MAGAZINE FOR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS SUMMER 2019
Contents 2
Meet the New Veterans
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The Red-blooded Theatre of Howard Barker
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Wardrobe in Another Century
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Movement, Costume and Communication
14
Welcome to the Holiday Inn
16 News 18 Poems in the Trees 19
Remembering Jenny Phipps
20 Calendar of Events ONLINE
To read this issue online, go to shawfest.com/shawmag/summer2019 Shaw Magazine is a publication for the Friends and Partners of the Shaw Festival. Editorial Committee: Tim Carroll, Kate Hennig, Tim Jennings, Marion Rawson Artistic Director: Tim Carroll Executive Director: Tim Jennings Editor: Marion Rawson Design: Key Gordon Communications Production and Ensemble photography: David Cooper Photography Backstage and Niagara photography: Cosmo Condina Photography Special Thanks: Mark Callan, Julianna Cole Cover: Peter Millard, Jenny L. Wright and Kristi Frank with the cast of Brigadoon. Right: Most of the cast of The Ladykillers: Damien Atkins, Kristopher Bowmen, Martin Happer, Andrew Lawrie, Chick Reid, Ric Reid and Steven Sutcliffe. Your comments are welcome. Please call the Membership Office at 1-800-657-1106 ext 2556
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A QUINTESSENTIAL ENGLISH DRAWING ROOM Florid wallpaper, chintzy furnishing. But everything slightly wonky. This is a house with extreme subsidence of many and various kinds … Set description from the script for The Ladykillers 1
MEET THE NEW VETERANS BY MARION RAWSON
Have you ever wanted to be a ‘fly on the wall’ while two actors talked candidly about acting, the Shaw Festival and so much more? Well, here is your chance with the great Canadian actors Martha Burns and Tom Rooney. Martha returns to The Shaw after appearing in three seasons in the 80s, while this is Tom’s first season here. They may be new, or newish, to The Shaw but they are both well-known on stage and screen. You can see Martha in Victory by Howard Barker, and as Mendoza/The Devil in Man and Superman — more specifically Don Juan in Hell by Bernard Shaw, of course. Tom is also in Victory and plays the title character in Cyrano de Bergerac, by Edmond Rostand, translated and adapted by Kate Hennig. 2
Man and Superman with Don Juan in Hell
Cyrano de Bergerac
Victory
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Sara Topham, Martha Burns and Tom Rooney in Victory.
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“It’s such a joyous play” Martha: I can't wait to hear you talk about Cyrano! Tom: It has been a part that I have always wanted to play and I'm kind of in shock. I had the entire day to get completely nervous about the first rehearsal, because it was in the evening. It wasn’t until maybe halfway through when I realized: “This is the first day of Cyrano … and I’m playing Cyrano. How amazing is all this!” Also how absolutely terrifying it is, but how lucky I am.
Martha: I’m finding there’s all sorts of fantastic puzzle pieces trying to interlock, doing Victory and Man and Superman. It’s really quite a pairing. Are you feeling that as well?
Tom: The fact that Victory and Cyrano are set basically in the same time period is pretty fascinating. I don't know if I've ever done ... Well, I guess I did Tartuffe at Stratford. That was also set in 1660 but we did it in a contemporary style. I have never done Cyrano. I’ve seen it. Have you done Cyrano?
Martha: Yes, at Stratford, the first one that Colm Feore did and Derek Goldby directed.
Tom: And you played Roxane? Martha: Yes, I made an attempt. Tom: An attempt which succeeded I’m sure. Martha: No seriously if you look at some of the costumes I wore, I looked like one of the girls from Petticoat Junction! Tom: (laughing) I loved Petticoat Junction! Martha: My memory of Cyrano is seeing it here at The Shaw in 1982 ... it’s such a joyous play. Tom: Cyrano is just a beautiful story. And, like Victory, it is so full of humanity and about people who are hurting, aching and in pain, trying to figure out how to survive ...
Martha: And longing. Tom: Yes, exactly. Martha Burns in Victory
“It’s about being able to practise, practise, and practise” Martha: There is that notion of time in repertory theatre: the rehearsal period stretches out. In any rehearsal, you work collectively on the text: it’s not something that everyone can just agree on and do individually. For me, to be doing these rich challenging plays in this repertory environment with a lot of time — I feel really lucky. I can't imagine if we just had to whip them up in four weeks! I’d be sharing my straightjacket with somebody.
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Tom: I feel the same way. It's great to have the time because acting, I think, does take time; time for it to move from your brain to your being. I don't know of anyone that can do it quickly.
Martha: Yes, and one affecting the other is always really thrilling to find. You read something or hear something that is reflected in the other text. The mind of Shaw and the mind of Barker — what are they whittling away at in their own ways? They were busy peeling away at layers and then it's the actor’s job to continue to do that, individually and collectively. That takes a lot of time.
Tom: But I do find with repertory, you often have three, four, or five days sometimes in between rehearsals, and I find that difficult because I need to do it a lot before I start to relax. For me it’s about being able to practise, practise, and practise. It’s not that you’re always practising the same thing; it’s like building any kind of muscle, you can do it with less effort as you work at it.
Martha: Yeah, that’s an older actor thing that I am realizing, you need to do it a lot, to keep practising, whereas when I was younger I didn’t really worry about whether I was fatigued or not. Now that time in between is much more important. For me, if I’m not being called for rehearsal every day I say, “Yay!” not because I get to go off and take a holiday. It's more the realization that, for me, that's absorption time.
