STAGED READINGS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL THEATRE SCHOOL OF CANADA Feb 3 - 6, 2021 Ages 0 - 100! Directors’ WORDS
Welcome to our fourth instalment of the Geordie Theatre Fest! What a wild and strange time we are living in. Like the world’s fiercest roller coaster, we have gone through many ups and many downs as we look towards reaching a year in this new reality. But through it all, we are reminded of the people, the stories, and the shared moments that give us strength to move forward and hope for the time we will be together again, in the everyday, and in the theatre. Until then, we are so proud to offer this special event that showcases new pieces and playwrights and new productions in Theatre for Young Audiences. For the second year, we are grateful to provide a space for emerging playwrights to continue the development of new works in TYA and would like to thank Andrea Romaldi, Dean Patrick Fleming and the National Theatre School for their partnership in this initiative. We can’t wait to hear the teens’ responses to the developing works of Jena Maclean (Until Tenth Grade) and Sarah Currie (The Borrowing Man): NTS graduating playwriting students. And, of course, we are so thankful to keep our far-reaching and flagship 2Play Tour alive during these times. Through our adapted live-streaming platform, we have supported our ability to reach schools and their communities in Eastern Canada, making new friends along the way. Already, The Little Mighty Superhero and Celestial Bodies have been seen by over 8,000 young people! Typically, we would be performing these shows to the public live in Montreal during the fest, but this year, we are excited to share these pieces in your home. I want to thank all our artists and collaborators who are truly warriors, keeping the imagination vibrant and inspiring boundless possibility. Thank you for being with us, lots of light and stay safe!
Mike Payette Artistic Director Director, Celestial Bodies
Little Mighty Superhero is a timely story for me and my family. This is a beautiful story of a boy (Max) who misses his Lola (Grandmother) and is starting to forget the stories she used to tell him. This makes him feel the loss of her all over again. The adventure Max takes with his imaginary friend Jayson is his way of working through and navigating this confusing and profound loss through imagination, play and what most kids are able to do so well, BELIEVE! This story healed my heart and being able to be a part of this story meant the world to me and my own children, who were dealing with the loss of their grandfather. I am so grateful to Marie Barlizo for writing this story, to the GEORDIE Theatre team for letting me be a part of it, the design team for their imagination, and to the talented actors who tell this story with such heart. Hope you enjoy the show and find the joy that I did while working on it in these current circumstances. Hope you feel close to your loved ones and remember the power of imagination and taking adventures with your own imaginary friends!
Liz Valdez Director, Little Mighty Superhero Playwrights’Directors’ WORDSWORDS
The Little Mighty Superhero is my first professional production, 18 years after graduating from theatre school. Despite the challenges of being a BIPOC playwright, becoming a parent has made it clear why I persist. When my daughter, who is half Asian, told me that she wanted to be Anna from Frozen, it was a heartbreaking moment. I knew that I had to keep writing for her and other Asian children so that there would be stories for them: stories about them, stories in which they see themselves and their experiences reflected. My play was initially inspired by my children’s special relationship with their Lola – which means grandmother in Tagalog – and by my son Max’s fear of the dark. But when my uncle Ben suddenly passed away, the play took on a deeper meaning. When my daughter shared that she was starting to forget uncle Ben, I wondered, “How do we hold onto the memories of our elders and their stories?” As a writer, I have always believed in the power of stories and our imagination. But now I understand how they help us cope with loss and uncertainty, and, most importantly, how they give us the strength to go on. Special thanks to Mike Payette, Emma Tibaldo, Liz Valdez, Geordie Theatre and the creative team for making a dream come true during a very unlikely time.
Marie Barlizo Playwright, Little Mighty Superhero
At its core, Celestial Bodies is a love letter to my teenage self. (Maybe also a bit of a roast of my teenage self, but a loving one, as if from a dear friend who has watched you grow up.) When I first started writing the giant monologue that would become Celestial Bodies, during my time in the playwriting program at the National Theatre School of Canada, I asked myself, “What have I learned that I wish I’d known when I was young? Could I even have accepted that knowledge at the time?” I wanted to write a story about a character discovering small joys, compassion, and how to give and receive support -- all essential at every age to find a way to thrive in a world that tells you to be smaller, to be less. Remembering that you deserve respect no matter the details of the body you inhabit, to say “yes” to trying things that scare you, and that it’s okay (and probably important) to do things you aren’t good at when they make you happy. Many thanks to Dean Patrick Fleming, Andrea Romaldi, and everyone who helped Celestial Bodies’ development at NTS; to Mike Payette, Kathryn Westoll, and everyone at Geordie who made this production possible; and to Wahsonti:io and Alyssa for carrying Stella in their bodies with such kindness, humour, and grace.
