TAKE ONE! FREE PROGRAM 19 TH MASTER PLAYWRIGHT FESTIVAL
CELEBRATING THE WORK OF
HENRIK IBSEN
JANUARY 29 – FEBRUARY 17 PRESENTED BY
ROYALMTC.CA/MPF
The Winnipeg Free Press is proud to support
IBSENFEST JANUARY 29 - FEBRUARY 17, 2019
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MESSAGE FROM ROYAL MTC’S
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR By now, you all know that Henrik Ibsen was the father of modern drama. But what was so modern about his drama? At a time when commercial theatre tended towards the frivolous, Ibsen wrote serious plays about ideas. At a time when women had few rights, he allowed his heroines to take shocking liberties to escape their social and domestic confines. At a time when sexuality was not discussed in polite company, he wrote so frankly about syphilis that Winnipeg critics condemned the play as obscene. (Our forefathers immediately snapped up tickets for Ghosts, only to be disappointed by the preponderance of clothing in the production.) But perhaps Ibsen’s greatest innovation was the realistic style of his plays. He wrote about people he knew, scouring their psyches for motivation and dramatic momentum, and he never let them forget that no one can live outside of society. (Ibsen did try, though, leaving Norway for Sorrento, Italy, where he lived for 27 years.) He wanted to dramatize the truth, and to present it with a natural rather than theatrical style of acting. His revolutionary quest for honesty on stage inspired Stanislavski, who inspired Stella Adler, who inspired Marlon Brando, another iconoclast. You may think the two men look nothing alike: Ibsen with his wire-rimmed glasses and runaway sideburns, and Brando with that pouty lower lip and tight, white t-shirt. Look closer at photographs of the two men, though, and you’ll see a startling similarity. Their eyes could set the world on fire. And maybe that is what ushers in each new incarnation of the modern: an incendiary mind sparking a world that has become tinder-dry, and ready for rebirth. Yours always,
Steven Schipper Artistic Director
HENRIK IBSEN MARCH 20, 1828 – MAY 23, 1906
“A thousand words will not leave so deep an impression as one deed.” - HENRIK IBSEN Henrik Ibsen was a Norwegian dramatist and poet who was one of the most famous and controversial writers in world literature. He was the founder of the Modernist theatre movement and was regarded as the father of modern drama. Ibsen was born in Norway on March 20, 1828 and showed no signs of becoming a writer as a child. He was the oldest of five children and, at age 15, stopped school and began working as an apprentice in an apothecary. At age 23, Ibsen became theatre director and resident playwright of the new National Theatre at Bergen. He directed the Norwegian Theatre in Kristiana from 1857 to 1863. Ibsen had a significant role in the rise of realism in theatre, challenging audiences to question conventional morality and
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social conditions. The goal of realism was to create theatre that resembled real life and included dialogue that sounded natural and not scripted. In 1871 Ibsen began writing what he considered to be one of his greatest works, Emperor and Galilean. This play was based on the life of Julian the Apostate and has been rarely revived. One of his best known and most widely performed plays, A Doll’s House, deals with the limitations and harsh expectations of women. Some of his other works include: Catilina, Brand, The Burial Mound and The Feast of Solhoug, which was inspired by Norwegian folk songs. Henrik Ibsen remains one of the greatest dramatists who ever lived and is revered as a national symbol in Norway.
#IBSENFEST
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LIST OF WORKS BY HENRIK IBSEN LITERARY AND PLAYS 1850 Catiline (Catilina) 1850 The Burial Mound also known as The Warrior’s Barrow (Kjæmpehøjen) 1851 Norma (Norma) 1852 St. John’s Eve (Sancthansnatten) 1854 Lady Inger of Oestraat (Fru Inger til Østeraad) 1855 The Feast at Solhaug (Gildet paa Solhoug) 1856 Olaf Liljekrans (Olaf Liljekrans) 1857 The Vikings at Helgeland (Hærmændene paa Helgeland) 1862 Digte – only released collection of poetry 1862 Love’s Comedy (Kjærlighedens Komedie) 1863 The Pretenders (Kongs–Emnerne) 1866 Brand (Brand) 1867 Peer Gynt (Peer Gynt) 1869 The League of Youth (De unges Forbund) 1873 Emperor and Galilean (Kejser og Galilæer) 1877 Pillars of Society (Samfundets Støtter) 1879 A Doll’s House (Et Dukkehjem) 1881 Ghosts (Gengangere) 1882 An Enemy of the People (En Folkefiende) 1884 The Wild Duck (Vildanden) 1886 Rosmersholm (Rosmersholm) 1888 The Lady from the Sea (Fruen fra Havet) 1890 Hedda Gabler (Hedda Gabler) 1892 The Master Builder (Bygmester Solness) 1896 John Gabriel Borkman (John Gabriel Borkman) 1899 When We Dead Awaken (Når vi døde vaagner)
online sources: thoughtco.com/henrik-ibsen-list-of-works-740170 britannica.com/biography/henrik-ibsen dramatists.com/dps/bios samuelfrench.com/a/1804/henrik-ibsen
THANK YOU TO OUR IBSENFEST SUPPORTERS!
