Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto, ON… Nightwood Theatre announces an exciting new beginning for its annual play development festival. For 26 years, Nightwood’s Groundswell Festival has been bringing audiences provocative new works in development. The re-envisioned New Groundswell Festival – A National Festival of Contemporary Women’s Theatre, happens over 11 days starting on November 30th and features 3 premiere workshop productions including Governor General’s Award nominee Lisa Codrington’s new play The Aftermath, Jordi Mand’s Between the Sheets and Zuppa Theatre’s acclaimed new work The Debacle (Halifax). The Festival will also feature a national industry series including an exciting array of masterclasses led by theatre luminaries such as Linda Griffiths, Jillian Keiley, Judith Thompson and d.bi young, as well as provocative dialogues and public readings with national and international artists and creators.
The New Groundswell Festival builds on the success of our 30th anniversary celebrations in 2009 and the 4x4 Festival, which put a focus on the female director. The New Groundswell Festival shifts the focus to the female playwright, and seeks to raise the bar in play creation, investing time and resources to explore work in development via production while aiming to increase the dissemination of women’s work across the country, where female playwrights constitute only 29% of plays produced in Canada.
Nightwood’s historic Groundswell Festival is a nationally recognized forum for the creation and development of theatre by women. The festival boasts impressive alumnae including Morwyn Brebner, Marjorie Chan, Claudia Dey, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Sonja Mills and Djanet Sears. The strength of these voices reflects Nightwood Theatre’s ongoing commitment to the development of artistic excellence among Canadian women theatre artists. We are proud to invite you to join us for The New Groundswell Festival – A National Festival of Contemporary Women’s Theatre.
The New Groundswell Festival - A National Festival of Contemporary Women’s Theatre
November 30 to December 10, 2011
The Berkeley Street Theatre Upstairs
The Aftermath by Lisa Codrington – Toronto
Directed by Audrey Dwyer
Starring Lisa Codrington and Ijeoma Emesowum
Sets and Costumes by Camellia Koo, Sound by Richard Feren, Lighting by Sandra Henderson
In the face of impending catastrophe and despite widespread evacuation there are simply those that shall not be moved. Inspired by Hurricane Katrina, playwright Lisa Codrington takes us on a harrowing and humorous exploration of survival in The Aftermath taking us to the eye of the storm to reveal the humanity of those left behind.
Lisa Codrington
Lisa Codrington is an actor and writer based in Toronto. Originally from Winnipeg, she holds a BA in Criminology from the University of Manitoba and a BFA in Acting from Ryerson University. She was nominated for the inaugural Toronto Arts Council Foundation's Emerging Artist Award and was co-winner of the 2008 K.M. Hunter Artist Award for Theatre. This past spring she co-directed the AMY Project with Claire Calnan and prior to that spent three seasons at the Shaw Festival. Selected acting credits include El Numero Uno (YPT); Binti's Journey (Theatre Direct and MTYP); Defenestration (La Corporación Colombiana de Teatro (Bogota, Colombia); da kink in my hair (Mirvish Productions and Hackney Empire (London, UK); Ubu Roi (Groundwater Productions); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Resurgence Theatre); Love and Anger (Prairie Theatre Exchange). Selected writing credits include The Colony (Opera To Go at Tapestry New Opera Works); Skylar (CBC Radio); The Vegas Monologue in The Demonstration (Theatre Direct Canada) and Cast Iron (Nightwood Theatre/Obsidian Theatre), for which she was nominated for a Governor General’s Award for Drama. Lisa also spent four years as Co-director of Youth Initiatives at Nightwood Theatre where she was in charge of their Write From The Hip program. Most recently she finished adapting Jonathan Swift’s satirical essay A Modest Proposal into a one-act opera with composer Kevin Morse and currently she is playwright in residence at The Blyth Festival working on a new play about seasonal agriculture workers from the Caribbean.
Between the Sheets by Jordi Mand – Toronto
Directed by Kelly Thornton
Starring Susan Coyne and Christine Horne
Sets and Costumes by Camellia Koo, Sound by Richard Feren, Lighting by Sandra Henderson
What begins as a banal parent teacher interview unravels into a gripping and raw discussion between two women on the brink of disaster. One woman is fighting to protect her family. The other is fighting for the family she always wanted. An exposé on aging, fertility, marriage and midlife crisis, Mand has crafted a razor sharp, rollercoaster ride of high stakes drama.
“What a complex, well crafted, gripping, heart-squeezing, gut-twisting play. Not a false note. Stunning work.”
– Lynn Slotkin, The Slotkin Letter
Jordi Mand
Jordi Mand is an alumni of Nightwood's Write From the Hip program. Jordi's plays have been read/workshopped at the Canadian Stage Company, Theatre Passe Muraille, SummerWorks Theatre Festival and the Ignite! Festival in Calgary. She is the Program Director and Co-creator of the SummerWorks Leadership Intensive Program and an Associate Artist with Dutch Uncle Puppetry. Her voice can be heard on the animated series Rob the Robot on TVO. Jordi is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada.
