Stuff from “Così” rehearsals – who are these people?

As of last night, we’re five rehearsals in – the show opens April 13.  Director Jane Carnwath is encouraging all the actors to “find their demons” – especially those of us playing the mental patients!  We need to figure out stuff like what was our family life like, how did we come to be committed to the mental asylum, what are we struggling with, etc.  She and assistant director Seema Lakhani visited CAMH (Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) last week, getting a tour of the facility formerly known as Queen Street Mental Hospital, and checking with staff that the characters in Louis Nowra’s play are realistic.  Among other things, they learned that these days, it’s more usual to be an outpatient; residential facilities are becoming rarer.  Così is set in 1971 when this was quite commonplace.

"Cosi" playwright Louis Nowra speaking at a Library conference in 2001. Photo: Jim Nomarhas

So who are these people?  Justin (Sean Speake) is the social worker who comes up with the idea to get the inmates involved with theatre to “bring them out of their shells”.  Henry (played by Christopher Kelk) is a former lawyer who fakes a paralyzed arm, and is mostly silent, stuttering when he attempts to speak.  Cherry (PJ Hammond) is a bossy sociopath constantly trying to feed up the “too skinny” neophyte director Lewis (Jamieson Child), who’s way out of his depth attempting  to keep order among the crazies.  Doug (Matt Brioux) is an unrepentant pyromaniac with an overbearing mother – the revenge he took on her, via her five cats, is a story that makes our animal-loving stage manager Margot Devlin cringe and plug her ears!  I play Ruth, an obsessive-compulsive with a determination to be perfect in everything.  Laura Vincent plays Julie, a heroin-addicted former hairdresser who spends a lot of time observing quietly, a bit separated from it all.   James Warner is drug-addled Zac, “the orchestra” for the opera that manic self-appointed leader Roy (Mike Vitorovich) is determined they will perform.   Nick (Ryan Kotack) and Lucy (Joanne Sarazen) are Lewis’ roommates: Lucy is his girlfriend and Nick is his best friend.  They’re both politically active – it’s 1971, so think Vietnam War protests – and can’t understand Lewis’ commitment to this frivolous project with “mad actors”.

Notice anything odd?  With the possible exceptions of Doug and Cherry, the diagnoses of the patients don’t seem to warrant institutionalization – certainly not by today’s standards.

Some stuff from last night’s rehearsal:

MIKE  to director JANE CARNWATH re: his opening moment:  Is my spotlight just in my head?

JANE:  No, it’s very real.

As Ruth auditioning for the opera, I sing a bit from The Troggs’ 1966 hit “Wild Thing”.  Did you know the song was written by actor Jon Voight’s brother?  That makes him Angelina Jolie’s uncle!  Yep, songwriter Chip Taylor’s real name is James Voight.

Lewis (JAMIESON CHILD) has a line “I don’t think this is going to work, Roy.”

JANE directed him to play it with the intention of:  I have to put a stop to this situation [Roy insisting that the patients will perform Mozart’s comic opera Così Fan Tutte] with as little blood on the floor as possible!

MIKE (as Roy, in an unscripted aside to the other patients):  My name comes from “king”, y’know.  Just sayin’.

At the end of rehearsal, Jane suggested that we patients try a little exercise next time:  be 8 years old.  Ah, that sense of entitlement, and the world revolving around you…

Brutal hilarity in The Lonesome West

Reblogged from life with more cowbell:

You always hurt the one you love. Martin McDonagh’s play The Lonesome West is a dark comedy about the battling Connor brothers, Valene and Coleman, whose constant petty fighting comes to a head with the death of their father. Playing referee, and trying to shepherd the brothers to some kind of reconciliation and redemption, is young Father Welsh – all witnessed by local school girl Girleen, who works delivering poteen (potent Irish moonshine) around the village. Directed for the Toronto Irish Players (TIP) …

Review of Toronto Irish Players’ production of “The Lonesome West”, running on Alumnae Theatre’s stage until March 10.

Accordion needed for “Cosi”!