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HOW IBSENFEST WORKS JANUARY 29 – FEBRUARY 17 INDIVIDUAL TICKETS START AT $12 Tickets are available by contacting the box office for each production. See the company write-ups in this program for details.
Ibsenpass only $90 The best way to experience the festival offerings is by purchasing an IbsenPass. A pass allows one admission to each production at a saving of 50%. Buy today, the number of passes is limited! note: Dinner theatre performances are not included in the IbsenPass. Pass holders receive a voucher for a $25 ticket to A Doll’s House, Part 2 at the John Hirsch Mainstage (A, B & C seating). BUY YOUR PASS AT THE ROYAL MTC BOX OFFICE 204 942 6537 | 174 Market Ave. Admission to all events is subject to availability. All sales final, no exchanges or refunds.
royalmtc.ca/MPF | #IbsenFest
FREE EVENTS INTRODUCING ibsen
Tuesday, January 29 at 7:00pm Carol Shields Auditorium, Millennium Library 251 Donald Street (2nd floor) Hosted by University of Manitoba Professor Emeritus Christopher Johnson A man ahead of his time, Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen is celebrated worldwide for his groundbreaking body of work. Not to mention his truly impressive mutton chops. Professor Emeritus Chris Johnson talks about the legacy of this influential master playwright and offers insight into the plays featured in this year’s festival.
Directors’ Panel
Sunday, February 3 at 12:00pm Tom Hendry Warehouse 140 Rupert Avenue (at Lily Street) Join us for this lively panel facilitated by theatre director and educator Heidi Malazdrewich. The discussion will focus on representations of women in Ibsen’s work and explore how contemporary directors are addressing themes of gender and feminism in local productions. Directors: Heather Forgie (R-G Productions, Heroine Addiction) Krista Jackson (Royal MTC, A Doll’s House, Part 2) Frances Koncan (Vault Projects, Hedda, Reimagined) Jeff Madden (Winnipeg Mennonite Theatre, Ghosts) Brenda McLean (PTE Adult Company, Tête-à-Têtes) Eli Matilda Ridley (The Genuine Human Moment, When We Dead Awaken) 8 ROYALMTC.CA/MPF
“The majority is always wrong; the minority is rarely right.” - HENRIK IBSEN
FILM A MASTER BUILDER
Monday, February 4 at 6:30pm Carol Shields Auditorium, Millennium Library 251 Donald Street (2nd floor) A successful egomaniacal architect, who has spent a lifetime bullying his wife, employees and mistresses, wants to make peace as his life approaches its final act. Please see page 25 for details.
RADIO/WEB BROADCAST John Gabriel Borkman Wednesday, February 13 at 8:00pm 101.5 FM and umfm.com
On a cold winter’s night, lingering tensions resurface and threaten to destroy a family. Please see page 21 for details.
READING Eyolf
Presented by zone41 theatre Sunday, February 10 at 7:00pm Tom Hendry Warehouse 140 Rupert Avenue (at Lily Street) This is a play about expectations; what we want and the friction that occurs when we want for those closest to us. It takes place on the day an extended family receive an Autism spectrum diagnosis for their son. Please see page 13 for details.
