a pretty girl
DESCRIPTION
September 13 to 28 Drama Its 1946. Two sisters have been separated since childhood - one raised in New York while the other stayed in Poland and endured the Holocaust. They are reunited with their indomitable father in this powerful and deeply affecting portrait of one family's strength. A Pretty Girl (A Shayna Maidel) explores deep love, inner beauty and the tenacity of the human spirit.TRANSCRIPT
V a n c o u V e r i s l a n d ’ s T h e a T r e G e T a w a y
Mark DuMez Artistic Director
September 13 to 28, 2013
Laur
a Ro
ss, B
riana
Buc
kmas
ter
Dav
id C
oope
r Pho
togr
aphy
V a n c o u V e r i s l a n d ’ s T h e a T r e G e T a w a yV a n c o u V e r i s l a n d ’ s T h e a T r e G e T a w a y
ProloGue: 1876 in a small Polish village
seTTinG: March 1946 in New York City, West Side
inTerMission: There will be one twenty minute intermission.
The Chemainus Theatre Festival engages, under the terms of the Independent Theatre Agreement, professional Artists who are members of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. The Chemainus Theatre Festival acknowledges the support of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association and its members.
The videotaping or other video or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.
director and set designer Mark DuMez lighting & Projection designer Conor Moore costume designer Norma Bowen sound designer Paul Tedeschini stage Manager David Baughan
Mama Norma Bowen Rose Weiss Susan Coodin Hanna Masae Day Lusia Pechenik Luisa Jojic Mordechai Weiss Harry Nelken Duvid Pechenik Kirk Smith
Presented with the generous assistance of:
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meSSage from the managing Director ranDal huber
There are lots of reasons to get out and attend live theatre – be entertained, challenged, spend time with friends, etc. However there’s another compelling reason you’re likely not aware of.
According to a study just released by Canadian research firm, Hill Strategies, theatre is quite simply good for you.
Their study focused on the personal wellbeing of Canadians and connections to cultural activities (I’ll focus on the
theatre component). Here’s what they found: Theatre goers have a 32% greater likelihood of being in very good or excellent health over non-attendees.
They are 2.29 times more likely to have volunteered over the past year, and are 30% more likely to report strong satisfaction with life than non-theatre folk.
Well, believe it or not 2014 is around the corner and we’ve launched our season ticket campaign for Chemainus Theatre’s 22nd full season of live theatre. You can now renew your season ticket subscription or jump on board for the first time.
Purchase season tickets and be guaranteed the best seats in the house at amazingly affordable prices. Live theatre is engaging, entertaining, challenging and a natural tonic for the stress of everyday life.
Live theatre – it’s good for you.
Director’S noteSmark Dumez
In her Playwright’s Notes, Barbara Lebow is very specific about some of the elements of this gorgeous play. She wants to avoid “any temptation to play tragedy, sentiment or melodrama….”The characters should be perceived”, she continues, “as members of a family who cannot communicate. They do not know the Holocaust is behind them.”
She has written a play that weaves memory, fantasy and reality through simple changes of light and sound. It is a work that confronts difficult and puzzling times – and provokes feelings in me of hope through despair and of strength rising from carnage. Through the eyes of Rose and Lusia, Mordechai and the others, we are asked to examine our own relationships with our family – our embedded longing for parental love, the ramifications of principles and the choices left to make when only pieces might remain.
I am the father of two pretty girls. This is a great privilege and responsibility. I am grateful that this play and the dedication of the performers on our stage continues to move and stir in me a curiosity for, and greater understanding of, love that draws a family together. I am thankful for this play – its texture, intuition, reverence, rage and exploration of the colossal power of inner beauty and the human spirit. I hope you will enjoy the show.
mark Dumez Director & Set DesignerMark is a proud resident of Vancouver Island and has enjoyed directing Delicious Lies, Harvest, The 39 Steps and Amadeus for Chemainus Theatre Festival. Other favourites include: A Christmas Carol, Strindberg’s Easter, Anne, Mr. Pim Passes By and Pet the Fish. He has collaborated with companies including Theatre X, Pacific Theatre and TheatreOne in development of over a dozen new plays. Favourite acting credits include: Mass Appeal, Enchanted April, Queen Milli of Galt and Streetcar Named Desire.