One of the props needed for this wacky show is described in Australian-speak as a “piano-accordion”.  That’s just an accordion, to you and me.  Like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

We are a poor theatre company, and those things are expensive to rent.  If anyone has an accordion they’re willing to lend from now until April 29, that would be amazing.

What’s in it for you?  A bunch of free tickets to the show, mention in the program, and our deep gratitude.   Please contact marketing@alumnaetheatre.com for more info.

 

 

“Cosi”: the first read-through

Alumnae’s former bloggergal (roped into this production as a set painter) attended the first read-through last night.  Here’s her report.

http://lifewithmorecowbell.wordpress.com/2012/02/22/big-crazy-fun-cosi-read-through/

 

More to come…

Toronto Irish Players mounting The Lonesome West

Reblogged from life with more cowbell:

Theatre adventures continue – this time, it’s the Toronto Irish Players’ (TIP) spring production, Martin McDonagh’s play The Lonesome West (McDonagh is famous for writing the film In Bruges). The Lonesome West is directed for TIP by Jim Ivers and produced by Geraldine Browne, and runs February 23 – March 10 on the Alumnae Theatre main stage (70 Berkeley Street, at Berkeley and Adelaide St. East, Toronto). For details and reservations – and a hilarious video clip from the play – please visit the TIP website: http://torontoirishplayers.com/

The next production on Alumnae Theatre’s main stage will be the Toronto Irish Players, opening Feb 23 with “The Lonesome West”. It’s part 3 of Martin McDonagh’s trilogy (about the murder-prone inhabitants of an Irish town called Leenane), following “The Beauty Queen of Leenane” and the rarely-performed “A Skull in Connemara”. Here’s a drinking game for “The Lonesome West”: take a swig every time the actors mention poteen!

Last 2 chances to catch “The Trojan Women”! (and a review)

There are only two more performances of The Trojan Women at Alumnae Theatre – tonight (Friday Feb 3) and tomorrow (Saturday Feb 4) at 8pm.

Still on the fence?  Check out this report from new online quarterly The Toronto Review Of Books:  http://www.torontoreviewofbooks.com/2012/01/its-a-mans-world-alumnae-theatre-company-presents-macewans-masterful-adaptation-of-the-trojan-women/

Why is a site about books reviewing a stage production, you may wonder.  Well, according to their website, “Books are our inspiration, not our limit” – TRB reviews not only the written word, but art, policy, websites and culture of all kinds.  Check out their blog, Chirograph at http://www.torontoreviewofbooks.com/chirograph/

One quote from the review jumped out at me:

“…it is Molly Thom’s performance of Hecuba, the ravaged dethroned queen of Troy, which is certainly the play’s crowning achievement. Thom expertly illustrates the despair, enduring wisdom and wry humour that characterize the once-great queen. Despite the play’s somberness and fatalism, Thom’s Hecuba offers comic relief in a perfectly droll tone, bringing out the tragicomic element of MacEwan’s adaption.”

Molly Thom as Hecuba, former Queen of Troy. Photo: Dahlia Katz

Convinced now?  Book a ticket at reservations@alumnaetheatre.com or call 416-364-4170 box 1.

 

In search of a stage dog – Frances & Marybeth (March 5-18, Factory Studio Theatre)

Are you a doting Toronto-based stage parent to a small dog?  Well, here’s your chance to get that puppy on stage! 

This casting call comes via Carolyn Hall, who played the beautiful but scheming Miss Bingley in Alumnae Theatre’s hugely successful production of Pride & Prejudice in January 2009.  She also appeared in the world premiere of a charming comedy called Frances & Marybeth, written by Neale Kimmel, at New Ideas Festival 2011.  That short piece has been expanded into a full-length play and will be mounted at the Factory Studio Theatre (directed by Heather Keith) for a two-week run in March 2012.   Congratulations, ladies!  And now the doggie casting call:

CANINE CAMEO
The producers of Frances & Marybeth, a comedy first staged at Alumnae Theatre’s New Ideas Festival in 2011 and soon to be mounted at the Factory Studio Theatre, are hoping to make contact with an enthusiastic member of the theatre community who is the owner of a small, well-trained, affable pup.

It can be anywhere in size from a chihuahua to a cocker
spaniel — small enough for an actress to comfortably hold in her arms, with no danger of it struggling out of her loving grasp.