“It’s a very odd job that we have” Martha: I really loved our Open Rehearsal for Victory. The structure of the Victory rehearsals is so investigative, but, as the director, TC, also wove in a lot of great background material, useful for anyone coming to see the plays: a reminder of what was happening in 17th century England. Actors forget when we are right inside it, how difficult it is, even in the first 10 or 15 minutes, to know what is going on and who is who. If anything, the actors benefited from the material that TC was giving to the audience at the Open Rehearsal! We were getting all sorts of little nuggets that we might not have otherwise. Tom: They wouldn’t get as much from a straight
Tom Rooney in Cyrano de Bergerac
Martha: And also knowing that their takeaway, their insight, was very similar to ours: the kinds of things that we discovered by that method of rehearsal, the audience was also discovering.
Tom: Which basically is what good theatre is: everybody in the same room together and discovering something along the way.
“I’m going to be captivated”
run-through of a scene. TC was showing how we take apart a play.
Martha: I’ve never done Howard Barker before.
Martha: I think there is always that fear that you are the animal in the cage that someone is watching; you’re being observed in the glass case ...
Tom: I’ve never actually seen any Barker.
Tom: Yeah, we are the zoo animals. Martha: You can see that the effort to take away those barriers is very strong in the Open Rehearsals. There is this thing too, that I sometimes suffer from in rehearsals, which is that you start to imagine the audience watching you. Now, instead of seeing the audience as observing from afar, I see us in the same room together.
Tom: You know, whenever you have your first performance and you invite people in, you get to hear the play again because it's being reflected back at you. In this Open Rehearsal it was not so much about the play, but about what we do as actors that I found being reflected back, which made me think: “This is very interesting what we do,” and also, “It’s a very odd job that we have.” What actually goes into the making of a production — what happens in the laboratory of it all — is fascinating and because those ‘civilians’ were there, you get that little echo back.
Have you?
Martha: Barker, to me, is so contemporary, but with the density of the language and the richness, you approach it like a classical text.
Tom: The words are music with Barker; it is so poetic and the music of it is an important part of the message, so you want to get every single word right. It’s the same thing with all great writers, like Shakespeare and others, there is so much care taken. Martha: The way you describe the music in these texts, there is that sense that this is going to catch my ear differently. I may not be used to listening like this, but I'm going to be captivated.
Tom: For me, he seems like a real actor’s writer: the text — not just the ideas — but the way he puts words together is just so thrilling and enjoyable and fun.
Martha: He seems to be so fantastically curious and alive to the possibilities of what’s going to happen next, or what that person is going to do. You certainly can't rest on an assumption in our rehearsals,can you? You can’t say, “Oh, I figured that out.” 5
Tom Rooney and Martha Burns in Victory
Tom: It’s also that these characters are in extreme situations. I think in those kinds of situations we always surprise ourselves — what the human brain is able to come up with when the thinking brain, your ‘conscious’ brain, gets out of the way. I think that's what these characters feel like — they are so alive and Barker has captured that language that comes from some kind of unconscious place.
“I appreciate the time, but also this beautiful place” Tom: I had been lucky enough to have been at the Stratford Festival for 11 years consecutively, which was great, but I was also feeling that maybe it was time for a little change-up. I had heard from other actors that had been at The Shaw, they’d always say, “It’s a great company feeling” and I just wanted to be a part of that and to experience it for myself.
Martha: A combination of things happened for me: TC talking to me about Victory, Tom McCamus saying, “You should work with TC.” Also, what I heard about TC’s investigation in rehearsal was really tantalizing. If you've been acting for a long time and things start to feel the same, it's frustrating. I've gone in and out of theatre for that reason. Pretty much whenever anyone asks me to do something that is different, or that is surprising, that’s a really great attraction. Also, to be asked to do something unexpected — or not so unexpected now — as a woman to be asked to play a part that is assumed to be for a man. But now I’m working on the part of Mendoza just as a human. Tom: The way TC worked was also part of why I came here too. I was interested in shaking things up and rebooting. When you get to a certain age, and have done it for a while, the brain becomes a predictive instrument.
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Working with TC, I'm always being knocked off my pins and being asked to think about things, and try things, differently. I don’t know about you, but it is absolutely terrifying for me. Every day I go away thinking, “Wow, I failed at that but — how wonderful it is.”
Martha: (laughing) I know that feeling well. Tom: Failure is where we get to learn so, bring it on, even though it feels terrible. Martha: That change to our ways of working is essential in our business and we don't seem to have enough choices for that. For me, not having been at a Festival for a really long time, I wondered what it would feel like to do it again. When I first came to The Shaw, I was 23! I was fresh out of Theatre School and, I was just thinking the other day, did I even know how amazing it was that there was all this time to do this? Now, I appreciate the time, but also this beautiful place. I appreciate these beautiful clean rehearsal rooms with natural light and that we, like the audience, get to walk into a beautiful garden, and then see theatre. Tom: It’s remarkable that we get to do this — and I felt this at Stratford as well — an hour and a half away from a major city center and yet, I come to do a matinee on a Wednesday afternoon and I think, “How amazing, there are people here! Thank you so much for coming to see shows.” I find it incredibly humbling; the fact that they have to make such an effort to get here, and they do!
Martha: They do because of the mix they get at the Festivals: they want to see this play because it’s a classic and they know it; or that play, because they have absolutely no idea what to expect. It’s great, that combination of expectations. It’s fun to get ready for.
THE RED-BLOODED THEATRE OF HOWARD BARKER
D
uring a recent Governors Council weekend, Tim Carroll spoke about Victory by Howard Barker: a chance for our Governors Council members to get an intimate introduction to a playwright not often presented on this side of the Atlantic, from the director himself. Here is an excerpt from that introduction.
