Ovation Volume 23, Number 5 (March/April 2016)

vol 23 • no 5 mar/apr 2016

by

PAUL SLADE SMITH

JOHN HIRSCH MAINSTAGE

by

MATT MURRAY

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Message from the Artistic Director

In Paul Slade Smith’s Unnecessary Farce, police officers Billie Dwyer and Eric Sheridan have a secret. They’re supposed to be undercover, carrying out a sting on their city’s mayor, who is suspected of embezzlement. Yet, like you and me, they’re not used to concealing the truth. In fact, we soon wonder how this pair of well-meaning bumblers were assigned such a sensitive, high-stakes operation. Billie doesn’t even know how to use handcuffs! Their only real weapons are dedication and decency, but will that be enough to keep them safe while they try to bring down the criminals who really run their city?

Steven Schipper

Playwright Matt Murray has also placed secrets at the heart of his comedy Myth of the Ostrich. His protago-

nist Holly Mills is a writer with a deadline, a single mother coping with a teenage child, and a marijuana user waiting for a delivery from her dealer. The last thing she needs is a wealthy Catholic woman showing up at the door of her basement apartment, looking for information about the romance between their two children. Holly lies to protect herself, her dealer, and especially the young lovers, but the lies merely complicate matters, to hilarious (and heartbreaking) effect.

The humour in these farces depends on concealment, and the characters’ increasingly desperate attempts to keep their secrets. Someone is always doing something they shouldn’t. Someone else is always in danger of discovering the truth. By the midway point of each story, all the clumsy lies and messy attempts at covering up have only placed our heroes in worse danger, and we laugh at the hopelessness of it all. Of course, in the end, all that was hidden is revealed, all that was feared is confronted, and the seemingly impossible becomes reality. The power of farce is not only that it allows us the blessed release of laughter, but that it reinforces our belief that good will always prevail and order will always be restored.

Yours always,

march/april 2016

Ovation

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R OYA L M T C 2 0 1 6 / 1 7 thank you for being a part of our audience.

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Theatre Abbreviation Legend Arts Club Arts Club Theatre Company • Vancouver, BC ATF Atlantic Theatre Festival • Wolfville, NS ATP Alberta Theatre Projects • Calgary, AB BAM Brooklyn Academy of Music • NYC Bard on the Beach Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival • Vancouver, BC Belfry The Belfry Theatre • Victoria, BC Blyth Blyth Theatre Festival • Blyth, ON Broadway Theatre district • New York, NY CBC Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Centaur Centaur Theatre Company • Montreal, QC Citadel The Citadel Theatre • Edmonton, AB COC Canadian Opera Company • Toronto, ON CS Canadian Stage • Toronto, ON Dora Dora Mavor Moore Award • Toronto, ON Drayton Drayton Entertainment • Ontario Dry Cold Dry Cold Productions • Winnipeg, MB Factory Factory Theatre • Toronto, ON GCTC The Great Canadian Theatre Company • Ottawa, ON Grand The Grand Theatre • London, ON Mirvish Mirvish Productions • Toronto, ON Moving Target Moving Target Theatre Company • Winnipeg, MB MTYP Manitoba Theatre for Young People • Winnipeg, MB NAC National Arts Centre • Ottawa, ON Necessary Angel Necessary Angel Theatre Company • Toronto, ON Neptune Neptune Theatre • Halifax, NS NFB National Film Board of Canada NTS National Theatre School of Canada • Montreal, QC Persephone Persephone Theatre • Saskatoon, SK PTAM Popular Theatre Alliance of Manitoba • Winnipeg, MB PTE Prairie Theatre Exchange • Winnipeg, MB

Rainbow Rainbow Stage • Winnipeg, MB RNT Royal National Theatre • London, England Royal Alex The Royal Alexandra Theatre • Toronto, ON RSC Royal Shakespeare Company • Stratford-upon-Avon, England RWB Royal Winnipeg Ballet • Winnipeg, MB Sarasvàti Sarasvàti Productions • Winnipeg, MB Segal The Segal Centre for Performing Arts • Montreal, QC Shaw Shaw Festival • Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON SIR Shakespeare in the Ruins • Winnipeg, MB Soulpepper Soulpepper Theatre Company • Toronto, ON Stratford Stratford Festival • Stratford, ON SummerWorks SummerWorks Theatre Festival • Toronto, ON TA Theatre Aquarius • Hamilton, ON Tarragon Tarragon Theatre • Toronto, ON TBTR Theatre by the River • Winnipeg, MB TC Theatre Calgary • Calgary, AB TiFT Talk is Free Theatre • Barrie, ON TNB Theatre New Brunswick • Fredericton, NB Toronto Free Toronto Free Theatre • Toronto, ON TPM Theatre Projects Manitoba • Winnipeg, MB TSO Toronto Symphony Orchestra U of M University of Manitoba U of T University of Toronto U of W University of Winnipeg VP Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company • Vancouver, BC West End Theatre district • London, England WJT Winnipeg Jewish Theatre WSO Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra WST Winnipeg Studio Theatre YPT Young People’s Theatre • Toronto, ON zone41 zone41 theatre • Winnipeg, MB

OVATION VOLUME 23, NUMBER 4 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016

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Ovation

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Unnecessary Farce ‘Thornton Wilder! The man only wrote three full-length plays in his life – but what plays!

Our Town, The Skin of Our Teeth, and The Matchmaker.’ And I thought, ‘There’s a goal: three plays, which will last an eternity.’

Playwright’s Notes BY PAUL SLADE SMITH I was standing in a wardrobe in the dark.

I was playing Cornelius Hackl – in a striped suit and a straw hat. This was the hat shop scene in Hello, Dolly!, which comes straight from Thornton Wilder’s The Matchmaker.

And Cornelius is standing in a wardrobe hiding from Horace Vandergelder, his boss, to keep Horace from discovering that Cornelius and Barnaby have left the hay-and-feed store unattended, and are at that very moment courting Mrs. Malloy – Horace’s own fiancée – and her assistant, Minnie Fay. And the wardrobe was an actual wardrobe – not a false one – so I was literally standing inside a piece of furniture, in the dark, a little bent over, since I’m very tall.

And the audience was laughing huge gales of laughter. And standing in that wardrobe, listening to their laughter, I was thinking:

I was destined to start with the farce. Not only in that hat shop scene, but in A Flea in Her Ear, Lend Me a Tenor, The Comedy of Errors, The Norman Conquests, I have had the intoxicating thrill of experiencing farce with a live audience – being onstage, intently engaged in a life-or-death pursuit, while an audience enjoys the thrill of watching your every effort disastrously thwarted. It just doesn’t get any better than that.

I intended Unnecessary Farce as a double gift – to actors and to audiences. Because a farce, when it’s got its rhythm going, is a ride they take together, like some sort of “runaway train” at an amusement park. The actors know where the thing is going before the audience does, and the audience knows before the characters do, but, as on a roller coaster, even if you see that hairpin turn coming, you still scream your way through it.

I hope there will be plenty of screaming tonight – of the laughter variety. And if things are really going well, I hope one of the actors, standing in one of those closets, thinks to himself: ‘Damn! I’m writing me one of these!’

From the program of the world premiere of Unnecessary Farce, October 25, 2006

synopsis

When the town’s mayor is suspected of embezzling funds, two bumbling police officers set up a sting operation at a motel to lure him into a confession. Working with a civic accountant to set up the meeting, the officers wait in the adjoining room to catch all the evidence on tape. But their plans go horribly (and hilariously) awry when a neurotic security guard and a bagpipe-wielding Scottish hitman are thrown into the mix – sparking endless confusion as to who’s in which room, who’s watching the video, who’s taken the money and who hired the hitman.

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People have always been fascinated with hitmen. Some fit the traditional menacing mould – cold, calculated and cruelly detached from the job at hand, while others are, er, a bit more colourful.

Although you’d never want to meet him in real life, it’s hard not to give a wry smile to a character like Samuel L. Jackson’s foulmouthed killer in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, who insists on reciting the Biblical passage Ezekiel 25:17 before he pulls the trigger. The bagpipe-wielding hitman from Unnecessary Farce definitely falls into the colourful category. In honour of the laughs his encounters with the play’s bumbling cast are sure to present, we’ve compiled some of our favourite offbeat contract killers from popular culture.

IN BRUGES

In Martin McDonagh’s black comedy crime drama, Colin Farrell’s Ray is anything but calm and collected. Wracked with guilt after his first assignment goes horribly wrong, this neurotic hired gun and his mentor decide to lay low in the sleepy Belgian city of Bruges. Instead of keeping his head down and waiting for further instructions, Ray finds himself in the most surreal (and chaotic) situations that include, but aren’t limited to, a hotel fight with a drug-addicted dwarf and knocking Canadian tourists unconscious – all against the backdrop of the Christmas season.

THE HITMAN BOOKS

In his four episodic novels (Hit Man, Hit List, Hit Parade and Hit Me) writer Lawrence Block’s character Keller seems

Unnecessary Farce like any normal guy living in New York City. He loves takeout, does the New York Times crossword, schleps his wash to the laundromat and even collects pre-1940s non-US issue stamps – an expensive hobby he finances by hiring himself out as a contract killer.

NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN

There’s no doubt that Cormac McCarthy’s hitman Anton Chigurh is terrifying. Javier Bardem’s award-winning portrayal of the psychopathic antagonist in the novel’s 2007 film adaptation only served to make him even more fearsome. But instead of staying laser-focused like most assassins, Chigurh’s eccentric behaviour propels him to seek out innocent bystanders and force them to flip a coin to decide their fate. If they’re on the losing end, they get up close and personal with his preferred weapon of choice – a captive bolt pistol. It’s

also impossible to forget his strange and unsettling hairstyle.