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A DOLL’S HOUSE BY HENRIK IBSEN TRANSLATED BY JOAN TINDALE ROYAL MANITOBA THEATRE CENTRE Tom Hendry Warehouse 140 Rupert Avenue (at Lily Street) Wheelchair accessible Capacity 286 Henrik Ibsen’s realist masterpiece resonates more than a century after the debut of Nora Helmer, whose bourgeois illusions are shattered by the realization that she’s merely a doll in her own home. Nora is so devoted to her husband that she secretly commits forgery to borrow money to save his life. When the lender threatens to reveal all, Nora must decide how far she’ll go to protect her family. A story of great love, deceit and blackmail, A Doll’s House broke ground and caused widespread scandal when it was first produced. Director: Rona Waddington Cast: Eric Blais, Kevin Klassen, Jennifer Lyon, Gavrail Momtchilov, Kaloyana Momtchilov, Toni Reimer, Shannon Taylor, Cory Wojcik royalmtc.ca
“I wouldn’t dream of crossing you.” - NORA wed jan 30 7:30pm thu jan 31 7:30pm fri feb 1 7:30pm sat feb 2 4:00 & 8:30pm tue feb 5 7:30pm wed feb 6 7:30pm thu feb 7 7:30pm fri feb 8 7:30pm sat feb 9 4:00 & 8:30pm sun feb 10 2:00pm tue feb 12 7:30pm wed feb 13 7:30pm thu feb 14 2:00 & 7:30pm fri feb 15 7:30pm sat feb 16 4:00pm
2 hours, 30 minutes (including intermission tickets start at $22 in advance: call 204 942 6537 visit royalmtc.ca at the door: cash/interac/visa/mastercard/ american express/ibsenpass box office opens 1 hour before showtime
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A DOLL’S HOUSE, PART 2 BY LUCAS HNATH ROYAL MANITOBA THEATRE CENTRE A CO-PRODUCTION WITH MIRVISH PRODUCTIONS John Hirsch Mainstage 174 Market Avenue Wheelchair accessible Capacity 787 The door slam heard around the world still echoes when a liberated Nora returns home after 15 years. In his daring sequel to Henrik Ibsen’s masterpiece, Lucas Hnath takes a modern approach to continue a shocking conversation. Faced with unexpected trouble, Nora is forced to ask for her ex-husband’s help, but it becomes clear that her salvation must come at his expense. As the threat of disgrace looms once again, they must both decide what they are willing to sacrifice for the other. Director: Krista Jackson Cast: Paul Essiembre, Deborah Hay, Kate Hennig, Bahareh Yaraghi royalmtc.ca
“I’m not going to follow these bad rules, this is my chance to change the rules.” - NORA wed feb 20 7:30pm thu feb 21 7:30pm fri feb 22 7:30pm sat feb 23 4:00 & 8:30pm tue feb 26 7:30pm wed feb 27 2:00 & 7:30pm thu feb 28 7:30pm fri mar 1 7:30pm sat mar 2 4:00 & 8:30pm sun mar 3 2:00pm tue mar 5 7:30pm wed mar 6 2:00 & 7:30pm thu mar 7 7:30pm fri mar 8 7:30pm sat mar 9 4:00 & 8:30pm sun mar 10 2:00pm tue mar 12 7:30pm wed mar 13 2:00 & 7:30pm thu mar 14 7:30pm fri mar 15 7:30pm sat mar 16 4:00pm #IBSENFEST
90 minutes (no intermission) warnings: strong language, theatrical haze, simulated smoking tickets start at $27 in advance: call 204 942 6537 visit royalmtc.ca at the door: cash/interac/visa/mastercard/ american express/ibsenpass box office opens 1 hour before showtime note: pass holders receive a voucher for a $25 ticket to a doll’s house, part 2 at the john hirsch mainstage (a, b & c seating). 11
AN ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE BY HENRIK IBSEN ADAPTED BY MARC A. MOIR LOOKING GLASS PRODUCTIONS IN ASSOCIATION WITH PROVIDENCE PRODUCTIONS Gas Station Arts Centre 445 River Avenue (at Osborne Street) Wheelchair accessible Capacity 232 Municipal and family politics collide in this exciting new adaptation of Ibsen’s classic play. When Dr. Stockmann discovers her town’s water is being poisoned by sewage, she expects to be hailed as a hero. When her brother, the Mayor, demands she stay silent about her discovery, she refuses, setting off a battle over truth, public disclosure and the nature of democracy. As timely today as when Ibsen first wrote it, you won’t want to miss An Enemy of the People. Director: Marc A. Moir Cast in order of appearance: Julia Goertzen, Dryden Dilts, Richelande Plett, Marc A. Moir, Rachel Wiebe, Laura Moir, Sophie Moir, Noble Okonkwo, Alex Loewen, Jon Ted Wynne, Emily Bartel, Naaman Sturrup
“I’m right about this, Peter, and I’m going to tell the truth about it to the whole world!” - DR. STOCKMANN “It’s not always enough to be right.” - PETER STOCKMANN fri feb 8 7:00pm sat feb 9 2:00 & 7:00pm sun feb 10 3:00pm mon feb 11 7:00pm tue feb 12 7:00pm wed feb 13 7:00pm thu feb 14 7:00pm fri feb 15 7:00pm sat feb 16 2:00 & 7:00pm sun feb 17 3:00pm
2 hours, 15 minutes tickets $20 in advance: visit brownpapertickets.com at the door: cash/ibsenpass box office opens 30 minutes before showtime
