It’s Curtains for the Lyric Theatre Singers, but in a very good way

Kristine Berey

May 2012

Kristine Berey

Those who have read The Senior Times since its inception in 1986 may remember Oliver, Fiddler on the Roof and other perennially popular musicals at Centaur, presented by Lyric Theatre.

That was the year the company, launched in 1965 as a community theatre, began doing full-length book shows at that venue.

Many of the roles in Lyric’s production of Curtains were filled with alumni who had appeared in previous book shows. Photo: Diane Dupuis Kallos

Four years later, a second division was formed, the Lyric Theatre Singers, under the direction of founder Bob Bachelor. It has blossomed into an award-winning vocal ensemble. Because of financial considerations, the book shows were “put to bed” and since 1998, the Singers have worked on their own.

The theatre is again economically stable and has come full circle with its coming production of Curtains, says Louise Dorais, chairperson of the board of directors and producer of the show.

“What we decided this year as we have become more confident was to pick a show that was perfect for the Singers.”

Curtains is well-suited to a 44-person choral ensemble, Dorais says, keeping all the performers busy.

Additional people were auditioned for some of the roles.

“Many of the roles were filled with ‘alumni’ who had sung with the Singers or in previous book shows,” Dorais says. “It really is a family thing.”

She describes the production as “a very funny show within a show, a comedy and murder mystery” from the creators of Cabaret and Chicago, with John Kander’s music performed by a 13-piece orchestra.

May 31, June 1-2, 8-9 at the D.B. Clarke Theatre, 1455 de Maisonneuve. 514-743-3382.

Tradition in fishnets

Lindsay Loytchenko

November 2011

There are several notable traditions for a Montreal Halloween: the ghost walk, the zombie pub crawl, La Grande Masquerade.

And then there’s Rocky.

Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show was created as a musical stage production in 1973, but it was the 1975 film adaptation, The Rocky Horror Picture Show, that gained international notoriety. Montreal offers both to Rocky fans every Halloween.

This year’s stage production, directed by Philippe Gobeille, took place at the Rialto Theatre and starred Tadzeo Homer-Chbib as Brad, Stacey Chamberlain as Janet and Barry O’Connell as the cross-dressing Dr. Frank-N-Furter. The production featured a live band.

Photo: Andrea Hausmann

The stage itself was bare, with little more than an archway with columns, which seemed odd considering the story takes place in several settings. But clever choreography had backup dancers transform themselves into what was needed to properly fill out a scene.

For Rocky fans, this stage show is a must next Halloween. If you’ve only seen the film, expect some changes, but the gist of it remains the same, there are some elements that are different. Dancers talked to the audience before and after the show and during the intermission.

The full house was encouraged to do the Time Warp, which kicked off a big costume party and contest. This year’s winner was a man dressed as the Marquis de Sade.

And through it all, Dr. Frank-N-Furter remained a trooper, as he did not shed heels or bustier for a single moment, even while hosting the contest.

Bedtime Stories director has never stopped believing

Hayley Juhl

April, 2011

Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing calls the actors to order.

Director Ricky Zurif has been doing her best to settle them down, but it’s barely a week till opening night, the community-theatre equivalent of Christmas Eve.

The Lakeshore Players’ production of Norm Foster’s Bedtime Stories begins with Journey’s song on the radio, and the players tune in and out throughout the show.

Don’t Stop Believing could be a community-theatre anthem, as Zurif well knows. She studied scriptwriting at Columbia University and has worked in the industry for decades, founding and running a South Shore company for some time. Her belief in and passion for entertainment is clear, and she’s excited about Bedtime Stories.

Nine years ago, as a member of the committee that chooses plays the company will put on, she searched online to see what other small troupes in the world were performing. This allowed her to get a sense of which plays allowed rights to amateur companies.

She found Bedtime Stories and the Lakeshore Players made their choice, only to be told that rights for that other group were given in error—Bedtime Stories was only to be performed by professionals. That year, another play was performed.

But Zurif wasn’t going to let The Man win. She called the firm that manages rights to the scripts and forced her case.

And here they are. Zurif’s proud grin is contagious.

Foster’s play tells six stories in six bedrooms, the occupants of which are subtly—and sometimes not so subtly—intertwined. An estranged wife. A shock rocker. An exotic dancer ...

Director Ricky Zurif (in black) is flanked by members of the cast of Norm Foster’s Bedtime Stories. The 15 parts in the comedy are played by nine actors. Photo: Hayley Juhl

“It’s an extremely moral play in the sense that it speaks for love,” she says. “It’s the kind of humour that appeals to any age. It’s not generation-specific. There’s not one thing in it that won’t appeal to someone.”

The 15 parts are played by nine actors, which means a few quick changes behind the scenes. But it’s not just the actors who must shift gears through production. The sound guy uses the stage manager’s laptop. The person in charge of publicity also does costuming.