KILL BILL

Pulp Fiction is hardly Quentin Tarantino’s only film to feature unusual killers – his entire body of work is spattered with unsavoury characters of this type! None may be more recognizable, though, than Uma Thurman’s yellow jumpsuit-clad assassin in the two-part martial arts exploit Kill Bill. A former member of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad, Thurman’s character (known simply as the Bride) walks away from a life of contract killing – only to be left for dead on her wedding day by the group’s jealous leader. After spending four years in a coma, the Bride devises a hit list of her own and, armed with a samurai sword, embarks on a quest for vengeance against all members of the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad.

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2016-02-17 11:03 AM

Steven Schipper, Artistic Director • Camilla Holland, General Manager PRESENTS

Unnecessary Farce

by Paul Slade Smith March 31 – April 23, 2016 preview March 30

Director........................................................................................ Steven Schipper Set & Costume Designer......................................................... Jamie Plummer Lighting Designer.............................................................................. Bill Williams Sound Designer........................................................................... Michael Wright Fight Director.......................................................................Jacqueline Loewen Assistant Director.................................................................... Rebecca Steiner Stage Manager.......................................................................... Margaret Brook Assistant Stage Manager.....................................................Michelle Lagassé Apprentice Stage Manager......................................................Crystal Staryk THE CAST (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

Karen Brown......................................................................Ava Darrach-Gagnon Agent Frank...................................................................................Paul Essiembre Eric Sheridan.......................................................................................Tom Keenan Mayor Meekly...................................................................................John B. Lowe Todd............................................................................................Arne MacPherson Mary Meekly.............................................................................. Megan McArton Billie Dwyer..................................................................................Heather Russell SETTING

Time: The present.

Place: Two adjoining motel rooms in a big town/small city.

Unnecessary Farce is performed with one intermission.

Originally produced by BoarsHead Theater, Lansing, Michigan Kristine Thatcher, Artistic Director Produced by special arrangement with Playscripts, Inc. (www.playscripts.com) Special thanks: Dr. Michael Eleff, MTS

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Unnecessary Farce Ava Darrach-Gagnon

Tom Keenan

Karen Brown

Eric Sheridan

ROYAL MTC The Seagull, Gone With the

ROYAL MTC First appearance.

OTHER THEATRE Revenge of the Meek

(Thinlizotte Productions); God: A Play in One Act (1042 Productions); Pizza Man (Coffee Guy Productions).

TV Escape or Die (12 episodes).

TRAINING Graduate of the University of Winnipeg’s Acting Honours Program.

ET CETERA Ava is thrilled to be performing her first role with Royal MTC and to be sharing this experience with such a talented cast and crew. Many thanks go out to her family and friends for all their love and support.

Paul Essiembre Agent Frank

ROYAL MTC Things We Do For Love, The Man

Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Heart of Robin Hood (with Mirvish), Other People’s Money, A Few Good Men (with Citadel).

OTHER THEATRE Paul has been performing professionally throughout the country for almost 25 years. A few favourite productions include Butcher and The Best Brothers (PTE); Romeo and Juliet (Citadel); The Normal Heart, The Overwhelming, Stuff Happens (Studio 180); To Kill a Mockingbird, The Odyssey, The Duchess of Malfi, Don Juan, Macbeth (Stratford); L’Emmerdeur, Dîner de Cons, Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme, Art (Théâtre Français de Toronto); Tillsonburg (CS); Zadie’s Shoes, Oui (Factory); Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Centaur).

FILM/TV More than 50 film and television appearances and extensive work in documentary narration, animation and commercial voice-overs.

Wind, Mrs. Warren’s Profession, The History of Manitoba from the Beginning of Time to the Present in 45 Minutes, A Christmas Carol.

OTHER THEATRE Selected: The Power of Harriet T, New Canadian Kid, Beneath the Banyan Tree, Kindness (MTYP); Edward II (TBTR); One Man, Two Guvnors (TC); White Rabbit Red Rabbit, The Moonlight Sonata of Beethoven Blatz (TPM); The Comedy of Errors, Stripped Down Romeo and Juliet, Henry IV Parts 1 & 2 (SIR); Buddy: the Buddy Holly Story (Theatre North West); Way to Heaven (WJT); Three Sisters (zone41/TPM); The Winter’s Tale, Troilus and Cressida, Measure for Measure (Tom-Tom Theatre).

FILM/TV Selected: The Pinkertons, The Exorcism of Molly Hartley, Bunks, Zooey and Adam, Men with Brooms, Less Than Kind, House Party, Something Beneath, The Crooked E. TRAINING École Jacques Lecoq, École Philippe Gaulier, University of Winnipeg.

ET CETERA Watch this December for the zone41/West End Cultural Centre production of Shakespeare’s Richard II, featuring Tom as Richard, with music composed by Tom Keenan and Matt Peters, and performed live

by Royal Canoe. Listen to his solo music at tomkeenan.bandcamp.com.

John B. Lowe Mayor Meekly

ROYAL MTC Harvey.

OTHER THEATRE Common Sense Cabarets (Broccolo Creative); The Secret Mask, The Savannah Disputation, Having Hope at

For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 6

march/april 2016

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Unnecessary Farce Home (PTE); Here on the Flight Path, For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again, The Drawer Boy (Sunshine Theatre); An Inspector Calls (Chemainus Theatre Festival); Measure for Measure (Citadel); Dear Santa, Over the River and Through the Woods (Western Canada Theatre).

FILM/TV Series regular: Tiny Plastic Men, Cashing In, Nothing Too Good for a Cowboy.

Movies: Julianna and the Medicine Fish, Reasonable Doubt, Silent Night, The Christmas Heart, Euphoria, Lucky Christmas, Wedding for One, Locked Down, The Hessen Conspiracy, The Secrets of Comfort House, Fido, The Butterfly Effect, The Ultimate Christmas Present, Trapped. TV appearances: The Pinkertons, Less Than Kind, Millennium, The X-Files, First Wave, The Immortal, The New Addams Family, Cold Squad.

ET CETERA School Director, PTE Theatre & Film School.

Megan McArton Mary Meekly

ROYAL MTC The Crucible, Macbeth, The Good

Sisters (Les Belles-Soeurs), Romeo and Juliet (Theatre for Young Audiences production), Our Country’s Good, Mr. A’s Amazing Maze Plays (Theatre for Young Audiences production), Transit of Venus (regional tour).

OTHER THEATRE The Brink, Harvest, Kilt, The Raft, The Stone Angel (PTE); Jail Baby, Fefu and Her Friends (Sarasvàti); Richard III, The Tempest, The Odyssey (SIR).

TEACHING Megan is a part of the Manitoba Arts Council Artist in the Schools Program.

Heather Russell Arne MacPherson

Billie Dwyer

Todd

ROYAL MTC Armstrong’s War. ROYAL MTC Selected: The Hound of the

OTHER THEATRE Iceland (TPM); Dying to Be

Baskervilles (tour), Alice Through the LookingGlass, A Few Good Men (with Citadel), August: Osage County, Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Shakespeare’s Dog (with NAC), The Crucible, King Lear.

OTHER THEATRE Hamlet, Richard III, Othello and others (SIR); I Dream of Diesel (One Trunk Theatre/TPM); Encore (TPM); Ivanov, Way to Heaven, Lenin’s Embalmers (WJT). Other credits include directing Sargent and Victor and Me (TPM) and many productions for SIR. FILM/TV Arne has appeared in over 25 shot-in-Winnipeg film and television productions.

TRAINING Graduate of the BFA (Acting) program at the University of Alberta.

ET CETERA Arne lives in Wolseley with his partner Deb Patterson, and Gislina and Solmund and Riot.

Thin, Night Light (MTYP); Magical Mystery Munsch (PTE); Expressions Vives (Cercle Molière); The Crackwalker (Sweet and Salty Productions); The War and Peace Show, 13 Plays About Love (Winnipeg Fringe).

TRAINING BA Hons, U of W; BA, Brandon University; Professional Training Ensemble at PTE. ET CETERA Love to Mom, Dad, Ian and Cam.

Paul Slade Smith Playwright

Paul Slade Smith is the author of three plays: The Outsider, Hymn & Carol and Unnecessary Farce, which premiered in 2006 and is

For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 6

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Unnecessary Farce receiving its 200th production here at Royal MTC. Unnecessary Farce has been seen throughout the United States and Canada, and in Great Britain, Australia, Singapore, Switzerland (in a Swiss German translation) and Iceland (in Icelandic). In 2015, the world premiere of The Outsider received seven award nominations, and was named Best Play by the BroadwayWorld Milwaukee Awards.

As an actor, Paul is currently appearing in Finding Neverland on Broadway. Previous acting credits: North American tours of Wicked and The Phantom of the Opera, and productions at American Repertory Theatre, The Goodman, Steppenwolf and Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

Steven Schipper Director

ROYAL MTC Selected: Billy Elliot The Musical,

Late Company, The Glass Menagerie, Gone With the Wind, The Drowsy Chaperone (with TC), Fiddler on the Roof, the world premieres of Maureen Hunter’s Atlantis (with TC), Mark Stein’s Mating Dance of the Werewolf (with Rubicon), Olaf Pyttlik’s The Wave and Bruce McManus’ A Christmas Carol, and the Canadian premieres of Quills, Proposals (with Mirvish) and Steve Martin’s Picasso at the Lapin Agile (with NAC).

OTHER THEATRE Stratford, Shaw, Centaur, Segal, Mirvish, Theatre Plus (Toronto), Toronto Free, YPT, Persephone, TC, VP, Rubicon Theatre (Ventura, CA).

TRAINING McGill, Bishop’s, National Theatre School of Canada.

ET CETERA In 2007, Steven received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Winnipeg. In 2012, he was appointed to the Order of Canada and was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal.

In 2015, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Manitoba.

Jamie Plummer Set & Costume Designer

ROYAL MTC Set & Costume Designer: Myth

of the Ostrich, Armstrong’s War. Apprentice Set & Costume Designer: Steel Magnolias, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play. Apprentice Properties Builder: The Drowsy Chaperone.

