Presented in association with the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, Western Gold Theatre and Theatre at UBC Honoré de Balzac’s Adapted and Directed by James Fagan Tait Music Composed and Directed by Joelysa Pankanea Associate Director: Sarah Rodgers January 17–26, 2008 TELUS Studio Theatre, Chan Centre for the Performing Arts PUSH AD 7.5X10 11/13/07 1:03 PM Page 1 photo by John Lauener Haircuts by Children VENUES ALL OVER THE CITY. ARTISTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. LET YOUR HAIR DOWN WITH LIVE PERFORMANCE. January 16–February 3, 2008 Vancouver • Canada www.pushfestival.ca Full program available November 22 Honoré de Balzac’s OLD GORIOT January 17 to 26, 2008 Starring: Stephen Aberle TELUS Studio Theatre Patti Allan Mary Black Anna Hagan Adapted and Directed by David Mackay James Fagan Tait Richard Newman Music Composed and Directed by Gina Stockdale Joelysa Pankanea Alec Willows Associate Director: Sarah Rodgers Sarah Afful Spencer Atkinson Wil Carlos Jocelyn Gauthier Costume Design: Mara Gottler Max Gilbert Scenography: Robert Gardiner Kevin Kraussler Jameson Parker Stage Manager: Robin Richardson Cecile Roslin Becky Shrimpton Kevin Stark Western Gold Theatre Society wishes to thank the following for their generous donations: TELUS Vancouver Community Board Honoré de Balzac’s OLD GORIOT Honoré de Balzac (1799–1850) is called the Shakespeare of the novel and his Le Père Goriot is both a landmark in world literature and his most universally loved work. The novel was written 1834-1835 when Balzac was 35 years old. It first appeared in serialized form in Revue de Paris in the Fall of 1834 and in completed book form in 1835. A key entry in his Comédie Humaine, a 95-volume collection of linked stories about French society, Old Goriot paints the lives of a group of lodgers in a Parisian boarding house and their world with an electrifying vitality. As a stand-alone novel it represents Balzac’s talents at their height. Many of his novels were not always complete unto themselves, requiring other works to tie them together. Thus,Le Pére Goriot has been one of his most widely read works, achieving such fame that the novel’s protagonist Rastignac is synonymous for the French with a bright young man determined to succeed—perhaps at any cost. Oscar Wilde once said, “The Nineteenth Century, as we know it, is largely an invention of Balzac’s.” One of the reasons for this is Balzac’s representation of the modern city. Paris from the start of the novel is a living, breathing self- contained entity into which persons enter, live and die in lives that few know or care about. The city was an environment from which one rose or fell in the “mud of the street.” Balzac was writing at a time of explosive growth between 1800 and 1830, when the population of Paris doubled. No previous author had written like this and Balzac is credited with initiating the new realistic school of French literature which succeeded romanticism. Future authors such as Charles Dickens with London and Dostoevsky with St. Petersburg would follow in this tradition. More at www.theatre.ubc.ca Cast Stephen Aberle* Museum Official Comte de Restaud Vicomte de Beauséant Gondureau Patti Allan* Madame Vauquer Mary Black Mademoiselle Michonneau Anna Hagan* Comtesse de l'Ambermesnil Vicomtesse de Beauséant Eugène's mother David Mackay* Vautrin Richard Newman* Old Goriot Gina Stockdale* Sylvie Duchesse de Langeais Alec Willows* Poiret Musicians Michael Dowler Clarinet and Bass Clarinet Mark Haney Double Bass Joelysa Pankanea Marimba *Appears courtesy of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association Cast Sarah Afful Madame Couture Spencer Atkinson Eugène de Rastignac Wil Carlos Christophe Jocelyn Gauthier Anastasie de Restaud Agathe Max Gilbert Sewerman Agent Baron de Nucingen Policeman One Kevin Kraussler Police Clerk Maxime de Trailles Jacques Tailor Jameson Parker Sewerman’s Assistant Maurice D’Ajuda-Pinto Policeman Two Messenger from Taillefer Footman Cecile Roslin Delphine de Nucingen Laure Becky Shrimpton Victorine Kevin Stark Horace Bianchon Production Adapted and Directed by James Fagan Tait* Music Composed and Directed by Joelysa Pankanea Associate Director Sarah Rodgers* Costume Designer Mara Gottler Assistant to the Costume Designer Sydney Cavanagh Scenography Robert Gardiner Projection & Lighting Design Associate James Foy Stage Manager Robin Richardson* Producers for Western Gold Theatre Pamela Hawthorn, Allyson McGrane Acknowledgements Bard on the Beach, Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company, Arts Club Theatre, Sal Ferreras (VCC School of Music), Martin Kinch (Playwright’s Theatre Centre), Shane Birley Please turn off all pagers and cellular telephones. The use of cameras or any other recording device is prohibited during the performance. *Appears courtesy of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association Production Production Manager Jay Henrickson Technical Direction Jim Fergusson, Don Griffiths Assistant Stage