Zurif waves her hand to indicate their rehearsal space. The set pieces aren’t here, in the small Dorval chalet where they rehearse, but chairs and tables mimic what will be seen on stage.

The talent wanders through the room, chatting with each other, pushing up the mercury on the excitement thermometer.

“The stripper’s not here yet,” someone says.

Soon Zurif will have to take her place, attempt to call them all to order, and start the music to cue their lines.

“Everything you hear, everything you see had to be thought out. Some things were more of a challenge than others.”

She’s still smiling; she seems to be smiling most of the time.

“I’m thrilled to direct this because it still makes me laugh.”

Bedtime Stories, directed by Ricky Zurif and produced by Luanna Venditti, runs April 7 to 16 at John Rennie High School, Louise Chalmers Theatre, $16-$24. 514-631-8718 lakeshoreplayersdorval.org

Theatre is returned to the people with dinner ... and cattle

Janie de Jeu

December, 2010

AnnaMarie Lea, founder of Cow Patti Theatre Company, had a successful career in the ’80s that dwindled somewhat when she started a family and moved to her in-laws’ farm in Alberta.

It was in heaving hay over a corral to feed some cows that she slipped — “pregnant out to here,” and fell face-first in a pile of cow dung.

“I just lay there,” Lea says. “And I thought: ‘What happened to my life? I used to be on the stages in Vancouver!’ Then I thought to myself: ‘As soon as this baby is born, I’m going to start producing again.’”

Fifteen years later, Lea is leaving Ontario and returning to where it all began. But she assures everyone that this is not a swan song for her dinner theatre company in eastern Canada but rather that the gears are in motion for their coming production My Darling Judith at the Ramada Hotel and Conference Centre in Cornwall.

The production, penned by Norm Foster, is a comedy that Lea is sure will leave audiences in stitches.

“Foster is the Neil Simon of Canada,” she says. “He creates such amazing characters — real people in real situations where the audience can find a common thread with. He plays with the farcical side of life — after all, isn’t that what life is? One great farce?

“The story is a typical one: A husband wants to leave his wife but he’s too chicken to do it,” she says. “Here’s where it differs a little: He brings in a geek from work in to seduce her and get the job done for him.”

Garfield Andrews takes the role of Carl Stattford opposite Lea, who will be playing Judith Strattford. “Ten years ago, I saw Andrews play Mr. Strattford at the Upper Canada Playhouse,” Lea says. “He walked on stage — a man of about five-foot-nothing — a hilarious ball of energy. I literally sat up in my seat. I had crossed paths with Andrews in the past but never had the opportunity to work with him closely until now.”

Lea’s attitude is to ditch the “artsy-fartsy.” She is trying to create an environment for Canadian artists and people to gather. “Theatre has come back to the people — the common folk,” she says. “When I look out into the audience I see a local guy who just lost his job at a hardware store sitting next to a member of Parliament. I don’t call myself ‘artistic director’ — I’m Head Cow!”

The Annual Reality Stage Kiss Competition on Valentine’s weekend is sure to bring colour to your cheeks.

“We draw numbers and invite couples on stage. If you didn’t come with a partner, you can pick an actor. Nine out of 10 times an older couple wins. Last year, we had a couple who were in their 80s take the stage. It was hilarious. The man took off his glasses and the woman removed her shawl for dramatic effect. They won a bottle of Dom Pérignon and a trip to Esthetics by Linda — in a limo.”

“It’s more of a challenge to bring comedy to the stage,” she says. “There’s so much tragedy in the world that I feel it’s my responsibility as a producer to enlighten and uplift the audience. They walk away from the show like the characters do, better.” Cow Patti not only entertains, it gives back to the community: more than $97,000 has been donated; all organizations have to do is ask.

“We’ll do it for anyone,” Lea says. “As long as they are a non-profit organization.” Portions of proceeds from My Darling Judith will be donated to such organizations as the CIBC Run for a Cure, Water for Life, and the Senior Olympics.

Contact Cow Patti at 877-552-9166.

Miller play cradled in the era of the early U.S. Immigration Act

Byron Toben

October, 2010

The Segal Theatre keeps tugging at my nostalgia heartstrings.

Last spring, it produced Harvey, the first play my mother took me to. It followed with The Jazz Singer, reminding me of Al Jolson Sings!, the first record my father bought me. The Segal opens its fall season with an Arthur Miller play, the first playwright I studied.

A View From the Bridge is considered one of the five best of the 35 plays Miller wrote.

Written in the mid-’50s but set in the ’30s, it is cradled in the era of the U.S. Immigration Acts of 1917-55, which established the INS and restricted immigration from southern and eastern Europe. Two Italian brothers, Marco and Rodolpho, jump ship in Brooklyn and are taken in by their cousin Beatrice and her husband, Eddie, a longshoreman.

Vlasta Vrana (from left), Tony Nardi and Marc Bendavid in View From the Bridge. Photo: Randy Cole

The couple hosts Eddie’s orphaned niece, Catharine. Lawyer Alfieri, narrates while suppressed sexual desires, INS agents and generational clashes lead to a violent resolution.