V a n c o u V e r i s l a n d ’ s T h e a T r e G e T a w a yV a n c o u V e r i s l a n d ’ s T h e a T r e G e T a w a y
the coloSSal power of inner beauty anD
the human Spirit
theatre iS quite Simply gooD for you
V a n c o u V e r i s l a n d ’ s T h e a T r e G e T a w a yV a n c o u V e r i s l a n d ’ s T h e a T r e G e T a w a y
kirk Smith Duvid PechenikKirk previously appeared in Chemainus in Noises Off. He is glad to be back working with this wonderful team, and he is grateful not to have to fall down any stairs this time. Other credits include Boeing Boeing (The Thousand Islands Playhouse); Fiddler on the Roof (Western Canada Theatre); The Importance of Being Earnest (Persephone Theatre/WCT); Romeo & Juliet, The Compleat Works of Wllm Shkspr, The Rocky Horror Show (Project X); History Boys (Arts Club).
norma bowen Mama & costume DesignerAs an associate artist with Chemainus Theatre Festival, Norma has costumed or performed in more than 40 shows over the last ten years. Favourite design credits include: Amadeus, A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, The Miracle Worker, and A Streetcar Named Desire. Norma has also costumed shows for TheatreOne, Carousel, Theatre North West and Studio 58 (of which she is a graduate).
luiSa JoJic Lusia PechenikLast seen here in All Shook Up and Chickens, Luisa is very happy to be returning to the Chemainus stage and honoured to be telling this story with such a wonderful cast and crew. Look for her next in a remount of Boeing Boeing with the Arts Club, followed by Blackbird Theatre’s production of Uncle Vanya. Huge gratitude to my family, friends, creative collaborators, and to you, our audience. This show is dedicated to the voices of the Holocaust that did not live to share their story. www.luisajojic.com
SuSan cooDin Rose WeissSusan is so pleased to be back on this stage with this beautiful show. She was last seen here in Munsch to Say! Previous Chemainus Theatre credits: Steel Magnolias, Wilde Holiday Shorts and Anne. Other selected credits: Arthur, Boy King (Carousel); Macbeth and The Taming of the Shrew (Bard on the Beach); Wired (Green Thumb); and Brighton Beach Memoirs (Gateway). Susan lives in Vancouver and is a graduate of Studio 58.
conor moore lighting & projection DesignerConor Moore is a lighting, set, and projection designer with an MFA in design from UBC. Previous credits include: Countryside Christmas, Gifts of the Magi, Delicious Lies, and Munsch To Say! (Chemainus Theatre Festival), La Boheme (Vancouver Opera), Senora Carrara’s Rifles and Fourplay (Shaw Festival), Gunmetal Blues (Vancouver Playhouse), Hamlet, Falstaff, Henry VI, and Richard III (Bard on the Beach), The Patron Saint of Stanley Park (Arts Club Theatre). He is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada. www.conormooredesign.ca
maSae Day HannaThis is Masae’s first performance in Chemainus and she is very happy to be working in such a lovely place with such talented people. Recent credits: Balm in Gilead, Spring Awakening, The Government Inspector, Attempts on Her Life (Studio 58); The Great Divorce (Pacific Theatre). As a musician, she has also appeared in The Tempest (Bard on the Beach) and Seussical (Carousel Theatre). Masae is a graduate of Studio 58, and holds a BMus from UVic.
harry nelken Mordechai WeissChemainus Theatre Festival credits: The Sunshine Boys. Other Theatre credits (selected): Other People’s Money, Glengarry Glen Ross, The Homecoming (MTC); The Dishwashers, The Stone Angel, Cold Comfort, The Chinese Man Said Goodbye (PTE); The Stone Angel (PTE/NAC); Einstein’s Gift, Lenin’s Embalmers (WJT); The Sisters Rosensweig (TC); The Hobbit (MTYP, ATP); Hamlet, Merchant of Venice (SIR). Upcoming: Harvey and The Seagull (MTC). With love for my mother, father, their families, and mine.
DaviD baughan Stage managerBorn in England, David is a theatre stage manager, lighting designer, author and photographer. Stage management credits in BC include numerous productions for TheatreOne (Nanaimo), Graffiti Theatre (Salt Spring Island) and Chemainus Theatre Festival. David is pleased to return to Chemainus where he has already stage managed over 30 productions. Many of David’s photographs are held in the Musée national d’art moderne collection in Paris.
In A Pretty Girl – A Shayna Maidel (Yiddish) the consequences of one innocent decision changes the course of a family’s life forever. After many years
of separation, Polish sisters Lusia and Rayzel “Rose”
Weiss have reunited in a collision of vastly different worlds. Amid the chaos of becoming reacquainted, each girl struggles to honour her past and live for the future.
