April 16 - May 1, 2010
Winner of the 1993 Chalmers Award for Outstanding Canadian Play. Inspired by Shakespeare's Richard III. As King Edward lies on his deathbed, his younger brother Richard plots to take the throne. The 'queens' - six women of rival royal families - use lies, innuendo and rumour as they battle to ally themselves to the new monarch.
Read a review: www.mytheatreblog.ca
Read the Press Release: 0910press-queens.pdf
Check Alumnae's blog: alumnaetheatre.wordpress.com
Performance Dates
Friday April 16 - Saturday May 1, 2010
Performance Times
Wednesday to Saturday: 8:00 pm
Sunday Matinée: 2:00 pm
Box Office opens one hour before performance time
Admission Prices
Wednesday: 2-for-1
Thursday, Friday & Saturday: $20
Sunday Matinée: PWYC
CASH ONLY! Box Office does not accept credit or debit cards
Reservations
Email: reservations@alumnaetheatre.com
Phone: 416-364-4170 (Box 1)
DANIELLE CAPRETTI,
Chorus
Danielle has performed in 10 countries. She recently dusted off her long-disused singing chops as Olga, secret K.G.B. agent in The Flying Avro Arrow for the New Ideas Festival. Previous roles include: Raymonde in Flea in Her Ear (Amicus, ACT-CO nomination), Sibyl in Private Lives (Oakville Players, ACT-CO-nomination), Eve in The Wisdom of Eve (Scarborough Theatre Guild), Einstein (Arsenic and Old Lace, UK), Lady Macbeth (Macbeth, US) and Mrs. Tilehouse (The Sea, Finland). Croatian television's A Little Bit of Culture featured her one-woman show, Domestic Manners of the Americans. She also teaches Disco Fever! at Dance District.
NORMAND CHAURETTE,
Playwright
Born in Montreal in 1954, Normand Chaurette is a translator and novelist as well as a playwright - he has translated Shakespeare, Ibsen and Schiller into French.
His own plays include Fragments d'une lettre d'adieu lus par des geologies (winner of the Prix de l'Association québecoise des critiques de theater for the best play produced in 1988) and Le passage de l'Indiana (1996), winner of a Governor General's Award.
Les Reines premiered in French in 1990 at the Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui in Montreal. The English version The Queens premiered at Canadian Stage in Toronto in 1992. Both versions were award winners; the CanStage production earned both a Chalmers Award and a Dora Award. The play has also been translated into Italian, Spanish, Catalan and Dutch.
MITZ DELISLE,
Set Designer
Mitz Delisle has a Master in Architecture from Dalhousie University and has designed sets for The Patravadi Theatre, Bangkok and Witness Relocation Theatre Company, New York (Crocodile King, 2005) and Alumnae Theatre (Talking Heads, 2008). Mitz assisted the Creative Director for the Sydney Mardi Gras in 2006 and designed and built floats for the Halifax Parade of Lights in 2004.
STEPHANIE DOTTO,
Assistant Stage Manager
Stephanie studied theatre at Mount Allison University in Sackville, NB, where her stage management credits included Into the Woods, Twelfth Night, and Billy Bishop Goes to War. Directing credits include The Fantasticks, Oklahoma!, and the new Canadian work Salad and Cake. Most recently Stephanie assistant stage-managed A Singularity of Being at the Toronto Fringe. She is co-artistic director of De-Railed, a company that uses theatre to engage young people in Canadian history.
CATHERINE DRISCOLL,
Producer / Assistant Director
This is Catherine's second outing as producer for the Alumnae - she co-produced Talking Heads last season. In another life, she is a member of the Toronto Irish Players where she has directed several plays, some of which won ACT-Co awards, including best director. She is a graduate of Trinity College London (England) - drama teaching. She would like to thank Mat Howard for his fantastic job of unravelling the complex lives of Normand Chaurette's The Queens. A special thank you too to all members of the production and acting teams for the invaluable gift of their talent and time.
LINDA GABORIAU,
Translator
Boston-born, but a Montreal resident since 1963, Linda Gaboriau's critically acclaimed translations of more than 80 plays include the works of some of Quebecs most prominent writers, such as Michel Tremblay, Michel Marc Bouchard, and Jean Marc Dalp. As a literary manager and dramaturge, Gaboriau has held numerous translation residencies and directed many international exchange projects; she currently serves as the director of the Banff International Literary Translation Centre. Her awards for stage translations include two Chalmers Awards (Orphan Muses by Michel Marc Bouchard - 1999; The Queens by Normand Chaurette 1993) and the Governor General's Translation Award for Stone and Ashes by Daniel Danis (1996). Trivia: She is the mother of former Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur.
