vol 27 • no 2 nov/dec 2019
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley By Lauren
Gunderson and Margot Melcon
JOHN HIRSCH MAINSTAGE
Fun Home
TOM HENDRY WAREHOUSE
Music by Jeanine
Tesori Book and Lyrics by Lisa Kron Based on the graphic novel by
Alison Bechdel PRODUCTION SPONSOR
TOM HENDRY WAREHOUSE SEASON SPONSOR
IMAGINATION TAKES US EVERYWHERE Proud to support the imaginative talent in our creative and cultural arts community.
MESSAGE FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR I am thrilled to welcome you to Royal MTC and to unveil these provocative and hilarious plays on our stage. Theatre is a place where we laugh, cry, and grapple with ideas, where together in the dark we become enveloped in the characters standing before us on stage. In Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley and in Fun Home, the characters portrayed were born in literature, but the richness of their stories have made them ripe for the theatre, where we can Kelly Thornton
journey with them in their search for who they are, and what they want. The characters of Mary
in Miss Bennet and Alison in Fun Home, now living on stage, have chosen agency and authenticity, and it is this that makes them such powerful protagonists for the theatre. Both these plays, though wildly disparate in genre, are about choice and staying true to who you are, even as the pull towards conformity demands them to deny their true selves. Mary Bennet offers a hilarious and uncompromising boldness of character. Resolved to be alone rather than betray who she is, she embraces her bookish identity with defiance. But when her solitude is upended, through the prospect of love, she is forced to revisit everything she believes. And just as Miss Bennet provides a delightfully funny look at self-actualization, Fun Home delivers a cautionary tale for those who resist their personal truth. Alison Bechdel’s journey of discovery traces how her own awakening collides with her father’s collapse; pivoting between the past and present, she excavates a family history laden with secrets, yet filled with love. As much as these plays are about being true to ourselves, they are a reminder that the love of others sustains us, and that unconditional love is the greatest gift we can give each other. Thank you for joining us.
november/december 2019
Ovation
3
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 HGJT Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company • Toronto, ON KLSD Karen Luba School of Dance Inc. • Winnipeg, MB 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 SCD The School of Contemporary Dancers • 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 WCT Western Canada Theatre • Kamloops, BC 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 27, NUMBER 2 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019
Ovation is published six times per theatre season and has an approximate yearly circulation of 100,000. printing: Premier Printing Ltd. ADVERTISING INQUIRIES Thomas Urish telephone: 204 954 6413 email: turish@royalmtc.ca
Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre 174 Market Avenue Winnipeg, MB r3b 0p8 Canada RoyalMTC.ca box office: 204 942 6537 administration: 204 956 1340 fax: 204 947 3741
Ushers • Royal MTC’s loyal volunteer ushers are avail-
able at every performance to assist patrons.
Latecomers • Latecomers will be seated at the discretion of the House Manager. Courtesy to others • Talking, candy wrappers and
coughing are distracting to fellow patrons and actors. We ask each patron to please keep noise to a minimum during a performance. Thank you for your cooperation.
Scents and Allergies • A number of Royal MTC
patrons have expressed concerns regarding medical reactions caused by scented products, so much so that they can’t enjoy the show. Please consider others before using items such as colognes, perfumes and hairspray. Your thoughtfulness is appreciated.
4
Royal MTC is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and engages, under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement, professional artists who are members of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. Scenery, Carpentry and Show Running Crew at the John Hirsch Mainstage and the Tom Hendry Warehouse are members of IATSE Local 63.
Hearing enhancement • Sennheiser Infrared Listening Devices are available free of charge in the lobby at the John Hirsch Mainstage and Tom Hendry Warehouse, supplied by the Royal MTC Volunteer Corps of Ushers Capital Campaign donation. Please see the House Manager for details. Prohibited • The use of cameras and recording devices is strictly prohibited. Mobile devices must be turned off. To be contacted in an emergency, leave your name and seat number with the House Manager. Warnings • On occasion, Royal MTC’s productions may contain script-specific smoking of non-tobacco products, special effects and language/content warnings. For more information on specific productions, please visit royalmtc.ca.
Ovation
november/december 2019
Groups of 10 or more
save! to book group tickets contact: Thomas Urish, Sales Manager P 204 954 6413 e turish@royalmtc.ca
MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY
DIRECTOR’S NOTES BY KRISTA JACKSON When I developed and directed the world premiere of Ellen Peterson’s Sense and Sensibility for Royal MTC last season, I was new to Jane Austen. I read her six beloved novels (I watched all the films, too) and Pride and Prejudice became an instant, forever favourite. It was not just the love stories that hooked me, but the fiercely spirited Bennet sisters at the centre of it all. I’m delighted to be back in Regency England a year later, reuniting this family for the fun and festivities of the Christmas season at Pemberley. Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon bring the Bennets home for the holidays, giving us an opportunity to celebrate the joy and togetherness that this
time of year affords. But our playwrights have also gifted us a new look at Austen in a coming-of-age story about choice. Their clever sequel envelops us in young love and roots us in our connection to family. They give us a modern heroine by putting Mary, the overlooked middle sister who gets little attention in Pride and Prejudice, centre stage. In Austen’s world, young people of the rule-making class were just beginning to see the “possibility of a larger life” by seeking love over inheritance and arranged marriages. When Mary falls in love, it’s not only about her object of affection, but her own journey of self-definition. The love story in this play reminds me of a passage from Rilke’s Letters to a Young Poet: “Loving does not at first mean merging, surrendering, and uniting with another person (for what would a union be of two people who are unclarified, unfinished, and still incoherent?), it is a high inducement for the individual to ripen, to become something in herself, to become world, to become world in himself for the sake of another person.” May we all be our best selves for the people we love in 2020. Wishing you all the joy of the season!
SYNOPSIS – Hosted by Lizzy and Mr. Darcy, the Bennets gather for Christmas. The sisters fall into an easy rhythm even though they’ve all changed, especially Mary, who lives a solitary existence but longs for more. She has her books and pianoforte but asks herself, “Can one live a large life in mind alone?” This question is put to the test when Arthur de Bourgh joins the festivities, immediately finding a kindred spirit in Mary. But hopes of a new beginning are dashed as circumstances conspire against them. Will it be a happy holiday at Pemberley? 6
Ovation
november/december 2019
MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY
Pride and Prejudice summary Before watching tonight's play, get to know the Bennet family. This imagined sequel to Pride and Prejudice is set about two years after Pride and Prejudice ends, and focuses on the middle Bennet sister Mary. Set in rural England in the early 19th century, the original story follows the Bennet family and a mother’s quest to find the perfect match for her five daughters: the lovely Jane, the bookish Mary, the brilliant Elizabeth, the stubborn Kitty and the willful Lydia. But when a wealthy young gentleman named Charles Bingley arrives with his close friend Mr. Darcy, things go awry. Mr. Bingley falls for the eldest daughter Jane while Elizabeth is attracted to Mr. Wickham, unaware that Mr. Darcy is falling for her. But Mr. Bingley’s sister and Mr. Darcy's aunt intervene to protect the wealthy young men from the lower-class Bennet sisters. When Lydia runs off with Mr. Wickham, Mr. Darcy helps to restore the Bennet family’s reputation. The story ends with love as Mr. Bingley marries Jane and Elizabeth marries Mr. Darcy, while Mary continues her love of books. PHOTOS BY ODYSSEY PHOTOGRAPHY
Sherry Phillips as Mary in Pride and Prejudice, 2008.
The cast of Pride and Prejudice, 2008.
The cast of Pride and Prejudice, 2008.
SOURCES: BRITANNICA.COM, ONLINE-LITERATURE.COM, THOUGHTCO.COM
november/december 2019
Ovation
7
MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY
Christmas in Regency England Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley takes place in 1815, during the Regency era in England. In the play, Elizabeth introduces a common German custom of a Christmas tree into the Darcy household much to everyone’s surprise, but what exactly were Christmases like in an estate such as Pemberley? DECORATIONS – Decorations were an important part of the Christmas festivities. Families decorated their homes with greenery such as rosemary, pine boughs, holly, ivy, hawthorn, or Christmas roses. Decorations went up on Christmas Eve and stayed up until Epiphany on January 6. A Christmas tree, like the one Elizabeth brings to Pemberley, was not a common English tradition at the time. While some mention of the German custom has been documented, widespread acceptance of the Christmas tree in England did not occur until the late 1820s. CITY VS. COUNTRY CELEBRATIONS – Christmas was not a popular holiday in London until after Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol took England by storm in the 1840s. Christmas celebrations were much more common in the country, both in the homes of common folk and estates such as Pemberley. GREETINGS – Friends and relations would greet each other with “Happy Christmas,” but only on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The tradition of sending Christmas cards was not yet popular in England. CAROLS – While the play depicts the playing and singing of Christmas carols, it appears that the tradition of singing carols outside of church or in groups going wassailing was not common during the Regency era. Carol singing became a popular part of Christmas in England during the Victorian period. THE CHRISTMAS SEASON – The period between Christmas Eve and Epiphany, or Twelfth Night, was considered “Christmastide.” Some sources indicate that Twelfth Night, the end to the Christmas season, was celebrated more elaborately than Christmas itself. GIFT GIVING – It appears that gift giving was not a major part of the Christmas celebrations during this period, except perhaps giving a gift to children. TIME WITH FAMILY – Christmas was often celebrated by going to church, having a large meal, and spending time visiting family.
reprinted with permission from milwaukee repertory theater
Ovation
november/december 2019
Your seat awaits. Will you consider a gift to Royal MTC in your will? Is Royal MTC already named in your will? We’d love to honour you as a member of the Royal MTC Founders’ Circle. For more on the Legacy Giving Campaign contact: Chris Turyk 204 954 6412 or cturyk@royalmtc.ca
TONIGHT’S WAITING Join us before or after the show for a delicious cocktail and mouthwatering steak. Reservations are available.
St. James 2553 Portage Ave 204.885.5275
Garry Street 115 Garry St 204.942.7619
Southside 2034 McGillivray Blvd 204.477.5300
MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY
Jane Austen in Pop Culture Jane Austen and her works are popular fodder for writers, filmmakers and artists of all kinds. While her books were written 200 years ago, her stories and her life continue to be pervasive in cultures throughout the world. Dozens of film and television adaptations of her works have been made, and looser interpretations of her stories abound in cinema and literature.
Two popular recent adaptations of Austen’s most famous works, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, combine her classic stories and characters with monster horror stories.
Bridget Jones’s Diary, a popular novel and film, takes the plot of Pride and Prejudice and places it in contemporary London. The sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason is loosely based on Persuasion.
Clueless, a popular 90s teen movie, takes the matchmaking plot of Emma, and moves it to the privileged world of Beverly Hills.
Becoming Jane is a feature film based on a biography of Austen, released in 2007.
A giant sculpture of Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy from the 1995 BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice appeared in the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park, London as a publicity stunt by UKTV’s Drama channel in 2013.
Regency Love, a video game released in 2013, is inspired by Austen’s work and storylines.
In 2017, a new 10£ note was released featuring an image of Austen. reprinted with permission from milwaukee repertory theater
10
Ovation
november/december 2019
Dec 13 - 15 Centennial Concert Hall
I
Jullian Pellicano, conductor
Get yourself into the holiday spirit and join the WSO for an evening of merry melodies! Like the great jazz vocal groups Lambert, Hendricks & Ross and The Manhattan Transfer before them, New York Voices bring their inspired arrangements, dare-devil scatting and smooth harmonies to the WSO for an enchanting evening of traditional classics and secular holiday favourites including Let it Snow, Silent Night, O Come, All Ye Faithful and more!
Kelly Thornton, Artistic Director • Camilla Holland, Executive Director PRESENTS
Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley By Lauren Gunderson and Margot Melcon November 28 – December 21, 2019 preview November 27
Director................................................................................... Krista Jackson† Set & Costume Designer.....................................................Gillian Gallow Lighting Designer.............................................................Scott Henderson Sound Designer....................................................................Michael Wright Composer.................................................................................Paul De Gurse Text & Dialect Coach...................................................... Shannon Vickers Assistant Director....................................................... Cherissa Richards†§ Assistant Set Designer....................................................... Shauna Jones* Stage Manager.........................................................................Chris Pearce Assistant Stage Manager............................................... Angela Marshall Apprentice Stage Manager..................................................Karen Sewell THE CAST (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
Lydia Wickham........................................................................... Tess Benger Fitzwilliam Darcy............................................................................Eric Blais† Mary Bennet.................................................................................Ellen Denny Elizabeth Darcy......................................................................Samantha Hill† Arthur de Bourgh.................................................................... Nathan Howe Charles Bingley...................................................................Darren Martens Jane Bingley........................................................................Emily Meadows† Anne de Bourgh.....................................................................Robyn Pooley† Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley is performed with one intermission. MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY was originally produced by Northlight Theatre, Chicago, Illinois (BJ Jones, Artistic Director; Timothy Evans, Executive Director). MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY is presented by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., New York. Special thanks: Elaine Dunbar. Production photography by Dylan Hewlett.
Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre is proud to call Manitoba home. Royal MTC is located in Winnipeg on Treaty 1 land, the traditional territory of the Ininew, Anishinaabe and Dakota peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation. We are thankful for the benefits sharing this land has afforded us, and we are committed to the responsibilities of the Treaty. Hiy Hiy, Miigwetch, Wopida and Maarsii. *Position funded through the Jean Murray - Moray Sinclair Theatre Apprenticeship Program § Position funded through Obsidian Theatre’s Associates Program †Past Jean Murray - Moray Sinclair Scholarship award winner
12
Ovation
november/december 2019
MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY Tess Benger
Ellen Denny
Lydia Wickham
Mary Bennet
ROYAL MTC First appearance. OTHER THEATRE Sally Bowles in Cabaret,
The Penelopiad (Grand); The Last Five Years (YRG Productions); Girls Like That (Tarragon); Mamma Mia! (Citadel); Grease (Elgin Winter Garden); Chasse-Galerie (Soulpepper/Storefront); The Philadelphia Story, Cabaret, Top Girls, Sweeney Todd, The Next Whiskey Bar (Shaw); Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables (Charlottetown). Upcoming: Dot in Sunday in the Park with George (Eclipse); Johanna in Sweeney Todd (TiFT). TV Top 10 contestant on CBC’s Triple Sensation season two. TRAINING A proud graduate of Sheridan College’s Music Theatre Performance Program.
ROYAL MTC Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (with Mirvish). OTHER THEATRE A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder (Stage West Calgary); A Christmas Carol, Chariots of Fire (Grand); Bad Jews (Segal); Life After (CS/Musical Stage); Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady (Port Hope); Brighton Beach Memoirs (Drayton); Anne Shirley in Anne and Gilbert (NAC); Belle in Beauty and the Beast, Great Expectations, Sweeney Todd (Neptune). ET CETERA Ellen is also a playwright – recently her comedy Pleasureville premiered at Halifax’s Neptune Theatre, and she debuted a new one-act musical What Goes Up (bookwriter) as part of Reprint at Toronto’s Globe and Mail Centre (Musical Stage/Yonge St Theatricals).
Eric Blais Fitzwilliam Darcy
ROYAL MTC A Doll’s House, It’s a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play, Clever Little Lies, The Woman in Black, Private Lives, Good People, Looking Back – West. OTHER THEATRE Eric has performed with various theatres including PTE, MTYP, TPM, SIR, WJT and Vancouver Playhouse. FILM/TV Flag Day, Break My Heart 1000 Times, All the Light We Cannot See, Burden of Truth, Cashing in. TRAINING/TEACHING Eric holds an MFA from York University and is an instructor at the University of Winnipeg.
SOCK MOUNTAIN DONATION DRIVE Royal MTC is asking for donations of new socks to give to Siloam Mission and Main Street Project to help keep community members warm this winter. We’ll be accepting donations at the Box Office during the run of Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. THANK YOU!
For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 4
november/december 2019
Ovation
13
MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY Samantha Hill Elizabeth Darcy
ROYAL MTC August: Osage County. OTHER THEATRE Broadway and
Off-Broadway: Cosette in Les Misérables, Christine in Phantom of the Opera, Nellie Bly in the world premiere of Jules Verne. Selected regional: What We May Be (Berkshire Theatre Group); South Pacific (Drury Lane); Les Misérables (Mirvish); The Mousetrap (Cape Cod Playhouse); Gracie (PTE); Spring Awakening (WST); Light in the Piazza (Dry Cold); Beauty and the Beast, Annie (Rainbow). FILM Most recently seen alongside Emma Roberts and Lea Thompson in Who We Are Now. TRAINING BFA Acting University of Alberta, BA Theatre University of Winnipeg. ET CETERA Though currently living in NYC, Winnipeg will always be my home! Love to my family and everyone at Royal MTC. @samjeannehill.
Nathan Howe Arthur de Bourgh
ROYAL MTC Seminar (with Mirvish). OTHER THEATRE In the Wake of
and Prejudice (Globe); The Frenzy of Queen Maeve (Bzzt! Trap Door). TRAINING University of Saskatchewan (BFA), Globe Theatre Conservatory. ET CETERA Nathan is the writer of past Winnipeg Fringe shows The Wild Dog Waits On The Concrete Path, Aiden Flynn Lost His Brother So He Makes Another (co-written with Morgan Murray) and Matchstick. Recipient of SATAwards for composition/sound design in Treasure Island, supporting performance in Salt Baby and performance in Equivocation.
Darren Martens Charles Bingley
ROYAL MTC A Christmas Carol, Alice Through the Looking-Glass. OTHER THEATRE A Chorus Line, Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Little Shop of Horrors, Les Misérables, The Producers (Rainbow); Another Way Home (WJT); A Little Night Music, The Addams Family (Dry Cold); Munsch Upon a Time (PTE); Reefer Madness, American Idiot, Heathers: The Musical, Avenue Q (WST); Into the Woods (District Theatre Collective). TRAINING Bachelor’s in Vocal Performance from the U of M, Opera NUOVA Training Intensive, Rainbow Stage Training Intensive. ET CETERA This performance is dedicated to my late father, Gary.
Wettlaufer, Cakewalk, Wing Night at the Boot, Judith, Mr. New Years’ Eve (Blyth); 4000 Miles (Belfry); Salt Baby (Belfry, Globe, SB Collective); Fiddler on the Roof, Treasure Island, Equivocation (Persephone); Matchstick (Persephone/ GCTC); Othello, Much Ado About Nothing, Romeo & Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan); Pride For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 4
14
Ovation
november/december 2019
“Because the arts forge human connection and ignite unforeseen possibilities within all of us.” Kelly Thornton, Artistic Director, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre
FindyourBeCause.org ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE
CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES
ENVIRONMENT AND ANIMAL WELFARE
HEALTH, WELLNESS AND RECREATION
LITERACY, EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
COMMUNITY
Give to your favourite Cause at The Foundation and make Winnipeg better by helping local charities.
MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY program at the University of Winnipeg and Canada’s National Voice Intensive. ET CETERA Robyn is also a choreographer for local acappella group Those Guys. Many thanks to Royal MTC for the opportunity, to my family for the continuous support, and to my Bernie for your endless encouragement and love.
Emily Meadows Jane Bingley
ROYAL MTC First appearance. OTHER THEATRE Reefer Madness (WST);
Stronger Together: Opening Doors to Mental Health (Suitcase Theatre); The Dream Catchers (Charlottetown Festival Young Company/Eastern Canada touring company); We All Got Lost (Hamilton Fringe); The Last 48 (Winnipeg Fringe); world premiere of Senza Luce, Into the Woods, The Cradle Will Rock, Crazy For You (Theatre Sheridan); Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Rainbow). TRAINING Honours Bachelor of Music Theatre from Sheridan, current student of the Second City Conservatory in Toronto. ET CETERA Grateful five-time Royal MTC Jean Murray-Moray Sinclair Scholarship winner. An extra special thank you to my encouraging family and supportive friends. And thank you, Dear Patron, for supporting local theatre!
Robyn Pooley Anne de Bourgh
ROYAL MTC A Christmas Carol. OTHER THEATRE South Pacific (Rainbow/
WSO); Unplugged (Greenkids); Into the Woods (District Theatre Collective); The Dance-Off of Conscious Uncoupling, AfriCanda, Generation Nexxt (Sarasvàti); Neighbours (White Rabbit Productions); The Diary of Anne Frank, Faustus, A Doll’s House (U of W). Assistant Director: A Man Walks Into A Bar (TBTR). TRAINING Graduate of the Acting Honours
Lauren Gunderson Playwright
Lauren Gunderson is the most produced living playwright in America, the winner of the Lanford Wilson Award and the Steinberg/ATCA New Play Award, a finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and John Gassner Award for Playwriting, and a recipient of the Mellon Foundation’s Three-Year Residency with Marin Theatre Co. She studied Southern Literature and Drama at Emory University, and Dramatic Writing at NYU’s Tisch School where she was a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship. Her work has been commissioned, produced and developed at companies across the US including the Denver Center (The Book of Will), South Coast Rep (Emilie, Silent Sky), The Kennedy Center (The Amazing Adventures of Dr. Wonderful and Her Dog!), the O’Neill Theatre Center, Berkeley Rep, Shotgun Players, TheatreWorks, Crowded Fire, San Francisco Playhouse, Marin Theatre, Synchronicity, Olney Theatre, Geva, and more. Her work is published by Dramatists Play Service (Silent Sky, Bauer), Playscripts (I and You; Exit, Pursued by a Bear; and Toil and Trouble), and Samuel French (Emilie). She is a Playwright in Residence at The Playwrights Foundation, and a proud Dramatists Guild member. She is from Atlanta, and lives in San Francisco. laurengunderson.com and @LalaTellsAStory.
For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 4
16
Ovation
november/december 2019
THE ART OF
Proud to support the Theatre Under 30 program.
Mac n’ Cheese
We are working with Royal MTC to make theatre accessible for all.
ÂŽ
The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank.
M05234 (0916)
141 Bannatyne | kevinsbistro.ca | 204.221.5028
MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY Margot Melcon Playwright
Margot Melcon is a theatre artist, administrator and writer. She was the Director of New Play Development at Marin Theatre Company for seven years, where she dramaturged over 30 productions – including six world premieres – and administered the company’s two annual new play prizes and commissioning program. She has developed plays with TheatreWorks, Bay Area Playwrights Festival, Crowded Fire Theater, Shotgun Players, Berkeley Rep’s Ground Floor, the Kennedy Center, the New Harmony Project, and the Playwrights’ Center in Minneapolis. She is currently the Program Executive for Promoting Culture at the Zellerbach Family Foundation. Margot is a graduate of California State University, Chico.
Krista Jackson Director
ROYAL MTC Director: A Doll’s House, Part 2 (with Mirvish), Sense and Sensibility, Morning After Grace, Bittergirl: The Musical, Private Lives, The Seagull, The Seafarer. Actor: Myth of the Ostrich, The Threepenny Opera (with SIR), Quills, The Good Sisters (Les Belles-Soeurs), The Sisters Rosensweig, Brighton Beach Memoirs. OTHER THEATRE Upcoming: Awaken by Tracy Penner (zone41 with SIR); Nell Gwynn (National Theatre School); Perfect Wedding (Thousand Islands Playhouse). Selected Directing: Bar Mitzvah Boy (WJT); Dancing at Lughnasa (Shaw); The
Lion in Winter, Fly Me to the Moon, Much Ado About Nothing (Grand). Associate Director: All My Sons (Stratford). ET CETERA Krista is the artistic director of zone41 theatre and served as Royal MTC’s Associate Artistic Director (2016-2019). She is the recipient of the 2015 Stratford Festival Jean Gascon Award and the 2013 Gina Wilkinson Prize. kristajackson.net
Gillian Gallow Set & Costume Designer
ROYAL MTC A Christmas Carol, Hand to God, Million Dollar Quartet, Seminar (with Mirvish), Hirsch, Venus in Fur, God of Carnage (with VP), One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (with TC). OTHER THEATRE Hadrian, Louis Riel (COC); Long Day’s Journey into Night, The Physicists, The Three Musketeers, Hirsch (Stratford); The Russian Play, Stage Kiss, An Octoroon (Shaw); Art, August: Osage County, Idomeneus, Orlando (Soulpepper); King Lear (NAC); Mary Poppins (Citadel/TC); The Runner (Human Cargo). Upcoming: The Devil’s Disciple (Shaw); Wolf Hall (Stratford); Marjorie Prime (Coalmine); All the Little Animals (Nightwood). ET CETERA Gillian’s been nominated for eight Dora Mavor Moore awards receiving four and is the recipient of the 2018 Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Award in Costume Design.
For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 4
18
Ovation
november/december 2019
Put your travel dreams in our hands Put your travel dreams in our hands
...and find yourself wherever you wish to be. ...and find yourself wherever you wish to be.
Our full Our fullservice serviceagency agency makes makes discovering discoveringthe theworld world easy. easy.
GIVETHE THEGIFT GIFTOF OF TRAVEL TRAVEL AND ELSE’S DREAM COME TRUE.TRUE. GIVE ANDMAKE MAKESOMEONE SOMEONE ELSE’S DREAM COME
1349 Portage Avenue, 204.949.0199 www.greatcanadiantravel.com
1349 Portage Avenue, 204.949.0199 www.greatcanadiantravel.com
MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY Scott Henderson
Michael Wright
Lighting Designer
Sound Designer
ROYAL MTC Over 50 productions since 1995, including Bang Bang (with Belfry); The Cottage, John, Sense and Sensibility, A Christmas Carol (2017, 2005), Shakespeare in Love (with Citadel), Sarah Ballenden, Black Coffee, The Audience (with Mirvish), Billy Elliot the Musical, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (with Mirvish), Next to Normal, Red (with Belfry), The Seagull, Top Girls. OTHER THEATRE Scott has designed lighting for opera, dance and theatre companies in Winnipeg and across Canada, including the Shaw and Stratford festivals. Most recently he designed Strike! The Musical and Cinderella at Rainbow Stage. TRAINING Scott is a graduate of Ryerson Theatre School and is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada. ET CETERA In 2018 Scott received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Winnipeg Theatre Awards. He was also nominated for a Sterling Award for Outstanding Lighting Design (Shakespeare in Love – Citadel/Royal MTC). Special thanks to Karen, Sean and Alex for the love and support.