The rôle is a brief cameo of about minute in length.  The dog would be held in the arms of one actress the entire time, who would make a simple cross of the stage during some dialogue.

This would require a two-week commitment on the part of the dog-owner, who would be needed at the theatre at various times nearly every day between March 5-18.  The dog does not appear until the second act, so once we establish the timing of the show, we would need for the owner to arrive at a specific time during each performance and stay backstage for about half an hour.

We realize this is a huge commitment for a volunteer (the whole
production is an unpaid enterprise), so if you and your pet fit the bill but can commit to only half the run, we are happy to consider a “double-casting” of the canine rôle.

Our ideal human candidate would be someone with the kind of time to comfortably devote to this, who is familiar with the backstage world of the theatre and keen to help out young artists.  Our ideal canine candidate would be, as stated above, small, well-trained and easy-going.  If the dog is male, so much the better!  It’s perfectly alright if the dog barks onstage, but we would of course have to ensure that it doesn’t bark backstage.

The existence of the dog is a surprise to the audience, and one of the key jokes in our play.  We would be eternally grateful to anyone who could help us out!

If you or someone you know is interested, please send a message to francesandmarybeth@gmail.com.

“The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife” opens Feb 2 at Fairview Library Theatre

This is friends-of-Alumnae news!  Victoria Shepherd, who has directed Summer and Smoke at Alumnae, helms the latest from Amicus Productions, opening tomorrow (Feb 2) at Fairview Library Theatre.  Real easy to get to:  it’s at Don Mills & Sheppard, beside the Fairview Mall, in north Toronto!  Allergists Wife postcard

Included in the cast are Maureen Lukie (Daughter of the House, Pride & Prejudice) in the title role,  Carol McLennan (A Delicate Balance)  as the visiting friend, and  Lionel Boodlal (who appeared last season at Alumnae in the world premiere of GuineaPigging) as the Taubs’ doorman.

Tickets are $20 regular, $18 for students & seniors.  For tickets or information, call 416-860-6176.

http://www.amicusproductions.ca/current_season.php

The play is a sophisticated comedy by New York-based Charles Busch, author of The Lady in Question, Red Scare on Sunset and Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, which ran for five years and is among the longest-running plays in Off-Broadway history. The Tale of the Allergist’s Wife (described in Amicus’ press release as a “savvy and hilarious script about a woman struggling to find her present self, which she can only do by meeting her past”)  ran for 777 performances on Broadway, winning the Outer Circle Critics John Gassner Award and earning a Tony nomination for Best Play.

Marjorie , the wife of philanthropic allergist, Dr. V. Ira Taub (Clive Lacey), is engulfed in a life crisis of Medea-like proportions: her children are grown, her beloved therapist died recently and her mother (Paulette St-Amour), obsessed with bowel movements, grates on her nerves. Her spirits suddenly soar when a fascinating and worldly friend from her childhood appears on her doorstep. Unfortunately the friend becomes an unwelcome and sinister guest in short order. 

http://lifewithmorecowbell.wordpress.com/2012/01/31/the-tale-of-the-allergists-wife-opening-amicus/#wpl-likebox

MooneyOnTheatre review of “The Trojan Women”

Favourable comparison to Nightwood’s  just-closed The Penelopiad :

“They are both tales from the canon of the ancient Greeks and have been written for the modern day by fantastic female Canadian writers – The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood and The Trojan Women by Gwendolyn MacEwen.”

“Further similarities include an excellent use of fabric in costumes/props/set dressings to convey a myriad of things, and the inclusion of some humour into the tragic tales.”

Several of the actors are praised, including:

“Molly Thom as Hecuba was every inch a bitter, ruined queen…”

“ Nicole St. Martin is heart-wrenching as Andromache… “

“Menelaus, played by Scott Moore, is very amusing …”

Read the full review at http://www.mooneyontheatre.com/2012/01/28/review-the-trojan-women-alumnae-theatre/#more-9390

The Trojan Women Talkback, new Cassandra, etc.