Two-time Genie winner Tony Nardi stars as Eddie and Diane Leblanc (Harvey, Tryst) directs.

Arthur Miller worked at these docks in his youth and Tony Nardi is from Calabria, so the feel of authenticity is assured.

***

A View From the Bridge, Oct. 3-24. 514-739-7944.

Speaking of Italian and Greek influences, consider two dynamic offerings at the Centaur Theatre. It is producing Paradise by the River by Vittorio Rossi, the pride of Ville Emard. This gripping tale of Canadian round-ups of Italo-hyphenates during the Second World War was presented at the Centaur to great acclaim in 1998, directed by Joel Miller. Miller, with many more plaudits since then, is back in the house.

***

Paradise By The River, Oct. 5-31. 514-288-3161

Medea, by 2,500-year-old upstart Euripides, still rocks. Centaur original artistic director Maurice Podbrey is cast as a king and appears alonside Scapegoat Carnivale’s usual assortment of top younger actors. Director Alison Darcy warns that Ms. Medea is not to be trifled with, as she wreaks vengeance amid the wailing of the Greek chorus.

***

Holly Gauthier-Frankel, familiar to Fringe audiences as ecdysiast Miss Sugarpuss, is listed in the cast. Will she shed her tunic? Medea, Oct. 21 to 30. 514-288-3161.

“We use art to build, connect”

Kristine Berey

The first play launching the English Theatre at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts this season will be Arthur Miller’s classic A View From the Bridge.

“We believe it is an important play,” Segal director Bryna Wasserman says. “It deals with the Italian immigrant situation and tells you about the life of any immigrant.”

Wasserman says a theatre’s flagship play says a lot about its mandate.

“We believe that we can make a difference through the arts, that we can develop a relationship for further understanding.”

Bryna Wasserman

According to Wasserman, long-standing divides, seemingly un-crossable by politicians, can be bridged through the power of music, dance, theatre and film.

“It’s important in our own community to understand each other on an artistic level and also internationally. I’ve always believed that it is the artist who should be able to imagine a better place and a better environment. We use art to build, so we can connect.”

The Segal has collaborated with such cultural communities as the Black Theatre Workshop and Théâtre du Rideau Vert. It has included children through its Academy and its Young Actors for Young Audiences (YAYA) program. It has brought together Yiddish theatres from all over the world at its first Yiddish Theatre Festival, an event to be repeated next summer.

This year it brings together different kinds of music and adds dance. The ever-growing list includes jazz, world and classical music, in more than 35 concerts. An exciting addition to the musical life of the Segal will be performances by Musica Camerata, one of Canada’s oldest and most respected chamber ensembles. Musica Camerata celebrates their 41st season this year.

“It’s a coup for us and after featuring jazz and our monthly Broadway Café as a way of exploring the centre’s involvement in music,” Wasserman says.

Musica Camerata concerts will be performed over four Sundays beginning November 28.

“I am hoping that this series will increase. It’s a wonderful way to spend a Sunday afternoon,” Wasserman says.

Info: 514-739-7944, segalcentre.org Bryna Wasserman will discuss Building Bridges Through Art at the Congregation Shaar Hashomayim, September 19, 425 Metcalfe. Info and reservations: 514-937-9471 ext. 139

Night of comedy and tragedy

Alice Abracen

September, 2010

This September, the Dawson Professional Theatre Program offers the public an opportunity to see two shows back-to-back at very reasonable prices.

The second-year studio productions exemplify the professionalism espoused by the participants of the program and show talent that last year was cloistered from the public eye.

This generation of second-year students are featured first in Michael Cristofer's The Shadow Box, a Pulitzer Prize winner and Tony Award winner for Best Play (1977), now directed by Winston Sutton. The Shadow Box, revolving around three terminally ill patients sharing a cottage at a hospital, delving along with their respective families into the intricacies of love, loss, and the miracle of life, runs Sept. 22 to 25 at 8pm.

Photograph of the original production of The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) Photo: Orbicle at en.wikipedia

The second Studio play is Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest, a comedy of manners in which two bachelors, dissatisfied with their respective urban and rural social milieus, forge new identities to pursue their objects of affection. Wilde's play, directed by Steven Lecky, runs Sept. 29 to October 2 at 8pm. Both plays are featured at Dawson College, 2000 Atwater.

The admission for both plays is ‘Pay What You Can’. For ticket and reservations call 514-931-5000.

Bigger Than Jesus seeks answers through irreverence

Alice Abracen

June, 2010

Internationally acclaimed performer Rick Miller has returned to Montreal.

Miller – award-winning actor, comedian, and playwright, host of ABC’s primetime series Just for Laughs and creator of world smash MacHomer – will appear at the Fringe Festival with Bigger Than Jesus. The solo show is co-created and directed by Daniel Brooks, winner of the Siminovitch Prize for directing in Canada.

