MYTH OF THE OSTRICH
by Matt Murray.
Directed by Sheila McCarthy.
Starring: Barbara Kozicki Beall, Lauren Bowler & Sara-Jeanne Hosie.
Costume & Set design by Monique Lund.
Lighting by Sarah Lappano.
After Pam finds an inappropriate letter from her teenage son to his mystery girlfriend, she arrives unannounced at Holly’s house to discuss their children’s relationship. What starts as a pleasant visit, quickly takes a turn. The situation launches into orbit with the arrival of Holly’s filter-less best friend, Cheryl. One lie leads to another, and another, on this outrageous roller coaster ride of misunderstandings.
“Myth of the Ostrich was first produced in 2014 in the Toronto Fringe Festival by Offside Productions (Toronto Ontario) and later remounted for the 2015 Next Stage Festival.”
Myth of the Ostrich is produced by permission of the Playwright and Marquis Literary (Colin Rivers). www. MQlit.ca
Sponsored by Pazzo Co.
Opening Night Sponsor Bradshaws
MARGARET REID
by Madeleine Brown
Directed, Designed & Choreographed by Monique Lund
Starring: Bethany Jillard, Carmen Grant & Louriza Tronco
World premiere.
12-year-olds Cora and Debbie meet at a public speaking competition. They are not friends. They never will be. And yet, they’ll never be able to forget each other, and what they saw that day.
Part absurdist comedy, part mystery and in an exciting production that integrates music and movement, Margaret Reid explores how we learn to talk about ourselves, the stories we choose to tell, and those we don't. Expect cue cards, a trophy and about six Little Debbie cakes.
The development of Margaret Reid was made possible thanks to The Ellen Ross Stuart “Opening Doors” Award in association with Tarragon Theatre, Hart House Theatre and Blyth Festival.
Sponsored by Tom Gray and Linda MacDonald
Opening Night Sponsor Hunter Agnew REALTOR® - RE/MAX a-b Realty Ltd
FROG SONG
A new children’s opera with the Stratford Symphony Orchestra.
book by Taylor Marie Graham music by William Rowson
Directed by Liza Balkan
Movement Direction by Patrice Bowler
Starring: Darcey Baker, Priya Khatri, Derek Kwan, Ben Skipper, with Megan Dart, Michael Neale, & Lucy Sanci.
Set & Costume Design by Bonnie Deakin
Projection Design by Beth Kates
World premiere.
Frog Song is a joyful, funny, and thoughtful new children’s opera about facing your inner fears and discovering your inner song. Navdeep and Wyatt, two Canadian pre-teens who seem different in every possible way, are paired together for a fairytale inspired singing competition at the magical Camp Songbird. They have one secret thing in common though: both Navdeep and Wyatt are having the most mysterious dreams starring an ominous wall of singing frogs! With help from the other entertaining campers and their dramatic singing director Jay, these two must find a way to work together to defeat the wall of frogs and sing their truth for all to hear.
Sponsored by Guy Chadsey
Opening Night Sponsor North Blenheim Mutual
We would like to acknowledge funding support from the Ontario Arts Council and the Government of Ontario for their support.
LIFE WITHOUT
by Steve Ross.
Directed by Jan Alexandra Smith
Starring: Sean Dolan, Robert King & Linda Prystawska.
Set Design by Darren Burkett.
Lighting design by Sarah Lappano
World Premiere.
Family is everything. A good marriage. Happy children. A rock-solid foundation. But nothing is ever simple or straightforward. What happens when things start to unravel? When tragedy strikes is it just too much? How does one woman move forward when everything she loves is taken from her?
Sponsored by Karen Fleming and Kathryn Fleming
Opening Night Sponsor Perth County Inn
Playwright Sponsor Dr Patrick Smith and Peter Coleridge
THE FOX
by Daniela Vlaskalic.
Directed by Kelli Fox.
Starring: Siobhan O’Malley, Allison Plamondon & Callan Potter.
Set Design : Darren Burkett
Costume Design: Barbara Beall
Lighting design by Sarah Lappano
World Premiere.
The Fox is the riveting story of two young women’s struggle for independence as WW1 ends and the men return home.
In rural Ontario, Jill and Nellie are struggling to keep their new farm from going under when a young man, returning from WWI, unexpectedly shows up at their backdoor. Henry, determined to start a new life for himself, begins a dangerous game of cat and mouse with the women, threatening to tear apart their dream of independence. The Fox resonates with mystery, sexual tension and a foreboding slow burn that culminates in a surprising ending.
Sponsored by Ron Hikel and Patricia O’Malley
Playwright Sponsor M Lee Myers
QUEEN MAEVE
by Judith Thompson.
Directed by Murdoch Schon.
Starring: Clare Coulter, Allegra Fulton, Caroline Gillis, Michael Neale & Cait Watson.
Set Design: Bonnie Deakin
Costume Design: Barbara Beall
Lighting design by Sarah Lappano
World Premiere.
Queen Maeve is a searing, often hilarious piece of theatre featuring an ordinary woman in a drab nursing home who when triggered, transforms into Queen Maeve, Irish Warrior Queen, confronting her cherished grandson, her complicated, dramatic daughter, and an empathic, efficient P.S.W. just doing her job.
The play asks the questions: Is forgiveness ever impossible? Will we know when we need to make amends? Is it ever too late to find true empowerment?
Sponsored by Katie Ford and Laura de Carteret
Opening Night Sponsor The Old Rectory Bed and Breakfast
2023 Season Business Sponsor: Simeon
2023 Season Sponsors: Laura Dinner & Richard Rooney
A Note from the Artistic Director
I am very pleased to invite you to join us for our 2023 season at the Stratford Perth Museum, tucked away in our new performance tent at the back of their beautiful 7-acre property. We aim to create a new playing space that captures the beauty of our 2021 season on the back lawns of The Bruce, while still maintaining the intimacy of the 2022 season at the Falstaff Family Centre.
Our six main productions this year are diverse offerings; starting with a pee-your-pants, laugh-out-loud romp (Myth of the Ostrich), a quirky dark comedy full of twists and turns (Margaret Reid), a life affirming, and a little bit silly, Opera for kids (Frog Song), a pull on your heart strings family drama (Life Without), a glimpse into the complicated dynamics of three people fighting to survive in 1918 rural Ontario (The Fox) and lastly, a cut-to-your-core, poignant exploration of coping with familial wounds (Queen Maeve). What do these productions have in common, besides the animal kingdom (frogs, foxes AND ostriches)?
They are all, in their own way, an exploration of the season theme of Mercy. I think the concept of mercy is distinct from forgiveness in an essential way; forgiveness is something that can be bestowed on another, while mercy is born out of recognizing that we are all in the muck of our humanity and doing the best we can with the tools we have. Even if that ‘best’ sometimes infuriates us, even if it is toxic, ugly or cruel. Mercy does not mean blindly tolerating harmful behaviour, but it does mean condemning each other a little bit less. Listening to each other a little bit more. Respecting the humanity of people who do not have the same political beliefs, the same backgrounds, the same ideologies. Remembering that, at the end of the day, everything we do is a bid for love, even though sometimes those bids are unskilled and take the form of something darker. So, this season we are meeting some complicated characters who, like us all, have made mistakes and are trying to find redemption from those they love and from themselves.
Fiona Mongillo, Artistic Director
Season Artwork by Mark Uhre, Season Photography by Ann Baggley