ROYAL MTC Over 20 productions including The Cottage, A Doll’s House, Part 2, Sense and Sensibility, Morning After Grace, The Humans, Bittergirl: The Musical, Black Coffee, Million Dollar Quartet, Billy Elliot the Musical, Seminar (with Mirvish), Late Company, Private Lives, The Secret Annex, The Seagull, Venus in Fur, The Penelopiad, August: Osage County, Romeo and Juliet, The Seafarer, 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.
For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 4
20
Ovation
november/december 2019
WIN A TRIP FOR TWO! ENJOY A 7-NIGHT TRIP FOR TWO TO THE UNITED KINGDOM courtesy of
Tickets available in the lobby. BUY NOW! 1 for $50, 3 for $100
Proceeds in support of Royal MTC’s productions and programs
FOR INFO AND TICKETS: 204 954 6410 • royalmtc.ca/bw • blackandwhite@royalmtc.ca Licence Number LGCA 1523-RF-32332
MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY OTHER THEATRE Voice/Text/Dialect
Paul De Gurse Composer
ROYAL MTC Orchestra member: Assassins. OTHER THEATRE Composition / sound
design: The House at Pooh Corner (MTYP); Tribes, The Whipping Man (WJT). Select Musical Direction credits: Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Little Shop of Horrors, Sister Act (Rainbow); A Charlie Brown Double Bill (MTYP); Pippin, American Idiot, Avenue Q (WST); The Bridges of Madison County (Dry Cold); Mamma Mia!, Beauty and the Beast (Neptune); Sister Act, Beauty and the Beast (Drayton). TRAINING/TEACHING Paul has a B.Jazz Studies from the University of Manitoba. He is part of the Village Conservatory for Music Theatre, which provides post-secondary music theatre training to Manitoban students. ET CETERA This show and all future ones are for Tom.
Shannon Vickers Text & Dialect Coach
ROYAL MTC Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical (with Arts Club/Citadel), Sense and Sensibility, Hand to God, The Audience (with Mirvish), Myth of the Ostrich, 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.
Coaching: Tribes, DAI (Enough) (WJT); Village Wooing (zone41); Fly Me to the Moon, Bingo! (PTE); The Moonlight Sonata of Beethoven Blatz (TPM/SAC); 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 is a certified Associate Teacher of Knight-Thompson Speechwork.
Cherissa Richards Assistant Director
ROYAL MTC Actor: Sense and Sensibility, Di and Viv and Rose, A Christmas Carol, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (with Citadel), Mrs. Warren’s Profession. OTHER THEATRE Director: New Beginnings (Sarasvàti); The Game (Sarasvàti FemFest); Subjection of Kezia & Poof (Shaw); The Power of Harriet T (MTYP). Assistant Director: Ladykillers, Getting Married (Shaw); Timon of Athens (Bard on the Beach); The Jungle Book (MTYP). Actor: Intimate Apparel, House at Pooh Corner, 1837: The Farmers’ Revolt, Dracula, Richard III, The Power of Harriet T, Eating Pomegranates Naked, Tough Case, Eternal Hydra, Dirty Butterfly, On the Rocks, The Admirable Crichton, An Ideal Husband, The Doctor’s Dilemma. Upcoming: Assistant Director for Hamlet for the Stratford Festival’s 2020 season in the Michael Langham Workshop. FILM/TV Actor: Tales From The Hood 3, A Dog’s Journey, Under the Autumn Moon, A Christmas In Tennesee, Max & Shred, The Christmas Heart, Wrong Turn 4, Heater. TRAINING/TEACHING M.F.A. Acting – York University, National Theatre School, B.A.H.
For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 4
22
Ovation
november/december 2019
MISS BENNET: CHRISTMAS AT PEMBERLEY Theatre – University of Winnipeg, Ecole Philippe Gaulier-Clown. Instructor: 1st year Theatre Performance – University of Winnipeg, York University. ET CETERA A huge thank you to Obsidian Theatre’s Associates Program for their generous support!
ET CETERA Three seasons at the Edinburgh
Fringe. Seasons at the Stratford, Shaw and Charlottetown festivals and a run in London’s West End. In his free time, Chris volunteers at Save Our Seine.
Angela Marshall Assistant Stage Manager
Shauna Jones Assistant Set Designer
ROYAL MTC Orpheus Descending (with
Mirvish), A Christmas Carol, Trying.
ROYAL MTC First engagement.
OTHER THEATRE 18 seasons with the
OTHER THEATRE Lawrence and Holloman,
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Good People, Prelude to a Kiss (Guild Hall – Whitehorse, YT). TRAINING Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity Practicum program (2019) in Scenic Art. ET CETERA Shauna would like to extend a sincere thanks for the additional and thoughtful support of the Kingfisher Foundation, and to Royal MTC for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this exciting and charming show.
Chris Pearce Stage Manager
ROYAL MTC 27th production at the Mainstage, including last year’s Sense and Sensibility; 12 productions at the Warehouse, including August: Osage County and The Seagull. OTHER THEATRE Three Sisters (zone41/ TPM); La Traviata (Manitoba Opera); La Bohème (COC); Butcher, The December Man, The Valley (PTE); A Man of No Importance (Dry Cold); Kindness (MTYP); five productions (Rainbow).
Stratford Festival, Mirvish Productions, the Grand Theatre, the Globe Theatre, Theatre New Brunswick, Stirling Festival, Neptune Theatre, Factory Theatre and Theatre Orangeville. ET CETERA Angela would like to thank her family and friends for all of their love and support.
Karen Sewell Apprentice Stage Manager
ROYAL MTC Backstage Running Crew: Vietgone, Made in Italy (A WCT production), John. Karen also worked as the Production Associate for Royal MTC and Volunteer Manager for the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival. OTHER THEATRE In Dreams, Mum (Agassiz Theatre); Primrose School District 109 (PTE). TRAINING U of W Department of Theatre and Film – Stage and Production Management.
For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 4
november/december 2019
Ovation
23
Kelly’s Best Day On Sunday, October 21 Kelly Thornton was joined by five amazing subscribers and guests to explore the city. Subscribers submitted their favourite places to show and share why it’s near and dear to their heart. The Winnipeg Trolley Company drove us around town and made five stops. The first was in the city’s North End at Gunn’s Bakery. This bakery has been in operation for more than 80 years and is known for old country style, kosher baking. Down the street was the Bear Clan Patrol, which opearates out of the Ndinawe Youth Drop on Selkirk Avenue. The Bear Clan is a community-based solution to crime prevention offering security services to members in inner-city neighbourhoods. As we drove through the North End, vibrant murals decorated buildings and brought the quiet Sunday morning streets to life. Our third stop was in Wolseley at Kal Barteski’s Back Alley Arctic (located between Canora and Ethelbert Street, between Wolseley and Westminster Avenue). As you walk down this outdoor gallery, garage doors and fences are transformed into art adorned with Arctic animals including, polar bears, whales, birds and more. Fourth on our list was the beautiful Leo Mol Sculpture Garden in Assiniboine Park, featuring works by master sculptor Dr. Leo Mol. The garden is also home to the Leo Mol Gallery. Guests enjoyed wandering the gardens and admiring Mol’s artistry. On the way to St. Boniface, we drove by the magnificent Manitoba Legislative Building, the meeting place of the Legislative Assembly. The building was designed in 1912 by English architects Frank W. Simon and Henry Boddington III. The final stop was at Chocolatier Constance Popp on Provencher Boulevard. This artisan chocolate shop features pastries and frozen treats all made in-shop by award-winning chocolatier Constance Menzies. Guests enjoyed a sweet treat before boarding the trolley and heading back to Royal MTC. Thank you to all for entering the contest! PHOTOS BY LEIF NORMAN
For more information visit winnipegtrolley.ca 24
Ovation
november/december 2019
NEXT AT THE JOHN HIRSCH MAINSTAGE
JAN 7 – FEB 1 a co-production with the citadel theatre
As You Like It
By William Shakespeare Adapted by Daryl Cloran
“Inventive, playful, captivating” – daily telegraph The Bard and The Beatles sharing the same stage? Turns out, it’s not as crazy as it sounds. Shakespeare’s original text for As You Like It included five songs, more than any of his other plays. So it was a natural choice for Daryl Cloran to incorporate 25 Beatles songs into his 1960s Vancouver counterculture adaptation. This combination was music to the ears of Beatles fans and the original production shattered attendance records at Bard on the Beach. With the holidays looming, remember the Beatles and Bard fans in your life. Money can’t buy me love. But theatre tickets just might. part of shakespearefest
TICKETS START AT $27.25 • BUY NOW
NEXT AT THE TOM HENDRY WAREHOUSE
Every Brilliant Thing
By Duncan Macmillan With Jonny Donahoe TOM HENDRY WAREHOUSE SEASON SPONSOR
JAN 22 – FEB 8 “Funny and life-affirming” – sydney morning herald To cheer up his mom, a young boy starts a list of things that make life worth living. Rollercoasters. Water fights. Things with stripes. As he matures, the growing list inspires him to find meaning in everyday life. Every Brilliant Thing marks the return of Artistic Director Emeritus Steven Schipper, who directed Michael Torontow (Bittergirl: The Musical) in the show for Talk Is Free Theatre. Once again, Michael plays the boy while key figures in the young man’s life – the family vet, a school counsellor and even a sock dog – are portrayed with help from the audience. While this format might sound intimidating, the result is a joyous act of communal storytelling that underlines our need for human connection.
TICKETS START AT $22 .25 • BUY NOW
CALL 204 942 6537 | VISIT ROYALMTC.CA
FUN HOME one of the most celebrated musicals of the decade. All of it unlikely, all of it true. Through the force of her imagination and craft, Bechdel conjured a family struggling with the enormity of the cultural revolution that unsettled pre-civil rights 1960s America. At the same time, Alison becomes the hero of what she dubbed “a family tragicomic.”
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
BY SARAH GARTON STANLEY Alison Bechdel is the unlikeliest of leading ladies. Alison Bechdel, the lesbian artist upon whom the character is based, is herself an unlikely cultural hero. And the success of her book, Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, is every bit in keeping with the unlikeliness of things. Not only was it Time Magazine’s #1 book of the year, not only is it a graphic novel (cartoons for grown-ups), not only is it a comic book about unlikely things that can happen to families, Fun Home somehow became
Another way of saying it is…Alison struggled with coming to terms with her sexuality and her Dad shared that struggle. Another way of saying it is… Alison struggled with her father’s suicide, and all the lies hidden below the surface of what looked like a perfect family. Another way of saying it is… Alison’s Dad did bad things and yet…he was her dad and she loved him. Another way of saying it is…love is complicated, but its nuance offers us the chance to reflect on how we might navigate our own choppy waters. Love seems like a pretty strong choice. I love this play. I love every team member who has come onboard to share the magic heart of this story. We can’t wait to share this story with you. Welcome to the Fun Home!
SYNOPSIS – At 43, Alison is a successful lesbian cartoonist struggling to make sense of family secrets that led to tragedy. Her memories flash to her childhood in the 1960s where she lives in a house her father is obsessively decorating. His presence looms large as his wife and children aim to satisfy his whims and help him with his work. We visit Alison at college where she comes to terms with her sexuality, thanks to her first real love. When Alison comes out to her parents, she’s bewildered by their lack of reaction. When she presses for acknowledgement, Alison gains insight into her parents’ marriage that changes her perception of them both. As Alison continues to dig into her past, she unravels startling truths that shaped her life and art forever. 26
Ovation
november/december 2019
FUN HOME into her closeted bisexual father’s suicide “a masterpiece about two people who live in the same house but different worlds, and their mysterious debts to each other.” Fun Home was adapted into a musical by the playwright Lisa Kron and the composer Jeanine Tesori. It opened on Broadway at the Circle in the Square Theater on April 19, 2015, and won five Tony Awards, including “Best Musical.”
Alison Bechdel Alison Bechdel is a graphic novelist and cartoonist. Her comic strip Dykes To Watch Out For became a countercultural institution among lesbians and discerning non-lesbians all over the planet. And her more recent, darkly humorous graphic memoirs about her family have forged an unlikely intimacy with an even wider range of readers. Bechdel self-syndicated Dykes to Watch Out For for 25 years, from 1983 to 2008. The award-winning generational chronicle has been called “one of the pre-eminent oeuvres in the comics genre, period.” (Ms. Magazine) In 2006 she published Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. Time magazine named it the Best Book of 2006, describing the recursive investigation
In her work, Bechdel is preoccupied with the overlap of the political and the personal spheres, the relationship of the self to the world outside. Her 2012 memoir Are You My Mother? A Comic Drama delved into not just her relationship with her own mother, but the theories of the 20th century British psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott. In the New York Times Book Review, Katie Roiphe wrote, “There’s a lucidity to Bechdel’s work that in certain ways … bears more resemblance to poetry than to the dense, wordy introspection of most prose memoirs. The book delivers lightning bolts of revelation, maps of insight and visual snapshots of family entanglements in a singularly beautiful style.” Alison’s comics have appeared in The New Yorker, Slate, McSweeney’s, The New York Times Book Review, and Granta. In 2014 she was named a MacArthur Fellow. Alison currently resides in Vermont. SOURCES: NOTABLEBIOGRAPHIES.COM, DYKESTOWATCHOUTFOR.COM
THE BECHDEL TEST The Bechdel Test is used to see if women are represented fairly in film. It was inspired by cartoonist Alison Bechdel‘s 1985 comic strip ‘The Rule’. The test points out just how male-dominated films really are. To pass The Bechdel Test, a film must have at least two female characters that both have names and they must talk to each other about something other than a man. SOURCE: BECHDELTESTFEST.COM
november/december 2019
Ovation
27
FUN HOME
A panel from the graphic novel Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic, written and illustrated by Alison Bechdel.
