Stage Door News
Stage Door News
TORONTO, ON…Nightwood Theatre is excited to present the first staged reading of Susanna Fournier’s new play The Philosopher’s Wife. The reading will take place on April 22, 2012 at the Nightwood Studio as part of our Writefrom the Hip emerging writers program. Nightwood Theatre is thrilled topresent this reading as an expression of our ongoing commitment to the development of artistic excellence among Canadian writers.
A philosopher caught in the bloody battle between Reason and Faith hires a dog trainer in a final attempt to cure hiswife’s aggressive, violent, and animalistic behaviour. The dog trainer turns out to be a woman working illegally to support her opium addicted brother. A power struggle between the dog trainer and the philosopher boils up as eachcharacter desperately tries to cling to their world even as it hurtles towards complete religious, political, and social upheaval.
Meet the Philosopher—a prolific thinker at the forefront of the atheist movement whose personal life has collapsed into chaos. The Philosopher wants a family but his wife has gone violently mad. In a final attempt to curb his wife's aggressive, volatile, and animalistic behaviour the Philosopher hires a dog trainer. Tereza, working illegally under her opium addicted brother’s name, answers the Philosopher’s call hoping to land the biggest job of her life. A power struggle between Tereza and the Philosopher erupts into murderous violence as each characterdesperately tries to cling to their world as it hurtles towards complete religious, political, and social upheaval.
Nightwood’s Write from the Hip program allowsemerging artists to develop a full-length play. The program assists young playwrights with script development through a series of workshops, mentoring sessions, and hands-on seminars in writing skills and professional play development designed specifically for them.
Write from the Hip is run by AnnaChatterton, Director of Youth Initiatives and Erica Kopyto, Literary Manager and Dramaturg.
Susanna Fournier, playwright
Susanna is a Toronto based actor and playwright. Her current focus is on developing her trilogy of new plays entitled The Empire in which she explores the birth and development of Imperialism throughout modernity. Her playwriting is driven by a persistent desire to abstract and examine systems of power between individuals, collectives, and ideologies. The Empire is a collection of modern epics. Her work as a performer ranges from improvisational solo creations, television and film, to appearing on the stages of Toronto, Montreal, and Dublin. Susanna graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada. Her credits include Elizabeth Bennet inPride and Prejudice (The Grand Theatre), Geometry in Venice (Crows Theatre/Segal Centre), True Love Lies (Canadian premier at Factory Theatre), The Independent (Project Arts Centre Dublin), Marla’s Party(Rabiayshna), You Like It (Rabiayshna), The Best Years, and star of the short film All Wounds and a Better Place (RUFF 2011) and Rookie Blue. Susanna most recently finished an adaptation of Euripides’ MEDEA. She is thrilled to be working with Allegra Fulton on this new piece entitled There is A Woman Here; Medea. Susanna has also joined the cast of SyFy’s Being Human for their second season which went to air earlier this year.
Kelly Thornton, Artistic Director
Kelly has been at the helm of Nightwood since 2001 where she has directed The Happy Woman, The Penelopiad, Between the Sheets (The New Groundswell Festival), The List, That Face, Wild Dogs (all in association with Canadian Stage), The Danish Play (Toronto 2002 & 2007, Aveny-Teatret, Copenhagen, Magnetic North Theatre Festival & National Arts Centre), Bear With Me (Toronto, Grand Theatre & Magnetic North Theatre Festival), Mathilde, China Doll and Finding Regina (Globe Theatre/Theatre Passe Muraille). Elsewhere she has directed The Comedy of Errors (Canadian Stage’s Dream in High Park); This Hotel (Theatre Passe Muraille/Planet 88 - Dora Nomination for Outstanding Direction); So Many Doors (Magnetic North Theatre Festival, Sour Brides/Yukon Arts Centre); Peep Show (Buddies in Bad Times); The Dumb Waiter (SummerWorks/Sometimes Y). Kelly received the Pauline McGibbon Award for her outstanding work as a Director and was recognized for her commitment to training and mentorship of young women in the performing arts by being named a YWCA Woman of Distinction (Arts & Letters). In 2010 she was named the Associate Director of the National Theatre School of Canada’s Directing Program.
Kelli Fox, Tereza
Kelli Fox has played some of the most coveted roles in English theatre. This season, she played Odysseus in Nightwood’s production of The Penelopiad. At Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada shestarred in The Misanthrope, The Three Sisters, The Trespassers, Trojan Women and Palmer Park. In her ten years at the Shaw Festival Kelli starred in many productions including The Age of Arousal, The Women, The Crucible, Rutherford and Son, Waiting for the Parade, Plough and the Stars, Three Sisters, Candida (in the title role), Playboy of the Western World, Six Characters in Search of an Author, Joy and Major Barbara (in the title role). Her tour de force performance as Virginia Woolf in a Room of One’s Own garnered Kelli an Ottawa Critic’s Circle Award for Outstanding Lead Actress. Recent favourites include August: Osage County at Citadel Theatre, Blithe Spirit (Segal Centre), Top Girls (Soulpepper Theatre Company), Scorched (Tarragon Theatre), Hamlet (in the title role, Geva Theatre, Rochester, NY), Much Ado About Nothing (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre) and the Canadian premiere of Frozen (Citadel Theatre). Recent film and television includes Flashpoint (CTV/AVC), When Love is not Enough (CBS) and Daniel’s Daughter (Hallmark Channel).
Gord Rand, Thomas
Gord Rand has performed on stages around the world, including San Francisco and Rwanda. He spent 8 seasons with the Shaw Festival, and has also worked at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. He is perhaps best known for his Dora Award winning performance as Uri, a naked Ukrainian plutoniam dealer, in The Innocent Eye Test (Mirvish Productions). Selected theatre credits include Wide Awake Hearts (Tarragon Theatre), Hamlet (Necessary Angel/Worldstage), The Cherry Orchard, Playboy of the Western World, Half an Hour, The Devil’s Disciple, Heartbreak House (selected credits, Shaw Festival), Director’s Cut (Crow’s Theatre), Trout Stanley (Factory Theatre), and Translations (Soulpepper). He has also appeared on television in such programs as CombatHospital, Republic of Doyle, Death Comes to Town, Durham County, Heartland,Roxy Hunger and the Myth of the Mermaid, Covert Affairs, and Flashpoint.
Chala Hunter, Wife
Chala Hunter graduated from the National Theatre School in 2010. She holds a bachelor of Artsdegree from the University of Toronto where she studied Drama and French Literature. In 2006, she participated in Nightwood’s Write from the Hip emerging actors program. Selected theatre credits include: Tough (Factory Theatre, Magnetic North 2010 and Luminato 2007) Me Happy, Cabaret, Lilliom, Agamemnon (NTS), and Honey in the Lions Head (Edmonton Fringe).
ABOUT NIGHTWOOD THEATRE
Nightwood Theatre – Artistic Director Kelly Thornton, Producer Denyse Karn and Chair Karon Bales
As Canada’s national women’s theatre since 1979, Nightwood has launched the careers of countless leading theatre artists in the country. We have won Canada’s highest literary and performing arts awards and more than ever our success proves the need for theatre that gives voice to women and celebrates the diversity of Canadian society. We remain actively engaged in mentoring young women and promoting women’s place on the local, national and international stage.
Photo: Susanna Fournier. ©David Spowart.
2012-04-04
Toronto: Nightwood Theatre presents a reading of Susanna Fournier’s new play, “The Philosopher’s Wife”