Jacob Margaret Archer Playwright, Celestial Bodies fest
CALENDAR
W T F S S
03 FE F 0 0 06 10am/10h 10am/10h 10:45am/10h45 T e g Te S e g G e W s GTS
Staged Readings (offered exclusively for schools) 12pm/12h T e L e g S e e b e e
1:45pm/13h45 C e C e W s GTS
3pm & 5 pm/15h & 17h Ce es es b e es ABOUT Geordie
Geordie Theatre is Montreal’s leading English-language professional Theatre for Young Audiences Company, fest entertaining and engaging the imaginations of children and their families since 1980! Geordie celebrates the art of theatre and its impact by working with emerging and established artists from various disciplines and cultural backgrounds to create work that is provocative, relevant and enchanting; inspiring dialogue between CALENDAR communities, children and parents as well as teachers and students of all ages.
W T F S S BOARD OF DIRECTORS GEORDIE’S STAFF 03 FE F 0 0 06 President Artistic Director MIKE PAYETTE 10am/10h 10am/10h 10:45am/10h45 BRETT HOOTON Managing Director KATHRYN WESTOLL T e g Te S e g McGill University G e W s GTS Artistic Associate JESSICA ABDALLAH Communications and Marketing Manager FARIDA BADRAWY Vice President Audience and Development Manager MICHAEL J. ZERNITZ Staged Readings (offered exclusively for schools) CAROL-ANN HOYTE 12pm/12h Selwyn House School Associate Producer/Schools Liaison KIERAN DUNCH T e L e g S e e Administrative Coordinator VIOLETTE KAY b e e Treasurer SEBASTIEN BOYER Bookkeeper PATRICIA SAXTON Analysis Group 1:45pm/13h45 Tour Manager REBECCA DUROCHER Secretary C e C e W s Founding Artistic Director ELSA BOLAM GTS AVA SARAH NOURAEYAN High School and Adult Educator ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE: 3pm & 5 pm/15h & 17h Members BOYANA ANDRIC, Novo Nordisk Canada Inc 550 Delinelle, Montreal, QC, H4C 3B1 Ce es es GERALD CADET, McGill University b e es EDWARD CHAN, Sama T: (514) 845-9810 F: (514) 845-3634 MATT GOLDBERG, Vanier College [email protected] BENJAMIN HERRERA, Stikeman Elliott LLP
Geordie Theatre is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT), the Quebec Drama Federation, La Maison Théâtre, the International Association of Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY), le Conseil québécois du théâtre (CQT) and ASSITEJ Canada.
CAST AND CREATIVE Team
STAGED READINGS (OFFERED EXCLUSIVELY FOR SCHOOLS)
THE BORROWING MAN Written by Sarah Currie Directed by Mike Payette Developed in partnership with the National Theatre School of Canada Featuring Alyssa Angelucci-Wall, Samantha Bitonti, Alexandra Laferriere
UNTIL TENTH GRADE Written by Jena McLean Directed by Dean Patrick Fleming Developed in partnership with the National Theatre School of Canada Featuring Samantha Bitonti, Wahsonti:io Kirby, Anton May, Douglas Peerless, Jennifer Roberts, Espoir Segbeaya and Dakota Jamal Wellman
EACH READING WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A TALKBACK WITH THE ARTISTS BIOGRAPHIES
SARAH CURRIE - PLAYWRIGHT (THE BORROWING MAN) Sarah Currie is a playwright and actor primarily based out of Montreal, with roots in Oshawa and Kingston, Ontario. In 2018, she completed an undergraduate degree at Queen’s University, graduating from The Dan School of Drama and Music. She is primarily known for her work as a playwright and performer for two seasons with the Queen’s University Barefoot Players, a TYA troupe that tours the Kingston and Gananoque region. Most recently, Currie partnered with Doorstop Theatre Project in order to create Justin Eddy and the Great Cosmic Crisis, which toured summer 2020, and opened Centaur Theatre’s TD Saturday Morning Children’s Series. She is currently enrolled in her third year of the playwriting. program at The National Theatre School of Canada.
JENA MCLEAN - PLAYWRIGHT (UNTIL TENTH GRADE) Jena McLean is a queer playwright with roots in New Brunswick and Alberta. Currently, in her final year of studying playwriting at the National Theatre School of Canada, she also holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Drama studies from Mount Allison University.