OTHER THEATRE Costumes: Small Things (PTE). Set: West Side Story (Rainbow). Set & Costumes: Little Thing, Big Thing (PTE); Stars of David, Bad Jews (WJT); The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswoman’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of A Christmas Carol (Persephone); New Canadian Kid (MTYP); A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline (Rainbow).

TRAINING MFA in Theatre Design from the University of Alberta.

ET CETERA Jamie is excited to be working in the Winnipeg theatre community. She would like to thank her family for their constant support.

Bill Williams Lighting Designer ROYAL MTC Bill is delighted to have designed

the lighting for more than 75 Royal MTC productions (both Mainstage and Warehouse) since 1971.

OTHER THEATRE Bill has designed more than 500 productions for theatre, opera and dance companies across Canada, and in Europe, Asia, South America, the UK and the US. ET CETERA Bill is also actively involved as a theatre consultant, architectural lighting designer, teacher, author and photographer. www.billwilliams.ca

For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 6

march/april 2016

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Unnecessary Farce Michael Wright Sound Designer

ROYAL MTC Billy Elliot The Musical, Seminar

(with Mirvish), Late Company, Private Lives, Armstrong’s War, The Secret Annex, The Seagull, Venus in Fur, The Penelopiad, August: Osage County, The Fighting Days, Romeo and Juliet, The Seafarer, Looking Back – West, Top Girls, Rope’s End, Fully Committed, The Last Five Years, Cherry Docs.

OTHER THEATRE I Dream of Diesel, North Main Gothic, The Monster Trilogy, The Elmwood Visitation, Age of Arousal (TPM); Everything is Coming Up Roses (Gearshifting Performance Works); Something Drastic, Puppet Munsch (PTE); Macbeth (SIR); Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Winnipeg Fringe); Hedwig and the Angry Inch Atrocity Tour 2004 (Rose Tinted Productions, UK).

FILM The Last Harvest, Métis, Métis Not, Dead Mothers Kitchen Floors, Dust.

ET CETERA Michael is active in the music world with over two dozen album credits and is a member of IATSE 63.

Jacqueline Loewen Fight Director

Restaurant Fires Are Arson (PTE). Assistant Fight Choreographer: Shakespeare’s Rebel (Bard on the Beach).

TEACHING Jacqueline has taught stage combat at MTYP and PTE, and assistant taught at the U of W. ET CETERA Jacqueline is very pleased to be working with both Royal MTC and such fine performers.

Rebecca Steiner Assistant Director

ROYAL MTC First engagement.

OTHER THEATRE Director: The Forks and the

Road, A Bicycle Built for Two, Selah’s Song: An Original Folk Musical, Gadfly (Theatre of the Beat); Reesor, The Red Tent (University of Waterloo). Actor: A Bicycle Built for Two, Forgiven/Forgotten, Gadfly, Life as a River (Theatre of the Beat); Signatures (Inter Arts Matrix); A Midsummer Night’s Dream, An Experiment with an Air Pump (University of Waterloo).

TV The Pinkertons (Extras Costumer).

TRAINING Drama at the University of Waterloo; Directors Lab North 2015.

ET CETERA Many thanks to Steven for this amazing opportunity. Enjoy the show!

Michelle Lagassé Assistant Stage Manager

ROYAL MTC Fight Director: The Man Who

Shot Liberty Valance, Late Company, Private Lives, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily, A Christmas Story, Gone With the Wind, August: Osage County, Romeo and Juliet, The Seafarer. Actor: Alice Through the Looking-Glass, Top Girls. Assistant Director: Other People’s Money.

OTHER THEATRE Selected fight directing: The Flood Thereafter (CS); Tosca, Carmen (Manitoba Opera); Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Taming of the Shrew (SIR); All

ROYAL MTC Stage Manager & Assistant Stage

Manager (selected): The Woman in Black, Harvey, Miracle on South Division Street, A Few Good Men (with Citadel), Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Romeo and Juliet, After Miss Julie.

OTHER THEATRE Stage Manager & Assistant Stage Manager (selected): Noises Off (Citadel); Butcher, The Dishwashers, Till It

For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 6

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Unnecessary Farce Hurts, Burnin’ Love (PTE); Proud, Sargent and Victor and Me (TPM); 10 seasons with the Shaw Festival.

TRAINING National Theatre School of Canada, Banff School of Fine Arts, the University of Winnipeg.

ET CETERA Michelle has worked at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, PTE’s Carol Shields Festival of New Works and on the last five federal elections.

D R Y C OL D PRODUCTION S PRE S E N TS

Crystal Staryk Apprentice Stage Manager ROYAL MTC Alice Through the Looking-Glass,

The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith.

OTHER THEATRE Bad Jews (WJT).

Director – Robb Paterson Music Director – Cary Denby Set Design – Brian Perchaluk Lighting Design – Scott Henderson

FOR TICKETS:

By Phone:

204 942-6537

www.royalmtc.ca/drycold

Orchestrations by Jonathan Tunick Originally Produced and Directed on Broadway by Harold Prince Suggested by a Film by Ingmar Bergman

A Little Night Music is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI), All authorized performance materials are also supplied

by MTI, New York, NY. Tel: 212-541-4684 Fax: 212-397-4684 www.mtishows.com

Heidi Malazdrewich

Tricia Cooper

Playwright Matt Murray has always had a passion for writing female characters. Inspired by his love for Golden Girls, Designing Women and Sex and the City, Matt has tackled the diverse challenges of parenting with a heartfelt comedy backed by a strong ensemble of Winnipeg women.

We spoke to the cast – Tricia Cooper, Krista Jackson and Jennifer Lyon – and director Heidi Malazdrewich about how the play relates to their own experiences and why it’s important to celebrate women’s stories onstage.

The play’s two mothers, Holly and Pam, appear to be on completely opposite sides of the parenting spectrum – one is laid back, and the other is much more conservative.

Matt’s script presents a lot of interesting questions about some of the ethical dilemmas that can come with parental awareness and control. How much freedom and privacy should we award kids when they’re growing up and learning about the world and themselves?

KRISTA: I think it really depends on the

child. I’ve come to learn that the only constant when it comes to parenting is constant change.

HEIDI: I’m not sure I could even begin to

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tackle that complicated topic! I’m not a parent, but what I think is interesting about Matt’s play is that we, the audience, get to experience this dilemma from three very different perspectives.

JENNIFER: My parents instilled a great

sense of mutual trust in our relationship when I was growing up. Of course, there were boundaries, curfews, rules, and expectations to be met, but nothing seemed unreasonable or unfair to me. I think that approach – plus open communication – is a good place to start.

Tricia and Krista – both of you have children of your own. How much would you say your

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march/april 2016

Krista Jackson

Jennifer Lyon

philosophy or approach to parenting has changed since you had kids, versus where you stood before?

un-know it. And then the guilt or paranoia is amplified.

KRISTA: Let go of all milestones and

ager I sometimes snooped on my older sisters and was often caught. In the case of this play, I think that both Pam and Holly have a lot of reason to behave as they do.

HEIDI: Guilty. I must admit that as a teen-

expectations and just look at the needs of the child who is in front of you. Be present, loving and try not to lose your pre-parental self… easier said than done.

TRICIA: I don’t think my philosophy has

changed much. I now realize that it’s so much harder to put that philosophy into action. No treats, less screen time, only wooden fair trade eco-friendly locally-made toys… such a great idea, but so hard to do. I’m way less strict than I imagined I’d be. Halloween candy for breakfast is not a good idea.

Snooping – guilty, or not guilty? Have you ever been tempted to invade someone’s privacy to find out something? In theory, is there ever a situation where this might be justified?

when I snooped around my parents’ closet and found all of my Christmas presents… a month early. Needless to say, I ruined my Christmas and I never snooped again.

No, I have never been tempted to invade someone’s privacy. The only situation I can imagine where it’s justified to invade privacy is if someone close to you is in danger and they’re not able to give you the information you need to help them.

TRICIA: Not guilty. My kids are still little

KRISTA: Guilty. But it’s never a good thing,

because once you know something you’re not supposed to know, you can never march/april 2016

JENNIFER: I learned my lesson early in life

and tell me everything (I think) and I like to think I’d never break that trust. But who can say what you’d do if you were terrified your kid was up to something dangerous. I absolutely could see why a parent might snoop.

Ovation

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Myth of the Ostrich This is a production that really focuses on women and their perspectives. How important is it to stage and support femaledriven comedies? What’s fun about working with a group full of other women?

KRISTA: We are laughing an awful lot and

find ourselves sharing really personal stories. Each of us brings a unique perspective to being in relationships with our families, friends and as artists. Hopefully the audience will identify with these women (as mothers, wives, sisters) as they hide and expose themselves – they are fantastically human.

HEIDI: It is incredibly important. Women

are funny and we should see that represented on our stages. It is an honour to be working with this group of artists; the fact that we all happen to be women is pretty great.

JENNIFER: The three women in this play

discover (perhaps to their own surprise) that they have some connection with each other and, when they do you see and feel all the positive things that come from that. I think female-driven stories give the audience, male and female, new perspectives and at the same time, opportunities to see themselves. What’s fun about working with this group of amazing women is how quickly and easily we were able to be so open, candid, vulnerable, trusting and relaxed with each other. A huge level of trust there! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so much during a rehearsal period. What’s more, I’m so comfortable with these women that I’ve been able to unleash my embarrassingly uncouth “man laugh” and feel no shame about it.

TRICIA: Statistics show that there are more

women attending theatre so of course they should be able to see their own stories.

It’s important because theatre should reflect the world we live in. In this room 20

full of women, there are probably more compliments that start off every day – bags, jackets, scarves, hair, cookies… I think there are more self-deprecating stories, more apologies and a lot of laughs. We laugh all day.

Krista – you’re usually offstage these days in the director’s seat. How do you feel about coming back to Royal MTC, but this time as an actor?

