Playsmelter.Ca Pat the Dog Theatre Creation Provides Transformative Support for Playwrights and Theatre Creators
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
playsmelter.ca Pat the Dog Theatre Creation provides transformative support for playwrights and theatre creators. This laboratory for new voices and new ideas collaborates with theatre creators to develop their work in a supportive yet rigorous environment that encourages the creative process and creates innovative new works of Canadian theatre. Without an audience, there is no theatre. PTD is unique in its efforts to integrate audiences into the creative process from its initial stages. We recognize the kinetic energy that is shared by those who create plays and those who receive them, so PTD encourages a diverse community to observe and participate in our work. We engage people of all ages in the process of making theatre because we see it as a model for community cooperation and problem solving. Pat the Dog Theatre Creation has been serving emerging and established playwrights in Ontario since 2006. It is the only playwright development centre in Ontario open to theatre creators at all stages of their career. A registered charitable institution, Pat the Dog is a member of the Playwrights’ Development Centres of Canada, the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and the Playwrights Guild of Canada. Lisa O’Connell Matthew Heiti Artistic Director Artistic Associate Pat the Dog Theatre Creation and the PlaySmelter Festival would like to acknowledging that we are in Robinson-Huron Treaty territory and the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Atikameksheng Anishnaabeg. Sarah Dennison Communications/Social Media Sarah Dennison is a playwright, props builder and designer based in Cambridge, ON. After graduating from the University of Guelph’s theatre program, she spent three seasons with the Thousand Islands Playhouse and built props for over thirty productions. During that time she also worked FESTIVAL STAFF as a freelance props builder for St. Lawrence Lisa O’Connell writes things and directs things, and in 2016, College and Theatre Kingston. In 2013 she Artistic Director she founded sonderlust, a theatre collective was a member of the Playhouse’s inaugural Dramaturg Lisa dedicated to the creation of original work Playwright’s Unit (directed by Charlotte Gowdy) O’Connell is Artistic and the staging of women’s stories. Nicole’s and in 2015 was director, designer and co- Director of Pat the work, both with and apart from Sonderlust, has creator of Finding Temperance (The Muddy Dog Theatre Creation, been supported by the Metcalf Foundation, Mary Project). Sarah is the commissioned producers of the the Ontario Arts Council, Carousel Players, playwright for Sonderlust’s debut project “Wives www.foto.re PlaySmelter Festival. Mammalian Diving Reflex, Canadian Stage and Tales,” which through process, has become O’Connell is a Caucus Chair at the Professional the Shaw Festival. In collaboration with PTD’s Wild Swans. Association of Canadian Theatres. She is Lisa O’Connell, Nicole facilitates The Women’s double recipient of a Special Jury Award from Room – the first and only female Playwrights Arts Awards Waterloo and has delivered the Unit in the Waterloo Region. She’s thrilled to closing Keynote address at the Canadian be involved in PlaySmelter for a second time, Association of Theatre Researchers Conference. and is constantly inspired by Lisa, Matt, and O’Connell has been published in Canadian the amazing festival they have built. Theatre Review, The Toronto Star, The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, among others. Karen Thistle Producer/PlaySmelter Matthew Heiti Festival Artistic Associate Karen Thistle was born Matthew Heiti is a and raised in Sudbury writer, theatre creator where she grew up and teacher, living, with both literary and loving and working in imaginary friends. A Sudbury, North Ontario. playwright with an Honours B.A. in English and He has written a novel, Women’s Studies from Laurentian University The City Still Breathing (Coach House Books) and a M.A. in Journalism from the University of and a play, Black Dog: 4 vs the wrld (Playwrights’ Western Ontario, she has worked with public Canada Press). His most recent play, Receiver libraries and non-profit arts organizations. As a of Wreck, was performed at PlaySmelter 2017, playwright she participated in the 2nd annual and he explores new work in strange places STC Playwrights’ Junction (2012) where her with Crestfallen (crestfallentheatre.com). In play “The Intermediaries” was first drafted and his spare time, he is usually working. later included in the Public Reading Series of the 2nd annual PlaySmelter festival (2014). Nicole Smith In 2017 she participated in the festival’s Producer/Pat the Dog inaugural Producer’s Unit which lead to her Theatre Creation joining PlaySmelter in 2018. She continues Nicole Smith is (very to meet and work with fellow playwrights in proud to be) Pat the the Sudbury Writers Guild’s Inklings group. Dog Theatre Creation’s