Barker believes that you need the distance that history gives you to create art and to get beyond social documentary. The plays he wrote offend people and have offended people really for a variety of reasons, the most obvious being their adult subject matter and language. The characters in Barker’s play pretty much run the gamut of all the racist, misogynist, fascist, vile attitudes people can hold. But then his whole philosophy challenges the way in which we have been conditioned to think of theatre as a kind of branch of education. Barker has a great line, which is: “Theatre is too important to be used for social improvement.” He means that theatre is a fundamental need, like sex and food, and therefore its job is to be ‘conscience-free’. That's his phrase. Victory is set in the 1660s in the aftermath of the English Civil War and the Restoration. Cromwell is dead, and Charles II has been brought back from exile in Europe. One of Charles’ conditions for coming back was that the regicides–the people who killed the king, his father, in 1649–should be hunted down, killed and their bodies displayed on spikes. This is no invention of Barker’s. This actually happened. The main character of the play is Bradshaw, the widow of John Bradshaw, who presided at the trial of Charles I. The basic setup for the play is a kind of Antigone story. Historically, not only did they hunt down and kill the regicides, but they found where the ones who had died in the intervening years were buried and dug them up to be drawn and quartered. Bradshaw is informed at the beginning of the play that this has happened to her deceased husband and, like Antigone with her brother, she decides to get what she calls his ‘bits’ back. She will give him a burial, regardless of whether or not he was the best husband ever or whether she agreed with everything he was trying to do as part of Cromwell’s parliamentary regime. That is the setup of the play and everything flows from that problem: how can Bradshaw collect a body that is scattered across London? With that plot, the play is obviously shocking, but it is also funny. Barker loves to make us laugh, then to make the laughter freeze in our throats, then to make us laugh again. The moral centre is impossible to locate, because there is none. We see things happen without any of the consequences that theatre conventionally tells us should follow. This is disturbing, but it is also red-blooded and stirring. There’s a great Raymond Carver quote about reading Chekhov: whatever else the stories do, at the end of them you feel more like living. My other great hero is Joe Strummer of The Clash, whose motto was: “Don't forget you're alive.” I think that's what a good play does.
Howard Barker is now in his early seventies, and living in England. He's written well over 50 plays which have earned him a world-wide reputation. Barker started in the 60s writing quite realistic or socially satirical plays. He had some success with that. He even was seduced by Hollywood and went to write a script for a film. Barker says that was the last time he made any money from writing: not entirely true, because he has been produced over the years a great many times, especially in translation in Europe, where he is much more respected than he is in England. He became a kind of curiosity in England because he turned away from writing the kind of plays that his contemporaries were writing, which were almost manifesto plays, certainly very propagandistic ones. He very early decided that he didn't think his opinions were at all relevant to making good drama and he had no interest in shoving them down anyone's throat or even making people ‘think about the issues’ or any of those other things which we tend conventionally to think plays are for. He basically disagreed 100% with everything Bernard Shaw ever said or thought. The great thing about Bernard Shaw — and the reason why I don’t feel embarrassed saying that — is because I think Bernard Shaw would have loved hearing that. He loved being Don’t forget, we have another exciting line-up of activities disagreed with, and he always agreed with for our Fall Governors Council weekend, September 21 and 22. people who disagreed with him. I can Call 1–800–657–1106 ext 2208 to find out more and to book imagine him saying to Barker: “Yes, you your spot. are right, my worst plays are like that and at their best they are more like your plays.” Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre Sponsor
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Wardrobe in Another Century: When will we go to next? By Tina Schmidt
The cast of Brigadoon
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When you think of a traditional Shaw production, visions of an Edwardian drawing room may spring to mind: s-bend corsets and bustles for the ladies, and likely a tailored suit with matching waistcoat for the men. What happens when we have several productions outside of our “comfort zone”? The answer is, we evolve, and our Wardrobe Department takes their incredible skills and adapts them to new shapes and forms.
W
e have spent many years at The Shaw living primarily in the same years as our namesake — who fortunately had a very long life — 1856 – 1950. As you have seen on our stages, our Wardrobe Department excels there: costumes from that period are created with incredible authenticity and detail, as true to the time as possible (accommodating some adjustments for function and a quick change or two). This season, as Head of Wardrobe Jason Bendig explains, we enter: Brigadoon, a late 18th century Scottish town from the highlands pulled forward 200 years in time; as well as the 17th century, with Victory, Cyrano de Bergerac and the Don Juan in Hell act of Man and Superman. Before work began on the 2019 season, Jason arranged for additional training on techniques and how to create the unique costumes from these time periods. He invited the incomparable Marvin Schlichting, in the business for more than 40 years as a tailor internationally, and costuming for theatre and film, to The Shaw for two weeks in the winter. Jason describes the costuming for Brigadoon as a mash-up of period Scottish garb and contemporary pieces. Some characters, such as Fiona and Jean, tend to be more true to the time in their dress, where the others from the
mysterious town have a more visibly blended style. Designer Sue LePage took the opportunity to play with tartan, while being conscious of tradition by sticking as best she could to tartans that belonged to the family names featured in the play. Through researching the tartans, it became clear that over the last centuries, tartan had evolved–with some declared redundant and now out of production. As a result, and as occasionally happens when designing for theatre, pieces had to be rethought. The production of Brigadoon, however, still manages to stay true to its highland roots as kilts abound. Interestingly, the origins of the kilt begin with the breacan: men would lay out a large piece of wool, about two yards wide and five to nine yards across, fold a pleat across the middle, wrap it full around and belt it — tossing the remaining cloth over their shoulder. It was in the 18th century that the tailored kilt we have become so familiar with appeared. As the town of Brigadoon seems to grow out of the mist, so too does the kilt grow out of a simple piece of fabric. Victory and Cyrano de Bergerac are presenting the largest challenge to our wardrobe staff. Though Brigadoon may technically have the largest number of costumes, Victory and
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Madelyn Kriese and Matt Nethersole in Brigadoon
Cyrano de Bergerac are by far the most labour intensive. They too have a high number of costumes, and all outside of our normal purview, which makes for a lot of work for our 40 wardrobe staff members. Additionally, these shows have gender neutral casting — meaning they have to fit some female costumes to males and vice versa. This casting creates additional labour in the way of augmenting shapes to transform one gender believably into another: widening a woman’s shoulders for example and minimizing the breasts, or widening a man’s hips depending on the characters played. This will be built into the pieces or achieved with padding underneath the costumes.