KRISTA: It’s been 30 years since I started

acting professionally – and that was at Royal MTC in 1986! I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this anniversary than by joining these fierce women on Matt’s fabulous play. I am so grateful to be able to act again, to be reminded of how demanding it is – when the right project presents itself.

This one was an instant “Yes!” Finally, this is a play that’s also about secrets – including the ones we keep from our parents. What’s one thing you may have never wanted mom or dad to find out when you were growing up?

KRISTA: When I phoned LA multiple times

trying to reach Jason Bateman in the late 1980s; I was convinced Jason and I were destined to be together, forever. I didn’t want my parents to know that I was obsessed enough to try and reach him – and to also get that phone bill!

HEIDI: If I’ve managed to keep it a secret

this long, then I’m just going to keep my lips sealed a little longer. What they don’t know won’t hurt them...

JENNIFER: That I had a crush on most of

the cast of Charlie’s Angels. And possibly Mary Tyler Moore...

TRICIA: Oh man, I think my mom has found

out everything. She’ll also be reading this program, so…

Ovation

march/april 2016

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tewardship Lawton Partners proudly supports charities and programs that enrich the lives of all Manitobans. lawtonpartners.ca

ACT LIKE A STAR! Everyone at the theatre is part of the show. Yes, even you.

You want to be a star, don’t you?

These tips will make you a stand-out performer (in a good way)!

Scents and Sensibility

Many theatre lovers experience adverse medical reactions from scented products. Please consider others before using scented products.

Park Your Mobile Device

We know something interesting is happening on social media. It always is. But your neighbours want to watch the play. Please turn off all mobile devices.

The Sound of Silence

Our theatre has great acoustics. So when you’re talking during the show, everyone can hear you. Your neighbours, the ushers and even the actors.

We want you to talk about the show… at intermission or after the final bows.

We’re always happy to see you at the theatre. Thank you for coming!

Myth of the Ostrich In Myth of the Ostrich, moms Pam and Holly, and Holly’s friend Cheryl, bond over a tin of delicious cookies. Sometimes there’s no better way to make a heartfelt connection than over some freshly-baked goodies. With this in mind, we’ve found a recipe for a tasty treat we’re sure everyone can enjoy! Chocolate chip cookies are a tried-and-true classic, but don’t be afraid to alter them by adding something a little extra – peanut butter, M&Ms, marshmallows or any other ingredients you have on hand that’ll enhance your experience. Bon appetit!

Ingredients

3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup butter or margarine, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 egg

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 package (or 2 cups) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Heat oven to 375°f.

Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in a large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centres will be soft).

Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet and cool on a wire rack.

Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker’s Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookies

synopsis

When Pam finds an inappropriate note from her teenage son to his girlfriend, she marches over to Holly’s house to discuss their teenagers’ blossoming romance. Pam, a conservative Catholic who recently moved to Toronto from a small Alberta town, doesn’t think her son is old enough to be dating yet. What starts out as a social call quickly – and hilariously – takes a bizarre turn as Holly’s outrageous friend Cheryl drops in, taking the already uptight Pam further out of her comfort zone. What follows is an afternoon of life-altering consequences as the three women share different perspectives on friendship, secrets and parental love.

22

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9/2/14 9/2/14 1:27:59 1:27:59 PM PM

Steven Schipper, Artistic Director • Camilla Holland, General Manager PRESENTS

Myth of the Ostrich

by Matt Murray March 10–26, 2016 preview March 9

Director..................................................................................Heidi Malazdrewich Set & Costume Designer......................................................... Jamie Plummer Lighting Designer..............................................................................Larry Isacoff Sound Designer.................................................................................... Chris Brett Dialect Coach...........................................................................Shannon Vickers Stage Manager..................................................................................Leslie Sidley Apprentice Stage Manager.....................................................Holly LaJambe THE CAST (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)

Cheryl Todd...................................................................................... Tricia Cooper Holly Mills........................................................................................ Krista Jackson Pam Steele........................................................................................ Jennifer Lyon SETTING

A basement apartment, Toronto.

Myth of the Ostrich is performed without an intermission.

Myth of the Ostrich appeared at the 2015 Next Stage Festival, presented by the Toronto Fringe.

Special thanks: Tom Soares

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Myth of the Ostrich Tricia Cooper Cheryl Todd

ROYAL MTC Miracle on South Division Street.

OTHER THEATRE Last year, Tricia played

Edith in Echo Theatre’s Blithe Spirit. She has performed at PTE, WJT, TPM and done several Fringe shows, including The Comment Card, Gingers’ Walk, Homely Woman #2, and anything with the sketch comedy troupe the Royal Liechtenstein Theatre Company.

FILM/TV A Fable About Beauty (Farpoint Films), Book of Vaudeville, Less Than Kind, writer and actor in Wind City.

TRAINING University of Winnipeg, Honours Theatre.

ET CETERA Trish will be performing at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival in April and performing in the Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

Thanks to this most lovely team, Heidi, Jen, Krista, Leslie, Holly, Shannon and to Matt Murray for writing this wonderful play. Love to Robbie Paterson, can’t wait to see what’s next. Love to my awesome family and especially Sam for all you do to make it possible for me to do this.

Krista Jackson Holly Mills

ROYAL MTC This marks Krista’s 30th anniver-

sary with Royal MTC, having first appeared in the 1986 production of Brighton Beach Memoirs. Also, as actor: The Threepenny Opera (with SIR), Quills, The Good Sisters (Les Belles-Soeurs), The Sisters Rosensweig.

Director: Private Lives, The Seagull, The Seafarer. Upcoming: Director of Bittergirl: The Musical.

OTHER THEATRE Actor: Three Sisters (zone41/ TPM); North Main Gothic, Age of Arousal

(TPM). Director: Fly Me to the Moon, Much Ado About Nothing (Grand); Dying to Be Thin (MTYP); The Miser of Middlegate (zone41/ TPM); Village Wooing (zone41). Upcoming: Associate Director of All My Sons (Stratford).

ET CETERA Krista is the Artistic Director of zone41 theatre. She is the recipient of the 2015 Stratford Festival Jean Gascon Award and the 2013 Gina Wilkinson Prize. www.kristajackson.com

Jennifer Lyon Pam Steele

ROYAL MTC Billy Elliot The Musical, The

Secret Annex, A Christmas Story, The Penelopiad, Next to Normal, White Christmas, Pride and Prejudice, Guys and Dolls (with TC/ Citadel), My Fair Lady, A Christmas Carol – The Musical, Steel Magnolias (1993). Assistant Director: The Fighting Days.

OTHER THEATRE Selected: Little Thing, Big Thing (PTE); Spamalot (Theatre Aquarius/ Drayton Entertainment); The Drowsy Chaperone (Globe); The Wakowski Brothers, Guys and Dolls (TiFT); The Road to Hell, Communicating Doors (Persephone); My Fair Lady (Arts Club); The Comedy of Errors (SIR); The Father (WJT); Skylight (TNB); Comet in Moominland (MTYP, YPT, Montreal, NYC); 18 shows at Rainbow Stage (Wall of Fame inductee); Camelot, Man of La Mancha (Stratford); The Who’s Tommy (Mirvish). Upcoming: Darling of the Day (TiFT).

ET CETERA Thank you, Matt Murray, for writing this play. It is a true joy to come and play every day with these extraordinary women.

Here’s to love and friendship! Enjoy.

For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 6

march/april 2016

Ovation

25

Myth of the Ostrich Matt Murray

Jamie Plummer

Playwright

Set & Costume Designer

ROYAL MTC Actor: The Boys in the

Photograph (with Mirvish).

OTHER THEATRE Writer: Remember, Maggy?

(Encore Entertainment); Peter and Tinkerbell’s Summer Adventure, Aladdin and Jasmine’s Summer Adventure (Theatre by the Bay).

Actor: James and the Giant Peach (MTYP); Hairspray (Charlottetown Festival); Mamma Mia! (Mirvish/first national tour); Forever Plaid, The Full Monty, Little Shop of Horrors (Stage West); Anything Goes (Huron Country Playhouse); Leader of the Pack (Drayton).

FILM/TV Degrassi: The Next Generation, The Bridge, My Brother’s Keeper, The White Dog Sacrifice, Carny, Bolts & Blip.

ET CETERA This show is dedicated to Matt’s loving and supportive friends and family.

Heidi Malazdrewich Director

ROYAL MTC Set & Costume Designer:

Unnecessary Farce, Armstrong’s War. Apprentice Set & Costume Designer: Steel Magnolias, It’s a Wonderful Life: A Radio Play.

Apprentice Properties Builder: The Drowsy Chaperone.

OTHER THEATRE Costumes: Small Things (PTE). Set: West Side Story (Rainbow). Set & Costumes: Little Thing, Big Thing (PTE); Stars of David, Bad Jews (WJT); The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswoman’s Guild Dramatic Society’s Production of A Christmas Carol (Persephone); New Canadian Kid (MTYP); A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline (Rainbow).

TRAINING MFA in Theatre Design from the University of Alberta.

ET CETERA Jamie is excited to be working in the Winnipeg theatre community. She would like to thank her family for their constant support.

Larry Isacoff Lighting Designer

ROYAL MTC Director: The Secret Annex.

Assistant Director: The Devil’s Music: The Life and Blues of Bessie Smith. Apprentice Director: Gone With the Wind, Mrs. Warren’s Profession. Actor/Apprentice Director: Romeo and Juliet.

OTHER THEATRE Director: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Royal MTC/ MBA); New Canadian Kid (MTYP); Perfect Pie, Essay, SEXXXY 2010 (University of Calgary); The Princess and the Pea (Little Opera Company); The Apiarist (Whole Hearted Productions); The Darling Family (Winnipeg Fringe).

TRAINING/TEACHING MFA in Directing (University of Calgary), BA (Hons.) Theatre (University of Winnipeg). Heidi teaches theatre at the University of Winnipeg.