NONNIE GRIFFIN,
Queen Margaret
In a lifetime on the stage, Ms. Griffin has done comedy, drama, modern works, Chekhov and Shakespeare, in both Canada and England and hasn't yet come across anything like The Queens. Is the king dead - or isn't he? Queen Margaret goes to Russia and comes back in an hour or two? Suspension of disbelief is required from the audience for this fanciful work by Normand Chaurette - and to bring a history book? These queens, though actual, are imaginative creations and bring a dimension probably no one has ever thought of. It is a challenging work and nothing could be better for this veteran of the theatre, whose love of good words keeps her career alive and current. In October she can be seen in her one-woman play Sister Annunciata's Secret in Alumnae's Studio.
REBEKKA HAMMER,
Props
Rebekka's background is in architecture, and - having relocated from Victoria last year she is relatively new to Toronto. She thanks Mat for the opportunity to be involved in such a fascinating play, with such a talented group of people.
PATRICIA HAMMOND,
Anne Dexter
Patricia is thrilled to be acting in her second play with the Alumnae this season. You may have seen her as Julia in A Delicate Balance earlier this year, but before that, you weren't likely to have seen her onstage anywhere since 1995. It was more likely youd see her at the box office or the bar, fulfilling some of the many duties involved with being a member of the club. In fact, returning to acting has also brought back her passion for the backstage business of theatre, and she will continue to be seen in a variety of capacities in the upcoming season. Special thanks to Naomi Hunter for curtsy-without-falling tutelage. Thanks to Catherine, Mat and Lynda for dealing with all kinds of petulance.
MAT HOWARD,
Director
Mat Howard has directed plays in Canada, Australia, the USA, UK and Thailand, including Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, Hamlet, Pericles, Medea, Angels in America, Lady in Waiting and Talking Heads for the Alumnae Theatre in 2008. Mat studied at the Globe Theatre, London; RSC, Stratford-upon-Avon; and the University of Sydney. He is the General Manager of Shakespeare in Action. Mat has loved working with this phenomenal team of actors and artists to bring this challenging and rewarding play to life for Alumnae members and owes each a debt of sincerest gratitude.
RICK JONES,
Sound Designer
Rick is becoming a regular contributor to sound design at the Alumnae, having designed for Pride and Prejudice, Lady Windermere's Fan, and Daughter of the House, as well as composing music for his own NIF show The Meeting. He appeared on the Alumnae stage in Wit and Pride and Prejudice last season, and has participated in many NIF productions. His musicals include Millennium Madness Sale, Wild Moose Chase, and Everlasting Summer (currently in search of a producer). He would like to thank Mat for embracing his concept of original music performed by live chorus for The Queens, and to the ladies of the chorus, thank you for your patience and perseverance.
JOSHUA KOFFMAN,
Lighting Designer
Joshua is a Toronto-based lighting designer, technical director and theatre consultant. After helping to create a new production for Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas, he spent last year on the road as the lighting director of the Blue Man Group's How to be a Megastar world tour. As a principal in Design Partners of
Canada, Josh has consulted on numerous live productions around Toronto and across the world. In addition, he has designed many custom products for the entertainment industry.
KAT LAI,
Chorus
Kat is excited to join the lovely cast of The Queens, and be a part of history (as it were) in her debut with Alumnae Theatre. Recent acting credits include Linda Washbrook in Chorus of Disapproval, Suzette in Don't Dress for Dinner and Jane Worthington in Out of Order (all with Amicus Productions). Much love and thanks to Gareth and all the ladies in Sirens for their patience and support!
KAT LETWIN,
Chorus
Kat is a Toronto-based performer and writer who is really just tickled pink over The Queens, which marks her debut for Alumnae Theatre. Past credits of note include Squeaky Fromme in Assassins (Hart House/UC Follies, 2010), Janie Davies in Guantanamo Hotels & Resorts (Pandemic Theatre, 2009), Acaste in The Misanthrope (Mirvish/the red light district, 2009), Checkers in Ivona, Princess of Burgundia (the red light district, 2008) and Stevie in The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? (TCDS, 2007). Special thanks to Lynda Yearwood for making this opportunity possible. Kat can otherwise be found performing at Kensington's The Supermarket and Bad Dog Theatre with Vanguard Comedy's sketch team “The Rulers Of The Universe”.
CHRISTINE LEUNG,
Assistant Producer
Christine graduated from Shanghai Theatre Academy playwriting program. Her writing credits includes film, TV, animation and theatre. She also raised funding for and directed an independent production of Rough for Theatre 2 by Samuel Beckett. She moved to Toronto one year ago and is thrilled by local theatre. Now she is working with Shakespeare In Action and continuing to expand her knowledge about all aspects of theatre.