Managers Odessa Cadieux-Rey, Jenny Margueratt Props Supervisors Janet Bickford, Lynn Burton Wardrobe Mistress Sydney Cavanagh Costume Cutters Line Richard, Patricia Smith Costume First Hands Amira Jawad, Christine Pampel Costume Sewer Patrice Yapp Wig and Facials Stylist Christine Hackman Milliner Nina Prelog Dressers Jamie Desjardins, Megan Gilron, Jui Kang, Arthur Krumins Lighting Operator Maya Mohammadali Projections Operator James Foy Lighting Crew Jay Baker-French Set Construction Liz Baca, Jim Fergusson, Don Griffiths, Jay Taylor Scenic Artist Yulia Shtern Production Web Site Linda Fenton Malloy Production Poster & Program Design Ian Patton Administrative Assistant for Western Gold Jennifer Chin Stephen Aberle Spencer Atkinson A graduate of Studio 58, Stephen is Spencer Atkinson is thrilled to be apart a quirkily prolific Vancouver actor, of such a vibrant and dynamic cast and singer, songwriter and activist. He show. Spencer made his professional played in Victoria’s Men and Poems To acting debut last spring with Blackbird Love for Western Gold. Selected other Theatre in Peer Gynt and has appeared at credits include the title role in J.B. UBC in The Skin of Our Teeth, Big Love, for the Cathedral Guild for the Arts, Mother Courage and Her Children and Gayev in The Cherry Orchard for The A Misummer Night’s Dream. A former Chekhov Project, and many roles for member of the national cycling team and The Shakespeare Project and September With Sondheim, all at national medallist, Spencer is now in his Final Year of the BFA Christ Church Cathedral. He co-joked Palestine, Israel & Me: Acting Program. A Power Play at the World Peace Forum. He was a founding member of No Bells & Whistles Theatre, playing Torvald in A Mary Black Doll’s House and directing The Lady’s Not For Burning for them. Mary Black is a Toronto native Future projects include recording The Monster Child, his ballad who moved west to Vancouver of jealousy, betrayal, love and global devastation. over 12 years ago and resumed a career that was interrupted Sarah Afful more than 30 years ago to Sarah Afful is thrilled to be working raise her 4 children. She now in Jimmy Tait’s Old Goriot.Graduating has an active career in TV series & movies and supporting roles this April from the UBC BFA Acting in many feature films and is currently completing feature film program, other memorable UBC theatre Personal Effects with Michelle Pfeiffer . Her acting career had credits include: Mrs. Antrobus in The begun at Toronto’s Crest Theatre in the 1960’s. A few years ago Skin of Our Teeth, Puck in A Midsummer she returned to stagework and has appeared in The Gin Game, Night’s Dream, and Emily Dictionary The Women, Arthur Kopit’s Chamber Music and David Ives’ Sex, in Thomson Highway’s The Rez Sisters. Lies & David Ives. She acted in several plays in The Shakespeare Sarah looks forward to working as an Project at Christ Church Cathedral. She’s delighted to be actor in Vancouver and doing projects she is proud of. working with such a great group in Old Goriot. It doesn’t get any better. Patti Allan Patti is a graduate of the SFU Odessa Cadieux-Rey Contemporary School for the Arts. A This is Odessa’s first time donning the black garb and lurking four-time Jessie Award recipient, Patti in the wings. She just finished directing The Tempest with UBC has appeared in Film, TV and Theatre Players’ Club and previously acted, most recently in Socrates Productions throught the country. on Trial at UBC. She has enjoyed every experience she has had Favourite productions include: Cabaret, in theatre and hopes to explore even more, working primarily Waiting for the Parade (Showcase towards a career in directing. It has been a pleasure working Theatre), 42nd Street (Royal City), The with this cast and crew and she is incredibly glad to have had Soldier’s Tale (Turning Point Ensemble/ the opportunity. SFU), Crime and Punishment, Asylum of the Universe (NeWorld Theatre), Funny Girl, Arsenic and Old Lace, Hamlet, Imaginary Wil Carlos Invalid (Arts Club), A Christmas Carol, The Music Man, 3 Tall Wil has been acting on stage since he Women (Vancouver Playhouse), Film and TV Credits include: was 8 years old in the far east… Nova Love Money, Godiva’s, The L Word, Reefer Madness, The 4400, Scotia far east, and is extremely happy Huff, Dead Like Me, Good Boy, and numerous movies of the week. and fortunate to be working with such Patti teaches at SFU, directs for The Vancouver Youth Theatre, an incredible cast and crew on this years Is an Artist In Residence for the Vancouver School Board and production of Old Goriot. Wil has been is a board member for the “Turning Point Ensemble” Chamber seen on the UBC stage previously in Orchestra. She also loves singing with The Swing Sister’s Trio. 2006 in Hot ‘L’ Baltimore and Shadows of Troy as Achilles in 2007. Aside from working with such great professionals and students, this show has also been as close as Wil has come to Jocelyn Gauthier working in French theatre, which is one of his theatrical goals.