ROYAL MTC Armstrong’s War, The Secret

Annex, Harvey, Other People’s Money, August: Osage County, The Fighting Days, The Shunning, The Seafarer, Looking Back – West, Bleeding Hearts, Rope’s End, The Retreat from Moscow, Fully Committed, Mating Dance of the Werewolf, The Miracle Worker, Cloud Nine, Bedroom Farce, How I Got That Story, The Affections of May, Mrs. Klein, The Gin Game, Paper Wheat.

OTHER THEATRE Persephone Theatre, Globe Theatre, 25th Street Theatre, Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers, PTE, MTYP.

For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 6

26

Ovation

march/april 2016

Myth of the Ostrich ET CETERA Larry divides his time between

engaging theatre projects and teaching yoga.

Shannon Vickers Dialect Coach

Chris Brett Sound Designer ROYAL MTC Things We Do For Love.

TEACHING Chris has taught Audio

Engineering at Mid Ocean Recording, Ambience Professional and Studio 11.

ET CETERA Chris is a music composer as well as an audio engineer, music producer and sound designer.

Great entertainment lives here.

ROYAL MTC Billy Elliot The Musical, The Man

Who Shot Liberty Valance, The Woman in Black, Private Lives, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily, Good People, The Secret Annex, Venus in Fur, Gone With the Wind, August: Osage County, Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Top Girls, Steel Magnolias.

OTHER THEATRE Voice/Text/Dialect Coaching: DAI (Enough) (WJT); Village Wooing (zone41); Bingo! (PTE); The Moonlight Sonata of Beethoven Blatz (TPM); The Merry Wives of Windsor (SIR); Fen (Sarasvàti); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (CS).

TRAINING/TEACHING Shannon earned an MFA in Theatre Voice Pedagogy at the University of Alberta. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Winnipeg and

BMO Financial Financial Group Group is proud proud to to support supportthe the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, and to to be be the the Tom Hendry Warehouse Tom Hendry Warehouse Season Season Sponsor.

Sponsor.

Myth of the Ostrich is a certified Associate Teacher of KnightThompson Speechwork.

Holly LaJambe Apprentice Stage Manager

Leslie Sidley Stage Manager

ROYAL MTC Billy Elliot The Musical, Late ROYAL MTC Stage Manager: Late Company,

Cabaret, Venus in Fur, The Melville Boys (tour), Wingfield On Ice (tour), Looking Back – West, Bad Dates (tour). Assistant Stage Manager: Billy Elliot The Musical, Jane Eyre, Gone With the Wind, Grumpy Old Men: The Musical, White Christmas, Pride and Prejudice, Fiddler on the Roof, Educating Rita (tour), Guys and Dolls (with TC/Citadel).

OTHER THEATRE Over 50 productions at theatres around Winnipeg, including: Rainbow Stage, Prairie Theatre Exchange, Shakespeare in the Ruins and Manitoba Theatre for Young People.

TRAINING Graduate of Sheridan College and member of CAEA. ET CETERA Love to Sean, who I always “myth” when I’m at work.

Company, Cabaret, Venus in Fur. OTHER THEATRE Holly has stage managed for the Fire & Water Music Festival, Sarasvàti Productions, Girls Only Productions, Winnipeg Pride and the Gilbert & Sullivan Society. She has also apprentice stage managed for Theatre Projects Manitoba, Winnipeg Jewish Theatre and Manitoba Opera.

TRAINING Holly is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg with a triple honours in History, Production and Stage Management. She has also completed the requirements for a BA in Acting and a specialization in Costuming.

ET CETERA Holly is very happy to be apprenticing with Royal MTC again.

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APRIL 26 –30

HARVEY FIERSTEIN JERRY HERMAN JEAN POIRET

T i c k e t s o n S a l e n ow

“La Cage Aux Folles” is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. PRESENTING SPONSOR

S I LV E R S P O N S O R

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DESIGN SPONSOR

RECEPTION SPONSOR

Education & Community Engagement

Jean Murray – Moray Sinclair Theatre Scholarships and Apprenticeships Fund Make an investment in the future of theatre During the run of Unnecessary Farce, Royal MTC asks for your support to assist post-secondary theatre students and emerging artists who are looking to gain experience in their professions.

At the end of the intermission, ushers will come around to collect donations for the fund, which has so far provided over 800 awards to more than 400 Manitobans.

The Jean Murray – Moray Sinclair fund has two divisions: scholarships to full-time students attending accredited theatre schools or university theatre programs, and who intend to pursue a career in theatre; paid apprenticeships for emerging

professional artists and craftspeople who have completed accredited post-secondary training within the past two academic years and are looking for opportunities to gain experience in professional theatre. This season, your donations allowed us to offer scholarships to 15 students and apprenticeships to six emerging professionals.

Thank you for continuing to support up-and-coming Manitoban artists!

For more information on the Jean Murray – Moray Sinclair Theatre Scholarships and Apprenticeships or for an application package, please visit royalmtc.ca/scholarships. The application deadline for the 2016/17 school year is April 29, 2016.

You can contact Royal MTC’s Education and Community Engagement Manager at abroadbent@royalmtc.ca or 204 934 0304.

The Jean Murray – Moray Sinclair apprenticeship at Royal MTC offered me an opportunity to see all the elements required to bring a design to stage. The designer and props, paint, wardrobe and carpentry departments – in fact, everyone at Royal MTC – was generous with their knowledge and skills. It was a rewarding experience that deepened my understanding and love of theatre and design.

– jo chalmers, apprentice set and costume designer, things we do for love 30

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Education & Community Engagement

Ksenia Broda-Milian was a recipient of a Jean Murray – Moray Sinclair apprenticeship last season, and worked as the Apprentice Set & Costume Designer on Cabaret. Ksenia has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Winnipeg, and is now pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree at the University of Alberta. She shares what your support meant to her: Apprenticing is an amazing way to get practical experience. Working on a show at the professional level is a very different experience than university and simply being in the environment is enlightening.

Everything that goes onstage, down to the handkerchief in an actor’s pocket, is approved by the designer and director to represent their vision. As design apprentice, I help facilitate communication between the designer and production team, particularly when the designer is doing both sets and costumes and needs to physically be in wardrobe fittings often.

What my role is really depends on the show and the designer – as apprentice I’ve drafted furniture, designed posters for set dressing, pulled props – I’m there to assist the designer in whatever way possible, and learn on the job. The designers and crew members that I have worked with at Royal MTC have always been willing to answer my questions and go above and beyond in explaining the details of their process and I feel that my apprenticeships have really prepared me to work professionally.

march/april 2016

Ovation

THE MUSIC, CULTURE AND EVENTS THAT SHAPED A GENERATION. A KIDOONS & WYRD PRODUCTION

WRITTEN BY & STARRING

RICK MILLER

Teachers: Enrich your students’ lives through the power of live theatre.

Student group tickets are just $14 for select performances.

For more information about our entire season or to book your class today, call 204 954 6413 or visit ROYALMTC.CA theatre for young audiences sponsored by

31

Supporters Many thanks to our donors who made a gift between January 1, 2015 and February 24, 2016.

DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE HERO • $6,000+ Gail Asper, OC, OM, LLD* & Michael Paterson Albert D. Cohen Family Robert B. & the late S. June Jackson Leslie John Taylor Fund – The Winnipeg Foundation

BENEFACTOR • $2,000–5,999 Leah Bjarnarson & Robert Malech Marjorie Blankstein, CM, OM, LLD & the late Morley Blankstein Sheldon & Penny Bowles J.W. Burns, OC Heather Clarke* Kerry Dangerfield*‡ Donald Fraser & Judy Little John F. (Jack) Fraser* James R. Gibbs Sylvia Guertin-Riley‡ Rita Gunn* & Greg Mason Camilla Holland† & Colin Viebrock‡ Ms. Maureen E. Jay Andrew & Wendy Jensen Derek & Mary Johannson Dr. Leonard Kahane John Kearsey*‡ Terry Klassen Dr. P. Kmet & Mr. B. Roslycky Sam & Mary Kohn Drs. Ken & Sharon Mould In memory of Liam Murphy – Leigh Murphy The Michael Nozick Family Foundation Cam & Carole Osler Donna & Bill Parrish Hartley & Heather Richardson Mrs. Shirley Richardson Steven Schipper, CM† & Terri Cherniack‡ Jim & Jan Tennant Triple A Fund – The Winnipeg Foundation Marcel Van Woensel Joan Wright Sonya & Scott Wright Anonymous

LEADER • $1,500–1,999 Dr. Bonnie Cham & Dr. Lorne Bellan David Christianson & Vera Steinberger Dave* & Barb Christie Neil & Carol Duboff Tony* & Jennifer Fletcher‡ Susan Glass & Arni Thorsteinson Elba Haid & Lara Secord-Haid Gary Hannaford* & Cathy Rushton Kevin Hines & Shelly Smith-Hines†‡ Investors Group Matching Gift Program David & Diane Johnston Kevin & Els Kavanagh Laurie Lam† & Larry Desrochers Bill & Shirley Loewen Virginia & the late Robert Martin Jim* & Penny McLandress‡ Mr. & Mrs. Lawrie & Fran Pollard Dr. Bill Pope & Dr. Elizabeth Tippett-Pope Derek Riley Sanford & Deborah Riley Maitland & Pat Sundmark Helga Van Iderstine* Richard L. Yaffe* & John A. Statham Darcy & Brenda Zaporzan