The Debacle by Ann-Marie Kerr and Susan Leblanc Crawford – Zuppa Theatre, Halifax
Actor/Co-creator Susan Leblanc-Crawford
Director/Co-creator Ann-Marie Kerr
Going to scientific extremes a woman attempts to freeze memories of her dying sister and in the process learns the power of letting go. The Debacle is a sad, funny and highly theatrical portrait of a woman facing the inevitable reality of being alone.
“Sue Leblanc-Crawford is a marvelous actress to watch…” - The Coast
“…her physicality is strong and her concentration is fierce; yet, she conveys a warmth, humanity and humour.” - The Chronicle Herald
Susan Leblanc-Crawford
Susan is Co-Artistic Director of Zuppa Theatre Co. With Zuppa she has co-created and performed in twelve productions, most recently Five Easy Steps to the End of the World for which she won the 2011 Merritt Award for Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role. With Zuppa she has also co-directed the world premiere of The Fairy of the Lake at Dalhousie University. Susan has performed with several other Atlantic Canadian companies including The Atlantic Theatre Festival, Live Bait Theatre, Mermaid Theatre of NS and Two Planks and a Passion Theatre. She received formal acting training from the Dalhousie University Acting Program and has also worked with Ker Wells and NaCl Theatre in physical performance and stilt walking, and Philippe Gaulier in Bouffon, Melodrama, Clown and Characters. Susan has been an instructor of acting and performance at Dalhousie University and is the Chairperson of Theatre Nova Scotia.
Ann-Marie Kerr
Ann-Marie was part of Nightwood Theatre’s 2009 Director’s Summit and the staging of Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad. Directing credits include Dapopo Theatre’s So…What about Love; Zuppa Theatre Company’s Five Easy Steps to the End of the World (co-director) that toured to Magnetic North Theatre Festival; 2b theatre company’s Invisible Atom which continues to tour extensively; ARD Production’s A Rescue Demonstration; The Comedy of Errors at Dalhousie University Theatre; and Daniel MacIvor’s Confession for Mulgrave Road Theatre Company. Performing credits include 2b theatre company’s Homage that toured to Magnetic North Theatre Festival and the Luminato Festival; This is a bird’s The Long Valley-Stories by Steinbeck at Soulpepper Theatre Company; 2b theatre company’s Soul Alone; Theatre Smith Gilmour Dr. Chekhov’s Ward 6 and Chekhov Longs…In the Ravine; Blue Inc.’s North American tour of Splice, Shakespeare in the Rough and Modern Times Stage Co. She has taught at the National Theatre School, Soulpepper Theatre Company’s Academy and Youth Mentorship Program, Dalhousie University, University of Toronto, National Arts Centre and George Brown College. She is a graduate of Ecole international de théâtre Jacques Lecoq and York University.
The New Groundswell Festival Details
DATES: November 30 to December 10, 2011
SHOW TIMES:
Between the Sheets: Wednesday November 30, 8pm; Saturday December 3, 2pm; Sunday December 4, 8pm; Tuesday December 6, 8pm; Friday December 9, 8pm
The Aftermath: Thursday December 1, 8pm; Saturday December 3, 8pm; Monday December 5, 2pm; Wednesday December 7, 8pm; Saturday December 10, 2pm
The Debacle: MEDIA/VIP: Friday December 2, 8pm; Sunday December 4, 2pm; Monday December 5, 8pm; Thursday December 8, 8pm; Saturday December 10, 8pm
INDUSTRY SERIES: PUBLIC AND INDUSTRY PROGRAMMING:
Kick Start Reception and Cocktail Party: Friday, December 2, 5-7pm, Nightwood Studio (55 Mill Street, Suite 315), Admission Free
PANEL:
Polyamorous Play Development: Friday, December 2, 3:30pm, Nightwood Studio, PWYC
READINGS:
Quebec Series: Reading of Jennifer Tremblay’s Le Carrousel and Clea Minaker’s Book of Thel: Sunday, December 4, 4pm, Nightwood Studio, PWYC
Write From The Hip readings: Friday, December 9, 7pm, Berkeley Street Theatre Upstairs, PWYC
Judith Thompson’s Big Girl/The F Word (working title)
Saturday, December 10, 4:30pm, Nightwood Studio, PWYC
MASTERCLASSES and WORKSHOPS
Kalideography with Jillian Keiley: December 2, 11-3pm and December 3, 10-2pm, Nightwood Studio $150.00
Say it, Shout it, Move it with Judith Thompson: December 5, 6, 10-3pm, Nightwood Studio, $150.00
the sorplusi methodology with d’bi.young anitafrika: December 7, 8, 10-5pm, Nightwood Studio, $150.00
Director as Dramaturg with Nina Lee Aquino: December 9, 11, 10-5pm, $75.00
Visceral Playwriting with Linda Griffiths: December 10, 11, 10-4pm, $150.00
Festival Closing Party
Join us to celebrate the last night of our re-envisioned New Groundswell Festival! December 10, 9pm, FREE
TICKETS: Single tickets on sale now
$20.00
Tickets available by calling: 416.368.3110 or www.nightwoodtheatre.net
FESTIVAL PASSES: Festival passes on sale now. Save up to 50% on tickets by calling 416-944.1740x7
2011-10-17
Toronto: Nightwood Theatre announces The New Groundswell Festival November 30-December 10