The poignant and hilarious multi-media “mass” questions historical and modern viewpoints of Christianity and has won international recognition.

The play pays homage to John Lennon and features Beatles music. Miller says the Four Evangelists reflect what the play is – a multi-faceted portrait of complex historical and religious figures in pop culture. “This show is for anyone still interested and curious about what Christianity is,” he says. “How complex it is, and how it got from a crucified Jewish man to a character on South Park.”

It is an examination of the story of Jesus, the growth of the Christian faith, and its shifting role in contemporary consciousness. It explores the writings of the evangelists, the context in which they wrote, and why their stories caught on. “It is a complex story, and seductive. Whether they believe it is truth or not, people have been inspired for 2,000 years to create some of the most inspiring art and commit some of the greatest atrocities in the history of the world. I film myself in a thorny crown and try to find some humour and some meaning.”

This tour-de-force provides a challenge to traditional belief without trivializing it.

“It’s not a judgmental play. It’s not just for lapsed Catholics. It has spoken to Muslims and Mormons, atheists and agnostics. And Jews, of course – it’s a powerful story about a Jewish mother holding her dead son.”

Miller notes the dichotomy between the reaction among senior audiences, whose upbringing had a much stronger emphasis on religion, and the largely areligious or agnostic younger generations who grew up in the wake of the Quiet Revolution.

“There are a lot of people who have realized that the Church and the Vatican are flawed. The play throws these ideas out in a reverential way. We’ve been embraced by the religious left. A lot of them are over 60 years old, and long for simpler times and a renewed feeling of community.”

The play includes the efforts of a New York Jew teaching a crash course on Christianity 101, the trade made by a preacher of the Church of Me, a crucifix for a mirror, and the answers offered by a flight attendant on Air Jesus, to prayers via his laptop camera, all adding up to a vital, dynamic performance.

Bigger Than Jesus runs till June 19 at Théâtre de Quat’Sous, 100 Pine Ave. E. 514-845-7277, 514-790-1245.

Cine Gael Takes its cues from the Emerald Isle

Byron Toben

Cine Gael, Montreal’s Irish film fest and the biggest in the world outside Ireland itself, kicks off its 18th edition Feb. 12.

Opening night features His & Hers, a 90-year-old love story, through the collective voice of 70 women.

Closing night, April 22, highlights The Trotsky, the N.D.G.-set film by Jacob Tierney, who will be in attendance. His producer (and father), Kevin Tierney, is also expected.

George Bernard Shaw once quipped: “A world bereft of both its Irish and its Jews would soon become a tame dull place indeed.”

Apropos, Cine Gael has included the short film Shalom Ireland on its program for February 26. It opens with the son of Robert Briscoe setting the scene. His father, the former Jewish mayor of Dublin, was the only man to have been guest of honour in both New York’s St. Patrick’s Day and Purim parades.

The Boys of St. Columb’s, a co-production with Concordia’s Irish Studies program, shows how the introduction of free secondary education for northern Irish in 1947 led to the development of important cultural figures, including Seamus Heaney, Seamus Deane and John Hume. Admission to this special screening on February 24 is free.

The Cine Gael festival is unique in having its presentations spread out over three months instead of squeezed into a 10-day package.

Showings are at Concordia’s Cinéma de Sève, 1400 de Maisonneuve Blvd. W.

While non-members can attend individual evenings for $7, $10 or $20, depending on the evening, the best deal is to join for the year for $60, which includes all seven screenings as well as special receptions and events throughout the year.

For complete festival programming, please visit cinegaelmontreal.com

Wilde had nothing to declare but genius

Alice Abracen

This February, Lakeshore Players invite audiences to discover the vital “importance of being earnest” from the man who, upon entering the U.S. in the 19th century, claimed that he had nothing to declare except his genius.

Famed wit Oscar Wilde and director Kevin John Saylor will keep audiences in stitches with the classic comedy of “marriage, moralism, and mistaken identities.”

In this comedy of manners, two bachelors dissatisfied with their respective urban and rural social milieus forge new identities to be able to do as they please and pursue their objects of affection under a name that seems to inspire confidence among all women, only to find that their good-natured deceit has caught up with them – as has the formidable and daunting aristocratic prospective mother-in-law, Lady Bracknell.

The play is downright hilarious. I have seen people roll in the aisles. It’s marvelously witty, with brilliant dialogue, and the breadth of the manipulation of the intricacies of the English language is incredible.

As we appreciate the hilarity of the situations the characters find themselves in, we pick up aspects of the social subversion that would make Wilde an easy target for censorship and imprisonment.

Wilde mocks, and we laugh, at the class system:

“Really, if the lower orders don’t set us a good example, what on earth is the use of them?” Current fashion: “The chin a little higher, dear. Style largely depends on the way the chin is worn. They are worn very high, just at present.”

The battle between the sexes: “In married life three is company and two is none.”