MEMBER • $1,000–1,499 Dr. Jerry Baluta & Olga Kandia Helga & Gerhard Bock Doneta* & Harry Brotchie‡ David* & Lianne Carefoot Brenlee Carrington Trepel & Brent Trepel Haderra & Mark Chisick Gerry* & Chris Couture Robert* & Florence Eastwood Lawrence & Brenda Ellerby Paulo Fernandes*‡ Katherine Fox*‡ Sandy Gousseau*‡ John* & Nicola Guttormson‡ Linda Hamilton & Grange Morrow‡ In memory of our daughter Kristin Dawn Hanson – Brian & Dawn Hanson Shayla Harapiak-Green & Patrick Green* Dr. Ted & Gail Hechter Shawn Hughes* & Bruno Koehn‡ Katie Inverarity†‡ Jason Kasper* Laurence Katz & Zoe Kogan Gordon Keatch*‡ James & Teresa Kraemer Brenda* & Trevor Kriss Jeff & Jillian Lamothe Rick Lee & Laurie Shapiro Reginald & Judy Low Pat & Jim Ludwig Mark & Gloria Mancini‡

*Current Royal MTC Board of Trustees/Advisory Board members

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Ovation

Carol & Barry McArton Jeffrey* & Mary Morton James Nielsen‡ Edward Nigma Dr. & Mrs. Kieran O’Keeffe M. Plett-Lyle K. Heather Power & Harold Klause‡ Lawrence Prout* & Lisa Gardewine‡ Margaret Redmond* & Greg Gillis‡ Cindy & Murray Reimer Andrea* & Michael Robertson‡ Derek Rolstone*‡ Ken & Susan Skinner* Bill & Laurie Speers* Shelley† & Mark Stroski‡ Melinda Tallin† & Glen Mitchell‡ Dorothy Y. Young Anonymous

FRIENDS OF ROYAL MTC ENTHUSIAST • $500–999 Robert & Ina Abra Family Fund – The Winnipeg Foundation France Adams & Stephen Brodovsky Archie & Jo-Anne Arnott Margaret & Jim Astwood Michael Bartmanovich Zita & Mark Bernstein Family Foundation Bruce & Shelley Bertrand-Meadows Ron Blicq Cathie & Brian Bowerman James A. Bracken Saul Cherniack & Myra Wolch J. Davidson‡ Al Dyregrov Don & Elfie Elias Shannon Ernst Sylvia & Doug Hannah Gordon Hannon Gregg & Mary Hanson In memory of Evelyn Hutsal – Janice & Brent Young Hon. Justice William Johnston Fern Karlicki‡ Brenda Keyser & Peter Murdock Ian Kirk†‡ Katarina Kupca Frank Lavitt & Ahava Halpern Peter & Maureen Macdonald Mr. G. Markham N. Marr Mr. Gerry Matte & Mrs. Lydia Surasky-Matte Grant Mitchell & Catherine Lambeth Vivienne Nickerson Richard & Bonnie Olfert Kerrie Orlick

†Current Royal MTC staff

‡Monthly donors

march/april 2016

Supporters Linda & Wayne Paquin Donna Plant Louise J. Redekop Iris Reimer Ricou-Manfreda Charles & Naida Rubin Melanie Sexton† & Ian Walsh‡ Diane Shapiro Margaret & Paul Shuckett Morley & Debbie Silverman Debbie Spracklin Marilyn Thompson Dr. Stephen Tritt & Dr. Sharon Goszer-Tritt Carol & Hugo Unruh Dr. Kristel van Ineveld Anonymous

SUPPORTER • $150–499 Acuity HR Solutions Pat & Bob Adamson Dr. Liz Adkins Nancy & Bob Adkins Dawn Andersen Judy & Jay Anderson Bernice Antoniuk Ignatius Anyadike Elizabeth B. Armytage Fund – The Winnipeg Foundation Ian Backus Richard Ball June & Ted Bartman Dianne J. Beaven Larry Beeston & Anna Sikora Trish Bergal‡ Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Bergbusch Terri & Morley Bernstein Bruce & Joyce Berry Brenda Binda Val & Blair Bingeman Tyler & Sable Birch‡ Joan Blight Pamela & David Bolton Denise Bonner Dr. Elizabeth Boustcha Morva Bowman & Alan Pollard Ron & Joan Boyd Brandt Consultants Janice Braun Kris & Ruth Breckman Billy Brodovsky & Libby Yager Sheila & David Brodovsky Miriam Bronstein Eldon Brown Gerald R. Brown Lauraine Brown Lynne & Stuart Brown Susan Brownstone Brock & Thomas Brock Carol Budnick Donna Byrne

Carol Campbell & Andy Krentz The Estate of Pat Carrigan Mary & Allan Cartlidge Merv & Jan Cavers Rosemary Chapman Tom & Edith Checkley Dave & Audrey Cheyne Mr. Jaydeep Chipalkatti Shelley Chochinov Glen & Lorna Clark Katherine Cobor & Gordon Steindel Agnes & John Collins The Colquhoun Family Joan E. Coombe Joyce Cooper Mr. & Mrs. Marek & Karen Corbett Martin & Gail Corne Daniel Cowan Ray & Brenda Crabbe R. Lynn Craton Nancy Crocker Ellen Curtis J. Dale Dr. & Mrs. James Dalton G.L. Damphousse Lorraine Daniel Ms. Linda Daniels Mrs. Maureen Danzinger J. Dawson Faye Dixon Beverley Doern Dr. Sheila Domke & Stephen Ross Sally R. Dowler Mr. & Mrs. Drewett John & Ada Ducas Sharron & Joel Dudeck Helene Dyck Roberta Dyck Mr. & Mrs. William Easton Greg Edmond & Irene Groot-Koerkamp John Edwards Enda Egan Michael Eleff & Chana Thau Selma Enns Dan Erickson Michael & Lynn Evans Douglas Finkbeiner Gayle Fischer Christine Fleetwood Marcia Fleisher Lawrence Foster Chris Freeman Susan & Ab Freig Arnold Frieman Menno H. & Jolanda Friesen Felicia & Trevor Frost Monica Furer Colleen & Dan Furlan‡ Dr. Jonathan Gabor & Tia Metaxas Mr. & Mrs. R. Gallant Lynne & Lindsay Gauld‡

*Current Royal MTC Board of Trustees/Advisory Board members

march/april 2016

Ovation

Dr. & Mrs. Ron & Denise George Rick & Patti Gilhuly Ms. Heather Gillander Sharon & Arnold Glass Dr. & Mrs. Andrew Gomori Alicyn Goodman Jeremy & Maureen Gordon‡ Barbara Goszer Shawn & Bill Gould Kari Hagness†‡ Bonnie Hallman Gregory & Heather Hammond Linda A. Harlos Bruce & Judy Harris Sandra & Hans Hasenack Teresa A. Hay Mary Heindle David & Mary Hickling Mr. Dennis Hodgkinson Jennie Hogan Gary Hook & Charmine Lyons Vicki Hooke Ann-Marie & Brian Howe Mr. & Mrs. Richard & Karen Howell Frank & Donna Hruska Dan Ilchyna Stu & Alice Iverson Marlis & David Jacobson Elizabeth Janzen Cliff Jeffers Margaret Jeffries Lynne Jentsch Claire & Gerald Jewers In memory of Sybil Shack for the benefit of Royal MTC – Jewish Foundation of Manitoba Guenter & Crystal Jochum Bruce & Grace Johnson Robert & Karen Johnston Lisa Johnston‡ Mark Kagan Brian & Renee Kaplan Dr. Arvind & Nancy Kati Dr. & Mrs. Philip Katz Donald & Sheila Keatch Rick Kendall Robert Kennedy & Claudette LeClerc Nancy Kerr G.C. Irwin-Kilfoyle M.J. King Peter Kingsley Soody & Orah Kleiman Myron & Marion Klysh Julie Ann Kniskern John & Kathryn Knowles Paul Kochan Ms. Julie Koehn Madeline Kohut E. Koop Donna Korban David & Denise Koss Lorraine Kraichy‡

†Current Royal MTC staff

‡Monthly donors

33

Supporters D.M. Kristjanson Evan & Susan Kuz‡ Gene & Janet Lacroix Dr. Patricia Landolfo Brenda & Glenn Lange Dr. G.H. Lawler Anna Lebrun & William Reynolds Iris Lechner Karen Lee Ellen & Stewart Leibl Kathy & Saul Leibl Richard Leipsic Gloria Lemke Tim & Kate Letkemann‡ Carol & Clifford Levi Wendell & Eleanor Lind Mr. & Mrs. Eric Lister Charles & Diane Littman Wayne Loeppky David & Marie Loewen Lorron Agency Inc. Dr. Sora Ludwig & Dr. Brent Schacter Sofia Lukie‡ Carole Lupkowski Tom Lussier Enid Lyons Burton & Mary Lysecki Mr. & Mrs. E.R. MacDonald John MacDonald‡ Sharon M. Macdonald Dennis MacKay & Annette Stapenhorst Cam Mackie & Doris Mae Oulton Mr. Jim MacNair Mrs. Vera Marchuk Elaine & Neil Margolis Ms. Grace Martel Agatha Massey Manuel Matas Marjorie & Robert McCamis Linda McFadyen Betty & Kevin McGarry Julia & Don McInnes Mr. & Mrs. Campbell McIntyre Terri & Jim McKerchar Greg & Gloria McLaren John & Carolynne McLure Fund – The Winnipeg Foundation Barb Melnychuk Albert Metcalfe Jim & Karren Middagh Irene & the late Claire Miller Marc Monnin & Donna Miller Margaret & Fred Mooibroek Cathie Morgan Matula Vera Moroz Sagan Morrow‡ Cathy Moser & Jeff Itzkow Kenneth Mount Maren Mueller Bill Muir Ken & Suzanne Munroe John Myers

