

Sponsored by Humeniuk Foundation

Outdoors @ The Shaw

Gospel Choir

August 6 | 10:30am | BMO Stage

Big, beautiful uplifting vocals, enjoy the euphoric and inspirational musical experience performed by glorious voices in our Company. $20

Theatre Ghost Stories

August 10

Join us in the Baillie Courtyard following the performance of Blithe Spirit to hear first-hand ghost stories from Shaw Festival cast, crew & colleagues. Free

Outdoors @ The Shaw Speakeasy

August 11 | 8pm | BMO Stage

Join us for an evening of Jazz hosted by Associate Music Director Ryan deSouza, featuring members of the Shaw Orchestra and special guests. $20

Sponsored by Spirit in Niagara - Small Batch Distillery

The Art of IDEAS: Individuality and Community

August 12 | 10am-12pm

Two speakers – one an academic and one an artist – reflecting on big ideas connected to our 2023 productions. A two-hour morning program. Head to The Shaw’s website for detailed descriptions and more information. $25 | $20 for Shaw Friends

Sip, Savour & Stroll

August 12 | 6-9pm

An unforgettable evening in elegant gardens with refreshments, live music and more. $125 | for details & tickets: shawguild.ca

Outdoors @ The Shaw

What’s in your Songbook?

August 23 | 8pm | Spiegeltent

An intimate and interactive evening of songs and stories by Company members and accompanied by Associate Music Director Ryan deSouza. $20

Happy Hour

August 31 | 5pm | Online

Watch your inbox one week prior to each date for registration information. Free

September

Prince Caspian Needs You!

September | Market Room, Court House

This fun, 40-minute preshow workshop begins one hour before all performances. Engage in activities to help create the show! $5 with ticket to performance

Outdoors @ The Shaw

Gospel Choir

September 3 | 10:30am | BMO Stage

Big, beautiful uplifting vocals performed by glorious voices in our Company. $20

Theatre Ghost Stories

September 7 | Baillie Courtyard

Join us following the performance of Blithe Spirit in the courtyard between the Festival and Studio theatres, to hear first-hand ghost stories from Shaw Festival cast, crew & colleagues. Free

The Art of IDEAS: Suspicion vs Intuition

September 16 | 10am-12pm

Two speakers – one an academic and one an artist – reflecting on big ideas connected to our 2023 productions. A two-hour morning program. Head to The Shaw’s website for detailed descriptions and more information. $25 | $20 for Shaw Friends

The Power of Burlesque

September 17 | 10am-12pm

How has this art form evolved from 17th century to today? Find out in this two-hour interactive program. $25 | $20 for Friends

Governors Council

Fall GC Weekend

September 23, 24

Includes Directors Project, discussions with Intern Directors and dinner with company members. $280

Outdoors @ The Shaw Speakeasy

September 23 | 8pm | BMO Stage

Join us for an evening of Jazz hosted by Associate Music Director Ryan deSouza, featuring members of the Shaw Orchestra and special guests. $20

Sponsored by Spirit in Niagara - Small Batch Distillery

Outdoors @ The Shaw Coffee Concerts

September 24 | 10:30am | Spiegltent

Classical music concerts performed by members of the Shaw Festival Orchestra. $10

Fall Play by Play

September 27-29

Three days, five plays and sessions with the creative minds who bring our plays to life. Includes three lunches, presentations, and parking, Schedule coming soon. Cost does not include theatre ticket. $250 | $225 for Shaw Friends | $150 Online Attendees

Happy Hour

September 28 | 5pm | Online

Watch your inbox one week prior to each date for registration information. Free

Outdoors @ The Shaw What’s in your Songbook?

September 29 | 8pm | Spiegltent

An intimate and interactive evening of songs and stories by Company members and accompanied by Associate Music Director Ryan deSouza. $20

Plan your visit to The Shaw and Niagara: shawfest.com/plan-your-visit/ or niagaraonthelake.com

To book Shaw events: call 1-800-511-7429

Governors Council and Premier Members call 1-800-657-1106 ext 2208

BMO Stage

Sponsored by

2023 Ensemble

Ariana Abudaqa David Adams† Shawn Ahmed Vinnie Alberto‡ Matt Alfano David Alan Anderson† Damien Atkins

Tat Austrie Neil Barclay Andi Biancaniello Kyle Blair Kristopher Bowman Chloe Bowman Alana Bridgewater

Andrew Broderick Jenni Burke Fiona Byrne Jason Cadieux Shane Carty Deborah Castrilli* Krystle Chance

Rais Clarke-Mendes* Janelle Cooper Julia Course Neil D'Souza Jay Emmanuel Sharada K Eswar Wren Evans

Miriam Fernandes Sharry Flett Kristi Frank† Sochi Fried Patrick Galligan Katherine Gauthier JJ Gerber

Élodie Gillett Kyle Golemba Damian Gradson Alexandra Gratton** Varun Guru Martin Happer Deborah Hay

Kate Hennig Joey Humphries Patty Jamieson Dante Jemmott* Nathanael Judah Claire Jullien Karthik Kadam

Harmage Singh Kalirai Qasim Khan Graeme Kitagawa Madelyn Kriese Darren Kuppan Richard Lam Andrew Lawrie

Allan Louis Julie Lumsden† Amanda Lundgren Caitlyn MacInnis Anaka Maharaj-Sandhu Michael Man Jawon Mapp*

Sanskruti Marathe‡ Tama Martin* Francis Masaba‡ Allison McCaughey Kevin McLachlan Marla McLean† Alexandra Montagnese

André Morin Ryann Myers* Mike Nadajewski Rebecca Northan Goldy Notay Hannah Otta Sofia Otta

Monica Parks Ellora Patnaik Meher Pavri Mike Petersen Drew Plummer Anand Rajaram Sakuntala Ramanee

Ric Reid Jade Repeta Shakeil Rollock Tom Rooney Tara Rosling Ronica Sajnani Sebastian Samuel

Ishan Sandhu Navtej Sandhu Kiera Sangster† Travis Seetoo† Munish Sharma Sophie Smith-Dostmohamed‡ Donna Soares 陸明慧

Graeme Somerville Jeremiah Sparks Sanjay Talwar† Jonathan Tan† Taurian Teelucksingh** Jacqueline Thair Julia Thompson

Sukania Venugopal Kelly Wong† Kiana Woo* Jenny L. Wright Lindsay Wu Bahareh Yaraghi

*Supported by

**Christopher Newton Interns. Supported by