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A blessing of the 17th century for both Victory and Cyrano de Bergerac is that the shape of clothing was much fuller. Breeches (think pants with buttons up both sides) of the time were high-waisted and rounder, making the hiding of hips in our case less necessary. Pants were so high-wasted that Jason aptly referred to them as “urkel-esque” — a description which conjures up an immediate image for any fans of the 90s television show Family Matters. With these full, round pants reaching so high on the body, this period was also chock-full of short jackets and doublets worn over them, generally tight to the body. Another feature of the fashion was narrow shoulders. Men’s sleeves fastened to the body at
a much higher point than we are used to, gradually beginning to move out and away to broaden the shoulders after 1900. It’s important to note that in the time of Cyrano fashion was again in transition — with jackets gradually lengthening and soon thereafter moving into what we know as waistcoats and jackets. Thus, narrow shoulders, a short tight jacket, and high, round pants — these don’t exactly create a fashionable silhouette in modern terms! Then they put a hat on it — a big one. The time of Victory and Cyrano, for the most part, were big on accessories. Designers Rachel Forbes (Victory) and Julie Fox (Cyrano de Bergerac) stayed true to this and as a result — everyone gets a hat! Jason pointed out that hats of this period tended to be very large on both sexes, and though women’s hats were slightly smaller, both carried a lot of weight. Shoes and boots, which we can often take from stock in our warehouse, are completely different styles. They had lengthy bucket boots (which were worn slouched — think pirates) and heel and toe shapes were not the same as what we have on hand, so we are having to purchase and commission a lot of footwear. There was plenty of swashbuckling back then and, though we occasionally have to deal with knives or dress swords for show, our designers and wardrobe staff have also had to be mindful that swords will be drawn from their baldrics in order to fight. And the buttons! Some of the men’s costumes have more than 150 buttons. The majority of our Ensemble Members are trained in the manners of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. This includes dressing, which accessories to wear, and the accompanying rules that must be followed to be a respected member of society. Though some of this season’s actors may have worked in the period of Victory elsewhere, many of our Ensemble are new to the trappings of the time–having primarily been fitted into corsets and suits in previous roles. Another century of fashion does not just pose a challenge for those creating the costumes, but also for those wearing them. As for Don Juan in Hell, an often dropped act from Man and Superman, Jason is keeping tight-lipped on the subject. It is a fanciful take on the 1700s, with some creative license being employed, but otherwise will be kept a mystery until you join us in the audience for this Shaw epic. Brigadoon, Victory, Cyrano de Bergerac and Don Juan in Hell are all a challenge because we simply have not had the experience in these periods. Lucky for us, The Shaw’s Wardrobe Department have taken this challenge and grown from it. Using their incredible talents, and Jason’s overwhelming knowledge of historical fashion, they are producing an array of costumes with the authenticity and quality The Shaw is known for. These costume designs may be new to us, but excellent execution is our expertise.
Deborah Hay in Victory
Man and Superman with Don Juan in Hell
Cyrano de Bergerac
Victory
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So, when will we go to next? 11
MOVEMENT, COSTUME AND COMMUNICATION: THE PHYSICAL WORLD OF CYRANO DE BERGERAC By Alexis Milligan
ONE OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS ABOUT BEING A MOVEMENT DIRECTOR AT THE SHAW FESTIVAL IS HOW MANY DIFFERENT WORLDS I GET TO DIVE INTO EVERY DAY. THE 17TH CENTURY IS NO EXCEPTION TO THIS – AND POSSIBLY ONE OF MY FAVOURITE TIME PERIODS.
From the heat of a dance hall in 1920s Trinidad, to galloping horses being chased by lions through a Narnian woodland, to the cold moors of northern England in the late 1800s, each world brings its own set of physical forms of movement and communication. How we move our bodies in the 19th century is fundamentally different than the 20th, and a beaver certainly does not move in the same way as a horse (as demonstrated by Jay Turvey in The Horse and His Boy). With the 17th century, we are leaving the Renaissance and heading towards Baroque. Within the courts of Louis XIII and Louis XIV wealth, wit, and power were all demonstrated through movement and manners, and there was a clear relationship between court dances, fencing, and military drills. Dance and sword fighting trained agility and precision through discipline and repetition, and people were well practiced in both. Society rules dictated how we positioned ourselves beside or away from others, how long we held eye contact, or made eye contact at all (you certainly wouldn’t with the King).