Dr. Leanne Nause Medical Corporation Deirdre Nelson Marika Nerbas Edwin & Pat Nicholls Robert Nickel Chris Nielsen Helen Norrie Shelagh Linklater Deborah & George Nytepchuk Joanne Olchowecki Truus Oliver S.J. Ooto Conrad Padilla Murray Palay & Ivy Kopstein Heather & Harry Panaschuk Myron Pawlowsky & Susan Boulter Peter & Anita Pelech Louise Pelletier Ron & Anita Perron Wayne Piett Rick Pinchin Donna & John Platt Carla Plummer Len Podheiser Calvin Polet Ms. Karen Dawn Power Maureen Prendiville & Paul Jensen Bob & Linda Preston Ms. Judith Putter Tamara Rabkin Vivian E. Rachlis Rudy & Audrey Ramchandar Angeline Ramkissoon Dr. Martin Reed & Joy Cooper Vance Rehill Brian & Laurel Repski Mr. & Mrs. William Reynolds Joyce Rich Dr. & Mrs. J. Richtik Tony Robbins Daniel Robert & Chantale Gobeil Mr. Robert Rogers Renee Roseman Sheryl Rosenberg Pat & Michelle Rowan Elizabeth & Laurence Russin Michael T. Ruta Fernand Saurette Shona Scappaticci‡ Barbara Scheuneman Hans & Gabriele Schneider Werner & Mary Schulz Ms. Faye Scott Dr. Meir Serfaty & Bonnie Talbot Bill Shepherd & Beverley Vane Ms. Pat Shklanka Debra Shnider Dr. & Mrs. A.M. Shojania Shayna & Merrill Shulman Henry & Connie Shyka Dr. Ruth Simkin Pamela Simmons

*Current Royal MTC Board of Trustees/Advisory Board members

34

Ovation

Meera Sinha Jennifer Skelly† & Family‡ Carol & Ron Slater Fund – Jewish Foundation of Manitoba Chad Smith‡ Mrs. Lorraine Smith Robert Spielman Evelyn Stephen Frits & Joan Stevens Yvonne Stier Heidi Struck† Richard Swain Donald & Lorraine Swanson Mr. & Mrs. Paul Swart Shayne & Kathryn Taback Ross & B.J. Taylor Karen Tereck – Welcome to Winnipeg Inc. June Thompson Ian R. Thomson & Leah R. Janzen Phyllis A.C. Thomson Mary E. Tibbs‡ Malcolm & Shirley Tinsley Lorena Trann W. Tretiak & B. Baydock Wendy Tschetter Susan Turley‡ Robert Tyler & Laurel Hammond-Tyler Les Ullyot Mr. Charles R. Vandekerkhove Patricia Van Doninck Fran & Bob Vannevel‡ Irv & Toby Vinsky Dr. & Mrs. M.B. Vodrey Jesse I. Vorst C. & J. Vukelic Helmut & Gwen Waedt V. Stirling Walkes Sherry & Bob Ward Donald Wardrop Mary Agnes Welch Al & Pat Wherrett‡ Florence & Donald Whitmore Murray & Nancy Wiegand John T. & Justina Wiens Trevor Wiens‡ Peter & Elizabeth Wijtkamp Catherine Wilkie Arthur Williams Leslie Wilson Murray Wilson & Ivy Namaka Dennis & Gustine Wilton Mr. C. Winstone Rick Wishart Grant & Sheila Woods Valerie Wowryk Harry & Evelyn Wray Margaret & Paul Wright Ken & Pat Zealand 28 Anonymous

†Current Royal MTC staff

‡Monthly donors

march/april 2016

Supporters PATRON • $1,200–2,999

SPONSORS The Asper Foundation The Gail Asper Family Foundation BMO Financial Group Martha Burns Cardinal Capital Management Inc. Carlyle Printers Service & Supplies Ltd./Canon Canada CIBC CN De Luca Fine Wines Dycom Direct Mail Services EPIC Information Solutions Inc. Esdale Printing Co. Ltd. The Fort Garry Hotel, Spa & Conference Centre Friesens Corporation Deborah Gray The Great-West Life Assurance Company Greystone Managed Investments Inc. Investors Group Jewish Foundation of Manitoba MacDon Industries Ltd. Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries MTS Allstream National Leasing Planned Perfectly PwC RBC Royal Bank Relish Sky Zone Sleeman Breweries Ltd. Stantec Consulting Ltd. Subway Franchise World Headquarters TD Bank Financial Group Wawanesa Insurance Winnipeg Free Press

CORPORATE DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE HERO • $10,000+ Johnston Group Inc. Qualico

BENEFACTOR • $3,000–4,999

Assiniboine Credit Union Blüfish Japanese Restaurant Deloitte Foundation Canada Fillmore Riley LLP George Wakefield Foods Inc., Judy Wakefield* Maxim Truck & Trailer Number TEN Architectural Group, Robert Eastwood* PRA Inc. Ranger Insurance Brokers Ltd. RBC Foundation Royal Canadian Properties Limited Ruth & Ted Northam Safeway Sofa Logic, Suzi Bonk*

CORPORATE FRIENDS OF ROYAL MTC CONTRIBUTOR • $900–1,199 Astroid Management Ltd. Manitoba’s Credit Unions The Manitoba Teachers’ Society Mitchell Fabrics Ltd.

SUPPORTER • $600–899 Intergroup Consultants Ltd. NAV CANADA Party Stuff/U-Rent-It Pollard Banknote Ltd.

ASSOCIATE • $300–599 Cowin Steel Co. Ltd. Mid West Packaging Limited Mid-West Quilting Premier Printing Ltd. Winfield Developments Canada

DONOR • $150–299 B.A. Robinson Co. Ltd., Ross Robinson Leon A. Brown Ltd. MCW/AGE Consulting Professional Engineers Noble Locksmith Ltd. Patill/St. James Insurance Reitmans (Canada) Limited

Cambrian Credit Union Maple Leaf Construction Ltd., Blake Fitzpatrick Melet Plastics Inc., Edward Shinewald Terracon Development Ltd. Winmar Property Restoration

*Current Royal MTC Board of Trustees/Advisory Board members

TRIBUTE GIFTS Gifts received between January 18 and February 25, 2016 In memory of Shaun Castor’s Grandmother – Cathy Moser & Jeff Itzkow In memory of Olwen Morgan – Katherine Morgan In honour of our favourite rock ‘n’ roller, Robb Paterson – Heather, Tom, Alexandra, Joey & Becky

FOUNDERS’ CIRCLE John Hirsch and Tom Hendry shared a dream of creating great professional theatre with mass appeal. With the visionary support of Founders’ Circle members – those who have made a planned gift to Royal MTC – their dream will live on for generations to come. Thank you to our Founders’ Circle members.§ Gail Asper, OC, OM, LLD* Marjorie & Morley Blankstein* Duane & Pauline Braun Terri Cherniack & Steven Schipper, CM† Kerry Dangerfield* Edward Fisher & Lyse Rémillard James Gibbs Gary Hannaford & Cathy Rushton Maureen E. Jay Andrew & Wendy Jensen Dr. Leonard & Hope Kahane Gordon C. Keatch* Laurie Lam† & Larry Desrochers Leona J. MacDonald Barb Melnychuk Jeffrey Morton* Dr. Bill Pope & Dr. Elizabeth Tippett-Pope Heather Power & Harold Klause Brenda Zaporzan Anonymous

†Current Royal MTC staff §If you have remembered Royal MTC in your will, please let us know

march/april 2016

Ovation

‡Monthly donors

35

Supporters ENDOWMENT FUND In Honour of Artistic Director Steven Schipper

Many thanks to the generosity of our Endowment Fund donors who gave a gift or fulfilled a pledge payment between January 1, 2015 and February 24, 2016. Amounts are cumulative. $5,000,000+ Government of Canada/ Gouvernement du Canada Canadian Heritage/ Patrimoine canadien

$250,000–499,999 Gail Asper, OC, OM, LLD* & Michael Paterson

$10,000–24,999 Mr. & Mrs. Kristjan & Shirley Benidickson Bryan Klein & Susan Halprin The Estate of Gordon P. Linney Virginia & the late Robert Martin Cam & Carole Osler Norma Anne Padilla Steven Schipper, CM† & Terri Cherniack George Sigurdson Terracon Development Ltd.

$5,000–9,999 Doneta* & Harry Brotchie Margaret Caie John Maguire & Susan Collison Garry Markham Jim* & Penny McLandress L. Blair Philpott & Tom Kynman Faye Warren Wearing Williams Limited – Don & Sheila Katz

$2,500–4,999

$1,000–2,499 Jack Armstrong & Doris Quinn George Baldwin Doris & Burton Bass The Bohm Family Don & Cheryl Breakey Carol Campbell & Andy Krentz Ron & Carol Chapman Joy Cooper & Martin Reed Bob & Alison Darling Brent & Debbie Gilbert David & Ewhenia Gnutel John & Margaret Graham Marilyn & Helios Hernandez Barbara Main Dr. & Mrs. Donald McInnes Terri & Jim McKerchar Vera Moroz Jean & Lisa Neron Marina Plett-Lyle Marc & Sherri Rittinger Ruth Simkin Suzanne Ullyot Fran & Estela Violago

Jacqueline Anderson Leslie E. Anderson Margaret & Charles Avent Ms. Jean Bissett Beverley Clegg Ms. Simone I. Cohen Christine H. Coltart L.D. Graham James Graydon Jordan Janisse & Teresa Cooper Mr. & Mrs. Fred Kisil Barbara Latocki Frances Lemieux Elliot Leven Nick Martin & Dr. Evelyn Ferguson Anthony & Joyce McWha Marcel & Louise Mollot Marlene A. Mortimer Pat & Sherry O’Connor Myrna Protosavage Ivor & Lorna Schledewitz Geri & Peter Spencer 4 Anonymous

$500–999 Joan & Ed Alexander Peggy Bainard Acheson Ron & Joan Boyd Arthur & Donna Chow John K. & Agnes Collins Nelma Fetterman Chris Freeman Teresa A. Hay Dr. Stan & Susan Lipnowski Patrick* & Clarice Matthews Estelle Meyers E.M.L. Poulter Bill & Norma Rennie Amy Richmond Jim & Susan Shaw Howie & Sue Simpson Marilyn Thompson Elaine Toms Unitarian Church Theatre Group Gabor Vamos & Brenda Silver Anonymous

*Current Royal MTC Board of Trustees/Advisory Board members

36

UP TO $499

Esther & Hy Dashevsky* Helene Dyck Dr. Ted & Gail Hechter Margaret & Fred Mooibroek Anonymous

Ovation

†Current Royal MTC staff

‡Monthly donors

march/april 2016

You can play a leading role!