Decoding the Ring of Keys SYMBOLISM “Ring of Keys” is a song performed in Fun Home by small Alison when she sees a butch lesbian for the first time across a diner. This moment is marked as a time of sexual identification, when she could relate to someone for the first time. Alison was mesmerized by the woman’s short hair, lace-up boots and butch style. Based on a true-life situation that Bechdel experienced in the 1960s, this pivotal moment was brought back to life in the play. In the song, a small Alison sings “I thought it was supposed to be wrong / But you seem OK with being strong… “It’s probably conceited to say / But I think we’re alike in a certain way.” In an article by Slate, Bechdel calls her key ring “an identifier, a way to make myself visible to other lesbians – and not even in a sexual way, just as a way of connecting and finding community.”
The ring of keys is a phallic symbol representing stereotypical male characteristics such as strength, capability, and dependability. In the 1970s, lesbian feminism was anti-butch and viewed masculine women as imitating men. Alison Bechdel described key rings as objects that are about “potency, agency, capability.” WHAT IS THE RING OF KEYS? Key rings are a symbol of lesbian culture and also a lesbian flagging device. It is one of the most symbolic languages of lesbians. The key ring, which is hooked on a women’s belt loop is a way of expressing one’s sexuality to others. The ring of keys originated when butch lesbians were associated with the masculine aesthetic, and the look of blue-collar workers. They were forced into bluecollar jobs as they didn’t fit the feminine gender mold that was available to women at the time (secretary, waitress etc.) By working jobs such as postal workers and mechanics, which didn’t have strict dress codes, they could express themselves freely. Their keys were also easily accessible for their job. SOURCES: SLATE.COM, PLAYBILL.COM, LESBIANNEWS.COM
28
Ovation
november/december 2019
BEFORE & AF TER
Real food from the
land...
At At Peasant Peasant Cookery Cookery we we have have aa passion passion for for transforming transforming fresh fresh ingredients ingredients into into original original and and trend-forward trend-forward cuisines. cuisines. Our Our rustic, rustic, seasonally seasonally inspired inspired menu, menu, famous famous housemade housemade charcuterie, charcuterie, combined combined ]with ]with exceptional exceptional service service and and inviting inviting bistro bistro atmosphere atmosphere are are an an experience experience not not to to be be missed. missed.
100-283 100-283 Bannatyne Bannatyne 204.989.7700 204.989.7700 PeasantAd_Ovation2014.indd PeasantAd_Ovation2014.indd 11
9/2/14 9/2/14 1:27:59 1:27:59 PM PM
Kelly Thornton, Artistic Director • Camilla Holland, Executive Director PRESENTS
fun home Music by Jeanine Tesori Book and Lyrics by Lisa Kron Based on the Graphic Novel by Alison Bechdel November 14 – December 1, 2019 preview November 13
Director.......................................................................Sarah Garton Stanley Music Director................................................................... Rachel Cameron Set & Costume Designer............................................................ Amy Keith Lighting Designer...............................................................Hugh Conacher Sound Designer..........................................................................Chris Coyne Assistant Director.............................................................. Rebekah Jones* Apprentice Set Designer...................................................... Kara Pankiw* Stage Manager.............................................................................. Ali Fulmyk Apprentice Stage Manager.................................Zoë Leclerc-Kennedy Child Supervisor..................................................................Liam Naughten Fun Home is performed without an intermission. FUN HOME is presented by special arrangement with SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. Originally Produced on Broadway by Fox Theatricals, Barbara Whitman, Carole Shorenstein Hays, Tom Casserly, Paula Marie Black, Latitude Link, Terry Schnuck/Jane Lane, The Forstalls, Nathan Vernon, Mint Theatricals, Elizabeth Armstrong, Jam Theatricals, Delman Whitney, Kristin Caskey and Mike Isaacson. The world premiere production of FUN HOME was produced by The Public Theater Oskar Eustis, Artistic Director Patrick Willingham, Executive Director in New York City on October 22nd, 2013. FUN HOME was developed, in part, at the 2012 Sundance Institute Theatre Lab at White Oak and the 2012 Sundance Institute Theatre Lab at the Sundance Resort. The videotaping or making of electronic or other audio and/or visual recordings of this production or distributing recordings on any medium, including the internet, is strictly prohibited, a violation of the author’s rights and actionable under united states copyright law. For more information, please visit: https://shop.samuelfrench.com/content/files/pdf/piracy-whitepaper.pdf Production photography by Dylan Hewlett.
Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre is proud to call Manitoba home. Royal MTC is located in Winnipeg on Treaty 1 land, the traditional territory of the Ininew, Anishinaabe and Dakota peoples, and the homeland of the Métis Nation. We are thankful for the benefits sharing this land has afforded us, and we are committed to the responsibilities of the Treaty. Hiy Hiy, Miigwetch, Wopida and Maarsii. *Position funded through the Jean Murray - Moray Sinclair Theatre Apprenticeship Program †Past Jean Murray - Moray Sinclair Scholarship award winner
30
Ovation
november/december 2019
fun home THE CAST (IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER)
Roy / Pete / Mark / Bobby / Jeremy................ Nelson Bettencourt† Joan...............................................................................Cassandra Consiglio Small Alison............................................................................ Isabel Haderer Medium Alison.................................................................Mackenzie Kolton Christian Bechdel.........................................................................Cash Laluk John Bechdel..............................................................................Elliot Ledlow Bruce Bechdel.................................................................. Carson Nattrass† Helen Bechdel........................................................................ Laura Olafson Alison................................................................................ Catherine Wreford MUSICIANS
Music Director / Piano................................................... Rachel Cameron Cello.............................................................................................Karin Erhardt Bass / Guitar..........................................................................Gilles Fournier Drums................................................................................................. Tony Cyre Reed 1......................................................................................... Julie Husband Violin.........................................................................................Carolyn Scholz MUSICAL NUMBERS
It All Comes Back (Opening) Welcome to Our House on Maple Avenue Come to the Fun Home Helen’s Etude Party Dress Changing My Major Maps Raincoat of Love Pony Girl Ring of Keys Days and Days Telephone Wire Edges of the World Flying Away (Finale)
PRODUCTION SPONSOR
*Position funded through the Jean Murray - Moray Sinclair Theatre Apprenticeship Program †Past Jean Murray - Moray Sinclair Scholarship award winner
november/december 2019
Ovation
31
FUN HOME Nelson Bettencourt
Isabel Haderer
Roy / Pete / Mark / Bobby / Jeremy
Small Alison
ROYAL MTC First appearance.
ROYAL MTC Once, A Christmas Carol.
OTHER THEATRE Rodgers + Hammerstein’s
OTHER THEATRE Great Russian Nutcracker
Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Breaking Up Is Hard to Do, Les Misérables (Rainbow); A Chorus Line, South Pacific (WSO); Sister Act, All Shook Up (Mayfield); A Charlie Brown Double Bill: You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown / A Charlie Brown Christmas (MTYP); Into the Woods (District Theatre Colletive); Spring Awakening, Fresher the Musical (WST); Zanna Don’t (Stage 16). TRAINING Master of Fine Arts from the Boston Conservatory. Bachelor of Music from the University of Manitoba. ET CETERA Special thank you to Mom, Dad, Cynthia, Alyssa, Ashley and Mavin for your constant love and support.
(Moscow Ballet); Letting Go (MAP/Scirocco Drama); Letters (Winnipeg Fringe). FILM Cranks (Ryan McKenna). TRAINING Ballet/Contemporary/Jazz/Tap (SCD); Ballet/Hip Hop/Jazz/Tap (KLSD); Dance Coach (Rebecca Ward); Acting Coach (Montana Lehmann). ET CETERA Isabel loves to entertain. She is thrilled and so grateful to have the opportunity to perform again at Royal MTC. Isabel wishes to thank her teachers, coaches, friends and family for helping her pursue her big dreams as well as her Mum Alexis for being the best lady ever. “I wanna put my arms out and fly” – Small Alison.
Cassandra Consiglio
Mackenzie Kolton
Joan
Medium Alison
ROYAL MTC Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical (with Arts Club/Citadel). OTHER THEATRE Disney’s Tangled, Aladdin, Twice Charmed, Believe, Dreams (Disney Cruise Line); West Side Story, Annie, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (Rainbow); Toopy and Binoo (Koba Entertainment). TV Channel Zero: Candle Cove (Syfy). ET CETERA A special thank you to my family and friends for their endless love and support. Enjoy the show!
ROYAL MTC First appearance. OTHER THEATRE The Laramie Project, The
Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, Quest (Meraki Theatre Productions); The Banana Man (Winnipeg Fringe 2018). ET CETERA Mackenzie is the Program Coordinator for The Get REAL Movement Manitoba, a 2SLGBTQ+ non profit organization that is dedicated to creating safe and accepting spaces for youth across the province. Mackenzie is honoured to be working on such an important show with messages that closely relate to her own life and work. She thanks her family and friends who have supported and encouraged her throughout this process.
For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 4
32
Ovation
november/december 2019
Great theatre lives here.
At BMO, we take pride in our local communities and the artists that contribute to the cultural diversity and artistic richness of our cities. We’re proud to be the Season Sponsor of the Tom Hendry Warehouse.
FUN HOME Cash Laluk Christian Bechdel
and Annie for their support. Many thanks to his friends and family, especially his grandparents, for helping make this dream come true!
Elliot Ledlow John Bechdel
ROYAL MTC First appearance. OTHER THEATRE Shrek the Musical,
Newsies, Billy Elliot The Musical, A Christmas Story, The Lion King Jr., Flat Stanley, Peter Pan Jr., Seussical (Mecca Productions). TRAINING Dance: Steppin’ Time Dance Company (Monique Roy-Keller, Kristen Yuel, Tamara Hicks, Katey Rogowsky). Musical Theatre: Mecca Productions Performance Troupe (Lisa and Tiana Vasconcelos, Hannah Price). Voice: Clint McLachlan, Katherine MacFarlane, Marla Fontaine. ET CETERA Cash is very excited to have this opportunity...thank you so much Royal MTC! Hugs to his sisters Arianna, Jules
. ROYAL MTC First appearance. FILM/TV Christmas Club, In Plain Sight. ET CETERA Elliot is in grade four at
Queenston School. He takes musical theatre (taught by his mom), ballet and jazz at Shelley Shearer School of Dance, Kung Fu taught by his dad, swimming and piano lessons. Elliot loves performing with his mom, Catherine Wreford, and adores being on stage in any and every way! Thank you to his Grammy and Grandad for helping in so many ways that it’s impossible to list.
Proud to support the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s production of Fun Home. www.asperfoundation.com
FUN HOME Carson Nattrass
Laura Olafson
Bruce Bechdel
Helen Bechdel
ROYAL MTC A Christmas Carol (2017, 2005), Billy Elliot the Musical, Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Jersey Lily, The Boys in the Photograph (with Mirvish), Pride and Prejudice, Glengarry Glen Ross, Guys and Dolls (with Citadel/TC), My Fair Lady, Much Ado About Nothing. OTHER THEATRE Director: Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash, A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, Footloose (Rainbow Stage); James and the Giant Peach (MTYP); As an actor, Carson has performed in Winnipeg for Prairie Theatre Exchange, Rainbow Stage, Shakespeare in the Ruins, Dry Cold Productions, White Rabbit, Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, Danny Schur Productions, Theatre Projects Manitoba and Manitoba Theatre for Young People. Across Canada: Mirvish, National Arts Centre, London Grand, Belfry, Citadel, Catalyst, Free Will, Theatre Calgary, Ground Zero, Lunchbox, Regina Globe, Persephone, Magnus, Theatre Orangeville, Talk is Free and Festival Antigonish. FILM/TV The Pinkertons, Aloft, Reasonable Doubt, Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story, Keep Your Head Up, Kid: The Don Cherry Story, A Bear Named Winnie, Falcon Beach. TRAINING BFA, University of Alberta, Stratford Festival of Canada. ET CETERA Carson Nattrass is the Artistic Director of Winnipeg’s Rainbow Stage. Love to my Mom, Sharon and Theodore. carsonnattrass.com
ROYAL MTC The Boys in the Photograph (with Mirvish), Harvey, Amanda Prynne in Private Lives, Nikki Wickstead in The Things We Do For Love, Dyanne in Million Dollar Quartet. OTHER THEATRE Funny Girl, Falsettos, Intimate Apparel (WJT); Footloose, Joe’s Coat, Mary Poppins, Breaking Up Is Hard To Do, Beauty and the Beast, Guys and Dolls: In Concert, Cinderella (Rainbow); Urinetown, A Man of No Importance (Dry Cold); The Comedy of Errors, Romeo and Juliet (SIR); Iceland (TPM); Into the Woods, Tigers Be Still (District Theatre Collective); The Savannah Disputation (PTE); Skriker (Echo (Beach) Theatre). TRAINING/TEACHING Laura graduated from Grant MacEwan University’s Theatre Arts program. She also works as an EA in WSD1’s Inclusion Support programs. ET CETERA Catch Laura in Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) in TPM’s production from Jan 30 – Feb 16 for Royal MTC’s ShakespeareFest. Love and gratitude to my family.