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EYOLF BY MATTHEW HANDSCOMBE ZONE41 THEATRE Tom Hendry Warehouse 140 Rupert Avenue (at Lily Street) Wheelchair accessible Capacity 286 A development reading of a new version of Ibsen’s Little Eyolf (1894) set in a cottage north of a Canadian city by zone41 theatre’s Matthew Handscombe. Eyolf picks up some of the threads Ibsen mentions but doesn’t develop: disability and gender identity, and follows closely the big one he does: strained familial relationships. This adaptation is the product of a Jean Gascon/Guthrie Award from the Stratford Festival. This is a play about expectations; what we want and the friction that occurs when we want for those closest to us. It takes place on the day an extended family receive an Autism spectrum diagnosis for their son. Director: Krista Jackson Cast: Stephanie Sy, Eric Blais, Cory Wojcik and Trish Cooper zone41.ca
“I’m not the mom I never wanted to be, I can live with it.” sun feb 10 7:00pm
80 minutes tickets free at the door only reading
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GHOSTS BY HENRIK IBSEN WINNIPEG MENNONITE THEATRE Salle Martial-Caron, Université de Saint-Boniface 200 avenue de la Cathédrale Wheelchair accessible Capacity 235 Ghosts bounces back from the grave time and time again to deliver thought-provoking drama that questions the inherited opinions and traditions from parents and controversial doctrines like patriotism, belief in God and respect for authority. From the playwright who created modern theatre, Ghosts is the Pandora’s box of middle-class society, revealing all that was considered indecent, disgusting, sick and poisonous. Join us as we spiral down this moral rabbit hole and encounter things about ourselves and our society that many of us don’t even want to understand. Director: Jeff Madden Cast: Monica Reis, Sam Hagenlocher, Bernard Boland, Vic Unruh, Kathleen Watts winnipegmennonitetheatre.ca
“It is the very mark of the spirit of rebellion to crave for happiness in this life. What right have we human beings to happiness?” wed feb 6 8:00pm (talkback following) thu feb 7 8:00pm fri feb 8 8:00pm sat feb 9 8:00pm sun feb 10 2:00pm (talkback following) mon feb 11 8:00pm tue feb 12 8:00pm wed feb 13 8:00pm
2 hours tickets $20 students/seniors $15 in advance: visit winnipegmennonitetheatre.ca call 204 786 2311 at the door: cash/credit/ibsenpass box office opens 30 minutes before showtime
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GHOSTS: AFTER IBSEN BY THOMAS KILROY TARA PLAYERS Irish Association of Manitoba 654 Erin Street No wheelchair access Capacity 83 In this newly revised, freely adapted version of Henrik Ibsen’s Ghosts (1881), Thomas Kilroy bravely examines ways in which the sins of a father are visited on the children in a family frightened by ghosts. Forces of the past and present collide in this biopsy of the interactions between private and public lives, between Church and secular values, and of the characters’ prospects as they try to make up for lost time where there’s no space left for the truth. Director: Brendan Carruthers irishassociationofmanitoba.ca/tara-players
“There’s life that isn’t life at all.” fri feb 1 7:30pm sat feb 2 (dinner theatre show dinner: 6:30pm, show: 8:30pm) sun feb 3 2:00pm tue feb 5 7:30pm wed feb 6 7:30pm thu feb 7 7:30pm fri feb 8 7:30pm sat feb 9 7:30pm
2 hours, 20 minutes tickets $15 except sat feb 2 dinner theatre: $60 in advance: visit taraplayers.eventbrite.ca (if you’re a festival pass holder, please select “pass holder” from the ticket drop-down menu.) email taraplayers@irishassociation.ca at the door: cash/debit/credit/ibsenpass box office opens 1 hour before showtime
#IBSENFEST
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JAN 23-27
7:30pm The Pillars of Society
Peer Gynt
8:30pm A Doll’s House
TUESDAY, JANUARY 29
9:00pm Hedda, Reimagined
7:00pm Discovering Ibsen† 7:30pm Peer Gynt*
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30
8:30pm Ghosts: After Ibsen
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 3 12:00pm Directors’ Panel† 2:00pm Ghosts: After Ibsen
7:30pm A Doll’s House
2:00pm Letters to a Father
7:30pm Little Dead Lady*
2:00pm The Pillars of Society
7:30pm Peer Gynt
2:00pm The Youth League*
THURSDAY, JANUARY 31 6:30pm Letters to a Father*
3:00pm Hedda, Reimagined 5:00pm Hedda Gabler
7:00pm Hedda Gabler*
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 4
7:30pm A Doll’s House*
6:30pm A Master Builder (film)†
7:30pm Little Dead Lady
7:00pm Hedda Gabler
7:30pm Peer Gynt