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Courtesies were shown through head nods, half bows, or bows down to the floor. Grand Court Masques would take anywhere from 6 to 8 hours to perform and were full of costumes with fabrics woven with gold thread, large jewels mounted on weighted headdresses, and mechanisms that could lower people from the ceiling to the ground, such as the reveal of Louis XIV in his famous Masque “The Sun King”. Fashion, culture and architecture were intertwined and had a huge influence on how we claimed status. Gestures of the wrist displayed the quality of the lace, men presented the inside of the foot to display the size of the shoe buckles, and the ever-enticing shape of the leg. The width of the ladies dresses and the height of their wigs meant they could hardly make it through doorways, so they had to invent new ones (French doors any one?). Add in the hats, capes, gloves, large boots and heeled shoes for both men and women and we are moving through space with many layers of heavy wool fabrics, jewelry, and either a sword or a fan at our side. So, when we take our 21st century bodies, with our relatively relaxed social manners, yoga pants, and sneakers, and we put ourselves into these clothes, how are we going to move? What will we communicate if we stand now in the clothes of that world then? My work with the company is about connecting the standing body and how it moves through space, to what is being communicated. In working with the costume design, it is key that there is room for actors to move and breathe with ease, so they can access their breath
Cyrano costume in progress
“FASHION IS ABOUT BODIES: IT IS PRODUCED, PROMOTED, AND WORN BY BODIES. IT IS THE BODY THAT FASHION SPEAKS TO AND IT IS THE BODY THAT MUST BE DRESSED IN ALMOST ALL SOCIAL ENCOUNTERS.” – Joanne Entwistle, from The Fashioned Body: Fashion, Dress and Social Theory
for vocal support and accomplish what they need to do, and yet the design also needs to stay true to the historical period, which, for the most part, was anything but easy. By introducing basic ballet principles to the Cyrano cast I was able to work with the actors using a language which hasn’t changed much since the 17th century. We worked on the placement of the spine, rotations of the head, arms, and torso, practiced walking in a slight turn out so the sides of the boots don’t rub against each other, and most importantly, how to bow. All of these things can be, and were, learned through dance, and there is a distinct physical cross over to the fight work, where the placement and awareness of the body in space is the same. It is interesting to note that dance is not a significant part of our broader society today, as it was even forty years ago. There was a time when dancing together was something everyone did, and it affected how we engaged as a community and as individuals. In 17th century France, to train in dance influenced the kind of sword fighter you were, and vice versa, and although everyone had strengths and weaknesses, dance was recognized as a necessity for social engagement. Imagine how delighted I was, after the working session with the Cyrano company, when I was approached by both Tom Rooney and Patrick Galligan to have more coaching sessions with them specifically on ballet technique, so they could incorporate it more fully into their character and fight work. In watching the grace and agility increase in both, I realized that Cyrano, in fact, is as much a dance as it is a play: a dance of love and rivalry, through wit and bodies.
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James & Diane King 13
WELCOME TO THE HOLIDAY INN
It feels like it’s been a long time coming – we started auditions for Holiday Inn last July! – but it is with great excitement that I announce to you the casting for our first winter season show on the Festival stage. We have such incredible talent in The Shaw Ensemble, and I am delighted that our cast contains so many of your favourites. In addition, I am particularly happy to welcome some new faces, and I thought I would introduce them here:
BY KATE HENNIG
Carla Bennett – Ensemble
Holiday Inn Cast:
Something you are intensely proud of: My optimism, I can always find opportunity in difficulty.
Jim Hardy Linda Mason Ted Hanover Lila Dixon Louise Danny Ensemble * the part of Charlie Winslow will be cast this summer.
A show you enjoyed more than any other: 2009 West Side Story at Stratford: the movement was intensely story driven and it was the most physically and emotionally demanding show I’ve ever been part of. Something about The Shaw that excites you: It’s been a long time since I’ve been the new girl somewhere, I’m excited for the unknown and to experience all things Shaw.
Timothy Gledhill – Ensemble Something you are intensely proud of: The relationships I have with my three nephews in Winnipeg. We are very close and I wouldn’t have it any other way. A show you enjoyed more than any other: It’s a tie between playing Don in Singing in the Rain and The Beast in Beauty and the Beast. Having the opportunity to dance in real water on stage is an experience beyond words and playing the Beast was just a magical experience. Something about The Shaw that excites you: The area, the company, the rehearsal process. Everything. I am so excited to be a part of it.
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Kyle Blair Kristi Frank Kyle Golemba Kimberley Rampersad Jenny L. Wright Jay Turvey David Ball Carla Bennett Timothy Gledhill Élodie Gillett Kayla James Amanda Mattar Allison McCaughey Kevin McLachlan Drew Plummer Andrew Prashad David Andrew Reid Kiera Sangster Travis Seetoo Jacqueline Thair
Creative Team: Director Choreographer Designer Lighting Sound Assistant Director Assistant Choreographer
Kate Hennig Allison Plamondon Judith Bowden Kevin Lamotte John Lott Jonathan Tan David Ball
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Kayla James – Ensemble
Amanda Mattar – Ensemble
Something you are intensely proud of: I have been given incredible opportunities as a direct result of the strength and bravery my parents showed in immigrating to Canada from South Africa.
Something you are intensely proud of: I’m proud to have chosen a career centred around my passion; a career that offers no guarantees, but satisfies my soul in a way nothing else can.
A show you enjoyed more than any other: I loved being a part of Crazy For You at the Stratford Festival in 2014. I love tap dancing and tapping on the Festival thrust stage is thrilling!
A show you enjoyed more than any other: The Brits (Playlist Productions) was fun, exhausting, and performed with incredibly talented, hardworking individuals that loved each other, our characters and taking the audience on our journey!
Something about The Shaw that excites you: I have always seen The Shaw as a place where people grow as actors, not just perform a show over and over again, which is exciting to me. Process. Everything. I am so excited to be a part of it.
Allison McCaughey – Ensemble Something you are intensely proud of: I am proud that I have been able to maintain a career as a performer (with the help of a very large village!) in the year since my daughter’s birth. A show you enjoyed more than any other: The company of people brought together is the key to a great show. If there is a good group of people working on a production I always enjoy myself.
Something about The Shaw that excites you: I cannot wait to be immersed in the culture, artistry, skill and joy the Festival brings to audiences, artists and everyone that is a part of Shaw.