If you or someone you know is looking for LGBT2SQ+ information and/or support, please contact The Rainbow Resource Centre at 1 (855) 437-8523 Toll-Free or visit rainbowresourcecentre.org.
For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 4
november/december 2019
Ovation
35
FUN HOME Catherine Wreford
Jeanine Tesori
Alison
Music
. ROYAL MTC Choreographer for The Cottage, A Doll’s House, Heisenberg, It’s a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play. Choreographer/Assistant Director for Million Dollar Quartet. OTHER THEATRE 42nd Street, Oklahoma! (Broadway); 42nd Street, Annie Get Your Gun (Broadway Tour); West Side Story, The Tempest (Stratford); The Sound of Music, The Music Man, Les Misérables, Shrek The Musical, Mamma Mia!, A Chorus Line, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella (Rainbow); Romeo and Juliet (RWB). FILM/TV Stand, The Metrosexual, Wrestle Maniac, The Harvest, Pittsburgh, Foodfight, Chloe. TEACHING Teaches Musical Theatre at Shelley Shearer School of Dance. ET CETERA Catherine is so proud and happy to be performing with her son Elliot. In the summer of 2013, she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and given two to six years to live. She had an awake craniotomy, radiation and four kinds of chemotherapy. She has dedicated her life to raising awareness, fundraising and doing things that are out of her comfort zone! But most of all she is living and loving her amazing life. Thank you to my son Elliot, my daughter Quinn, and my amazing husband Joel for putting up with all my singing!!
Jeanine Tesori has written a diverse catalog for Broadway, opera, film and TV. Her Broadway musicals include: Fun Home (2015 Tony Award Winner, Pulitzer finalist); Violet; Caroline, or Change; Shrek the Musical; Thoroughly Modern Millie; Twelfth Night (LCT); John Guare’s A Free Man of Color; Delacorte: Mother Courage starring Meryl Streep. She has five Tony nominations, three Obie Awards and three Drama Desk Awards. She wrote the musical featured in the 2016 revival of Gilmore Girls and has also written special material for artists such as The Girl in 14G for Kristin Chenoweth. Jeanine Tesori was the founding Artistic Director of a concert series at New York City Center called Encores! Off-Center for which she helmed seasons joined by artists such as Stephen Sondheim, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Randy Newman, William Finn, Alan Menken, Renee Elise Goldsberry, Sutton Foster and Jonathan Groff. She took one of those concerts, Sunday in the Park with George starring Jake Gyllenhaal, to Broadway where she co-produced the 2017 revival.
Lisa Kron Book and Lyrics Lisa Kron is a writer and performer whose work has been widely produced in New York, regionally, and internationally. Her plays include Well, 2.5 Minute Ride, and The Ver**zon Play. She wrote the book and lyrics for the musical Fun Home (with music by composer Jeanine Tesori), winner of five 2015 Tony Awards including Best Musical. Lisa and Jeanine were the first all-woman team to ever receive a Tony for best score. As an actor Lisa was most recently seen as Mrs. Mi-Tzu and Mrs. Yang in the Foundry Theater’s acclaimed
For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 4
36
Ovation
november/december 2019
FUN HOME production of Good Person of Szechuan (Lortel Award, Outstanding Featured Actress). Honors include a Guggenheim fellowship, a Doris Duke Performing Artists Award, and the Cal Arts/Alpert Award. She is a proud founding member of the OBIE- and Bessie-Award-winning collaborative theater company The Five Lesbian Brothers. Lisa currently serves as Secretary of the Dramatists Guild Council and on the boards of the MacDowell Colony and the Lilly Awards.
Sarah Garton Stanley Director
ROYAL MTC Kill Me Now (With NAC). OTHER THEATRE Director: The Big House
(Toronto Fringe); We Keep Coming Back (WJT, English Theatre Berlin, Factory Theatre); Unsafe (Canadian Stage); Out The Window (Luminato and Theatre Centre); Bunny (Stratford and Tarragon Theatre). Upcoming: Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes (Tarragon Theatre); carried away on the crest of a wave (Arts Club); Paradise Lost (NAC). ET CETERA Associate Artistic Director, English Theatre at Canada’s National Arts Centre. Executive Producer and Founding Artistic Director of SpiderWebShow Performance and co-curator of foldA. Creator of The Cycles at the NAC now
culminating with Climate Change: Reimagining The Footprint of Canadian Theatre.
Rachel Cameron Music Director
ROYAL MTC Mamma Mia! (MD) (Royal MTC/MBA), Bittergirl: The Musical (MD), Roald Dahl’s Matilda The Musical (Rehearsal Pianist/Keys 1) and Billy Elliot the Musical (AMD). OTHER THEATRE Lucky Stiff (Manitoba Dental Association); Chess (Winnipeg Fringe); Shrek The Musical (Children’s Music Supervisor), Sister Act (AMD) (Rainbow); Guys and Dolls (WSO/ Rainbow); Falsettos (WJT/Dry Cold); School of Rock (WST); and Songs for a New World (White Rabbit). Upcoming: Billy Elliot the Musical (Globe Theatre). TRAINING/TEACHING Rachel holds a Theatre and Film degree from the University of Winnipeg and has extensive training in piano, theory, and collaborative musicianship. Rachel works extensively as a vocal coach and accompanist around the city. ET CETERA Special thanks to Doug, Teresa, Austin and Heidi for their constant support. Enjoy! @rachelcameron_music and rachelccameron.ca.
PROUD SPONSOR OF THE 2019/20 SEASON.
WE DELIVER WINE TO YOUR DOOR!
wine@banvilleandjones.com | banvilleandjones.com | 204.948.WINE (9463)
FUN HOME Amy Keith
Hugh Conacher
Set & Costume Designer
Lighting Designer
ROYAL MTC Kill Me Now (with NAC). OTHER THEATRE Once (Segal); The
December Man (L’homme de décembre) (NAC); Beatrice and Virgil (Factory); Beethoven Lives Upstairs, The Halloween Tree (Geordie Productions); Alice and the World We Live In, On This Day, Michel et Ti-Jean (Centaur); All Flesh is Green, Love U Lovecraft, Macbeth (The Other Theatre); Measure for Measure, The Taming of the Shrew, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Repercussion Theatre). FILM/TV Art direction for film and TV. TEACHING Currently teaching at Concordia University, regularly teaches at the National Theatre School. ET CETERA A wonderful company with touching stories to tell – thank you for the opportunity, Royal MTC!
ROYAL MTC The Color Purple (with Citadel), A Doll’s House (Lighting & Video Designer), It’s a Wonderful Life: The Radio Play, Vietgone (Lighting & Video Designer), Heisenberg, The Humans, Outside Mullingar, Kill Me Now (with NAC), Hand to God, Million Dollar Quartet, My Name is Asher Lev (with Segal), Things We Do For Love, Seminar (with Mirvish), The Woman in Black, Cabaret (2015), The Glass Menagerie (2014, 1989/90), Venus in Fur (Lighting & Video Designer), The Penelopiad, Mrs. Warren’s Profession, After Miss Julie, Macbeth (with English Suitcase Theatre Company), Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Beautiful Lake Winnipeg, A Walk in the Woods, Frankenstein: Playing with Fire. OTHER THEATRE Hugh has collaborated with choreographers, visual artists and dance and theatre companies worldwide for over 35 years. In Winnipeg, his work has been seen with Canada’s RWB, QDance, Gearshifting Performance Works, PTE, TPM and MTYP, to name a few.
P R O U D LY S P O N S O R E D BY
THEATRE FOR FANS UNDER 30 Looking for a great night out that’s easy on your wallet? TD Theatre Under 30 members, aged 18 – 29, have exclusive access to world-class theatre for just $20 a seat!
SIGN UP TODAY AT ROYALMTC.CA/UNDER30 FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT ELENA ANCIRO AT UNDER30�ROYALMTC.CA KAREN BURTHWRIGHT AND TARA JACKSON IN THE COLOR PURPLE. PHOTO BY IAN JACKSON, EPIC PHOTOGRAPHY .
FUN HOME ET CETERA Hugh enjoys working beyond
the constraints of traditional lighting design using various forms of interactive media, video and photography. His photographic work resides in private collections and has been published worldwide. Hugh is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada and L’Association des professionnels des arts de la scène du Québec www.pellucid.me.
Chris Coyne Sound Designer
ROYAL MTC Kill Me Now (with NAC), The Hound of the Baskervilles 2016 (Tour). OTHER THEATRE Chris has had the pleasure of working with many local and international theatre groups. Credits include Routes 2016/17 Tour (MTYP); The Hound of the Baskervilles Mar. 2015, Little Thing Big Thing Sept. 2015 (PTE); EDEN 2013 (Sarasvàti); Bashir Lazhar Mar. 2013 (TPM); Angels in America 2012, Peristroika 2014 (WJT); Three Sisters 2011 (zone41). TRAINING Chris is a graduate of the Ontario Institute of Audio Recording Technology. ET CETERA Chris has been involved in the theatre industry in Winnipeg for many years. Currently working as Royal MTC’s Technical Director at the John Hirsch Mainstage.
Rebekah Jones Assistant Director
ROYAL MTC Actor: Lesley in Billy Elliot the
Musical.
OTHER THEATRE Actor: The Wizard of
Oz, Mamma Mia! (Rainbow). Apprentice / Assistant Director / Choreographer: A Man of No Importance, The Addams Family, Kiss of the Spider Woman (Dry Cold); Les Misérables, Shrek the Musical (Rainbow); Heathers, Avenue Q (WST). TRAINING/TEACHING Completed the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School Teacher Training Program (2007) and Rainbow Stage Creative Mentorship Program for Choreography (2016). Currently teaches at Kickit Dance Studio, StudioWorks and The SPACE. ET CETERA A very special thank you to the Kingfisher Foundation for their generous support. Also, much love to my family and Troy for their continued support.
Design with community in mind. Engineering, Architecture, Environmental Services, Project Management
University of Manitoba Gross Anatomy Lab | stantec.com
FUN HOME Kara Pankiw
Zoë Leclerc-Kennedy
Apprentice Set Designer
Apprentice Stage Manager
ROYAL MTC First engagement. OTHER THEATRE Bar Mitzvah Boy, After
Jerusalem (WJT); The Kiss of the Spider Woman (Dry Cold). TV Burden of Truth. TRAINING Graduate of University of Winnipeg Theatre and Film (Scenic Design) and University of Manitoba’s Environmental Design Program (Architecture). A member of Associated Designers of Canada.
Ali Fulmyk Stage Manager
ROYAL MTC Buying The Farm (tour with Magnus Theatre), Morning After Grace, Kill Me Now (with NAC), Seminar (with Mirvish), The Woman in Black, Private Lives, Jane Eyre, Other People’s Money. OTHER THEATRE Stage Manager: Danny and the Deep Blue Sea (The Keep Theatre); Charlie Brown: A Double Bill (MTYP); Tribes, Another Way Home (WJT); Reefer Madness, American Idiot (WST). Assistant Stage Manager: The Third Colour, Happy Place, Prairie Nurse (PTE); Sister Act (Mayfield Dinner Theatre); Sister Act (Drayton); R&H’s Cinderella, Beauty & The Beast, Shrek: The Musical, Sister Act (Rainbow). TRAINING University of Winnipeg Department of Theatre and Film, with a Theatre Honours degree. ET CETERA Much love to Paul and to Mom and Dad.
ROYAL MTC Apprentice Stage Manager: Heisenberg, Shakespeare in Love, Sarah Ballenden, Bittergirl: The Musical. Props: Bang Bang, Di and Viv and Rose, Outside Mullingar, Black Coffee, Hand to God, My Name is Asher Lev. OTHER THEATRE Apprentice Stage Manager: A Charlie Brown Double Bill (MTYP); and Falstaff (MB Opera). Head of Props at Watermark Theatre in PEI, summer 2019; Props Apprentice for the 2018/19 season at the Grand Theatre in London ON; Prop Builder Practicum at the Banff Centre summer 2018; Props Coordinator for Baby Box, Two Indians and The Seduction Theory (Sarasvàti). TRAINING University of Winnipeg with a BA (Hons), specialization in Theatre Production and Stage Management.
The Asper Foundation Production Sponsor The Asper Foundation was established in Winnipeg in 1983 to build upon the philanthropic objectives of Israel Asper and the Asper family. It undertakes and develops major initiatives in the areas of Jewish charity as well as culture, education, community development and human rights locally, nationally and internationally.