The social life: “London society is full of women of the very highest birth who have, of their own free choice, remained 35 for years.”

Literary censorship: “Oh! It is absurd to have a hard and fast rule about what one should read and what one shouldn’t. More than half of modern culture depends on what one shouldn't read.”

Victorian literary morals: “The good ended happily, and the bad unhappily; that is what fiction means.”

Fearsome mothers-in-law insistent upon heredity: “To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”

The play is rife with elegant and laugh-out-loud witticisms; these were just a few. Audiences are invited to watch Oscar Wilde declare nothing but his genius until February 13 at John Rennie Theatre, 501 St. Jean Blvd., Pointe Claire. Tickets: Orchestra $22, balcony $18, students and seniors $16. To reserve: 514-631-8718.

Educating Pygmalion time and again

Byron Toben

December, 2009

Long ago and far away, Pygmalion of Cyprus, a slave revealed to be of Royal blood and restored as a king, decided what he really wanted to be was a sculptor. And what better inspiration than Galatea, the sea nymph, who, carved from ivory, then came to life.

Like the Cinderella story, this ancient tale has been the template for numerous retellings dressed up in contemporary garb. W.S. Gilbert made a lot of money with his 1871 verse play called Pygmalion and Galatea and that was before he teamed up with Sullivan.

The most famous version, of course, was Shaw’s 1913 play (later movie) called, well, Pygmalion, which was turned into the hit musical (and movie) My Fair Lady. The 1990 movie Pretty Woman continued this theme. In these earlier incarnations, the Pygmalion figure improved the diction or status of the female object. However, the 1980 British play Educating Rita (later, yep, a movie) put a spin on this plot, whereby the jaded Pyggie professor finds that he has a lot to learn from the spunky student, Liverpuddlian hair dresser Rita (nee Susan).

Although not stated in the script, I suspect that Susan/Rita is Irish, like many from Liverpool (the Beatles). Where else did she get that spunk?

You can see this role reversal with witty repartee at the latest in a string of hits at the Segal Theatre Centre. Ric Reid is pitch perfect as the prof and NTS alumna Carly Street as the charming lass, all against an impressive set designed by award winning John Dinning. The director, Marcia Kash, has herself played the role of Rita several times so she had added insight in sculpting this proven comedy drama to our eyes and ears.

Educating Rita continues at the Segal until December 13. Call 514-739-7944

Black Theatre Workshop honors Bertrand Henry

Teacher and mentor Bertrand Henry will be honoured with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award Saturday, January 30 at Black Theatre Workshop’s 24th Annual Vision Gala Awards.

Henry, whose contribution to the arts and English theatre will be celebrated, is one of the original founders of Dawson’s Dome theatre and has been devoted to young people for over 25 years.

Cocktails, dinner and dancing will follow.

Info: 514-932-1104 ext.226 or blacktheatreworkshop.ca

A haunting exposé of immigration

The Montreal Theatre Ensemble presents A View from the Bridge, Arthur Miller’s haunting expose of the havoc compounded by jealousy, self-deception, and distrust upon a closely-knit 1950’s Italian-American community.

Bill Fletcher, who plays the narrator Alfieri, believes the play talks to the timelessness of human situations. “What happens today is what happened 500 years ago and 500 years before that.”

A View from the Bridge runs at Casgrain Theatre January 14-30, Tuesdays to Saturdays, 8 pm, Sundays, 2 pm.

Info: 514-515-9140 or mtlt.com

A show worth seeing – again

Byron Toben

In a fall season of many fine plays, three have been outstanding. Haunted, by local wunderkind Paul Van Dyck, closed October 31; Inherit The Wind closes November 8; and Till We Meet Again returns to Montreal from its successful tour of Ontario for three performances November 21 and 22.

Many of us are happily haunted by the golden age of ’40s songs, 30 of which are featured in Till We Meet Again.

This entertaining and lively play is based on a radio show of the fledgling CBC during World War II, broadcast from the Normandy room of the downtown Mount Royal hotel (now a shopping centre and apartment complex) from 1940 to 1946. Besides the songs of the day, the show, dubbed “Music of the Stars,” features the corny commercials of the time, heart-warming stories of men at war and letters from home.

During the play’s stopover in Mississauga, one Ray Lank showed up in the audience. Lank, it turns out, handled the live remote transmission of the prototype of the program from the Normandy room in 1945.

In Ottawa at the National War Museum, veterans of more recent military actions attended, as well as a few survivors from World War II.

In Montreal during the show’s October run, Edna Lee, 90, traipsed in from her Lachine home – at night, against the wishes of her children – to relive the days of tears, humour and hope she had heard on the radio back then.

A suprising number of younger viewers have shown up, revealing that the show is not only coasting on nostalgia, but also on good entertainment value honed by the talented and professional cast.