Her plays include Bonus Points if You Have Air Conditioning, An Ocean of Evergreens, Missing Her Mother, A Canyon Contained, The Freeze-Dried Groom, Paradoxes, and I Am. Jena’s work is focused on exploring life’s grey areas, personalizing the political, as well as allowing people to feel seen in theatre. BIOGRAPHIES
MIKE PAYETTE - DIRECTOR (THE BORROWING MAN, CELESTIAL BODIES) Mike Payette is a Montreal-based actor, director and teacher who has appeared at some of Canada’s finest theatres. As an actor, he has worked at The Citadel, MTYP, Vertigo, Banff Centre, The Grand, Factory Theatre, Neptune, and the National Arts Centre, as well as with great local companies Geordie, Black Theatre Workshop, Imago, Repercussion Theatre, Scapegoat Carnivale, Infinitheatre, Segal Centre and Centaur among others. Directing credits include Harlem Duet (Black Theatre Workshop), A Line in the Sand (Tableau D’Hôte Theatre), Hosanna and Choir Boy (Centaur), Around the World in 80 Days and Reaching for Starlight (Geordie), Burning Vision and Indecent (National Theatre School), the Quebec premiere of Héritage – A Raisin in the Sun (Théâtre Duceppe) along with the national tours of The Tashme Project (Tashme Prod/Centaur/Factory/Firehall, Vancouver) and Lorena Gale’s Angélique (Black Theatre Workshop/Tableau D’Hôte/National Arts Centre/Factory/Obsidian). Mike is a two-time Montreal English Theatre Award (META) recipient and was the co-founding Artistic Director of Tableau D’Hôte Theatre as well as past Assistant Artistic Director for Black Theatre Workshop. He thanks his family at home and at Geordie for their continued laughter, light, and courage through these wild times.
DEAN PATRICK FLEMING - DIRECTOR (UNTIL TENTH GRADE) Dean has directed over sixty productions and produced countless more, which have toured across Canada and the States. He has performed in theatre, film, on television and lent his voice to video games and animated series. He was the Artistic Director of Geordie Productions from 2005-2016.
Some favorite directing credits for Geordie include The Little Prince, The Odyssey, A Christmas Carol, Beethoven Lives Upstairs, Sidewalk Chalk and Instant, which won a Dora award in Toronto. For other theatres; Art, Marion Bridge, Billy Bishop Goes to War, Apple, Danny and the Deep Blue Sea and V-Cards.
Dean graduated from Concordia University in Performance. He has taught at Concordia University, ASM Performing Arts and continues to teach at the National Theatre School of Canada. In 2013, Dean was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contribution to the Arts. Dean is the Artistic Director of Professional Theatre at Hudson Village Theatre. CAST AND CREATIVE Team
THE LITTLE MIGHTY SUPERHERO & CELESTIAL BODIES Written by Marie Barlizo (LMSH) and Jacob Margaret Archer (CB) Directed by Liz Valdez (LMSH) and Mike Payette (CB) The Little Mighty Superhero is developed in partnership with Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal Celestial Bodies is developed in partnership with the National Theatre School of Canada
CAST Jayson/Stella - Alyssa Angelucci-Wall Lola, Bakunawa, Ferryman, Bathala/ Stella - Wahsonti:o Kirby Max- Douglas Peerless
CREATIVE TEAM Dramaturgy by Emma Tibaldo (LMSH) Production Manager Haylee Tucker Technical Director Elly Tomasson Set and Costume Design Eo Sharp Sound Design Rob Denton Sound Consultants Maddie Bautista, Kim Villagante (LMSH)
ASL Interpretation for Celestial Bodies (February 6th at 3pm) in partnership with Seeing Voices Montreal ASL Coach Jo-Anne Bryan ASL- English Interpreters Carmelle Cachero, Jennifer Roberts
SPECIAL THANKS PWM, Rob Denton, Jennifer Roberts
PERFORMANCES WILL RUN APPROXIMATELY 45-55 MINUTES AND FOLLOWED BY A TALKBACK WITH THE ARTISTS. BIOGRAPHIES
MARIE BARLIZO - PLAYWRIGHT (LMSH) Marie Barlizo is a Filipino-Chinese playwright from Montreal. She is a graduate of UBC’s Creative Writing MFA Program and the first visible minority to graduate from the National Theatre School’s (NTS) Playwriting Program. She is the playwriting mentor at Black Theatre Workshop’s Artist Mentorship Program, an instructor at NTS and an Artist-in-Residence at Imago Theatre, where she is developing The Warrior. Her solo play, The Healing, is part of Centaur’s Catalyst readings. Marie is super excited to be part of Geordie’s 40th Season!
