Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Get ready for another theatre-packed event as Driftwood Theatre returns for its 13th year of the most unique site-specific theatre event around, TRAFALGAR 24: 24 artists, 24 hours, 1 castle. Over the course of one day, 24 theatre artists from across Canada will descend upon Trafalgar Castle to write, rehearse and perform six new plays set within the rooms, halls, nooks and crannies of Whitby’s very own 19th century castle.
This year’s participating playwrights represent a wealth of emerging and established talent drawn everywhere from right in Durham Region to all the way across the country. Locked together in the castle overnight on March 10 to each write a new short play are Durham-raised and founding Driftwood artist Steven Burley, Writers’ Community of Durham Region member Kevin Craig and emerging Toronto playwrights Sophia Fabiilli (The Philandress, Toronto Fringe/Second City; The War of the Roses (Theatre Aquarius), Laura Anne Harris (Pitch Blond, Victoria Fringe/Next Stage Festival/Femfest; The Homemaker, Toronto Fringe; Red/Rouge, Bangkok International Theatre Festival) and Paul Van Dyck (Blood Wild, Next Stage Festival; The Nisei & The Narnauks, Montreal Arts Interculturels; Paradise Lost, New York Frigid Festival/Atlantic Fringe Festival). For the first time in the festival’s history, these local artists will be joined remotely by nationally renowned playwright and director Michael Shamata (Artistic Director, Belfry Theatre, Victoria; A Christmas Carol, Soulpepper Theatre) who will write his play under the same time constraints and festival regulations from Victoria, BC.
Descending upon the castle to breathe life into the festival’s six new plays are a wealth of theatre talent, including Oshawa resident and Executive Director of The Living Room Community Art Studio Mary Krohnert (Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, Driftwood Theatre; The Shape of a Girl, Sudbury Arts Centre; Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeareworks), long-time Driftwood company member Christopher Darroch (Hamlet, Man in the Portrait, The Tempest, The Complete Work of William Shakespeare (abridged), Driftwood Theatre), Studio 180 founding company member Jessica Greenberg (NSFW, Cock, Our Class, Studio 180; Julius Caesar, The Comedy of Errors, Canadian Stage), Soulpepper Theatre founding company member Michael Hanrahan (Play in a Pub, Driftwood Theatre; High Life, The Crucible, Soulpepper Theatre; four seasons with the Stratford Festival), Douglas E. Hughes (Test Drive, Festival Players; The Sound of Music, Theatre Aquarius; A Man of No Importance, Acting Up Stage), James Dallas Smith (Much Ado About Nothing, Driftwood Theatre), Adriano Sobretodo Jr. (founding company member, Litmus Theatre; The Container, Summerworks). These established performers are joined by rising stars Hallie Seline (The Howland Company, founding member; Shannon 10:40, Videofag; Macbeth, Shakespeare BASH’d), Chiamaka Ugwu (Blood Wedding, Modern Times), Louisa Zhu (Sex Tape Project, fu-GEN Theatre), Mandy MacLean (Melancholiac, Summerworks) and Trevor Pease (Gotcha, Talk is Free Theatre; The Great Gatsby, Upper Canada Repertory).
Taking the reins of the six plays will be directors Marcia Kash (Anne of Green Gables, Charlottetown Festival; The Full Monty, Theatre Aquarius; Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure, Grand Theatre; For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again, Neptune Theatre), Heather Davies (A Christmas Carol, Theatre North West; Calendar Girls, Grand Theatre; Stratford Talking, Royal Shakespeare Company), Kevin Hammond (founding Artistic Director, Humber River Shakespeare), Alden Adair (Snow Queen (actor), Globe Theatre, Cymbeline(actor), Stratford Festiva, A God in Need of Help (actor), Tarragon Theatre), Yolanda Ferrato (S-27, Toronto Fringe; Trafalgar 24, Driftwood Theatre) and Cameron Johnston (Hamlet (actor), Hart House Theatre; You Are Here (actor), Alumnae Theatre; A Midsummer Night’s Dream (actor), Driftwood Theatre).
TRAFALGAR 24 is Durham Region’s most unforgettable annual theatre event where twenty-four artists receive a scant 24-hours to write, rehearse and perform six site-specific plays in Whitby’s beautiful 19th century castle. At TRAFALGAR 24 the audience is right on top of the action as each of the 10-minute scripts play out around them in locations throughout the castle. TRAFALGAR 24 audience members play a vital role of their own, helping to select on winning play to receive a commission for further development from Driftwood Theatre.
As Driftwood’s signature gala event of the season, TRAFALGAR 24 raises over $20,000 annually in support of accessible theatre under the stars in over 25 communities across Ontario. It is a sumptuous affair featuring both a wine & cheese and dessert buffet, and a silent auction with some of the best deals around in entertainment, electronics, services and art.
TRAFALGAR 24 is proudly supported by lead sponsors Deighton Associates (Castle Sponsor) and HMA The Benefits People (Artists Sponsor). Driftwood Theatre is generously supported by the Ontario Arts Council and The Ontario Trillium Foundation.
Driftwood Theatre Group presents
TRAFALGAR 24
Friday, March 11, 2016
Playwrights: Steven Burley, Kevin Craig, Sophia Fabiilli, Laura Anne Harris, Michael Shamata, Paul Van Dyck
Directors: Alden Adair, Heather Davies, Yolanda Ferrato, Kevin Hammond, Cameron Johnston, Marcia Kash
Actors: Christopher Darroch, Jessica Greenberg, Michael Hanrahan, Douglas E. Hughes, Mary Krohnert, Mandy MacLean, Trevor Pease, Hallie Seline, Adriano Sobretodo Jr., James Dallas Smith, Chiamaka Ugwu, Louisa Zhou
Trafalgar Castle, 401 Reynolds Street, Whitby, ON
Doors/Silent Auction start: 6:30pm.
Performances begin: 7:30pm.
Tickets: $60 (General Admission), $100 (Trafalgar 24 Royalty VIP ticket,
including special private reception, personal auction concierge, and more).
Tickets can be purchased by calling 844-601-8057 or online at www.driftwoodtheatre.com/event/trafagar-24/
For information visit www.driftwoodtheatre.com
FB/DriftwoodTheatre
@driftwoodtheatr #trafalgar24
Photo: Trafalgar Castle, Whitby, ON.
2016-02-08
Whitby: Driftwood Theatre's 24-hour playwriting festival takes place March 10