Essay & The Russian Play by Hannah Moscovitch
– Ffwd Weekly Reader’s Choice Award Nomination
– Betty Mitchell Award Nomination for Oustanding Sound Design – Allison Lynch / The Russian Play
– Betty Mitchell Award Nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Drama – Rylan Wilkie / Essay
URBAN CURVZ Theatre Presents
Essay and The Russian Play
Two Plays by Hannah Moscovitch
Directed by
Glenda Stirling
Set, Lights, and Costumes by
Julia Wasilewski
Sound Design by
Allison Lynch
Starring
Julie Orton, Allison Lynch, Rylan Wilkie, and Duncan Ollerenshaw
Stage Managed by
Tuled Giovanazzi
April 29th – May 9th, 2009
in the Joyce Doolittle Theatre at the Pumphouse
(2140 Pumphouse Ave SW)
A vibrant first year student, obscure female historical figures, a bumbling Teaching Assistant, Naploeon’s lover and military strategist Elizabeth Farnese, communist Russia and a flower shop girl with a wry sense of humour – all of these collide in Hannah Moscovitch’s hilarious double bill (who’s work will first be seen in Alberta Theatre Projects’ East of Berlin). Pixie, a bright and clever University student finds herself unwittingly caught amid a debate on gender politics when her Teaching Assistant and Professor battle about the relevance of one obscure female historical figures’ accomplishments. But why haven’t women been included in history? Sonya, a woman from 1920’s Communist Russia may be able to write an essay on that too. A victim of love and of a highly oppressive system, this play imparts the story of an unwitting woman whose accomplishments will not be included in any history textbooks. Essay is the perfect foil to The Russian Play; thematically the pieces complement each other beautifully and are both laced with a similar dark, biting humour.
Queen Lear by Eugene Stickland
Betty Mitchell Award Nomination for Outstanding New Play
Sheila O’Brien and Kevin Peterson present
Queen Lear By Eugene Stickland
A world premier produced by URBAN CURVZ with support from Alberta Playwrights’ Network
Starring
Joyce Doolittle* and Georgina Beaty
*Appearing Courtesy of the Canadian Actor’s Equity Association
Directed and Dramaturged by
Vanessa Porteous
Assistant Directed by
Kathryn Waters
Set & Lights by
Cimmeron Meyer
Costumes by
Rebecca Toon
Stage Managed by
Emma Brager
Live Music by
Morag Northey
February 11th – 21st, 2009
in the Joyce Doolittle Theatre
Did you know that the venue Urban Curvz uses was founded by Joyce Doolittle after she helped develop the historic building housing Calgary’s original water pump into an affordable theatre space?
Did you know that although Ms. Doolittle has been prolific and ubiquitous throughout the Calgary arts scene for over 50 years, she has never performed in the space named for her?
In a tribute to Ms. Doolittle, Eugene Stickland tells the story of an aging actress cast in an all female production called Queen Lear who has employed a young girl to help her memorize her lines. Musing on the different stages of life that both women exemplify, illustrating beautifully how time and experience separate them, this beautiful and touching story about the strength of the female spirit is not be missed.
This will be a once-in-a-lifetime theatrical event to see Calgary theatre icon, Joyce Doolittle perform in the theatre named for her, in a play written for her, in the 80th year of her life!