Grand theatre, Covent Garden produCtions, March 10 to 28 and david Mirvish present: ROOMBy Emma Donoghue Adapted for the stage by Emma Donoghue Songs by Cora Bissett and Kathryn Joseph season sponsor title sponsor Supporting the arts, WELCOME When I first arrived at the Grand a including an all-new Canadian cast. locally. few years ago, I was surprised and We brought the team and cast here to delighted to learn that novelist and the Grand in December for a work- playwright Emma Donoghue lived shop to investigate, rewrite, restage, here in London. At our first meeting, and redesign many elements of the I was deeply impressed and had a production. You’ll be the first to see strong sense that we should collab- the results. orate on a project together. It is an On this project we have partnered extraordinary honour to be present- with Covent Garden Productions ing the North American premiere of in the UK and Mirvish Productions. the stage version of of Room, by Emma Following our run here, the entire Donoghue with Cora Bissett and production will transfer to downtown Kathryn Joseph. Toronto. And who knows where it will The stage version of Room premiered go after that... last year in London, England and Congratulations to Emma Donoghue then transferred directly to the famed on your Grand Theatre debut. Thank Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The pro- you for granting us this opportunity Each year, through various donations duction you are seeing is the second and sponsorships, we are committed to share Room in this way. to helping our local communities. version of the play. What does that mean? Thanks to COMPASS—our Welcome. We’re proud to be the 2019/2020 season new play program—the creative team sponsor of the Grand Theatre. have returned to the project and dennis GarnhuM made many changes for this version, ArtiStiC direCtOr LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Since 1883, Club House has been committed to bringing Canada the purest flavours possible. From our family in London, Ontario, to yours—we’re proud to have found SPringbAnK PArK, LOndOn, OntAriO. View Of deShkan Ziibi, Or AntLer riVer (thameS riVer). a home away from home in so many Canadian cupboards. My name is Daniel Bennett, Technical Director here at the Grand Theatre. I was born in Toronto, Ontario, and now live in London, Ontario. My ancestors came from a several places: from France in the 1600s, from Scotland in the 1940’s, and Jamaica in the 1990’s. They settled in Tkaronto on the lands of the Haudenosaunee, the Huron-Wendat, the Anishinaabeg, and Mississaugas of the Credit. As I reflect on my family’s history in this country, I also recognize and acknowledge the historic relationship of Indigenous peoples to this land. We would like to welcome you to the Grand Theatre, where we oper- ate on the traditional lands of the Attawandaron (also known as Neutral) people and territories associated with various treaties of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, and Lunaapewak. The Attawandaron peoples once settled this region alongside the Algonquin and Haudenosaunee peoples, and used this land as their traditional beaver AFTER 135 YEARS CANADIANS KNOW hunting grounds. In London, our treaties include the 1796 London Township Treaty and the 1822 Longwoods Treaty. The London Township Treaty was a PURE FLAVOUR regional treaty signed by diplomats representing all parties living on the land that today we know as southwestern Ontario. The Longwoods TASTES BETTER Treaty was signed by representatives of the Crown and the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation and covers approximately 580,000 acres in area. Locally, there are three First Nations communities. They are the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, the Oneida Nation of the Thames, and the Munsee Delaware Nation. We would also like to recognize the growing Indigenous urban population, comprised of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people. We value the significant historical and contemporary contributions of local and regional First Nations, and all of the Original Peoples of Turtle Island (also known as North America), and acknowledge the traditional lands upon which we operate, as well as all the sacred waterways. Picture Technicians, Artists, and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada, and the London Musicians’ Association Local 209. THANK YOU TO The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited. OUR SPONSORS THE SPRIET STAGE IS GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY HELEN & ANDY SPRIET. grand gala presenting sponsor Assistive Hearing Devices season sponsor 100 Schools title sponsors Presenting Sponsor Partners This London Life Room Mary Poppins Westminster College Foundation Fully Committed Honour Beat Every Brilliant Thing compass new play development student club Development Partner high school project Title Sponsor Partners