7:30pm The Pillars of Society
7:30pm The Pillars of Society*
9:00pm Hedda, Reimagined
8:00pm Letters to a Father 9:00pm Hedda, Reimagined*
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5 7:00pm Hedda Gabler 7:30pm A Doll’s House
6:30pm Letters to a Father
7:30pm Ghosts: After Ibsen
7:00pm Hedda Gabler
7:30pm The Pillars of Society
7:30pm A Doll’s House
9:00pm Hedda, Reimagined
7:30pm Ghosts: After Ibsen* 7:30pm Little Dead Lady 7:30pm Peer Gynt 7:30pm The Pillars of Society
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6 7:30pm A Doll’s House 7:30pm Ghosts: After Ibsen
8:00pm Letters to a Father
8:00pm Ghosts*
9:00pm Hedda, Reimagined
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7
9:30pm Letters to a Father
6:30pm Letters to a Father
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2
7:00pm Hedda Gabler
1:00pm Love’s Comedy*
7:30pm A Doll’s House
2:00pm Letters to a Father 2:00pm The Pillars of Society 4:00pm A Doll’s House 7:00pm Hedda Gabler 7:00pm Letters to a Father
7:30pm Ghosts: After Ibsen 7:30pm Heroine Addiction* 8:00pm Ghosts 8:00pm Letters to a Father 8:00pm When We Dead Awaken*
7:30pm Little Dead Lady 7:30pm Peer Gynt
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13
6:30pm Letters to a Father
7:00pm An Enemy of the People
7:00pm An Enemy of the People*
7:30pm A Doll’s House
7:00pm Hedda Gabler
7:30pm Tête-à-Têtes
7:30pm A Doll’s House
8:00pm Ghosts
7:30pm Ghosts: After Ibsen
8:00pm John Gabriel Borkman*†
7:30pm Heroine Addiction 8:00pm Ghosts 8:00pm Letters to a Father
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14 2:00pm A Doll’s House
8:00pm When We Dead Awaken
7:00pm An Enemy of the People
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9
7:00pm When We Dead Awaken
7:00pm Hedda Gabler
2:00pm An Enemy of the People
7:30pm A Doll’s House
2:00pm Heroine Addiction
7:30pm Tête-à-Têtes
2:00pm Letters to a Father
9:00pm Hedda, Reimagined
4:00pm A Doll’s House 7:00pm An Enemy of the People 7:00pm Hedda Gabler 7:00pm Letters to a Father 7:30pm Ghosts: After Ibsen 7:30pm Heroine Addiction 8:00pm Ghosts 8:30pm A Doll’s House
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15 6:30pm Letters to a Father 7:00pm An Enemy of the People 7:00pm Hedda Gabler 7:30pm A Doll’s House 7:30pm Tête-à-Têtes 8:00pm Letters to a Father
10:00pm When We Dead Awaken
9:00pm Hedda, Reimagined
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 10
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16
1:00pm Letters to a Father
2:00pm An Enemy of the People
2:00pm A Doll’s House 2:00pm Ghosts 2:00pm Heroine Addiction 3:00pm An Enemy of the People 3:00pm Hedda Gabler 3:00pm When We Dead Awaken 5:00pm Hedda, Reimagined
2:00pm Letters to a Father 4:00pm A Doll’s House 7:00pm An Enemy of the People 7:00pm Hedda Gabler 7:30pm Tête-à-Têtes 8:00pm Letters to a Father 9:00pm Hedda, Reimagined
7:00pm Eyolf*†
12:00am When We Dead Awaken
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 17
7:00pm An Enemy of the People
2:00pm Letters to a Father
7:00pm Hedda, Reimagined 8:00pm Ghosts 8:30pm Hedda Gabler
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 7:00pm An Enemy of the People 7:00pm Hedda, Reimagined
2:30pm Tête-à-Têtes 3:00pm An Enemy of the People 3:00pm Hedda Gabler 5:00pm Hedda, Reimagined
FEB 20 - MAR 16 A Doll’s House, Part 2*
7:30pm A Doll’s House 7:30pm Tête-à-Têtes* 8:00pm Ghosts 8:30pm Hedda Gabler
#IBSENFEST
*Opening performance †Free lecture, film or reading
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HEDDA GABLER BY HENRIK IBSEN ECHO THEATRE Dalnavert Museum and Visitors’ Centre 61 Carlton Street Wheelchair accessible Capacity 25 One of Ibsen’s most iconic plays, Hedda Gabler is the portrayal of a woman trapped by society, her station, her body and her mind. This intimate production of 19th century realism will be brought to life in the parlour of the 1895 Dalnavert Museum in downtown Winnipeg. Director: Ray Strachan Cast: Jane Burpee, Tom Keenan, Megan McArton, Ross McMillan, Simon Miron, Charlene Van Buekenhout, Alissa Watson echotheatre.net
“But, good God! People don’t do such things.” thu jan 31 7:00pm fri feb 1 7:00pm sat feb 2 7:00pm sun feb 3 5:00pm mon feb 4 7:00pm tue feb 5 7:00pm thu feb 7 7:00pm fri feb 8 7:00pm sat feb 9 7:00pm sun feb 10 3:00pm mon feb 11 8:30pm tue feb 12 8:30pm thu feb 14 7:00pm fri feb 15 7:00pm sat feb 16 7:00pm sun feb 17 3:00pm
90 minutes tickets $20 please see website for discounts and pay-what-you-can dates in advance: call 204 223 6099 email echoboxoffice@gmail.com visit heddagabler.brownpapertickets.com