JACOB MARGARET ARCHER - PLAYWRIGHT (CB) Jacob Margaret Archer is a non-binary playwright, poet, and dramaturge born and raised on unceded Sto:lo territory (Chilliwack, BC). A 2019 graduate of the Playwriting program at the National Theatre School of Canada, their plays include Celestial Bodies, THINK OF THE CHILDREN (National Theatre School 2019), All I Want Is To Be Happy Sometimes (workshopped at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts 2019), Such A Heart As Yours (Intrepid Theatre 2016), and Miss Somewhere (Theatre BC Mainstage Festival 2015). Their poetry has been published by post ghost press and Raspberry magazine (upcoming, 2021). Jake is an avid writer of letters, an amateur guitar player and an even more amateur ukulele player.
LIZ VALDEZ - DIRECTOR (LMSH) Liz Valdez, co-owner of Shift Space and part-time faculty at Concordia University Theatre Department has been directing, teaching and coaching for 20 years. Many of her students have gone on to enjoy successful careers in Film, Television, Theatre and post-graduate studies. Most recent directing credits are Black Theatre Workshop’s Gas Girls, Teesri Duniya’s Corpus by Darrah Teitel, and Playshed’s inaugural production of Cock by Mike Bartlett nominated for Outstanding Production. Liz won a MECCA for her direction in Tableau D’Hôte Theatre’s production of Humans by Daniel MacIvor and, most recently, a META for Outstanding Direction for Encore by Marc Prescott, also for Tableau D’Hôte Theatre. Liz is incredibly thrilled to be working with long time friend and Artistic Director, Mike Payette and this incredible team at Geordie. PLAYWRIGHT’SBIOGRAPHIES notes
EMMA TIBALDO - DRAMATURGY (LMSH) Emma Tibaldo is the Artistic and Executive director of Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal (PWM), where she has dramaturgically collaborated on numerous award-winning plays. Her collaboration with Geordie Theatre has been particularly rewarding. Emma has also been directing new Canadian plays since graduating from the National Theatre School’s directing program-selected: Winter’s Daughter by Jesse Stong, SCUM by S.E. Grummet and Caitlin Zacharias, Okinum by Emilie Monnet (co-director), Miss Katelyn’s Grade Threes Prepare for the Inevitable by Elena Belya, The Baklawa Recipe by Pascale Rafie, Refuge by Mary Vingoe, Falling Trees by Megan Coles. She co-founded Talisman Theatre, for whom she directed award winning productions That Woman by Daniel Danis, Down Dangerous Passes Road by Michel Marc Bouchard, and The Medea Effect by Suzi Bastien. She is currently working on Skin with the interdisciplinary company The Bakery. Emma is also a graduate of Concordia University’s Theatre Department!
ALYSSA ANGELUCCI-WALL - JAYSON/STELLA Alyssa Angelucci-Wall is an emerging artist/performer and Concordia University graduate, holding a BFA in Theatre with a Specialization in Theatre Performance. From a young age, she has been passionate about all facets of theatre and its multifarious nature. Some of her more impactful past roles have been Rhonda from Lion in the Streets from her time at Concordia University, taking part in the Rose Festival as Lightning from The Last Place You’ll Look, and the role of Mammy from Wiley and The Hairy Man that first introduced her to the wonder of theatre for young audiences. She is excited to have been given the opportunity to be a part of the Geordie family and work alongside such talented and diverse artists as they continue to bring relevant and impactful theatre across Canada in their 2Play Tour.
WAHSONTÍ:IO KIRBY - LOLA, BAKUNAWA, FERRYMAN, BATHALA/ STELLA Wahsontí:io Kirby is a Kanien’keha:ka artist belonging to the Mohawk Nation of Kahnawa:ke. They strongly believe in Indigenizing and Decolonizing performance art, specifically theatre and acting. They were raised surrounded by Kanien’keha and Haudenosaunee culture and studied in Kanien’keha (Mohawk) Immersion schools throughout their childhood. Their work includes: Aqsarniit (Confed. Centre of the Arts), Mistatim Rides Again & Mistatim Gallops Across Canada (Red Sky Productions), Burning Vision (National Theatre School of Canada). Other than acting, Wahsontí:io enjoys beadwork as well as spending time with their family and community. BIOGRAPHIES
DOUGLAS PEERLESS - MAX Douglas is proud to be playing Max in his Geordie Theatre debut. He is a Toronto-based actor but has done most of his work in his hometown of Victoria, BC. There, he studied at the University of Victoria’s Phoenix Theatre, majoring in performance. Favourite roles include Reverend Parris in The Crucible at the Canadian College of Performing Arts, Valentine in Two Gentlemen of Verona at the Victoria Shakespeare Festival, and Man in Chair in The Drowsy Chaperone at the University of Victoria.