partners Westminster College Florist Hotel Wine Framing Wardrobe & Props Foundation government funders Vehicles Apparel Catering Printing Artist Fitness SPriet StAge, MArCh 10 tO 28 OPening night marCh 13 Grand Theatre, Covent Garden Productions, and David Mirvish present ROOM By Emma Donoghue Adapted for the stage by Emma Donoghue Songs by Cora Bissett and Kathryn Joseph Directed by Cora Bissett Originally produced by Theatre Royal Stratford East, National Theatre of Scotland, and Abbey Theatre in Dublin. The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited. title sponsor Room © Emma Donoghue Limited 2010 CAST & CREDITS Where do CAST Grandpa/Doctor STEWART ARNOTT SuperJack BRANDON MICHAEL you want ARRINGTON Jack HAYDEN BAERTSOEN Jack QUINSLEY EDISON to be in Grandma TRACEY FERENCZ Ma ALEXIS GORDON Police/Interviewer/Popcorn Seller SHANNON TAYLOR 15 years? Old Nick ASHLEY WRIGHT PRODUCTION TEAM I want retirement Director CORA BISSETT to be a reality - Movement Coach LINDA GARNEAU Set & Costume Designer LILY ARNOLD not just a dream. Projection Designer ANDRZEJ GOULDING Lighting Designer BONNIE BEECHER Sound Designer JOHN GZOWSKI Music Director GAVIN WHITWORTH Stock markets rise and fall and financial advice continues to evolve. What Associate Director CHARLOTTE GOWDY remains constant is your vision of what you’re investing for. Your dreams for the Fight & Intimacy Director SIOBHAN RICHARDSON future. That’s what drives Libro’s investment team. Stage Manager BEATRICE CAMPBELL Assistant Stage Manager SUZANNE MCARTHUR Assistant Stage Manager COLE VINCENT INVESTING WITH LIBRO IS A 3-STEP APPROACH: Apprentice Stage Manager CODY BURNS Associate Lighting Designer NICK ANDISON Rehearsal Pianist ANDREW PETRASIUNAS Child Supervisor LINDA MARTIN 1PERSONALIZED 2PROACTIVE PLANNING AND 3INVESTMENT Child Supervisor CASSANDRA DI FELICE COACHING. SAVINGS DISCIPLINE. OPTIONS TO FIT YOU. Special thanks to Kai Fujimoto-Pihl, Molly Héraud, and Michael McArthur for their drawing contributions. To achieve your financial goals, you need to be intentional about your The Grand Theatre is an active member of the Professional Association of Canadian investments. How do you do that? Sit down with a Libro Coach today to Theatres (PACt) and engages, under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement, create an investment plan for you. professional artists who are members of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. The Grand Theatre acknowledges with thanks the co-operation of Locals 105 and 828 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists, and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada, and libro.ca/invest The London Musicians’ Association Local 279. 1-800-361-8222 PLAYWRIGHT’S NOTES Back in 2009 while I was writing Room as a his alter ego have a dynamic which captures novel, I had a feeling that it could work on the lively, interrogative quality of a five- stage too. The premise is so inherently the- year-old, and reminds me of the human-and- atrical; Jack and Ma’s situation sounds like a daemon bond in Philip Pullman’s His Dark metaphor for theatre: two people in a room Materials, one of my literary touchstones. with limited space and resources, conjuring This production at the Grand and Mirvish— up a world of play, intimacy, and imagination. all thanks to the unstoppable Dennis Not that the adaptation process was easy, Garnhum—is not only the North American but it always felt as if retelling Jack and Ma’s premiere but, for me, a wonderful closing story in the language of theatre made obvious of the circle. I got the idea for the story of sense. Room while driving to Burlington on the Funnily enough, the startling success of 401. Though the novel and film are set in a Lenny Abrahamson’s low-budget Irish- non-specified American city, I always saw it PROUD Canadian film of Room (nominated for as a sort of fable which could play out any- multiple Oscars, Golden Globes, and Baftas) where. I researched it at home in London’s helped me write the stage version. I felt freed Wortley Village (where I’ve lived since 1998), to play a role from the need to be naturalistic in every and details of local parks and libraries and detail about the kidnap situation or the malls made it into the book’s second half. aftermath of escape. The film had pushed the I wrote one big scene in the lobby of the IN EVERY story as far towards naturalism as it could go. Central YMCA on Waterloo Street, having For the theatre production, by contrast, Cora stuck our kids in the childcare room on the Grand Theatre Production Bissett and I went back to what readers had pretence that I was going for a swim. (What responded to so strongly in the novel—Jack’s can I say—every mother needs a break!) buoyant, world-creating voice—and also let The first stage production of Room began ourselves use more overtly theatrical devices in the other London (UK) before touring to such as puppetry and projection.