Conclusion? Don’t wait to see – or see again – Till We Meet Again. Till We Meet Again is on at the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall at Concordia University’s Loyola Campus November 21 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. and November 22 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are available through Admission: 514-790-1245. Inherit the Wind continues until November 8 at the Segal Centre, 5170 Côte Ste. Catherine. Info: 514-739-7944 or segalcentre.org

Geordie presents: Could your grandchild be a Tiny Tim?

Alice Abracen

Wandering through legions of increasingly desperate shoppers as the holiday season nears is a tradition in most North American cities. Montreal is no exception: you need only to venture out of your door on December 23 to be confronted by the reality that Christmas is an extremely profitable time for shopkeepers. Luckily, there is another proud tradition in Montreal that serves to remind all generations of the true message of compassion and generosity of the holiday celebrations: theatre.

This December Geordie Productions presents Charles Dickens’s classic Victorian tale A Christmas Carol, adapted for the stage by Alexandria Haber, in co-production with Concordia University’s Theatre Department. The story of Scrooge, the cruel miser who is transformed into a caring and compassionate man by his journey through time with the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future, is one of the most enduring holiday tales of the genuine meaning of Christmas.

“It’s essentially a play about love and the true spirit of Christmas,” says publicist Siu-Min Jim. “We need to be reminded of that as Christmas becomes more and more commercial, and there’s more of a collective tendency towards the selfish desires represented by Scrooge in the play.” According to Jim, this Christmas story appeals to all ages because of the themes of kindness and redemption.

“The story is still the highlight in this adaptation,” Jim says, “we tell it funny but touching. We also have a great team of designers, including Ana Cappelluto, for set and lighting, and James Lavoie for costumes.”

“This production brings out the best of what theatre is,” Jim says. “It gives you just enough so that imagination can take over. Imagination is not limited to children. We need to remember that today and open ourselves to the magic.”

Geordie Productions is also offering a rare opportunity: they are searching for a Tiny Tim, the young, frail, but generous and loving son of Scrooge’s employee Bob Cratchit. The search began November 1, and Geordie invites aspiring young actors of both genders to seize the opportunity to perform in front of up to 400 people! No acting experience is necessary. Tell your children or grandchildren to send in:

· A recent head-to-toe photo

· A letter telling Geordie about the best gift they’ve ever received or given and why?

· A short paragraph about themselves (including their favourite subject at school, extra-curricular activities, hobbies, favourite books or writers.)

· A completed entry form signed by a parent/guardian/grandparent.

One of up to 26 participants will be selected to perform onstage in a single performance of A Christmas Carol. All entries must be received by November 20 at auditions@geordie.ca or Geordie Productions, 4001 Berri, Suite #103, Montréal, QC, H2L 4H2. A Christmas Carol runs December 4 - 13: Fridays at 7pm; Saturdays at 4pm; Sundays at 1pm & 4pm. Single Tickets: $20/ $15 children/ $18 seniors.

All tickets cost $13 if purchased as part of a Season Pass. Info: 514-845-9810 between 9am - 5pm, Monday to Friday.

November brings chills, thrills and lots of music to stages around town

Byron Toben

Three theatre pieces have now opened here, too recent to review, but with great credentials so I don’t hesitate to list them as must-sees.

Swan Song of Maria stars the incredible Ranee Lee exhibiting her acting chops to supplement her well-known singing and dancing skills.

In this show, which marks the 40th anniversary of the Black Theatre Workshop, Lee portrays a woman struggling with Alzheimer’s and memories of love. Actor-teacher Joel Miller is the husband. Dance and music (with a Latin twist) are integrated into the performance. Tyrone Beskin, fresh from his key role in Inherit The Wind, directs this “tragic fairy tale” by the award-winning Carole Cece Anderson.

Swan Song of Maria is at MAI, 3680 Jeanne Mance, until November 22. Info: 514-932-1104, ext. 226. *** Death and the Maiden brings back former Centaur director Gordon McCall in this proven political thriller by Chilean-born Ariel Dorfman. It deals with memories of torture and demons from the past, all told in a tight, gripping manner. Death and the Maiden is at Centaur Theatre, 453 St. François Xavier, until December 6. Info: 514-288-3161. *** Be My Baby deals with teenage girls giving up their babies for adoption in the ’60s. Directed by MECCA winner Gabrielle Soskin, this touching story features music from the period and a cast of six, including the versatile Nadia Verrucci. Be My Baby continues at Monument National, 1182 St. Laurent, until November 14. Info: 514-871-2224.

Adaptation of 12 Angry Men touches modern themes

Alice Abracen

Many people would prefer to avoid jury duty, but even the most politically negligent cannot avoid this civic responsibility that is central to our legal system. With a jury composed of peers, ordinary citizens are the arbiters of justice, and the effectiveness of democracy rests in their taking the trouble to engage in their duty to listen, discuss and decide on guilt or innocence.

While political analysts despair over public apathy, there remains a hope of life mimicking art as in a new production by the Lakeshore Players.

In 12 angry jurors, written by Reginald Rose in 1954 and adapted for the stage by Sherman Sergel, a group of strangers cast off their lassitude to assume their juridical responsibility.

