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Haven Theatre’s Fall Festival of Short Plays was a great success! More people than even “tuned in” to the three ZOOM performances of five plays by five Haven Theatre members: with tales of Murder, Mystery, Deception and Betrayal.
The event included plays by Pat Cochrane (“FLY AWAY”); Paul Bilodeau (“TONY)’, Tina McCulloch (“THE LAST OF TUESDAY”), Cathy Shilton (“MISSING PERSON”).
My play “CORNERED” concluded the event with outstanding performances by Anne Harper and Shadan Rahbari, under the direction of Leslie Anne Walcott.
AND HERE’S THE GOOD NEWS. If you missed the show, it’s now available for streaming on Haven Theatre’s website!
PLANNING IS NOW UNDERWAY for HAVEN’S SPRING FESTIVAL OF SHORT PLAYS. Watch this space for DATES and LINE-UPS.
Another exciting event in the making: “Shadows in the Nooks”, created by Alumnae Theatre’s Nicole Arends and Christine Greenaway. We’ll let you know where and when soon. In the meantime, here’s what it’s all about:
The audience will be invited into an immersive experience in which they will be guided through the main floor areas of Alumnae Theatre to encounter actors who will emerge to portray different theatrical women. Each actor will in turn present a five-to-eight-minute monologue that will bring the story of a remarkable woman to life.
We were inspired by the stories of the many women who have contributed to the development of Canadian theatre. All have passed away and are often hidden in the shadows of history. We at Alumnae - a theatre run by women - stand on the shoulders of these women and their spirits inhabit the nooks of our theatre. Therefore, we are seeking to bring their stories to life through a series of monologues called Shadows in the Nooks.
My choice? Dora Mavor Moore, a genuine pioneer of Canadian Theatre – and the “Founding Mother” (my description) of professional theatre in this country. I would bet that most theatregoers and theatre creators do not know who DORA is when they vote for the Dora Awards. Or happily accept their award
Why? I have a personal connection to this amazing woman. She adjudicated my first play at a Northern Ontario Drama Festival many years ago. We were up against Noel Coward. Noel won. No surprise there. BUT Dora Mavor Moore invited me to meet with her the next morning. I listened for an hour or more as she talked, and I left armed with a list of people to contact and a list of books to read. My next play – “The Reluctant Hero”, won the Ottawa Little Theatre One-Act Play Award.
No way can I do justice to her achievements or her legacy. My suggestion? Read Paula Sperdakos’ “DORA MAVOR MOORE” Pioneer of Canadian Theatre and “REINVENTING MYSELF’ by Ms. Moore’s equally famous son, Mavor Moore.
IN OTHER NEWS: "Who Killed Henry?" - received its debut at a staged reading in May of this year, at the Alumnae Theatre's annual Big Ideas Festival of New Plays. Directed by Rebecca Grace, it featured Shabana Zorah-Ahmed, Andy Fraser, Candi Zell, Joel Haszard and Josh Morris in the cast.
Billed as "a comedy wrapped in a mystery" the audience was kept busy laughing and trying to figure out whodunnit, and - according to the post play discussion - found themselves totally flummoxed by the many twists and turns. Here's a sampling of comments.
"I was so happy to be there last night. It was such an entertaining play. You have a gift for finding stories that engage me." - Kristine Greenaway, playwright.
"I loved your play. So many twists and turns....very Agatha Christie. I'd love to see a fully staged version of it, so I hope that happens in the near future." - Louise Nicoll, actor.
"Most intriguing. My very favourite of all your plays." - Anne Tait, playwright, film producer.
"Congratulations on your play. I thought it was terrific and an innovative mystery." Roberta Taman, audience member.
"We loved your use of murder mystery to tell a more important underlying story." Juliet Daunt, actor, educator.
AND: Creative Lobster Productions podcast of "Airport Tales" was released on Sunday May 28, 2023, with Anne Harper as the indomitable high-flying nonagenarian, Evalina. Harper also starred in this role in the Village Players zoom production of this play in 2022, and the same year was the director of Libman's political drama, "Leap of Faith" , produced by Rare Day Projects at the Village Playhouse.
What's New?
What People Are Saying About Our Projects
In the Audience
ML Dodick - Actor
Leap of Faith is a deft behind-the-scenes look at a political campaign - with an unexpected twist. The performances shine and it was a pleasure to watch.
Lynn Oldershaw - Actor
It was such a treat to see [Leap of Faith] onstage. I figure a sign of a good show is when I wish I was up there myself performing in it... and that's what I kept wishing.
Anne Tait
film producer, playwright & novelist
[Leap of Faith is] a timely story with interesting characters and an intriguing mystery.
Leap of Faith
June 1-5 2022 at The Village Playhouse
Leap of Faith intrigued and delighted audiences at The Bloor-west Village Playhouse from June 1-5th. Thank you to our amazing cast and crew, and to everyone who came out to support the first live production from Rare Day Projects since the beginning of the pandemic. Keep an eye on our website and social media for updates about upcoming productions, casting calls, and all things Rare Days!
City Councilor Shelley Carroll talks "Women in Politics" at the Leap of Faith Talkback
Toronto City Councillor Shelley Carroll was the star of the “talkback”, after the matinee performance of Leap of Faith on Tuesday, June 2, at the Village Playhouse. Answering questions from audience and cast, she charmed everyone with her honest assessment of both the difficulties and the successes when working at the municipal level. Noting one project that took 15 years from start to finish, the one word that came to mind was “persistence”. After so much time and energy had been invested, she and her colleagues just had to keep going until success was achieved. When asked why women are still a minority in holding political office at any level – outside of the so-called glass ceiling, which has been cracked in at least some areas by now – one surprising answer is that political campaigns at any level require donations. But women, on the whole, are reluctant to ask for donations to fund their campaign, while men have no problem. And without funding (within the set limits) there is no way to finance a campaign. Asked if Laura Lewis, the onstage character, had a chance of winning her campaign for mayor, Carroll thought for a moment and concluded that Lewis’ solution to the dramatic problem presented, offered hope for success.
However, as the current run of “Leap of Faith” ended in June 4th , we’ll never know! On the other hand, Carroll was returned to office with a huge majority in the recent elections in the City of Toronto.
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