at the door: cash/ibsenpass box office opens 1 hour before showtime
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HEDDA, REIMAGINED BY FRANCES KONCAN VAULT PROJECTS Dalnavert Museum and Visitors’ Centre 61 Carlton Street Wheelchair accessible (first floor only) Capacity 15 A house is a monument. It stands, unchanged, while leaves and time and teardrops fall all around its walls. They say some houses can never be homes, that some houses are born evil. They say this about people, too. An immersive reimagining of Hedda Gabler with inspiration drawn from the music of Yes We Mystic, Hedda, Reimagined beckons you deep inside a lonely house, a house with a restless spirit and a ravenous hunger for something lost a long, long time ago. They say some houses are born evil… Welcome home. Director: Frances Koncan Cast: Melanee Deschambeault, Kristina Guevarra, George Hudson and Chris Sousa vault-projects.com
“Remember 430. Richard and Linda. Two birds with one stone.” thu jan 31 9:00pm fri feb 1 9:00pm sat feb 2 9:00pm sun feb 3 3:00pm mon feb 4 9:00pm tue feb 5 9:00pm sun feb 10 5:00pm mon feb 11 7:00pm tue feb 12 7:00pm thu feb 14 9:00pm fri feb 15 9:00pm sat feb 16 9:00pm sun feb 17 5:00pm
#IBSENFEST
60 minutes (no intermission) tickets pay what you can suggested: $20 in advance: visit heddareimagined. brownpapertickets.com email for pass reservations vaultprojectsboxoffice@gmail.com
at the door: cash/ibsenpass box office opens 45 minutes before showtime
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HEROINE ADDICTION BY HEATHER FORGIE AND KALYN BOMBACK R-G PRODUCTIONS Forrest Nickerson Theatre, Deaf Centre Manitoba 285 Pembina Hwy Wheelchair accessible Capacity 182 Growing up, Ibsen watched his mother suffer, bound by a sense of duty in a loveless marriage, trapped in the domestic world with no way of escape. Desperate to bring her plight, and that of all women, to light, led him to create some of his most famous heroines. Now, Ibsen sits with his psychotherapist, lamenting the traditional gender roles and cultural assumptions about marriage and motherhood that forced him to put Nora Helmer and Hedda Gabbler (among others) on the stage and into the public eye.
“All this demanding to be happy in life. It’s all part of the same wanton idea. What right have people to happiness?” thu feb 7 7:30pm fri feb 8 7:30pm sat feb 9 2:00 & 7:30pm sun feb 10 2:00pm
60 minutes tickets $15 students $12 in advance: reservations: hforgie@gmail.com or 204 297 6539 (call or text) at the door: cash/ibsenpass box office opens 45 minutes before showtime
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RADIO/WEB BROADCAST JOHN GABRIEL BORKMAN BY HENRIK IBSEN TRANSLATED BY WILLIAM ARCHER 101.5 UMFM 101.5 FM and umfm.com A banker is punished for losing other people’s money. This play is a brilliant character study in which the characters live in their own separate worlds. The characters cannot admit to their past mistakes and have unrealistic expectations for the future. On a cold winter’s night, these lingering tensions resurface and threaten to destroy a family. umfm.com
“We are all run over, sometimes during our lives. The thing is to jump up again, and let no one see you hurt.” wed feb 13 8:00pm
1 hour, 45 minutes tickets free
#IBSENFEST
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LETTERS TO A FATHER BY LEIGH-ANNE KEHLER THE SONS OF IBSEN Manitoba Association of Playwrights - Rory Runnells Studio 504-100 Arthur Street Wheelchair accessible Capacity 40 Ibsen had two sons: one became Prime Minister of Norway, the other scraped by as a blacksmith. Sigurd lived his life vying for his father’s affections. Hans remained unrecognized and obscure. Their letters to their father reveal all. Note: the playwright has imagined these letters for the telling of the tale. Join us before the Warehouse production. We’re just up the street. Director: Leigh-Anne Kehler
“Dear brute, Are your pockets so empty you can’t spare a coin? I’m hungry. Your son is skin and bones.” thu jan 31 6:30pm & 8:00pm fri feb 1 6:30, 8:00 & 9:30pm sat feb 2 2:00 & 7:00pm sun feb 3 2:00pm thu feb 7 6:30 & 8:00pm fri feb 8 6:30 & 8:00pm sat feb 9 2:00 & 7:00pm sun feb 10 1:00pm fri feb 15 6:30 & 8:00pm sat feb 16 2:00 & 8:00pm sun feb 17 2:00pm
30 minutes tickets $12 or 2 for $20 in advance: reservations: leightale@yahoo.ca at the door: cash/ibsenpass box office opens 45 minutes before showtime