For a complete list of theatre abbreviations, please refer to legend on page 4
40
Ovation
november/december 2019
McNally Robinson Booksellers
1120 Grant Avenue ∙ The Forks ∙ mcnallyrobinson.com
When you support us, you support our community
RARE EXQUISITE WORLDLY
GRA NT PARK LIQU OR MART 1120 GRANT AVENUE
EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
EXPLORE MORE FUN HOME Time to Read, the Winnipeg Public Library’s podcast book club, discussed Fun Home in one of their episodes! Listen to it: wpl-podcast.winnipeg.ca/fun Explore More: Alison Bechdel
Are You My Mother? Another tale of filial sleuthery about Bechdel’s mother: voracious reader, music lover, passionate amateur actor; a woman unhappily married to a closeted gay man, and who stopped kissing her daughter good night, forever, when she was seven. A quest for answers concerning the gulf between mother and child that leads, finally, back to a fragile truce. GRAPHIC B BECHDEL 2012 The Essential Dykes to Watch Out For Bechdel’s ground-breaking comic strip is a wittily illustrated soap opera “suitable for humanists of all persuasions.” It follows the lives, loves and politics of a band of friends, most of them lesbian, living in a midsize American city that may or may not be Minneapolis. They fall in and out of love, raise children, switch careers and cope with aging parents. GRAPHIC 741.56973 BEC 2008 Explore More: Darkly Funny Family Stories
Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett. When Margaret’s fiancé is hospitalized for depression in the 1960s, she could back away from his suffering. Instead, she stays with him. This gut-wrenching yet frequently hilarious novel brings alive the love of a mother for her children, the often inescapable devotion siblings feel toward one another, and the legacy of a father’s pain. FICTION HASLETT
42
Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs. When he was 12, Burroughs’ mother gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist. He found himself living an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of and the Christmas tree stayed up year-round; where Valium was consumed like candy, and if things got dull electroshock therapy could provide entertainment. B BURROUGHS Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson. At 16, Winterson left home because she was in love with a woman. This is her story of a life’s work to find happiness: a search for belonging, love, identity. It’s also other people’s stories, showing how fiction and poetry can form a life raft to support us when we’re sinking. B WINTERSON 2011 Explore More: Visual Memoirs
It’s a Good Life, If You Don’t Weaken by Seth. While trying to understand his dissatisfaction with the present, Seth discovers the work of a “forgotten” New Yorker cartoonist from the 1940s. Wry self-reflection and moody colours characterize his tale about learning lessons from nostalgia. This playful and sophisticated experiment with memoir provoked a furious debate about Seth’s “hoax.” GRAPHIC FICTION SETH
Ovation
november/december 2019
EDUCATION & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT The Impostor’s Daughter: a True Memoir by Laurie Sandell. Sandell grew up in awe of her larger-than-life father, who told jaw-dropping tales of his privileged Buenos Aires youth, Vietnam heroism and celebrity friendships. But when she learned he wasn’t the man he claimed to be, she had to piece together three decades of lies and the splintered person that resulted from them—herself. GRAPHIC B SANDELL 2009
There are 1.4 million books, movies, audiobooks, eBooks, and more at the Winnipeg Public Library, and all you need to borrow them is your library card. There are 20 locations throughout the city, and there’s an online catalogue for requesting items for pick-up at your library of convenience. An online e-Library has thousands of eBooks, eAudiobooks and more! All free to use with your library card.
Stitches by David Small. At the age of 14, Small awoke from a supposedly harmless operation to discover one of his vocal cords had been removed, leaving him virtually mute. No one had told him he had cancer and was expected to die, a silence that was in keeping with the oppressive atmosphere of secrecy in his family. GRAPHIC B SMALL 2009
Visit us online at winnipeg.ca/library.
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 but at intermission or after the final bows.
We’re always happy to see you at the theatre. Thank you for coming!
SUPPORTERS Many thanks to our donors who made a gift between July 1, 2018 and Oct 1, 2019. DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE $10,000+ Gail Asper, OC, OM, LLD* & Michael Paterson Deborah Gray The Estate of Ellen Hirst June & Bob Jackson Memorial Fund for the Performing Arts – The Winnipeg Foundation The Estate of E. Louise Nebbs Hartley & Heather Richardson Susan Glass & Arni Thorsteinson $6,500-9,999 David Christianson & Vera Steinberger Kingfisher Foundation Leslie John Taylor Fund – The Winnipeg Foundation
$4,000-6,499 Pauline Braun – in memory of Duane Braun Hugh Conacher Sylvia Guertin-Riley Elizabeth Marr & Nick Slonosky Virginia Martin & the late Robert Martin Bernie & Rhonda Plett
$2,000-3,999 Dr. J Baluta & Ms. O. Kandia Craig McIntosh & Lorraine Beck Fund – The Winnipeg Foundation Leah Bjarnarson & Robert Malech David & Lianne Carefoot Dr. Bonnie Cham & Dr. Lorne Bellan Haderra & Mark Chisick David* & Barb Christie Gerry* & Chris Couture Kerry Dangerfield*‡ Tony* & Jennifer Fletcher‡ John F. (Jack) Fraser* Sara Gray Patrick Green & Shayla Harapiak Green Rita Gunn & Greg Mason John* & Nicola Guttormson‡ Ahava Halpern & Frank Lavitt‡ Linda Hamilton & Grange Morrow‡ Camilla Holland† & Colin Viebrock‡ Andrew & Wendy Jensen Derek & Mary Johannson David & Diane Johnston
Kevin & Els Kavanagh John Kearsey‡ Dr. Terry Klassen & Grace Dueck Dr. P. Kmet & Mr. B. Roslycky Bill & Shirley Loewen Jim* & Penny McLandress‡ Drs. Ken & Sharon Mould Leigh Murphy – in memory of Liam Murphy‡ Vivienne Nickerson Cam & Carole Osler Drs. Bill Pope & Elizabeth Tippett Pope Fund – The Winnipeg Foundation Sanford & Deborah Riley Bill & Laurie* Speers Maitland & Pat Sundmark Helga Van Iderstine* Marcel Van Woensel Scott & Sonya Wright Fund – The Winnipeg Foundation Anonymous
44
COMPANY CIRCLE
$1,200-1,999 John Borger Todd Bourcier Sheldon & Penny Bowles Doneta Brotchie, CM* & Harry Brotchie‡ Terri Cherniack & Steven Schipper, CM, OM‡ Heather Clarke* Andrew Drinnan†‡ Lawrence & Brenda Ellerby Katherine Fox*‡ Susan* & Ab Freig‡ Sandy Gousseau*‡ Mintie & Al Grienke Dawn & Brian Hanson – in memory of Kristin Hanson Vivian Hilder-Skwark & David Skwark‡ Shawn Hughes* & Bruno Koehn‡ Katie Inverarity†‡ Jason Kasper* The Estate of Gordon Keatch Serena Helen Kraayeveld Fund – The Winnipeg Foundation Brenda & Trevor Kriss‡ David* & Ellen Kroft‡ Katarina Kupca‡ Donna & Dave* Lalama J. Lamothe Rick Lee & Laurie Shapiro Gail Loewen Reginald & Judy Low Leona MacDonald & Douglas Riske Dr. Douglas MacEwan Mark & Gloria Mancini‡ Carol & Barry McArton Terri & Jim McKerchar‡ Grant Mitchell & Cat Lambeth
*Current Royal MTC Board of Trustees/Advisory Board members
Dr. & Mrs. Kieran O’Keeffe M. Plett-Lyle Mr. & Mrs. Lawrie & Fran Pollard K. Heather Power & Harold Klause‡ Lawrence Prout* & Lisa Gardewine‡ Margaret Redmond* & Greg Gillis‡ Brad Regehr & Nalini Reddy Murray & Cindy Reimer Mrs. Shirley Richardson Barbara & Derek* Rolstone‡ Dean & Rachel Scaletta Cheryl & Lorne Sharfe Ken & Susan Skinner* Kevin Hines & Shelly Smith-Hines‡ Joan Stephens – in memory of Annice Stephens‡ Shelley† & Mark Stroski‡ Jim & Jan Tennant Josh Thiem* Albert & Sindee Wilhelmer Richard L. Yaffe* & John A. Statham
†Current Royal MTC staff
Ovation
$600-1,199 Robert & Ina Abra Family Fund – The Winnipeg Foundation Margaret & Jim Astwood Ryan Bernier Bruce & Shelley Bertrand-Meadows Helga & Gerhard Bock Cathie & Brian Bowerman Pam & Andrew Cooke Ben & Shari Diamond Sharron & Joel Dudeck Robert & Florence Eastwood Ernest & Ruth Epp Paulo Fernandes*‡ Hon. Gary Filmon & Hon. Janice Filmon CM Barbara Hamilton Sylvia & Doug Hannah Gordon Hannon Gregg & Mary Hanson Dr. Ted & Gail Hechter Hon. Justice William Johnston Dr. Laurence Katz & Ms. Zoe Kogan Ian Kirk†‡ Eileen & George Klassen Donna L. Korban & Family The Honourable Guy J. Kroft & Hester Kroft* Brent Kvern Peter & Karen Leipsic Pat & Jim Ludwig Peter & Maureen Macdonald Mr. G. Markham Gerry Matte & Lydia Surasky-Matte Tracey Novak Kris Olafson‡ ‡Monthly donors
§ Fondly Remembered
november/december 2019
SUPPORTERS Richard & Bonnie Olfert Linda & Wayne Paquin Donna Plant Ms. Judith Putter David & Joan Rew Henriette Ricou & Jure Manfreda Andrea & Michael Robertson‡ Margaret & Paul Shuckett Ms. Judy Nichol & Dr. Jim Skinner Carol & Ron Slater Fund – Jewish Foundation of Manitoba Debbie Spracklin Donald & Lorraine Swanson Dr. Peter Triggs‡ Grant Tweed Carol & Hugo Unruh Strang/van Ineveld Family Vicki Verville‡ Margaret Wollner 3 Anonymous
$250-599 Pat & Bob Adamson Dr. Liz Adkins Brian Adolph†‡ Jay & Judy Anderson Dr. Ignatius Anyadike Archie & Jo-Anne Arnott Elaine Arsenault-Schultz Sheena Baird†‡ Jorslaw & Mary Barwinsky Larry Beeston & Anna Sikora Trish Bergal Mr. & Mrs. Ernest Bergbusch Bruce & Joyce Berry Lilian Bonin Dr. Elizabeth Boustcha Bruce & Karen Boyd Billy Brodovsky & Libby Yager‡ Sheila & David Brodovsky France Adams & Stephen Brodovsky Miriam Bronstein George & Ellen Bruce MacDonald/Cageorge Fund – The Winnipeg Foundation Charlotte Calnitsky Rosemary Chapman Shelley Chochinov Bobbi Chomiak Katherine Cobor & Gordon Steindel Daniel Cowan Dr. & Mrs. James Dalton Ms. Linda Daniels Chris Darazsi‡ J. Davidson‡ Margaret & Sylvia Docker Judith & Harold Dueck James Dugan & Mary Bawden Helene Dyck H. Dyck Roberta Dyck
Glen* & Joan Dyrda Mr. & Mrs. William Easton Dr. Michael Eleff & Chana Thau Debra Evaniuk Beverley & Ronald John Fitzpatrick Felicia & Trevor Frost Colleen & Dan Furlan‡ Brent & Debbie Gilbert Ms. Heather Gillander Ben & Serky Goldberg Dr. & Mrs. Andrew Gomori Lila Goodspeed Kayla Gordon & Art Maister Sig & Leona Hackbart Frank & Sue Hechter Kristin Heinrichs Mr. Kyle Hendin Dennis & Betty-lynn Hodgkinson Tanis & Bernd Hohne Michael & Crystal Hollas‡ N & L Holliday Carol Holmes & Brian Duff Robert Hykawy Dan & Karen Ilchyna Marlis & David Jacobson Sylvia Jansen Margaret Jeffries Claire & Gerald Jewers Dr. Danielle & Mr. Brendan Roddy G & C Jochum Lisa Johnston‡ James Tam & Katherine Jordan Marilyn & Sheldon Joyal Sheryl Kapitz & Aaron London Edgar Kellett Edward & Stella Kennedy Robert Kennedy & Claudette Leclerc Peter Kingsley Betty Klassen Vern & Roselin Klassen Julie Ann Kniskern John & Kathryn Knowles E. Koop David & Denise Koss Carol Campbell & Andy Krentz Howard & Jane Kroeger Randie & Jan Kushnier Glad & Lloyd Lamont Desiree Lavallee†‡ Dr. G. H. Lawler John & Heather Lea Tim Preston & Dave Ling Charles & Diane Littman Dr. Sora Ludwig & Dr. Brent Schacter Brian & Christie Lysack Dr. Donald McInnes Campbell & Lorraine McIntyre Marlene & Ian McKay Greg & Gloria McLaren Barb Melnychuk Dr. Jonathan Gabor & Tia Metaxas
*Current Royal MTC Board of Trustees/Advisory Board members
november/december 2019
Ovation