Yesterday (Sunday Jan 29) I attended the matinee performance of The Trojan Women, which was followed by a Talkback.  I saw the show on opening night with Sochi Fried playing Cassandra; she had to leave for another gig, so the role was taken over by Suzette McCanny, whose first performance was January 28!  Suzette’s spot in the Chorus is now filled by Carys Lewis.  I love to see a show more than once during the run, as it grows and changes.  Plus, you get to notice new stuff that you didn’t catch the first time, and re-live favourite moments.   Nicole St.  Martin as Andromache – still absolutely heartbreaking.   Scott Moore as Menelaus seemed to exhibit more humanity under the bluster.  Andrew P. MacMaster as Talthybius showed even more clearly his reluctance to deliver  the Greeks’ unpopular messages .  Molly Thom was glorious as Hecuba – her anguished yet furious delivery of the line “…the glorious Greeks were afraid of a child!” was chilling.  And I can’t stop humming a bit of the song that’s repeated several times throughout the show:  “Sing for the great city, that falls like a shadow on the threshold of Nowhere”.

Yesterday’s Talkback was hosted by co-producer Tabitha Keast, and audience questions were answered by the cast and director Alexandra Seay.  Here’s a sampling.

 

Q:           How do you play the tricky blend of Greek poetry and modern camp in Gwendolyn MacEwen’s adaptation?

A (actor Molly Thom – Hecuba):  I play it like it’s today.  I go into the poetry, but phrases like “Go to hell, Talthybius” grounds it in reality.  The same war goes on – the issues are alive today.

A (director Alexandra Seay):  The text was challenging – we had to make sure it would “read” to a contemporary audience.

Q:           I loved the Chorus work, yet they’re all individuals.  Visually and audibly a feast!

A (actor Anne Shepherd – Chorus):  It was a very interesting experience.  I’m a psychiatrist in real life, and saw this play as a true depiction of how people deal with grief and mourning.  It’s not a one-time experience; stress comes in bursts and flashes when you least expect it.

Q:           The Chorus seemed to come in under Molly [Hecuba], sometimes echoing, sometimes underscoring  - the rhythm was lovely.

A (Alexandra Seay):  Music director Lily Ling worked with the Chorus in rehearsal to ensure that there was individuality, and they didn’t all speak with one voice.

Q:           The costuming was marvelous, particularly the Chorus.  What was the symbolism behind them removing their head coverings when they were ready to go with the Greeks?

The Chorus mourn Andromache's baby. Photo: Dahlia Katz

A (Alexandra Seay):   It was important for the women of the Chorus to appear alike until they moment when they choose to leave under their own steam.  Then they let go of their comfort – the concealing robes.  Worked with costume designer Peter DeFreitas to solidify these details.

 

Q:           How and why the double-casting of Cassandra?

A (co-producer Tabitha Keast):   The why is that Sochi Fried had another gig (which Alexandra knew about from the outset).

Molly Thom as Hecuba, Suzette McCanny (in white) as Cassandra. Photo: Dahlia Katz

A (actor Suzette McCanny – Chorus/second Cassandra):  You know, it was harder to rehearse the Chorus!  Carys Lewis took over my spot.  For Cassandra, Sochi and I would alternate the role in rehearsals.  Yesterday was my first show as Cassandra, and it felt a bit like wearing someone else’s boot, but now it’s fine!

Q:           Was there lots of improvisation in rehearsals, or did you go in knowing how it would look?

A (Alexandra Seay):        I knew it had to start with the Chorus as rocks [Bloggergal’s note:  the moment when they start humming and come to life raised goosebumps!] and had to end with a line [the Chorus and Hecuba form a line on the sand dune and file off].  Everything else was worked out in rehearsal.

 

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If you haven’t yet seen this fabulous show, this is the final week – it closes February 4!  Performances at 8pm Wed – Sat.  Tickets are 2-for-1 on Wednesday; $20 for the other days.  Day-of show discounts available for the regular-price nights at the T.O. Tix booth in Yonge-Dundas Square or online at http://www.ticketweb.ca/snl/Search.action?query=Alumnae+Trojan.   Book now!  reservations@alumnaetheatre.com or 416-364-4170 box 1.