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LITTLE DEAD LADY BASED ON PLAYS BY HENRIK IBSEN NAKED THEATRE PRODUCTIONS Video Pool 100 Albert Street (2nd floor) Capacity 45 Little Dead Lady is a dark comedy that explores the lives of Irena, the Nun who follows her and the Rat Wife. Using text from Little Eyolf, When We Dead Awaken and The Lady from the Sea with original dance and movement, Little Dead Lady is a humorous waltz through the tragedy experienced by these remarkable young women. What would you be willing to do, to get a laugh? Cast: Jenn Davis, Rebekah Enns and Sarah Flynn instagram.com/nakedtheatreproductions
“You have made an empty place within me; and I must try to fill it up with something–” wed jan 30 7:30pm thu jan 31 7:30pm fri feb 1 7:30pm sat feb 2 7:30pm
75 minutes tickets $15 reservations: email nakedtheatreproductions@gmail.com
at the door: cash/ibsenpass box office opens 30 minutes before showtime
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LOVE’S COMEDY BY HENRIK IBSEN THE AFC (THE ACTORS’ FUND OF CANADA) Dalnavert Museum and Visitors’ Centre 61 Carlton Street Wheelchair accessible Capacity 66 Ibsen posits the startling paradox that the first condition of a happy marriage is the absence of love and the first condition of enduring love is the absence of marriage. Love is a possession so glorious that all other things in life are of less worth, yet capable of producing only disastrously illusive effects upon those who have entered into the relations to which it prompts. In Love’s Comedy, Ibsen says in effect, “Be sure you are not in love!” And to those who are, he says, “Part!” Director: Brian Richardson The cast is drawn from Winnipeg’s professional theatre scene. afchelps.ca sat feb 2 1:00pm
2 hours, 15 minutes tickets pay what you can suggested donation $15 at the door: cash/ibsenpass box office opens 1 hour before reading
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FREE FILM A MASTER BUILDER (2013) BY HENRIK IBSEN WINNIPEG PUBLIC LIBRARY Millennium Library, Carol Shields Auditorium 251 Donald Street (2nd floor) Wheelchair accessible Capacity 120 A successful egomaniacal architect, who has spent a lifetime bullying his wife, employees and mistresses, wants to make peace as his life approaches its final act. Twenty years after their brilliant cinema-theatre experiment Vanya on 42nd Street, Wallace Shawn and AndrÊ Gregory reunited to produce another film version of a classic play, this time: Henrik Ibsen’s Master Builder. mon feb 4 6:30pm
130 minutes tickets free at the door: doors open 30 minutes before film
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PEER GYNT BY HENRIK IBSEN ADAPTED AND TRANSLATED BY ERROL DURBACH BLACK HOLE THEATRE John J. Conklin Theatre, Gail Asper Performing Arts Hall 150 Dafoe Road University of Manitoba Fort Garry Campus Wheelchair accessible Capacity 110 Peer Gynt is about the quintessential comic hero, spinning tall tales and charming ladies as he makes his way through a series of outrageous, perilous adventures. Somehow, he always comes through and skips merrily on his way, no matter how bad the odds are. But is that enough? While Peer is an irresponsible rogue who always manages to escape consequences, he is nonetheless on a quest in search of the Self, just one step ahead of the Button Moulder who intends to melt down his soul. Directors: Chris Johnson & Rowan Gannon Featuring students and alumni of the University of Manitoba’s Theatre Program. bhtc.ca
“Fantastic dreams are waste of breath When life evaporates, and death Confronts us where the four roads cross. Yes, Buttonmoulder. Life is loss.” - YOUNG PEER GYNT wed jan 23 7:30pm thu jan 24 7:30pm fri jan 25 7:30pm sat jan 26 7:30pm sun jan 27 2:00pm tue jan 29 7:30pm (talkback following) wed jan 30 7:30pm thu jan 31 7:30pm fri feb 1 7:30pm sat feb 2 7:30pm
2 hours tickets $20 alumni/arts workers $15 students $10 in advance: 204 474 6880, email tickets@bhtc.ca at the door: cash/ibsenpass box office opens 40 minutes before showtime
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THE PILLARS OF SOCIETY BY HENRIK IBSEN TRANSLATED BY MICHAEL MEYER SHOESTRING PLAYERS Forrest Nickerson Theatre, Deaf Centre Manitoba 285 Pembina Hwy Wheelchair accessible Capacity 182 Karsten Bernick, a shipbuilding mogul in a Norwegian coastal town, is the model of success – but his veneer of respectability hides a dark secret. On the eve of a bold venture into a new railway, his past comes back to haunt him. Lona Hessel, a former flame, and Johan Toennesen, an exiled business associate, arrive from America, both with knowledge of Karsten’s history that could ruin him. What are their motives in returning, and how will Karsten deal with these dangerous complications to his plans? Directors: Karl Eckstrand, Mike Seccombe Cast: Hannon Bell, Leslie Boardman, Brent Bruchanski, Daniel Cormier, Martin Howell, Rhonda Kennedy Rogers, Anne-Marie La Porte, Hayden Maines, Andrea Marantz, Mikyla McCarroll, Shannon McCarroll, Linda Meckling, Manuel Ortega, Calum Peppard, Marilynn Slo
