2015 IN REVIEW
January – February
Directing:
THE LIST
Written by Jennifer Tremblay
Translated by Shelley Tepperman
Ruby Slippers Theatre in Association with BoucheWHACKED!
Studio 16 (Vancouver)
Featuring France Perras | Set and Lights by John Webber | Costumes by Drew Facey | Sound by Mishelle Cuttler | Directed by Jack Paterson
Inspired by our 2012 installation, Ruby Slippers Theatre generously invited France Perras and me to return to the Governor General wining play with a whole new production and design team for the mainstage at Studio 16. The List ran along side the terrific production of Apres Moi in an evening of francophone works in translation. Big thank you to Artistic Director Diane Brown and the great teams from both shows.
“…ambitious and beautifully realized…heartbreaking.” – The Georgia Straight
“..brilliant truthful acting, profound emotion and intricately detailed storytelling…” – OutTV
The List will be remounted with The Gateway Theatre in March 2016. For more info click here.
February – March
Production:
ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Theatre North West (Prince George, Canada)
This was a five week residency as a member of senior management working with the Artistic Director providing support in grant writing, contracting, season planning and budgeting. Activities included ticket pricing, Box Office Manager System integration and grant and foundation writing such as BC Gaming and Koerner Foundation. Along with gaining new insight into Canadian regional theatre and the communities it serves, this was an opportunity to support a company and team I believe in.
A tremendous thank you to Jack Grinhaus and the amazing TNW team. I am delighted to continue representing TNW as an associate.
April – May
Producing and Translation:
BoucheWHACKED! Theatre Collective &
Ruby Slippers Theatre in association with PTC
Ta Gueule Translation Workshop & Reading Series
Bold new Francophone works in translation
The Cultch (Vancouver)
Of particular excitement for me in our fourth series was my own translation of award winning novelist and playwright Guillaume Corbeil’s fantastic in-your-face Nous Voir Nous set entirely in the realm of social media. Guillaume joined us from Montreal for the reading at The Cultch. Special thanks as always to Ashby House B&B and the rEvolver Festival.
West Coast Premiere
NOUS VOIR NOUS
By Guillaume Corbeil | Translated by Jack Paterson | Dramaturged & Directed by Heidi Taylor | Featuring Trisha Li, Sarah Roa, Kacey Rohl, Sean Patrick Sonier & Deneh Thompson
Five young people shape and reshape their identities, seeking to prove their own uniqueness through social networking.
English Language Premiere
THE CROW
By Lise Vaillancourt | Translated by Maureen Labonte | Directed by Diane Brown | Featuring Sarah Roa, Anna Hagan & France Perras
Ruby Slippers Theatre
A comedy with great heart about mothers and daughters, about dependence and independence, and reflects on our changing roles as we age, the elasticity of love, and the temporal, circuitous journey of life.
“… j’ai pu rencontrer des artistes que je ne connais malheureusement pas assez: des gens dont, malgré qu’ils fassent le même métier que moi, et dans le même pays…Ç’a donc été l’occasion d’une sorte d’échange d’un bord et l’autre des Rocheuses et d’une langue à l’autre du Canada: de faire entendre ma pièce et de voir le spectacle des autres.” – Guillaume Corbeil, Playwright
June
Producing & Directing:
THE GOVERNOR GENERAL AWARD PLAY PROJECT
AGE OF MINORITY: THREE SOLO PLAYS BY JORDAN TANNAHILL
GGAPP and Canada’s Magnetic North Festival
in association with The National Arts Centre
NAC 4th Stage (Ottawa)
“…an important vehicle for presenting Canada’s leading theatre creators…” – Lawrence Aronovitch, Playwright
Jordan Tannahill’s 2014 Governor General Award winning anthology of Get Yourself Home Skyler James,rihannaboi95 and Peter Fechter: 59 Minutes featured artists from three cities Julian Legere, Pippa Johnstone (Vancouver), Adam Pierre (Ottawa) and Brian Postalian (Toronto).
A tremendous thank you to Brenda Leadlay and The Magnetic North Festival and Jillian Keiley and the National Arts Centre.
July – September
New Works Directing:
再见 GOODBYE: A Cross Cultural Musical
The Tristan Bates Theatre (London, UK)
Book and Lyrics by T. Michael Vest | Music by Jordan Clarke
Featuring Natalie Yeap, Samuel Haughton and Jiajing Zhang | Choreography by Roman Berry | Set, Costume & Media Design by Sachiko Yabe | Lighting Design by Hooman Shabahang | Co-Directed by Alanna Stone | Directed by Jack Paterson
Mandarin Text Translation by Quinn Lawrence, Audrey Guo, Chun-ju Lin and Jiajing Zhang
As a couple, she from China and he from England, say goodbye at the airport, they relive their relationship, their joys, their mistakes, their challenges and their love. Told through song, dance and in two languages – English with Mandarin.
“I had the privilege of watching 再见 Goodbye － stunning. I hope it does get revived at some point and if it does, I implore everyone to see it.”– Thom Sellwood
“The simple, elegant staging maximized the use of space and allowed the ensemble’s individual talents shine….some beautifully specific lighting, choreography, music direction and digital projection…Goodbye was a charming surprise.” – Dean Paul Gibson (Bard on the Beach)
October – November
New Works Directing:
SERVANTS
By Christopher O’Shaughnessy
Studio 3, Goldsmiths University of London
Featuring Stephanie Briggs as Virginia and Katie Turner as Millie | Costume & Set Design by Marcio Andrey Santarosa | Composition by Maria Vatenina | Sound Design by Ellie Isherwood | Lighting Design by Ziggy Szafranski | Stage Managed by Mara Mirabella
A new play in one act by Christopher O’Shaughnessy, a practice-as-research doctoral candidate in Theatre and Performance at Goldsmiths. Virginia Woolf and her servant Millie. Who depends upon whom? If Millie does not cook, will Virginia starve? What is Millie’s secret? And dare she tell Virginia?
Some kind quotes from audience feedback via questionnaire:
‘Servants should be performed to a wider audience e.g the Almeida or the Donmar Warehouse’.
‘…the whole production: lighting, sound, projections were wonderful’.
November – December
Resident Assistant Producer:
Theatre503
Theatre503 is the home of ground-breaking plays and is dedicated to developing new writers and writing. 503 launched the premiere of a number of plays by now seminal playwrights, including Dennis Kelly, Phil Porter, Duncan Macmillan and Rachael Wagstaff. Theatre503 has received the Peter Brooks Empty Space Award and is the smallest venue to receive an Olivier Award for Katori Hall’s The Mountaintop.