The story begins 20 years after scarlet fever, the Depression, and World War II divided their family between Holocaust-seized Poland and sheltered New York. Meeting now as grown-ups in mid-century Manhattan, they share little in common beyond their fragile bloodline. As sudden roommates, strong-willed Lusia and selfish Rose endeavour to rise above their obvious differences by confronting unexpected family truths, revealing scars of their past, and dealing with their domineering father’s relentless guilt.
Though many of her dearest allies are now gone, Lusia’s imaginary conversations with her
Mama, childhood friend Hanna, and lost love Duvid help her cope with her new life
in America. Exploring her surroundings and her past, she discovers how seemingly minor, everyday decisions can have enduring consequences.
This 1986 play by Barbara Lebow is more than a typical work of dramatic theatre. A Pretty Girl moves through time, reality and fantasy to tell a beautiful story of tragedy and hope. It is a touching play that calls on audiences to consider their perception of inner and outer beauty, and the tenacity of the human spirit.
In addition to her own writing, Barbara Lebow facilitates play creation with disenfranchised segments of the population including homeless and addicted individuals, youth at risk, developmentally and physically disabled persons, women in prison, and, most recently, residents of the Probation Department’s Los Prietos Boys Camp/Academy in Santa Barbara, CA. Now a playwright in residence at the Professional Artists Lab at UCSB, she has received a grant from the Fund for Santa Barbara, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a TCG/Pew Theatre Artists Residency, an NEA/TCG Residency, an Atlanta Mayor’s Fellowship in the Arts, and a Georgia Governor’s Award in the Arts.
reality tellS a beautiful Story of trageDy anD hope
V a n c o u V e r i s l a n d ’ s T h e a T r e G e T a w a yV a n c o u V e r i s l a n d ’ s T h e a T r e G e T a w a y
paul teDeSchini Sound DesignerPaul is a sound designer, as well as a full time mixing and mastering audio engineer. Recent sound design credits include: Buddy-The Buddy Holly Story, The Gifts of the Magi, Chickens (Chemainus Theatre Festival); Noises Off (Chemainus Theatre Festival/Western Canada Theatre); Fresco (Shadbolt Centre/The Cultch), Circle Mirror Transformation (Arts Club Theatre). Live mix credits include Liona Boyd, Sheri Ulrich, Barney Bentall, Tom Taylor and John Gogo.
a colliSion of vaStly Different worlDS
everyDay DeciSionS can have enDuring conSequenceS
2013 DonorS September 18, 2012 to august 6 2013
$5000+Ken & Ruth Smith
$1000+Bruce & Louise AdamsonNeil Burn & Maisie BarnettAlister ChiltonArthur & Catherine CollinsClair & Valerie DaviesColin & Anne DobellRoz & Ian DogeLaverne & Arlene EricksonThomas & Mary GilmourJen Glen & Albert HillGordon & Maxine LowickRichard & Adina MooneyDavid & Ingelise PollockManly PriceRobert & Isabel Vroom
$500+Les & Lynne AldcroftGarth Decker & Jen ForrestMarguerite FriesenMike & Teresa Hleck
It’s a Small World Bed & BreakfastJohn KrichJenny MatechukFaye NorieBob & Wref O’HaraDr. Ken Phelps IncStuart & Sharon PriceBarrie & Lorie RogersDon & Nola ScottLouis Seidel Betty ShortLiz & Fred SimonsonMichael T. & Patricia SmithDawn Snell
$250+Vern & Rosealine BegalkeFred & Marg BirkenheadRichard & Brenda BondMike & Ann BonkowskiRichard & Lynne BowenBernadette & Ted BrownFred BrownJohn & Heike Crane
Mark & Erin DuMezTim & Karla EricksonJim & Eileen GodkinGlen HammondRandal & Rebecca HuberCharlotte HynesGordon & Linda JonesArlene JubyBob & Lila KeithRita KoenenBarkley LoganMalcolm & Karen MacLeodJeremy & Rose MartinBob & Mag MoellerPat & Linda H. MooreHugh & Anne MorrisonAndrew PickardEdwin & Carmen PitcherMaria RidewoodBetty ScullyDonalda SmithBarry SparkesAlex & Carol StewartStan & Hazel Wilkes
Chemainus Theatre Festival’s
HALLOWEEN COSTUME PARTY
Join us for a special Halloween dinner and performance of
October 31, 2013
V a n c o u V e r i s l a n d ’ s T h e a T r e G e T a w a yV a n c o u V e r i s l a n d ’ s T h e a T r e G e T a w a y
THANK YOUto the following sponsors for supporting the arts in our community