Kevin McLachlan – Ensemble Something you are intensely proud of: The friends I have made in my life: people who would drop it all in an instant to be there for each other. A show you enjoyed more than any other: I cannot choose: I have yet to do a show that I don't end up falling in love with. Something about The Shaw that excites you: To experience firsthand the community that everyone speaks about so passionately, lovingly, and with so much heart.
Something about The Shaw that excites you: I have been attending the Festival since childhood and am thrilled to be making my debut this holiday season.
Andrew Prashad – Ensemble
And also introducing…
Something you are intensely proud of: My family. My youngest child has Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. Our journey has made us stronger and a more powerful, supportive unit.
Allison Plamondon – Choreographer
A show you enjoyed more than any other: It’s a toss-up between Beauty and the Beast (YPT), where I played Cogsworth, and Cinderella (Neptune) where I played Boutons, and talked to the audience and the kids. Something about The Shaw that excites you: The Shaw Festival is historic and prestigious. I'm grateful and honoured to be able to be a part of a production there, and to TAP dance!
Something you are intensely proud of: Being a part of the Theatre community! A show you enjoyed more than any other: Performing in a highly physicalized production of Julius Caesar (with Titan Theater Company, NYC) — an awesome cast, an incredible (and relevant) play and a really provocative melding of movement and text. Something about The Shaw that excites you: I have been dreaming about being a part of The Shaw Festival ever since I saw The Mystery of Edwin Drood in 2001 — I was just blown away by the acting as well as the history and elegance of the entire Festival.
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I'm proud of my ample appendage: A big nose is the index of an affable man. – Cyrano de Bergerac
André Sills
C
yrano’s ‘ample appendage’ gets a tribute with “Noses Off”; a generally light-hearted look at noses. Included will be “Noses of Niagara”: photos recently taken by Cosmo Condina of members of The Shaw acting Ensemble such as André Sills above. Also, photos of historical and contemporary "famous noses"; poems and comments on noses and so much more! Presented by Sheila Hill with Cosmo Condina as Curator, it’s the perfect place to go following performances* of Cyrano de Bergerac.
LOCATION: The Shaw Gallery located behind the Royal George Theatre DATES: Through October 20, 2019 *The Gallery is open after select performances at the Royal George Theatre. Check with staff at the Theatre or call Box Office to confirm.
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“A warm welcome to our newest Governors Council members and Corporate Partners. Thank you!” – Tim Carroll, Artistic Director and Tim Jennings, Executive Director
Introducing GalaPro The Shaw will launch GalaPro — a closed captioning system that uses a free app on your own phone or tablet in a nondistracting way — for all performances of The Ladykillers in August. We are the first company in Canada to do this! If you are here for one of these performances and wish to try it out, please talk to the person at Coat Check in the Festival Lobby. Sponsored by
As of August 1, 2019
Mahabharata: Origins
Robert & Mary Pat Armstrong Debra Breuer & Douglas Goodman A. Hyde & D. McIntyre Meridian Credit Union Daina & Heinz Meusel David & Audrey Mirvish Lloyd & Susan Ross Scott & Teresa Snow David Spencer & Suresh Pola Glen & Heather Steeves J. Kenneth & Margaret Torrance
A reminder of upcoming events this fall, exclusive to Governors Council and Friends of The Shaw. Why Not Theatre will be preparing for their presentation of Mahabharata as part of the Shaw Festival’s 2020 season, and YOU could have a sneak peek. Details will be included in your invitation, which will be emailed later this summer — making this a good time to ensure you have opted to receive email invitations from us!
Trafalgar –
Our Legacy Gift
Real Ease, Real Connections and Real Joy!
Our world seems to be constantly in turmoil these days — we almost dread reading the news because it can be very depressing. We need something in our lives that is uplifting and encouraging; something that can brighten the day and lift the spirits; something that can give us joy or make us ponder. For us that something is the arts — theatre, music, painting, dancing, and singing. These cultural pursuits demonstrate the best in civilization. What a joy it can be to look at a painting and appreciate the artist’s ability to capture a scene or a feeling on a canvas or in a sculpture. Attending a concert or a play can take you out of your present day life and transport you to another world. This is why we so appreciate the Shaw Festival. Each season we are entertained and made to think — perhaps by a new interpretation of a well-known play, perhaps by being exposed to a new work or a new playwright. We see new directors and actors and also enjoy some favourites that we have come to appreciate over the years. It is always exciting to see young people starting into the world of theatre, being guided by seasoned actors and instructors. It is also rewarding to see young faces coming into the theatre as audience members — being awed by this wonderful magical world that has no bounds. We have enjoyed coming to The Shaw for all these reasons and want to support the Festival through a Legacy Gift so that it can continue to thrive and give the experience of live theatre to a whole new generation.
With a shared drive to provide unique and immersive experiences to our patrons, Shaw and the world leader in guided vacations, Trafalgar, are a perfect match. Their expertise and a passion for connecting guests to life’s special moments is unrivaled in the industry and part of the Trafalgar difference that you come to expect, which is why we are thrilled to enter our fifth year with their support as our Official Travel Partner. On our stages we bring worlds to life, and we would not be surprised if these settings inspired you to travel the globe to discover these worlds for yourself. The romance of Cyrano de Bergerac may ignite your desires to travel to France and discover the cultural charm from Paris to the French Riviera on the 9-day WONDERFUL FRANCE adventure. Or perhaps Bernard Shaw’s Getting Married has inspired you to visit the historic churches of England on Trafalgar’s 10-day AMAZING BRITAIN journey. The mystical highlands of Brigadoon may have you dreaming of a quest like the 7-day BEST OF SCOTLAND trip, where historic wonders and adventure await — and it will be offered more than one day every hundred years! Wherever your imagination can take you, Trafalgar can assist you in finding your most memorable vacation and live your very own ‘pinch me’ moments! Only Trafalgar can connect you to the true soul of a destination providing guests the real thing, without worrying about a thing. Every trip is planned with precision, passion, and decades of expertise, to bring you the very best vacations. All curated to uncover those moments that turn into the memories you cherish for a lifetime. We are proud to partner with a company that shares our desire to give our patrons a world-class experience, whether it be here in Niagara-on-the-Lake or the other side of the world.