The jurors are summoned to pass judgment on a young Puerto Rican man accused of his father’s murder. When nearly all of them quickly resolve to condemn the boy to death, a lone dissenter votes “not guilty”, obliging the others to discuss the matter further to reach a conclusive verdict. His forcing them not to act for the sake of expediency or bias results in their gradual awakening to the responsibility conferred on them and an examination of the prejudices that would have allowed them to commit a grave injustice.

The play, which has been produced both as a teleplay and as a film, is directed by retired John Abbott theatre professor Murray Napier. This is his second production with Lakeshore, the first being David French’s Silver Dagger from the 2007-2008 season.

Napier says he is impressed with the organization of the Lakeshore Players and the dedication of their volunteers and actors. “I proposed this play because I was struck by their talent,” Napier says, adding that the play “is a showcase for talent. It’s a terrific cast.”

This is Napier’s third time directing 12 angry jurors. The previous productions were at John Abbott. “These actors are the right age,” Napier adds jokingly. “I don’t have to encourage them to be more mature in their portrayals.”

Rose’s teleplay was originally called 12 angry men and later changed to 12 angry jurors.

“I’ve always done it with mixed casts,” Napier says. “It’s interesting to see how the female actors have made the play their own.”

“In theatre departments, you often have to turn men into women,” he adds. While the title of the play might have become more gender-neutral over the decades, the emotion that typifies the characters remains unchanged.

“Anger is the central energy in the play,” Napier says. “There’s the anger of someone who will fight for justice, whose battle is aimed at getting to the truth, and there’s the personal anger of the jurors getting in the way of justice. In the beginning, the anger is directed at this one relentless juror. Then, as they start to ferret out the truth, the anger changes direction.”

Despite the near unjust conviction at the beginning of the play as a result of the jurors’ prejudices, Napier asserts that his play is very supportive of the justice system: It only requires that the role of the individual to ensure justice be taken seriously. “The system is susceptible to mistakes,” Napier admits, “but that comes with a democracy. Democracy is vulnerable, but also a defense against tyranny. You look at recent injustices – Abu Ghraib, Guantánamo – and you realize how that system needs to be preserved. Especially in a time of war, you don’t throw away the values you’re committed to. True values persist,” Napier insists. “The jurors’ hearts are in the right place. It’s exciting to see whether or not they’ll do the right thing.”

According to Napier, the jurors undergo a catharsis, a self-realization only encountered through the renewed pursuit of justice. “You’re moved by the way they deal with the conflict,” Napier says. “What you enjoy is to see that good will survive the onslaught of obstacles, to watch justice and understanding triumph.”

“This play gives a hopeful message,” Napier says. “It gives the audience a sense of the good side of what America wants to be.”

12 angry jurors runs at John Rennie Theatre, 501 St. Jean, Pointe Claire, from November 5-7 and 11-14. To reserve, call 514-631-8718.

“Oh, had I but followed the arts!”

Alice Abracen

The lament of Sir Andrew Ague­cheek from William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night finds no resonance among the halls of Royal West Academy. There are a variety of ways to get involved in theatre, including the Bardolators, the student Shakespeare group that mounts two of the Bard’s plays every year, a tragedy and a comedy.

This year’s fall production, Shake Up Shake Down, is an assortment of scenes from Shakespeare’s comedies and tragedies. While the students normally perform two full-length plays a year, they recognize that the highlighting of choice scenes from different shows gives the cast a chance at larger roles and the opportunity to discover works of Shakespeare that they had not yet encountered.

Doug Floen, the longtime artistic director of many shows at Royal West Academy, is a staunch supporter of the students being exposed to Shakespeare outside the classroom setting.

The Bardolators on their trip to England a year and a half ago, at the London Eye

Sidney Westlake a teacher and Royal West and is the producer and treasurer of the bradolater plays. She agrees with Floen on the point of active student involvement with Shakespeare.

“Teenagers should be exposed to the genius of Shakespeare as he truly understood human nature.” The recognition of Shakespeare’s perpetually relevant insight Mrs. Westlake hoped for seems to have materialized itself in the students.

“Shakespeare’s themes were pertinent then and they’re pertinent now,” said Emma Pask, a fourth-year Bardolator. “You can always relate to what’s happening in his plays.”

Rebecca Kaiser-Reiss, in her last year at Royal West, explains the empathy evoked in students by the Shakespearean characters. “I didn’t notice until recently but lots of Shakespeare’s plays deal with teenagers, and the inner workings of their minds.”

She offers the example of Hamlet, a young man who’s “stressed and depressed.” Not to be overly dramatic, she says, but she can appreciate how he feels. While the students admit to being sometimes overwhelmed by the large workload and number of rehearsals required to put on a show, they are quick to share their favourite thing about being part of the theatre group.