Marc Monnin & Donna Miller Sagan Morrow*‡ Cathy Moser & Jeff Itzkow Suzanne & Kenneth Munroe B. Nagamori Marika Nerbas D & G Nytepchuk Helen Orestes Cam Mackie & Doris Mae Oulton Jeff Palamar Murray Palay & Ivy Kopstein Heather & Harry Panaschuk Dr. Philip & Joanne Pass Chris Pearce & Ruth Magnuson Brian & Deborah Pekarchuk Maryam & Izzy Peltz Fund – Jewish Foundation of Manitoba Calvin & Jen Polet Beth Pollard Keith Powls Maureen Prendiville & Paul Jensen Tammy Rabkin Vivian E. Rachlis Carole Rankin‡ Vance & Bev Rehill Iris Reimer Wayne Rempel Dr. & Mrs. J. Richtik Cathy & Paul Samyn Barbara Scheuneman Renate & Bill Schulz Harald & Vicki Schulz Gary & Darcia Senft Jewish Foundation of Manitoba – in memory of Sybil Shack for the benefit of MTC Sharon Shaydak Sandra & Cliff Skrabek Chad Smith‡ Mrs. Lorraine Smith Evelyn Stephen Eleanor Suderman MaryAnn Supleve Mr. & Mrs. Paul Swart Shayne & Kathryn Taback Ross & Bette-Jayne Taylor Karen Tereck – Welcome to Winnipeg Inc. Leah R. Janzen & Ian R. Thomson Gord & Lorena Trann Louis Trepel & W.T. Grogan B. Baydock & W. Tretiak Dr. Stephen Tritt & Dr. Sharon Goszer-Tritt Dr. & Mrs. M. B. Vodrey Ed & Jesse Vorst Dorothy Walker Stirling Walkes Lois & Henry Wedel Florence & Donald Whitmore Lionel & Lorraine Wiens
†Current Royal MTC staff
‡Monthly donors
45
SUPPORTERS Kathleen Gough & Timothy Wildman Catherine Wilkie – in memory of C. Noreen Wilkie Dr. David Wiseman & Merilyn Kraut Valerie Wowryk Harry & Evelyn Wray Landice Yestrau Dr. Dorothy Y. Young 12 Anonymous
$150-249 Elena Anciro†‡ Dawn Andersen Bernice Antoniuk Elizabeth B. Armytage Fund – The Winnipeg Foundation Lynne Arnason Peter Attwood Ian Backus Richard & Nancy Ball Robert Bamburak Lynley Baranyk June & Ted Bartman Karen & John Bate James & Dawn-Lynne Bedford Holly Beirnes-Burt Susan & George Benias Trust Beta Edwin M. Bethune Kelly Black Marnie & Keith Bolland Colleen & Stephen Bonner Denise Bonner Tim & Shelly Borys Morva Bowman & Alan Pollard Jackie & Steve Broda-Milian Brian Brown Gerald R. Brown Carol Budnick Sean & Melanie Bueckert Ken England & Gerri Burge John Burrows Enid Butler Donna Byrne Kelly & Judy Caughlin Douglas Chapman Lorraine Chatel Farouk & Laila Chebib Duane Cheskey‡ Glen & Lorna Clark Lawrence & Reesa Cohen Agnes & John K. Collins Donna Collins Melonee Collins Diane M. Connelly Joan E. Coombe Roy & Marie Craig Barbara & Brian Crow Gary & Fiona Crow Ellen Curtis‡ J. Dale
G. L. Damphousse Maureen Danzinger Bob & Alison Darling Diane de Rocquigny Andrea Hector & Kirk Dellebuur Carl & Wilma Doerksen Beverley Doern Sheila Domke & Stephen Ross Jacqueline F. Drever Rob Dryden Craig & Claudette Dunn David & Barbara Ediger‡ Greg Edmond & Irene Groot-Koerkamp Dan & Lilianne Erickson Jemara Fay‡ Marion Fellinger Douglas Finkbeiner Gayle Fischer Lawrence Foster‡ Jack Fraser Janice French Menno H. & Jolanda Friesen Anne Friesen Pamela & Kevin Friesen Dianne Frost Paul Daeninck & Monica Furer Daniel Gagnon Basil & Judy Galarnyk Gloria & Rick Gallant Frank Filbert & Judy Garwood-Filbert Lynne & Lindsay Gauld‡ Denise & Ron George Sharon & Arnold Glass Barbara & David Goldenberg Alicyn Goodman‡ Michele Goossen‡ Shawn & Bill Gould John & Margaret Graham Rosa Graveline Karen H. Guenther Kari Hagness†‡ Sharon Hamilton‡ Gregory & Heather Hammond Bruce & Judy Harris Joanne Harris Kathryn & Wayne Harrison Ken & Ruth Hayes Evelyn Hecht Mary Heindle Coral Hetherington David & Mary Hickling Cathy & Ted Hlynsky Gwen Hoare Rob & Jen Hochkievich‡ John & Lenore Hodge Tom & Dianne Hodgson Gary Hook & Charmine Lyons Keith Horn Ken Houssin Mr. & Mrs. Richard & Karen Howell
*Current Royal MTC Board of Trustees/Advisory Board members
46
Ovation
Mrs. Kadri Irwin G. C. Irwin-Kilfoyle Krista Jackson & Matthew Handscombe‡ Brenda Jenkyns Lynne Jentsch Dave & Lesia Johns Robert & Karen Johnston Ijneb & Armand Joyal Penny & Brian Kelly Paula Klan Orah & Soody Kleiman L. Knodel Paul & Tamara Kochan Ms. Julie Koehn Peter & Valerie Kohut Lisa Koss & Alex Vecherya Jacki & Sheldon Koven Lorraine Kraichy‡ Paula Kristjanson Hasiuk Jonathan & Cara Kroft Leonard & Helen La Rue Teena Laird Barbara Latocki Pam Lawrence Bob Leggett Kathy & Saul Leibl Tim & Kate Letkemann‡ Carol & Clifford Levi Teresa Lopata & Bruce Wagg Nora Losey Maylene & Israel Ludwig Carole Lupkowski Tom Lussier Enid Lyons Dr. Shelley Mahoney Tamara Mares Elaine & Neil Margolis Agatha Massey Cheryl & Eric Matheson Linda Matheson Bob & Betty McCamis John & Carolynne McLure Fund – The Winnipeg Foundation Barry McNabb‡ Donald G. McNabb Mario Mendizabal Susie Miclash Jim & Karren Middagh Andrew & Pat Miles Don Munro Lillian Neaman* Robert Nickel Iris Noiseux Sheila Norrie Tom Nowicki Joanne Olchowecki S. Joy Ooto Cynthia Orris Theresa Oye – in memory of Diane Stefanson
†Current Royal MTC staff
‡Monthly donors
november/december 2019
SUPPORTERS Beverly Pavlek B. Peterson & S. Slonosky Rick Pinchin Bill Podolsky Carolyn Porhownik Jocelyne Prefontaine W. John Rae Dr. R. & Audrey Ramchandar Angeline Ramkissoon Linda Ratynski Cheryl Reid Mr. & Mrs. William Reynolds Mr. Louis Ricciuto Henry & Sheila Riendeau Jean Riggall Marilyn Robbins Renee Roseman Mary Anne Rosenbloom D. Ross & Rita Romsa-Ross Olga A. Runnalls‡ Elizabeth & Laurence Russin – in memory of Patrick Brown Sandra Sadler Shona Scappaticci‡ Carolyn Schellenberg Werner & Mary Schulz Ms. Faye Scott Jim & Susan Shaw Blake Shiaro Dr. & Mrs. A.M. Shojania Debbie Shymko Meera Sinha Jennifer Skelly & Family‡ Donald Smith Lillian Smith Peter & Geri Spencer Adrienne Stach Heidi Struck‡ Lorne Sunley Aurora Tetrault Robert & Catherine Thiessen Sharon Timson‡ Malcolm & Shirley Tinsley Terry Tully Helmut & Gwen Waedt Bob & Sherry Ward Veralyn Warkentin Peter & Joan Washchyshyn Walter & Shirley Watts Tamara & John Wells Al & Pat Wherrett‡ Murray & Nancy Wiegand C. E. Wilmot Leslie Wilson Dennis & Gustine Wilton Dorcas & Kirk Windsor Dennis & Janet Woodford Grant & Sheila Woods Adele & Arthur Wortzman Raymond & Louise Wyant Brad Zander‡
Ken & Pat Zealand Gary Zimak Dr. & Mrs. A. Zimmer Mr. & Mrs. Roman Zubach 22 Anonymous
$25,000+ Johnston Group Inc. Richardson Foundation
SPONSOR The Asper Foundation The Gail Asper Family Foundation Assiniboine Credit Union Banville & Jones Wine Co Bell MTS Birchwood Lexus BMO Financial Group Canada Life CN C&T Rentals Culligan Water Dycom Direct Mail Services Esdale Printing Co. Ltd. Fillmore Riley LLP Freeman Audio Visual Canada Friesens Corporation Gardewine/Winnipeg Moving & Storage The Gates on Roblin Glitter & Glue The Great Canadian Travel Group HUB International IG Wealth Management Lawton Partners MacDon Industries Ltd. Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries McDiarmid Flowers McNally Robinson Booksellers MMP Architects Patent 5 Pinnacle Pizza Hotline PwC RBC Convention Centre RBC Royal Bank RE/MAX Relish New Brand Experience Sleeman Breweries Ltd. Stantec Consulting Ltd. Subway Franchise World Headquarters, LLC TD Bank Group University of Manitoba Wawanesa Insurance Winnipeg Richardson International Airport The Winnipeg Free Press
*Current Royal MTC Board of Trustees/Advisory Board members
november/december 2019
CORPORATE DIRECTOR’S CIRCLE
Ovation
$5,000-9,999 Cambrian Credit Union The Albert D. Cohen Family Fund Qualico
$3,000-4,999 Terracon Development Ltd.
$1,200-2,999 Arthur J. Gallagher Insurance and Risk Management Astroid Management Ltd. Deloitte Foundation Canada Fillmore Riley LLP Manitoba Blue Cross Manitoba’s Credit Unions Maple Leaf Construction Ltd., Blake Fitzpatrick Maxim Truck & Trailer Mile Road Productions Inc. (Laurie Lam† & Larry Desrochers) PRA Inc. Regal Tours Safeway & Sobeys
CORPORATE COMPANY CIRCLE $600-1,199 Party Stuff/U-Rent-It Premier Printing Ltd.
$300-599 MCW/AGE Consulting Professional Engineers Mid West Packaging Limited
$150-299 Funseekers Ladies Travel Intergroup Consultants Ltd. Patill/St. James Insurance
†Current Royal MTC staff
‡Monthly donors
47
SUPPORTERS FOUNDERS’ CIRCLE Wayne & Lee Anderson Gail Asper, OC, OM, LLD* Zdzislaw (Zaz) Bajon & Patricia Hunter Marjorie & Morley§ Blankstein Duane§ & Pauline Braun Doneta Brotchie, CM* & Harry Brotchie David & Lianne Carefoot Len & Heather Cariou Terri Cherniack & Steven Schipper, CM, OM Jennifer Cheslock & George Buri David Christianson & Vera Steinberger David* & Barb Christie Gerry & Chris Couture Hugh B. Cowan Kerry Dangerfield* Laurie Lam† & Larry Desrochers Glen* & Joan Dyrda Robert & Florence Eastwood Don & Elfie Elias Bill* & Gayle Fischer Anthony* & Jennifer Fletcher Jack Fraser James Gibbs§ Sandy* & Rheal Gousseau John* & Nicola Guttormson Ahava Halpern & Frank Lavitt Linda Hamilton & Grange Morrow Gary Hannaford* & Cathy Rushton Ted & Gail Hechter June§ & Bob Jackson Fund for the Performing Arts Maureen E. Jay Andrew & Wendy Jensen David & Diane Johnston Dr. Leonard & Hope§ Kahane Janis Kaminsky Jason Kasper* John Kearsey Gordon & Anne Keatch§ Rob Kennedy & Claudette Leclerc Serena Helen Kraayeveld Leona J. MacDonald Mark & Gloria Mancini Peggy Barker & Ron McKinnon Jim* & Penny McLandress Barb Melnychuk Bob & Pat Migliore Jeffrey Morton* Ken & Sharon Mould Dr. Liam Murphy§ Robb & Heather Paterson Chris Pearce Gina & John* C. Petersmeyer Drs. Bill Pope & Elizabeth Tippett-Pope
K. Heather Power & Harold Klause Margaret Redmond* & Greg Gillis Edward Fisher & Lyse Rémillard Joan D. Richardson Michelle Rowan Sharon Ryman Susan Skinner* Kevin Hines & Shelly Smith-Hines Bill & Laurie* Speers Joan Stephens Suzanne Ullyot Lionel & Lorraine Wiens Richard L. Yaffe* & John A. Statham Brenda Zaporzan§ 2 Anonymous
TRIBUTE GIFTS In appreciation of Gail Asper’s contribution to our Jewish Federation of Ottawa Lions Event Tanya Poirier In honour of the birthday of Sandra Caplan Maureen & Fred Robinson A son’s Tribute to the memory of Berdie & Irvin Cohen
ENDOWMENT – STEVEN SCHIPPER FUND Many thanks to the generosity of our Endowment Fund donors who gave a gift or fulfilled a pledge payment between July 1, 2018 and Oct 1, 2019. 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
$100,000-249,999 Marjorie Blankstein CM, OM, LLD Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre Volunteer Corps of Ushers Henriette Ricou & Jure Manfreda
$25,000-49,999 Susan Glass & Arni Thorsteinson
*Current Royal MTC Board of Trustees/Advisory Board members
J.K. May Investments Ltd. Elizabeth Marr & Nick Slonosky Cam & Carole Osler
$10,000-24,999 The Bowles Family Gus* & Diane Campbell James Cohen & Linda McGarva-Cohen Neil Duboff John F. (Jack) Fraser* Bryan Klein & Susan Halprin The Estate of Gordon P. Linney Virginia Martin & the late Robert Martin Norma Anne Padilla L. Blair Philpott & Tom Kynman Lawrie & Fran Pollard Terracon Development Ltd. Wearing Williams Limited – Don & Sheila Katz
$5,000-9,999 Doneta Brotchie, CM* & Harry Brotchie Margaret Caie Helene Dyck Gayle Fischer Dr. Ted & Gail Hechter Susan & Keith Knox John Maguire & Susan Collison Gina O’Connor & John C. Petersmeyer* Faye Warren Dr. Dorothy Y. Young
$2,500-4,999 Pam & Andrew Cooke Hyman & Esther Dashevsky* Peter & Maureen Macdonald Irene Miller & the late Claire Miller Ruth Simkin Jim & Jan Tennant Anonymous
$1,000-2,499 Joan & Edward Alexander Jack Armstrong & Doris Quinn Jean Bissett Don & Cheryl Breakey David* & Barb Christie Jan* & Kevin Coates Agnes & John K. Collins Kerry Dangerfield* Bob & Alison Darling Dorothy Davidson Roberta Dyck Ernest & Ruth Epp Michael & Lynn Evans Teresa A. Hay
†Current Royal MTC staff ‡Monthly donors If you have remembered Royal MTC in your will, please let us know.