DONATE TODAY

donate online at royalmtc.ca or call 204 954 6412 today

Supporting Partners CORE FUNDERS

SEASON PARTNERS

TOM HENDRY WAREHOUSE SEASON SPONSOR

EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTION SUPPORTER

JOHN HIRSCH MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION SPONSOR

TOM HENDRY WAREHOUSE PRODUCTION SPONSORS

JOHN HIRSCH MAINSTAGE PERFORMANCE SPONSORS

BACKSTAGE PASS

WORDPLAY

THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES

CORPORATE MATCHING GIFT

BENEFACTORS

Deborah Gray Martha Burns

S T R O N G E R C O M M U N I T I E S T O G E T H E R TM

REGIONAL TOUR

38

SUPPORTING SPONSORS

Ovation

march/april 2016

Supporting Partners BLACK & WHITE BALL PREMIER SPONSOR

PLATINUM SPONSOR

SILVER SPONSOR

BRONZE SPONSOR Insurance Brokers and Consultants

LAWYERS PLAY

DESIGN SPONSOR

CAPITAL ASSISTANCE

2015 WINNIPEG FRINGE THEATRE FESTIVAL

S T R O N G E R C O M M U N I T I E S T O G E T H E R TM

AYCKBOURNFEST

MEDIA SPONSORS

march/april 2016

Ovation

39

Behind the Scenes Board of Trustees

Development

Michael Joyal, Development Data Manager Melissa Novecosky, Special & Donor Events Coordinator Shelly Smith-Hines, Director of Development Heidi Struck, Individual Giving Manager

Honorary Members

Her Honour, Lt. Governor Janice C. Filmon The Honourable Greg Selinger, Premier of Manitoba His Worship, Mayor Brian Bowman

John Hirsch Mainstage Front-of-House

Executive Officers

Deborah Gay-de Vries, Front-of-House Manager Assisted by: Sheena Baird Jamie Chapman, Kim Cossette, Hunter Davis, Noah de Vries, Rylen de Vries, Nick Fletcher, Deanna Goring, Jonny Hall, Elfie Harvey, Marissa Kellett, Peter Kellett, Talia Kowalchuk, Tia Levine, Declan Moulden, Graeme Olson, Amariah Peterson, Angela Rajfur, Jennifer Schmidt, Hannah Schneider, Rita Vande Vyvere, Kira Watson

Jim McLandress, Chair Anthony C. Fletcher, Chair-Elect David Carefoot, Treasurer Suzi Bonk, Chair, Community Relations David Christie, Chair, Resource Development Patrick Green, Chair, Organizational Performance John Guttormson, Chair, Governance & Strategic Planning Trustees

Heather Clarke Robert Eastwood Paulo Fernandes Katherine Fox Sandy Gousseau Rita Gunn Advisory Council

Kerry Dangerfield, Chair Gail Asper Doneta Brotchie Angus Campbell Gerry Couture Hy Dashevsky Glen Dyrda, FCA John F. Fraser Jean Giguere Charron Hamilton

Shawn Hughes Jason Kasper John Kearsey Brenda Kriss Andrea Robertson Derek Rolstone

Laurie A. Speers Tim J. Valgardson Helga D. Van Iderstine Judy Wakefield Richard L. Yaffe

Gary Hannaford, FCA Yude Henteleff Ken Houssin Gordon Keatch Colin R. MacArthur, QC Patrick J. Matthews Jeffrey Morton, FCA Hon. Jack Murta Lillian Neaman Shelley Nimchonok

James Pappas John Petersmeyer Lawrence Prout Jeff Quinton Patricia Rabson Margaret Redmond Susan Skinner Al Snyder Maureen Watchorn

Brian Adolph, IT Manager Angela Broadbent, Education & Community Engagement Manager Devan Graham, Director of Human Resources Camilla Holland, General Manager Mary Horodyski, Archivist Paige Lewis, Project Manager Daphne MacMillan, Administrative Assistant Jennifer Skelly, IT Administrator Artistic

Paint

Jane Buttner, Apprentice Scenic Artist Susan Groff, Head Scenic Artist Production

Laura Enns, Touring & Production Coordinator Ian Kirk, Assistant Technical Director Rick MacPherson, Technical Director, Tom Hendry Warehouse Russell Martin, Director of Production Ben Ross, Technical Director, John Hirsch Mainstage

Joan Lees-Miller, Head of Wardrobe Claude Robert, Head Electrician Chris Thomson, Head Carpenter John Tomiuk, House Stage Hand Michael Wright, Head of Sound Tom Hendry Warehouse

Chris Brett, Head of Sound Randy Zyla Harder, Head Electrician Rick MacPherson, Technical Director Alison Nutt, Head Carpenter Tom Hendry Warehouse Front-of-House

Jeff Kennedy, Literary Coordinator Laurie Lam, Producer Robb Paterson, Associate Artistic Director Steven Schipper, CM, Artistic Director Casey Shapira, Assistant to the Producer Melinda Tallin, Artistic Coordinator

Kim Cossette, Front-of-House Manager Rylen de Vries, Rachael Neal, April Smith, Deion Smith Wardrobe

Sheena Baird, Ticketing Services Manager Laurie Fletcher, Box Office Manager Melanie Sexton, Director of Box Office Services Box Office Representatives: Katie Adamson, Laura Bergen, Gwendolyn Collins, Julie Gregorchuk, Kali Claire Grenier-Prieur, Robyn Pooley, Jessica Ross, Katie Schmidt, Reba Terlson, Ethan Zipman

40

Hayley Brigg, Publicity & Communications Coordinator Sue Caughlin, Marketing & Communications Manager Katie Inverarity, Director of Marketing & Communications Mark Saunders, Marketing & Communications Coordinator Thomas Urish, Sales Manager

Stage Crew

Administration

Louis Gagné, Layout Carpenter Brent Letain, Master Carpenter Chris Seida, Scenic Carpenter

Marketing & Communications

Larry Demedash, Senior Properties Builder Kari Hagness, Head of Properties Lawrence Van Went, Properties Builder

Sharon Burden, Payroll Administrator Yvonne O’Connor, Accounts Payable Administrator Shelley Stroski, Controller

Carpentry (John Hirsch Mainstage)

Andrew Drinnan, Building Superintendent Chris Fletcher, Assistant Building Superintendent

Properties

Staff Accounting/Finance

Box Office

Maintenance

Thora Lamont, Acting Head of Wardrobe Lorraine O’Leary, Head of Wardrobe Lois Powne, First Hand Jackie Van Winkle, Head Buyer & Accessories Coordinator Wigs

Beverly Covert, Wigs & Makeup Supervisor Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival & Master Playwright Festival

Jennifer Cheslock, Festival Manager Chuck McEwen, Executive Producer Tori Popp, Festival Assistant Honorary Staff

Zaz Bajon, General Manager Emeritus

Ovation

march/april 2016

Behind the Scenes Additional Production Staff UNNECESSARY FARCE

Chris Hadley, Props Buyer Kim Hamin, Assistant Scenic Artist Summer Holmes, Props Buyer Amanda Issak, First Hand Zane Kirk, Consultant Hair Stylist Bryn Vargas, Scenic Painter

Groups of 10 or more

Myth of the Ostrich

Drew Drebowka, Stage Hand Marty Famine, Stage Hand Chris Hadley, Props Buyer Kim Hamin, Assistant Scenic Artist Summer Holmes, Props Buyer Amanda Isaak, First Hand Zane Kirk, Consultant Hair Stylist Julia Pouliot, Stage Hand Cari Simpson, Stage Hand James Thurmeier, Stage Hand Bryn Vargas, Scenic Painter Jef Ward, Stage Hand Burkhard Weiss, Assistant Carpenter Additional crew provided by IATSE Local 63

save! to book group tickets contact: Thomas Urish, Sales Manager P 204 954 6413 e turish@royalmtc.ca

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A GET E! AST T

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A can’t-miss theatrical experience – calgary herald

A KIDOONS & WYRD PRODUCTION WRITTEN BY & STARRING

RICK MILLER april 27 – may 21 If Rick Miller isn’t the busiest guy in theatre, he’s way up the list. A glimpse at his touring schedule makes you wonder if he’d benefit from a cloning device. (Knowing Rick, he’s probably inventing one.) As a multitalented artist who has performed in five languages on five continents, there seems to be nothing Rick Miller can’t do.

Before Rick lands in Winnipeg with his explosive solo show BOOM, he’ll make stops in Vancouver, Ottawa, London, ON, and Montreal where he’ll perform either BOOM or Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. Touring is nothing new for this award-winning artist and neither is creating original, dazzling work. Winnipeg audiences may remember him from Fringe performances of MacHomer and Slightly Bent and the provocative Bigger Than Jesus at the Warehouse.

TICKETS S TA R T AT

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PHOTO BY DAVID LECLERC

In BOOM, Rick puts his formidable vocal talents to use as he takes us through the music, culture and politics of the Baby Boom generation. He gives voice to more than 100 influential politicians, activists and musicians such as Winston Churchill, JFK and Janis Joplin in the show Vancouver reviewers have called “a wonderful, often hilarious production,” “simply stunning” and “dazzlingly original.” Our season ends with a BOOM – don’t miss it!

ANNA GRA DE 1 1 // S mA RT C o o k iE

SMART STUFF?

P R O V E I T. AT T H E C O L L E G I AT E

HIGH SCHO OL

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