“Being onstage – It’s the greatest feeling ever,” said William Lapin, a grade eight student. Kaiser-Reiss interjected, “Doing Dinner Theatre. Everyone’s been eating and drinking and there’s really good vibes. It’s so much easier to get onstage and just go crazy because the people looking up at you just want it.”

Pask credited acting as being responsible for her boost in confidence when it comes to speaking and writing as well having helped her better express her thoughts to her teachers.

She said there is a great sense of accomplishment when a play closes.

Sidney Westlake, shares Emma’s pride in being involved in such a large production. Floen said one reason for his long commitment to the promotion of theatre at Royal West is, “the joy of watching kids grow and explore characters and parts they wouldn’t normally be able to do in the classroom.” Floen has been amazed by the talent demonstrated by students.

“Some of the most pure and honest acting comes from novices who bring a fresh spirit to it,” he said. Shake Up Shake Down runs November 23-26 at 7pm, Dinner Theatre November 27 at 6pm. Admission: $10, Seniors $7, Students $5. Advance Tickets for Dinner Theatre $25. Tickets can be bought at the door or by calling 514-489-8454 for reservations.

Theatre yet to come

Byron Toben

October, 2009

In October, the season bursts upon us with some fascinating offerings.

Centaur Theatre is guaranteed sell-out nights from October 6 to November 1 with In Piazza San Domenico by Steve Galluccio, a Montreal Fringe baby who has hit the big time with the Centaur’s Mambo Italiano. Piazza is set in Naples in 1952 and promises to be another hit.

Centaur is also launching a darker piece called Rock, Paper, Jackknife in its smaller space from October 6 to 17. It involves stowaways washing up on Quebec’s shores and features several of Montreal’s fine young actors. Info: centaurtheatre.com or 514-288-1229.

Theatre Ste. Catherine is balancing its usual improvs with a dark play by Irish writer Martin McDonagh, called Pillowman about child murders aping a short story series. Running from October 21 to 31, it ties in with the Halloween spirit. Info: Theatrestecatherine.com or 514-284-3939

Paul Van Dyck produces and performs a chilling Poltergeist drama called Haunted from October 21-31, at St. James United Church, with top local actors. Do not confuse our Paul with the rock musician, Paul Van Dyk (no “c”) who has a hit song called The Haunted.

Song, dance, humour, and a dramatic story line

Kristine Berey

October, 2009

The original impetus for the play Till We Meet Again by David Langois, opening on October 16 at the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall, was his love of the music of that era. But as the playwright began to research the play, interviewing former soldiers and civilians who remember those years vividly, he felt that the stories and emotions of that time also needed to be told.

The result is a tremendously popular show, Till We Meet Again, that has been presented five times since it was written in 2002. The play recreates two years of Music of the Stars, a live national radio variety show broadcast by the newly created CBC starting in 1940.

Director, Heather Markgraf-Lowe

“I think the key to the success of this show is that it’s so varied,” says director Heather Markgraf-Lowe. “Not only does it have songs and dance, it has a dramatic story line, the humour of the commercials and the poignancy of the letters.” While the news broadcasts and commercials in the play during the radio show are authentic, the personal letters that figure in the storyline are composites, based on various stories of the time, Markgraf-Lowe said.

The stage is set up like a radio show, complete with cue cards and lights that let the audience know they are on air. The show’s audience is called upon to be more than observers. “The MC tells the audience when to clap or be quiet. ‘When this sign is on, we’re broadcasting all across Canada.’ When the lights are on, it’s like a live show and the audience becomes the radio audience.”

In the process they also get to know the performers in the show. “There is the back story of those who are on the stage. The audience sees them as they begin the radio show and they bring along their stories,” Markgraf-Lowe said. “This didn’t happen overnight. We didn’t have the back story of the actors. As we remounted the show we worked on this. At the end of the show, the audience believes they know these people. They are real because they have a life.”

The costumes and music add to the realistic portrayal of the era. “Without the music it wouldn’t be the show. The music is so important.” The most popular songs of the time are heard, including White Cliffs of Dover, Lili Marlene, We’ll Meet Again, Goodnight Sergeant Major and Sentimental Journey.

Markgraf-Lowe, who founded and ran the Hudson Village Theatre for 11 years before she founded Theatre Panache in 2003, says the show is relevant to today’s troubled times. “We’re fighting in Afghanistan and our boys are going out there and they’re dying. Canadians are very aware of the fact that Afghanistan is not our country, not even our Mother Country. Our boys who are going out there are being killed and maimed and wounded emotionally as well as physically.”

Kathleen McAuliffe in Till we meet again Photo: Maurice Jefferies

It resonates in today’s economy as well, she says. “It was tough times then, and it’s tough today. We’re saving our plastic bags. We’re realizing we can’t just throw stuff away anymore.”

At the same time, Markgraf-Lowe says the show is free of politics, with audiences from all backgrounds responding favourably, including the director’s German parents-in-law, who “loved the piece. Japanese, Italian, German members of the audience all love it – because they sang those songs too.”