48
Ovation
§ Fondly Remembered
november/december 2019
SUPPORTERS Marilyn & Helios Hernandez John Kearsey Gerry Matte & Lydia Surasky-Matte Vera Moroz Paul & Elaine Neelon Jean & Lisa Neron Myron Pawlowsky & Susan Boulter Margaret Redmond & Greg Gillis Bill Rennie Marc & Sherri Rittinger Deborah & Neil Rostkowski Pat & Michelle Rowan Al* & Virginia Snyder Bill & Laurie* Speers Miss Debbie Spracklin Joan Stephens – in memory of Melanie Sexton Margaret & Paul Wright Richard L. Yaffe* & John A. Statham 2 Anonymous
$500-999 Marge & Ted Avent Peggy Bainard Acheson – in memory of Judy Acheson Helga & Gerhard Bock Nan Carson Nelma Fetterman Christine Fleetwood Chris Freeman Patrick Green & Shayla Harapiak Green
Linda Hamilton & Grange Morrow Evelyn Hecht Martha Henry Shawn Hughes* & Bruno Koehn Jason Kasper* Mr. & Mrs. Fred Kisil Barbara Latocki Estelle Meyers Marlene Milne Rena & Reno Molinari Marcel & Louise Mollot Cam Mackie & Doris Mae Oulton Edna Poulter Ivor & Lorna Schledewitz Jim & Susan Shaw David P. Silcox & Linda Intaschi Howie & Sue Simpson Gabor Vamos & Brenda Silver Anonymous
UP TO $499 Helen M. Arkos Joan Blight Laura Butler Lawrence Cherniack Helene Dyck Brenda & Michael Evans Paulo Fernandes* John & Clara Fjeldsted Katherine Fox* Susan* & Ab Freig Sandy Gousseau*
Garth & Abigail Grieder John* & Nicola Guttormson Yude Henteleff Dr. & Mrs. James C. Jamieson Donna & Dave* Lalama Nancy Latocki F. Lemieux Anne & Keith Love Peggy Barker Sagan Morrow* Keith Powls Lawrence Prout* & Lisa Gardewine Edward Fisher & Lyse Rémillard Jack & Regina Schipper Katie Inverarity† – in memory of Melanie Sexton Bryce & Jenna Simes Kevin Hines & Shelly Smith-Hines Brian Stein – in memory of Judith Hendry Ross & Bette-Jayne Taylor Lesley Thomson Helga Van Iderstine* Mitch & Rosemary Vodrey Judy & Michael Wakefield Elaine Walker R. & A. Winstone Debbie & Sheldon Wiseman Graham & Vicki Young 6 Anonymous
THANKS TO OUR VOLUNTEERS!
MAINSTAGE BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS We've been working to improve your experience at the theatre. Here’s the update: • New seat cushions (yes!): the first 10 rows were completed this summer and we'll continue until the whole auditorium is done. • The bathroom in the northwest corner of the building is now gender inclusive, which means all are welcome. It's also wheelchair-friendly. • We have new hearing-assistance devices. You can get a headset from one of our friendly volunteers as you enter the lobby from the Box Office. • Water! Well, this isn’t new but a reminder that we have a water fountain near the Rorie Street entrance and water jugs on every bar. You can also bring in your own water bottle as long as you promise not to squirt your fellow patrons!
SUPPORTING PARTNERS CORE FUNDERS
SEASON PARTNERS
TOM HENDRY WAREHOUSE SEASON SPONSOR
EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTION SUPPORTER
JOHN HIRSCH MAINSTAGE PRODUCTION SPONSOR
TOM HENDRY WAREHOUSE PRODUCTION SPONSOR
JOHN HIRSCH MAINSTAGE PERFORMANCE SPONSORS
YOUTH PROGRAMS
THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES
TD THEATRE UNDER 30
REGIONAL TOUR
50
Ovation
november/december 2019
SUPPORTING PARTNERS BLACK & WHITE BALL PREMIER SPONSOR
PLATINUM SPONSOR
SILENT AUCTION SPONSOR
COCTAIL RECEPTION SPONSOR
BRONZE SPONSOR
BIRCHWOOD LEXUS
LAWYERS PLAY
DESIGN SPONSOR
CAPITAL ASSISTANCE
SEASON MEDIA SPONSORS
SUPPORTING SPONSORS
WINNIPEG FRINGE THEATRE FESTIVAL
MASTER PLAYWRIGHT FESTIVAL
november/december 2019
Ovation
51
BEHIND THE SCENES Front of House
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Adrianne Breyfogle, Front of House Manager, John Hirsch Mainstage Kim Cossette, Front of House Manager, Tom Hendry Warehouse Front of House Staff: Rylen de Vries, Nick Fletcher, Elife Harvey, Marissa Kellet, Breanne Korban, Tia Levine, Kimmy Martin, Daniel MacPherson, Graeme Olson, Jennifer Schmidt, Hannah Schneider, Rita Vande Vyvere
Honorary Members
Her Honour, Lt. Governor Janice C. Filmon The Honourable Brian Pallister, Premier of Manitoba His Worship, Mayor Brian Bowman Executive Officers
David Christie, Chair John Guttormson, Chair-Elect Heather Clarke, Treasurer / Organizational Performance Chair Katherine Fox, Secretary Jason Kasper, Resource Development Chair Sandy Gousseau, Audience Development Chair Laurie A. Speers, Governance & Strategic Planning Chair Trustees
Jan Coates Paulo Fernandes Susan Freig Shawn Hughes David Kroft Advisory Council
Anthony C. Fletcher, Chair Gail Asper Doneta Brotchie, CM Angus Campbell Gerry Couture Kerry Dangerfield Hy Dashevsky Glen Dyrda, FCA John F. Fraser Jean Giguere
Maintenance
Andrew Drinnan, Building Superintendent Chris Fletcher, Assistant Building Superintendent Marketing & Communications
David Lalama Andrea Lochhead Linda Mcgarva-Cohen Sagan Morrow Derek Rolstone
Josh Thiem Jeremy Trickett Helga D. Van Iderstine Claire Workman Richard L. Yaffe
Charron Hamilton Gary Hannaford, FCA Yude Henteleff Ken Houssin Gordon Keatch Colin R. MacArthur, QC Patrick J. Matthews Jim McLandress 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
STAFF
Sue Caughlin, Marketing & Communications Manager Kathleen Cerrer, Publicist & Online Media Coordinator Katie Inverarity, Director of Marketing & Communications Desiree La Vallee, Ticketing Application Specialist Savannah Lillies, Publications Coordinator Thomas Urish, Sales Manager Paint
Susan Groff, Head Scenic Artist Carla Schroeder, Head Scenic Artist Melissa Smigelski, Scenic Artist Production
Claire Bourdin, Assistant Production Manager Christine Corthey, Production Associate Chris Coyne, Technical Director, John Hirsch Mainstage Ian Kirk, Assistant Technical Director Rick MacPherson, Technical Director, Tom Hendry Warehouse Russell Martin, Director of Production Properties
Kari Hagness, Head of Properties Jamie Plummer, Properties Builder Lawrence Van Went, Master Builder Stage Crew
Accounting/Finance
Joan Lees-Miller, Head of Wardrobe Gary Plouffe, House Stage Hand Claude Robert, Head Electrician Chris Thomson, Head Carpenter Michael Wright, Head of Sound
Sharon Burden, Payroll Administrator Yvonne O’Connor, Accounts Payable Administrator Shelley Stroski, Controller Administration
Brian Adolph, IT Manager Elena Anciro, Education & Community Engagement Manager Devan Graham, Director of Human Resources Camilla Holland, Executive Director Daphne MacMillan, Administrative Assistant Kathrin Moncaster, Senior Developer & Systems Administrator
Tom Hendry Warehouse
Artistic
Thora Lamont, Cutter Lorraine O’Leary, Head of Wardrobe / Cutter Jackie Van Winkle, Head Buyer & Accessories Coordinator
Chris Brett, Head of Sound Rick MacPherson, Technical Director Jacqueline Robertson, Acting Head Electrician Rudy Wall, Head Carpenter Wardrobe
Jenn Bahniuk, Artistic Coordinator Casey Challes, Assistant to the Producer Audrey Dwyer, Associate Artistic Director Jeff Kennedy, Literary Coordinator Laurie Lam, Producer Kelly Thornton, Artistic Director Box Office
Wigs
Beverly Covert, Wigs & Makeup Supervisor Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival & Master Playwright Festival
Sheena Baird, Director of Patron Services Olaoluwa Fayokun, Patron Services Coordinator Julie Gregorchuk, Box Office Manager Box Office Representatives: Rizaina Almario, Sharon Bunn, Anika Dowsett, Melissa Langdon, Robyn Pooley, Joshua Robertson, Katie Schmidt, Katie Spring, Lilian Talabis
Chuck McEwen, Executive Producer Tori Popp, Interim Festival Manager Honorary Staff
Zaz Bajon, General Manager Emeritus Steven Schipper, CM, OM, Artistic Director Emeritus
Carpentry (John Hirsch Mainstage)
Louis Gagné, Layout Carpenter Brent Letain, Master Carpenter Chris Seida, Acting Master Carpenter Development
Michael Joyal, Development Data Manager Melissa Novecosky, Associate Director of Development Chris Turyk, Development Manager
52
Ovation
november/december 2019
BEHIND THE SCENES ADDITIONAL PRODUCTION STAFF miss bennet: Christmas at Pemberley
Denis Duguay, Props Builder Jacko Garcia, Carpenter Penny Hanford, Seamstress Amanda Isaak, First Hand Zoë Leclerc-Kennedy, Casual Props Builder Karen Luchak, Cutter Barbara Mackenzie, Cutter Kayla McSwain, Dresser Farrah Okolita, Scenic Painter Amy Sanders, First Hand, Scenic Painter Robert Smith, Carpenter Evan Stillwater, Tailor Joy Willis, Seamstress Zane Kirk, Hairstylist c/o Urban Crush Salon
Fun Home
Thomas Bone, Carpenter* Tim Clark, Audio Crew Denis Duguay, Props Builder Penny Hanford, Seamstress Amanda Isaak, First Hand Zoë Leclerc-Kennedy, Casual Props Builder Karen Luchak, Cutter Barbara Mackenzie, Cutter Darah Miah, Set Design Assistant Tori Popp, Running Crew Cari Simpson, LX Crew Evan Stillwater, Tailor Rodney Suggashie, Carpenter* Tiffany Taylor, Assistant Carpenter Jacob Wall, Assistant Carpenter Joy Willis, Seamstress Zane Kirk, Hairstylist c/o Urban Crush Salon
The 2019/20 Royal MTC Board of Trustees. PHOTO BY DYLAN HEWLETT *Courtesy of BUILD Inc.
november/december 2019
Ovation
53
INDIVIDUAL GIVING The cast of Pride and Prejudice, 2008. ODYSSEY PHOTOGRAPHY
Elevate Your Gift “He can’t decide which would bring us more joy, so on Sunday he wishes for twins so he can be doubly happy.” – jane bingley Just like Mr. Bingley, you can be doubly happy this holiday season. By making a new donation or increasing your current gift to Royal MTC by December 31, your gift will be matched. Every dollar you donate makes a huge impact on what’s showcased on stage and, thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, your gift will make DOUBLE the impact! Your generosity brings us so much joy and supports the artistic growth of Royal MTC! Each season your gifts allow us to stage works like Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley. Productions like this holiday story require intricately designed and skillfully built sets and costumes inspired by the Regency period. The average cost of building each costume is $3,000. It's your donations at work that employ local artisans and craftspeople who bring stories to life on stage. Will you donate today and help us continue telling beautiful stories? For information about donating and donor benefits, please contact Chris Turyk, Development Manager, at 204 954 6412 or cturyk@royalmtc.ca.
54
Ovation
november/december 2019
The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre
winnipegfreepress.com/subscribe
ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE… LET’S TAKE CARE OF IT
GFL Environmental is proud to support the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and the Arts. Our diverse service offerings include solid waste management, recycling services, and hazardous waste collection. Green Today. Green For Life.
|
gflenv.com