Take advantage of an exclusive offer that combines with brochure and promotional discounts! Simply quote promo code PPTSHAWFEST19 for $100 off (per person) towards your next Trafalgar journey. Contact your travel agent, call 1–800–352–4444 to speak with an experienced consultant, or visit Trafalgar.com
Allen and Valerie Swanson Calgary, Alberta
To make your Legacy Gift or for more information, contact: Kimberley White, Senior Development Officer, Individual Gifts & Legacy Giving 905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext 2397 kwhite@shawfest.com
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Poems in theTrees by Laurie Harley
Have you strolled through the Festival Theatre Gardens lately? It might be time for you to have another look. There is something special going on. We call it “Poems in the Trees”. Inspired by London Transport's “Poems on the Underground”, Artistic Director Tim Carroll has come up with an idea to marry the beauty of the Shaw Festival Gardens with some of the most beautiful words ever written. Shaw Company members have shared their favourite poems and they are now laid out throughout the Gardens for you to discover and enjoy. Start your Poems in the Trees experience with a visit to the London Plane Tree on the South Lawn. Your challenge — tour the Gardens to find all 25 poems!
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REMEMBERING JENNY PHIPPS
W
e remember Jenny Phipps, a part of the Shaw Festival family for an incredible 30+ seasons and more than 50 productions since 1967. Beyond The Shaw, she enjoyed 60 years on stage, including 7 seasons at the Stratford Festival, and in the media. A short list of some of the plays she appeared in at The Shaw includes: Alice in Wonderland (2016), Juno and the Paycock (2014), Harvey (2010), The Crucible and The Magic Fire (2006), Man and Superman (2004 and 1989), The Old Lady Shows Her Medals (2002), Pygmalion (1992), Misalliance (1990), Major Barbara (1987 and 1967) and Candida (1970). Here is how veteran Stage Manager Allan Teichman let the Company know of her passing at the age of 87: “Jennifer Phipps, longtime ensemble member, passed away April 18 peacefully in her sleep while in palliative care.
It was a sunny and serene day, with a huge magnolia in imminent bloom outside the window — a great final scene to her story. Thank you to whoever designed it that way. “Friends and family kept her company almost non-stop from her first hospital admission, which was a great joy and comfort to her. And a source of fascination, wonderment, and some minor irritation, to the hospital staff! Just a few of the many who loved Jenny.”
THIS YEAR’S PRODUCTION OF THE LADYKILLERS IS DEDICATED IN MEMORY OF THE INCOMPARABLE JENNY PHIPPS. From top: Jenny Phipps with Ben Sanders between scenes, Alice in Wonderland (2016). Photo by Christopher Wahl. Jenny Phipps with cast in Candida (1970),in Juno and the Paycock (2014).
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THE SHAW AND NIAGARA: EXPLORE IT ALL AUGUST
PRE-SHOW TALKS Through Sept 15 | 7:30PM / 6:30 on Sundays An introduction to the evening’s performance by a company member. Free admission
NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE FOODIE TOUR
SHAW SYMPOSIUM
Wednesdays – Sundays Through August
August 15 – 17 | Various Locations
Embrace your inner foodie! Tour local restaurants and culinary retailers on a picturesque walk along the streets of Old Town. Taste Niagara cuisine and meet chefs while learning about the area’s history and cultural landmarks, farm-totable, food and wine trends, and Niagara VQA wines. Vegetarian options available with advanced request. $65 per person
Shaw at The Shaw: a focus on Getting Married and Man and Superman. Reception, picnic lunch and parking. $150 | Students $95 – Cost does not include theatre tickets.
TUESDAY’S Q&A Tuesday Evenings Post-Show | All Theatres An informal question-and-answer session with actors following Tuesday evening performances (except those marked P and OC), in all three theatres. Free admission
COCKTAILS WITH THE COMPANY Saturday Evenings in August – Post-Show (excluding August 10) | Festival Theatre An open invitation to join Shaw Company members for cocktails ($) and casual conversation. Free admission
MEET SHAW DIRECTORS AND DESIGNERS Thursday August 15 | 11AM | Festival Theatre Up close and personal … Directors and Designers share their insights and visions on Man and Superman. $20 | Shaw Friends $15
FIFE & DRUM MUSTER & SOLDIERS’ FIELD DAY August 17 & 18 | 10AM
FOR FRIENDS
FRIENDS POST-SHOW CHATS Wednesdays and Thursdays | Post-Matinee | Festival Theatre Engage in exclusive conversations with the cast or creative teams. Complimentary
POP-UP PATIO Thursdays in August | 4:15PM | Festival Theatre Courtyard Food! Refreshments! Live Music! Thursdays in July & August following matinee performances at the Festival & Studio Theatres. Open to all, no theatre ticket required. Food & Beverages available ($)
GHOST TOURS OF FORT GEORGE Tuesday August 13 Experience Fort George after dark! Join us for a candlelit tour, where you will hear a score of ghostly accounts while being introduced to the fascinating history of haunted Fort George and Niagara-on-the-Lake. This is not the kind of ghost tour where actors portray the ghosts or people jump out and try to scare you. We tell the real stories of people's real experiences with real spirits. You may even walk away with an experience of your own! $20 per adult | $10 per child under 13