ELAINE LINDO,
Queen Elizabeth
It was 1999 when Elaine first appeared at the Alumnae Theatre in Dangerous Liaisons. She later returned for Tennessee William's Orpheus Descending (2002) and Summer and Smoke (2003). In 2004 Elaine played Catherine Parr Traill in Robertson Davies' At My Hearts Core, directed by none other than Catherine Driscoll, producer of The Queens. So this project is a happy reunion in many ways! Recently Elaine enjoyed two extended runs at Studio BLR as Lady Capulet in Romeo & Juliet, and Gertrude in Hamlet. She has performed at the Village Playhouse and other local theatres. Elaine has also written, produced and directed a short documentary film.
MEGHAN McNICOL,
Anne Warwick
Meghan is thrilled to be a part of this beautiful play. Previous credits include: The Three Birds (Ryerson Theatre), Mother Courage (Ryerson Theatre) Maggie Among Misery (New Voices Festival), Love's Sacrifice (Ryerson Theatre), The House That Jack Built (Nuit Blanche), Marcel Pursued by the Hounds (Manitoba Theatre Centre Tremblayfest), Anesthesia: The Loss of Sensibility (Winnipeg Fringe Festival), The Garden or Still Alive with Insects (Winnipeg Fringe Festival), Saint Frances of Hollywood (Black Hole Theatre) and The Big Kaboom! (Sheppard Productions). Meghan is a 2009 graduate of Ryerson Theatre School.
JESSICA MOSS,
Isabel Warwick
Previously: Jenny in dust (SummerWorks and Centaur Theatre - NOW Magazine Best Production, Best Performances for SummerWorks); Constance in She Stoops to Conquer, and Sweet Pea in between the tree and the sweetest pea (both Alumnae Theatre); Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream (In the Moment Productions); Sister Mary Ignatius in Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All to You (King's Theatrical Society); Chorus Leader in The Bacchae (Toronto Fringe); Bianca in Othello (DoubleSee Productions), and various roles, including Polly Peachum in The Ark: The Theatre of Bertolt Brecht (National Arts Centre). Upcoming: The Taming of the Shrew with Humber River Shakespeare.
JEN ROVINELLI,
Makeup, Hair & Millinery Design
A graduate of Complections International Make-up Academy and The Ohio State University, Jen is a professional make-up artist, aspiring milliner and former interior designer. Since moving to Toronto from San Francisco in 2008 she has worked on a number of projects in fashion and film. Making her theatrical debut at Alumnae Theatre, Jen would like to thank her husband, Casey, for his everlasting support as she follows her dreams.
HEATHER SCHIBLI,
Costume Designer
Since graduating with a bachelor of fine art from the Ontario College of Art and Design, Heather has found herself immersed in textiles. From launching her own women's fashion line, Passenger Pigeon, to designing costumes for Dora Award winning Bluemouth Inc, she has never grown tired of fabric's versatility and numerous applications. After a decade of working as designer, seamstress and artist, Heather is now relocating to Guelph, Ontario where she plans to design printed textiles and continue her work as a design consultant.
JANICE TATE,
Cecily, Duchess of York
Originally from the UK, Janice moved to Canada in the early 70's, where she qualified as an Accountant and pursued a business career. Her life-long love of theatre led her to join a community theatre group in the 90's. This subsequently led her to the University of Guelph, and in 2000 she graduated with an honours degree in Dramatic Arts. More recently she has qualified to teach High School Drama and English. Janice has received awards for both acting and academic achievements. This is her first performance with Alumnae Theatre and she is very excited about her role in The Queens.
LYNDA YEARWOOD,
Stage Manager
Lynda is delighted to be a part of this fantastic production. Although normally a stickler for the accuracy of history, she is finding herself strangely drawn to and fascinated by this story and its wonderful cast of characters (no doubt due to the phenomenal talents of the directors and cast). Now on her second Alumnae production this season (she was ASM for A Delicate Balance), a theme is clearly emerging: plays that are challenging not only to the cast but to the audience as well. This fits beautifully with her background as an educator and she hopes to continue the trend. In the meantime Lynda wishes to thank all involved for the wonderfully creative experience - it was elevating!
The Queens set rises!
View the time lapse video of the set build here. Video courtesy of Joel Charlebois.
ALUMNAE THEATRE COMPANY
70 Berkeley Street
Toronto, Ontario • M5A 2W6
Phone: 416-364-4170
Email: contactus@alumnaetheatre.com
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