EO SHARP - SET AND COSTUME DESIGN (LMSH + CB) Eo Sharp is a Montreal based set and costume designer. She studied Art History at the University of Toronto (BFA Honours) and Scenography at the National Theatre School of Canada. She has been designing across this country for the past thirty years. The Little Mighty Superhero and Celestial Bodies are her ninth and tenth shows with Geordie Theatre, and it has been a most excellent and challenging covid adventure.
ROB DENTON - SOUND DESIGN (LMSH + CB) Rob likes to make noise and play with knobs and buttons. He has had the privilege of working with Geordie many times over the past decade or so. Fun was had recently with The Water Chronicles and Fear of Missing Out (last year’s 2Play Tour shows). He also enjoyed composing music for The Halloween Tree and Around the World in 80 Days. Press Play!
MADDIE BAUTISTA - SOUND CONSULTANT (LMSH) Maddie Bautista is a Bi, Saudi Arabia-born Filipinx sound designer, and composer. Maddie has been nominated for a Dora Award for her music in Eraser at RISER 2019 and nominated for the 2020 Pauline McGibbon Award. She is part of Musical Stage’s and Prime Mover’s 2021 NoteWorthy Cohort. Selected sound credits: OIL (ARC), bug (Theatre Passe Muraille), Wah Wah Wah (Wildside 2020), Private Eyes (Lemon Tree Creations), Our Fathers, Sons, Lovers, and Little Brothers (b current). She is Co-Artistic Producer of Bad Muse Collective with Korean-Canadian sound designer Deanna H. Choi. Bad Muse is currently in residence with fu-GEN Theatre to create Love You Wrong Time. For more information about Maddie go to: www.maddiebautista.com BIOGRAPHIES
KIM VILLAGANTE - SOUND CONSULTANT (LMSH) Kim is a queer, non-binary Filipinx musician (poet, rapper, singer), visual artist and creative facilitator who is passionate about making and using art and music to empower, educate, and activate community engagement and healing. Kim released their most recent album, X marks the Swirl, in 2019, which was longlisted for a Polaris and recognized as one of the top 19 albums of 2019 via CBC. In 2020 Kim was nominated in the Hip Hop and Rap category of Breakout West Music Awards.
HAYLEE TUCKER - PRODUCTION MANAGER (LMSH + CB) Haylee Tucker graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada’s Production Design and Technical Arts Program. They are originally from Prince George, British Columbia where they worked as a technician for several years. Tucker is the co-founder of Shopdogs, a set-building shop here in Montreal.
REBECCA DUROCHER - TOUR MANAGER (LMSH + CB) Rebecca Durocher is a queer multidisciplinary theatre artist, writer, and creator currently based in Montréal, Quebec. She completed her post-secondary education at Bishop’s University and relocated later to Montréal to study at The National Theatre School of Canada in the Production Design and Technical Arts program (2018). In her professional career, she works primarily in Production, Technical, Tour, and Stage Management. In the recent theatre scene and its turn to virtual performance spaces, Rebecca has been instrumental in developing systems for several Montréal based theatre companies to move online. This includes the Montréal Fringe Festivals, This Is Not a Fringe Fest (2020), Black Theatre Workshop’s In Conversation with… Series (2020), and currently Geordie Theatre’s 2Play Tour (2020), where she helped with the creation of Espace Geordie, a virtual theatre studio that brings theatre for young audiences to classrooms around Québec, Canada and internationally. Rebecca’s other Canadian Theatre credits include but are not limited to La Boheme National Opera Tour (Tour Manager, Against the Grain Theatre, 2019), James and the Giant Peach (Production Manager, YES Theatre, 2019), Montreal St-Ambroise Fringe Festival (Production Manager, 2019, 2020). ELLY TOMASSON - TECHNICAL DIRECTOR (LMSH + CB) Elly Tomasson is a graduate of Vancouver Island University’s Theatre program. Her favourite thing about theatre is building the sets because it involves creating a whole world that doesn’t exist. Born and raised on Vancouver Island, Elly moved east to Montréal after working on a fateful production of Mary Poppins. For the majority of the year, Elly works at Centaur Theatre as the Assistant Production Manager. When she is not in the theatre, she can usually be found baking in her kitchen or reading with her two cats, Tiramisu and Sriracha.
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