LEAD SPONSORS
CO–SPONSORS
SUPPORTING ROLE SPONSORS
MEDIA SPONSORS
GOVERNMENT & FOUNDATION SPONSORS
Lake Cowichan Eyecare
South Cowichan Eyecare
Chemainus Family Eyecare
chemainuS theatre feStival Staff Artistic Associate norma bowen Accounts Payable/Payroll patti bray* Executive Sous Chef valerie butler* Asst. Props/Production Coord. victoria caldwell* Accounting Diana carter Accountant eric Douglas Wardrobe Lead Hand mary Downes* Artistic Director mark Dumez* Props Coordinator/Carpenter peter gunstone* Head of Wardrobe crystal hanson* Head Carpenter chad hartel* Scenic Painter Jennifer hedge Gallery Manager nancy hendry* Executive Chef Stephen hewson* House Technician craig hooper* Managing Director randal huber* Facilities & IT Manager Damion knight* Production Manager nicole lamb* House Manager Johnny lee* Development Coord. anita morrill* Apprentice Stage Manager Skylar nakazawa Education Coordinator nicolle nattrass Groups Booking Coordinator rhea primrose* Maintenance Volunteer Doug Sanders Box Office Manager andrea Starr* Head Ticket Agent cindy thomson* Marketing Manager michelle vogelgesang* Admin/Marketing Asst. natalie wagar* Dining Room Manager terry williams*
Front of House Coordinators: claire friedrich, mya wilson
Maintenance: maryjane kary, Johannah knight,Don Smyth, Julianne payne
Ticket Agents: Sandra Dawson, carla harman,christine lautsch, marylue morgan, karen Sharanowski
Gallery Assistants: christine allan, amy ankersmit, gloria bernard, nancy lundrigan, Susan lumholst-Smith
Playbill Staff: george aleck, alicia allan,tyler armstrong, megan austerman, mike beggs, Judith buckley, ashton butler, Johnny clark, anthony Defeo, cory Dewar, Janie Dyson, Stephen friesen*, ashley heyes, heather irwin, ashley lowery, kelly mcpherson*, victoria morgan, pat ormond*, James Sagriff, talietha Sangha, cassandra Scott*, melissa Sherman, Dylan Slee, megan Slee, James Sware, brittany Stubbington, coulton turcotte
Playbill Pianists: bernadette brown, Dwight Siemens
Volunteer Seamstresses: louise adamson,marion calwell, Susan cummins, norma Dirom, rosemary grant, myrt knight, michelle lieffertz, geri Seinen, louella Spindler, Dena van barneveld
Men’s Hair: Doc the barberWomen’s Hair: urban legends
Carpenters: Dwayne antoine, philip holmes
Lighting Crew: luanna bowen, Jackson buchanan, tammy elliott, bibi pederson
volunteer boarDof DirectorSchemainuS theatre feStival SocietyPresident pat moore – Ladysmith, BCVice President mike Skene – Cobble Hill, BCTreasurer maria ridewood – Duncan, BCSecretary Jeremy martin – Victoria, BC
chemainuS theatre founDationPresident David pink – Cobble Hill, BCVice President Jenny matechuk – Victoria, BCTreasurer eileen godkin – Ladysmith, BCSecretary Jeremy martin – Victoria, BC
DirectorSlaverne erickson – Founder – Rosebud, ABtim erickson – Honeymoon Bay, BCken Smith – Founder – Vancouver, BC
thank you!willow antique mall, highway antique emporium, post office antiques, cim macDonald, Sharon love, rochelle zucker
*Denotes full time employee. All others are part time, casual or contract employees.
V a n c o u V e r i s l a n d ’ s T h e a T r e G e T a w a yV a n c o u V e r i s l a n d ’ s T h e a T r e G e T a w a y
V a n c o u V e r i s l a n d ’ s T h e a T r e G e T a w a y
from the play byhamilton Deane andJohn l. balderston
October 11 – November 9 Mystery/Drama
The original Twilight. Before The Vampire Chronicles – there was Dracula. A soul thirsts for peace in this mother of all mysteries as the Count journeys from this gloomy Transylvanian castle to the bustling streets of London, leaving mystery and deception in his seductive wake.
“An evening of high class fun.” – newsweek“Pure escape and great fun.” – new york Post
Katie
Mur
phy,
Ian
Butc
her
Dav
id C
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r Pho
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It’s a Wonderful Lifea new musical adaption
by Peter Jorgensen
Based on the Frank capra film
and the original story byPhilip Van doren stern
November 22to December 23
Ridley, Jesse Martyn, Samantha Currie, RubyDavid Cooper Photography, James A Glen Design
Enjoy this holiday tradition with your family
this season!