“A moment may come, a word may be spoken, and you and all your honour will sink to the bottom, if you don’t save yourself in time.” - LONA HESSEL thu jan 31 7:30pm fri feb 1 7:30pm sat feb 2 2:00pm & 7:30pm sun feb 3 2:00pm mon feb 4 7:30pm tue feb 5 7:30pm
2 hours, 15 minutes (including intermission) tickets $15 in advance: call 204 475 6821 or email linda.meckling@gmail.com at the door: cash/ibsenpass box office opens 45 minutes before showtime
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TÊTE-À-TÊTES BY HENRIK IBSEN DEVISED BY PTE ADCO PTE ADULT COMPANY Colin Jackson Studio 393 Portage Avenue (3rd floor, Portage Place) Wheelchair accessible Capacity 60 Featuring five intimate conversations from the works of Ibsen. Promenade around PTE and witness his characters going head-to-head with one another. Ibsen is the master of the two-person scene; he invites us into the closed and whispered quarters of lovers, friends, families and enemies. PTE Adult Company reimagines Ibsen’s Tête-à-Têtes into a mysterious, playful and provocative evening of drama! “Come, let us have a cosy little chat, Mrs. Hedda, a tête-à-tête.” “Well yes, since you put it so.” Director: Brenda McLean Cast: Gino Anania, Emily Atkinson, David Breckman, Susan Finnigan, Jason O’Boyle, Roslyn Roberts, Susan Smiel, Christable Thomas Oruama, Collin Wynter, Nathan Zassman pte.mb.ca
“Every word I say to you is whispered in my ear.” tue feb 12 7:30pm wed feb 13 7:30pm thu feb 14 7:30pm fri feb 15 7:30pm sat feb 16 7:30pm sun feb 17 2:30pm
2 hours, 15 minutes tickets $15 in advance: pte box office: noon to 6pm, mon-sat 204 942 5483, pte.mb.ca limited seating available at the door. only pass holders can reserve. reserves released for sale 10 mins before show. at the door: cash/visa/mastercard/american express/debit box office opens 1 hour before showtime
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WHEN WE DEAD AWAKEN BY HENRIK IBSEN THE GENUINE HUMAN MOMENT Video Pool 300-100 Arthur Street Wheelchair accessible Capacity 60 In the 19th century at a bathing spa in rural Norway, Professor Arnold Rubek is celebrated for a statue created objectifying female youth and beauty. In 2017, an avalanche of stories come out about women being sexually assaulted and harassed by celebrated producers, directors and actors. They were told: you will be silent. The dead will awaken. A devised, experimental theatre piece exploring sexual objectification, the male gaze, patriarchal oppression and resilience. A visceral, cathartic, powerful experience that you will believe. Director: Eli Matilda Ridley
“Since then I have killed it innumerable times. By daylight and in the dark. Killed it in hatred–and in revenge–and in anguish” - IRENE thu feb 7 8:00pm fri feb 8 8:00pm sat feb 9 10:00pm sun feb 10 3:00pm thu feb 14 7:00pm sat feb 16 midnight
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2 hours tickets $20 students/seniors/unemployed $12 in advance: email tghmoment@gmail.com at the door: cash/ibsenpass box office opens 1 hour before showtime
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THE YOUTH LEAGUE BY HENRIK IBSEN PAL/ACTRA Tom Hendry Warehouse 140 Rupert Avenue (at Lily Street) Wheelchair accessible Capacity 286 Stengaard, a rising politician, gathers a new party around him, promising to rid the country of a corrupt old guard. Soon, he’s embroiled in social and amorous intrigue as he seeks to gain power and make an advantageous marriage. One of Ibsen’s few comedies, the play was criticized by Norway’s Liberals and Conservatives, each thinking the play was about them. Today’s audience members might also find some of the political characters strangely familiar. Director: Megan McArton Featuring several of Winnipeg’s finest professional actors.
“It’s all the same to me whether the pig eats the dog or the dog eats the pig.” sun feb 3 2:00pm
2 hours tickets $15 (suggested donation to performing arts lodge winnipeg) at the door only cash/cheque/ibsenpass reading
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THE GEN X SEQUEL TO BOOM!
WRITTEN, DIRECTED & PERFORMED BY RICK MILLER Playing more than 100 characters, Rick Miller takes us from Woodstock in 1969 to 1995 through music, culture and politics. Hang on as we rocket through this explosive quarter century!
MAR 20 – APR 13
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