Join us for the 19th annual Fife & Drum Muster and Soldiers' Field Day! Fife and drum corps and infantry units from historic sites across Canada and the United States will converge on Fort George National Historic Site. This weekend-long event is packed with firepower demonstrations, music and entertainment. For more information call Parks Canada at 905– 468–6614. A special event rate applies ($)
DEEPER DIALOGUES: RE-IMAGINING CLASSICAL THEATRE WITH SHAW ACTORS Saturday Agust 24 | 11 AM Conversations about theatre, art and culture. $20 | Shaw Friends $15
THE READING SERIES
“Better keep yourself clean and bright; you are the window through which you must see the world.” – Bernard Shaw
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August 29 | 9PM | Royal George Theatre A musical reading of Kipps, the new Half a Sixpence musical directed by Jay Turvey. Based on a H.G. Wells novel and adapted by Julian Fellowes (of Downtown Abbey fame). $25 per person
SEPTEMBER
FOR GOVERNORS COUNCIL
FALL GOVERNORS COUNCIL WEEKEND
MYSTERY ENCOUNTERS
September 21 & 22 | 9:30 AM
Thursdays in September | 11 AM | Festival Theatre Are you curious about what goes on backstage and who works there? Here’s your chance to find out. $20 | Shaw Friends and under 30 $15
COFFEE CONCERTS Sunday September 8 | 10:30 AM | Festival Theatre A Sunday morning concert performed by members of the Shaw Festival Orchestra. $ By donation
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION Multiple Dates | Post-Show | Various Locations Following Tuesday, Friday and Saturday matinees in all theatres and all The Russian Play performances (except those marked P and OC), join fellow patrons for an engaging facilitated discussion. Free admission Sponsored by: Riverview Cellars Estate Winery and Pratt & Whitney Canada
THE GOLDEN AGE OF MUSICAL THEATRE Saturday September 14 | 11 AM Join Shaw Music Director Paul Sportelli to learn about and sing-along to music theatre classics including Brigadoon. $20 | Shaw Friends $15
Highlights include: the Directors Project performances, discussions with the Intern Directors and dinner with members of the Ensemble. $200 per person
September 25 – 27 | 9AM – 5PM | Festival Theatre Focusing on four plays, gain access to the creative minds who bring our plays to life. Includes lunches, presentations and parking. $220 | $185 for Shaw Friends – Cost does not include theatre tickets.
THE READING SERIES September 29 | 11AM | Niagara-on-the-Lake Library, 10 Anderson Lane Just to Get Married: A rarely performed gem by Cicely Hamilton, directed by Graeme Somerville. $25 per person
OCTOBER
A playful intro to the basics of tap dance with an actor from Holiday Inn. Fun for ages 10+ and all experience levels. $10 per person
MEET SHAW DIRECTORS AND DESIGNERS: HOLIDAY INN Friday November 15 | 11AM | Festival Theatre Up close and personal … our 2019 Shaw directors and designers share their insights on Holiday Inn. $20 | Shaw Friends $15
TASTE THE SEASON Weekends in November | 11AM – 5PM Taste the Season passport allows you to sample a wine and food pairing at 25 wineries of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Call 905–468–1950 or please visit www.niagaraonthelake.com
DEEPER DIALOGUES: CREATING MAHABHARATA WITH RAVI JAIN, SHAW DIRECTOR AND GUEST
CHRISTMAS PARADE
Saturday October 5 | 11 AM Conversations about theatre, art and culture. $20 | Shaw Friends $15
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays in October | 10AM / 11AM | Festival Theatre
Conversations about theatre, art and culture. GBS on Marriage, Morals, and Modernity with Dr. Leonard Conolly, Resident Shaw Scholar and guest. $20 | Shaw Friends $15
Saturday November 30 | 11AM | Festival Theatre
DECEMBER
BACKSTAGE TOUR
Saturday September 21 | 11 AM
TAP DANCE FOR DUMMIES
September 14 – 29
DEEPER DIALOGUES
FALL PLAY BY PLAY
NIAGARA WINE FESTIVAL Join our 67th annual 'Wine Country' celebration of Niagara's internationallyacclaimed grape and wine industry for three weekends in September. Enjoy more than 100 events including winery tours and tastings, concerts, Niagara cuisine, wine seminars, family entertainment and one of Canada's largest street parades. For more details, go to www.niagarawinefestival.com
NOVEMBER
An hour-long guided tour of the Festival Theatre. Some dates not available — see calendar for details. $10 | $5 with a ticket to a performance
FAMOUS & INFAMOUS: VANESSA BEL Monday October 28 | 2PM | Riverbrink Art Museum A monthly presentation followed by a lively discussion about the life and times of a famous, or infamous, person from the past. Free admission
Saturday, December 14 | 11AM – 2PM Santa comes to town. The town of Niagaraon-the-Lake Parade Committee presents one of Ontario's best Santa Claus Parades. For further details visit: www.notl.org/ content/parks-rec-special-events for a parade route map and a registration form if interested in submitting an entry for the parade.
TAP DANCE FOR DUMMIES Saturday December 7 | 11AM | Festival Theatre A playful intro to the basics of tap dance with an actor from Holiday Inn. Fun for ages 10+ and all experience levels. $10 per person
PLAN YOUR VISIT TO THE SHAW AND NIAGARA: shawfest.com/plan-your-visit/ or niagaraonthelake.com To book Shaw events: 1–800–511–7429
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10 QUEEN’S PARADE, BOX 774 NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ONTARIO L0S 1J0 CANADA SHAWFEST.COM
MAGAZINE FOR FRIENDS AND PARTNERS SUMMER 2019
APRIL 6 – DECEMBER 22 1–800–511–SHAW | SHAWFEST.COM
Julia Course in The Glass Menagerie.
Production Sponsor:
James F. Brown
Jackie Maxwell Studio Theatre Sponsor