Producer. She also exercise and air, so she can recuperate from Talk Is Free…, and recently originated the role Christ Superstar, Javert what he calls a “temporary nervous depression of Marc Hall in the world premiere production of in Les Miserable, Will in – a slight hysterical tendency”, a diagnosis Prom Queen the musical at the Segal Centre American Idiot, Edna common to women in that period. The story in Montreal for which he was nominated for a Turnblad in Hairspray details the descent of a young woman into META award for Best Leading Performance. (YES Theatre), madness and her increasingly relationship with Alessandro was nominated for the John Herschel Mephistopheles in the yellow wallpaper that grows on her wall. Directors award (2014) and the K.M Hunter Faust: A New Musical award (2017) by the Ontario Arts Council. His Adaptation (Theatre Hannah Church work with YES includes the creation of the By The Bay), Seymon in The Suicide, Cecil Playwright YES Theatre Orchestra and From the Ground Graham in Lady Windermere’s Fan, Amintor Hannah is currently Up, a new works in The Maid’s Tragedy (George Brown Theatre playing Sophie commission program School), and Five in Black Dog: 4 vs. The Sheridan in Mamma that has launched World (Sudbury Theatre School). Mia at the Aurora the development of Theatre, in Atlanta, three new musicals April Perrin GA. She has worked over the next 2 Jennie internationally in 11 countries and all over the years. This August April is very excited United States. The Yellow Wallpaper is her YES will launch a to be working on The favorite labor of love she has ever created. summer repertory Yellow Wallpaper at the Thank you to Julia Appleton for being the best festival which PlaySmelter festival. In friend and collaborator on the planet, Francois includes Merrily 2016, Goudreault, and Lisa O’Connell! Training: BFA We Roll Along, and April graduated from a in Musical Theatre from Rockford University Violet. triple threat training program from St. Lawrence and 2014 Horizon Theatre Resident Playwright. College. She is a THE YELLOW WALLPAPER For more information, please visit www. currently a company member with YES theatre yestheatre.com and has been performing with them since 2012. A New Musical-in-Workshop with YES Theatre Julie Appleton Her most notable role with the company would Music and Lyrics Stephan Ermel have been staring as Tracy Turnblad in their sold MUSIC & LYRICS: JULIA APPLETON A lifelong songwriter, Musical Director out run of Hairspray! Born and raised in Sudbury, BOOK: HANNAH CHURCH Julia Appleton is now NO BIO April is very fortunate to come back home to April 30th: 8pm Mainstage bringing her impressive be working on this wonderful new musical. Adapted from “The Yellow Wallpaper. A Story” catalog spanning Ruthie Nkut “Enjoy the Show!” @aprilp777 by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. country, soul and pop TheWoman to musical theatre Ruthie is an actor/ Jenna Daypuck Pat the Dog Theatre Creation is delighted productions like The Yellow Wallpaper. She musician from Sudbury, Charlotte to present a development workshop of this lives and works in Kitchener, Ontario having Ontario and is very Jenna has spent 6 exciting new musical. transplanted from Nashville, Tennessee in excited to be making seasons with YES 2017. Julia and playwright Hannah Church are her Play Smelter Theatre on a number A haunting New Musical-In-Development childhood best friends, thrilled to be presenting debut after working as of different projects! workshop with YES! Theatre about a young The Yellow Wallpaper to a new generation in a producer last summer. She has recently She is very fortunate mother at the turn of the last century, her new a time when its message is more relevant graduated from George Brown Theatre School to joining them again baby and the room where she rests. than ever. in Toronto. Favourite George Brown credits with the first Summer Festival, in Violet. In include Eliza (Pygmalion), Emma/Tucamon the fall, Jenna will be entering her fourth year A remarkable contemporary/relevant tale, Alessandro Costantini (Candide), The Shadow of the World (Fear of the Biochemistry program at Laurentian The Yellow Wallpaper, first published in 1892, Director and Misery of the Third Reich). She will be University. For YES Theatre: Jesus Christ is regarded as an important early work of Alessandro Costantini is appearing in YES theatre’s Merrily We Roll Superstar (Ensemble), In the Heights (Piragua Women’s literature, illustrating attitudes in an Actor, producer and Along and Violet in August! Ruthie would like Girl), Les Misérables (Ensemble), Fiddler on the 19th century toward women’s health, both director born and raised to thank her family and friends for all their the Roof (Chava), Hairspray (Shelley) physical and mental. in Sudbury. He is the love and support. Artistic Director of YES Following the birth of their first child, a young Theatre, now entering Jake Deeth women’s husband believes it is in her best it’s 9th which has become one of Northern John interest to take a prolonged “rest cure”.