Photo by: Cynthia Bettencourt

JULY 16 - 27, 2014VENUE 16 PTE MAINSTAGE PORTAGE PLACE

STUDIOWINNIPEG

THEATRE

Conceived and originally directed by JOHN-MICHAEL TEBELAKMusic and New Lyrics by STEPHEN SCHWARTZ

Originally Produced on the New York Stage byEDGAR LANSBURY/STUART DUNCAN/JOSEPH BERUH

Robert Piche Sam Plett Jennifer Garcia Jacqueline Harding Adrian Pecold Wes Rambo

Emma Stefanchuk Haley Vincent Tatiana Carnevale Paul De Gurse Reanna Joseph Elliot Lazar

CAST

ROBERT PICHE (JESUS) is a Winnipeg native completing a performance degree at the University of Winnipeg. His past credits include: The Power of Yes (Author), 13 The Musical (Brett), and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Chip). Fringe Credits: The Who’s Tommy, Cabaret, The Brain from Planet X. To his family and friends, remember, “Where there is love there is life.”

SAM PLETT (JUDAS) is thrilled to be a part of this amazing cast. Previous credits include Forever Plaid (Harbourfront Theatre and Rainbow Stage); CATS (Theatre Calgary and Rainbow Stage), A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline, Joseph… Dreamcoat, Wizard of Oz, Beauty and the Beast, and Miss Saigon (Rainbow Stage); The Gondoliers, The Mikado, Pirates of Penzance, and HMS Pinafore (Gilbert and Sullivan Society of Winnipeg). He sincerely hopes you enjoy the show. *Appears with permission of Canadian Actors Equity Union

JENNIFER GARCIA (ENSEMBLE / TURN BACK O MAN) is excited to be appearing in Godspell. Jennifer was involved in Winnipeg Studio Theatre’s production of Forbidden Broadway and recently completed a role in the film Fleeting Encounters. She is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg’s Theatre program. She is grateful to be a part of the theatre and film community in Winnipeg and would like to thank all those that supported her. Ohana, 8G7S, and CFC Youth, this one’s for you!

JACQUELINE HARDING (ENSEMBLE / LEARN YOUR LESSONS WELL) is excited to be making her Winnipeg Fringe Festival debut with this talented cast and creative team! Originally from Winnipeg, Jacqueline is a graduate of the University of Manitoba (Bachelor of Music, Vocal Performance) and The Boston Conservatory (Master of Fine Arts,

Musical Theatre). Past Winnipeg credits include: A Man of No Importance (Dry Cold), Three Sisters: A Black Opera (Who is John Moe), The Sound of Music (Rainbow Stage).

ADRIAN PECOLD (ENSEMBLE / WE BESEECH THEE) believes theatre and music have been a “saving grace” (Godspell pun intended). Since arriving in Canada eight years ago from Poland, Adrian has immersed himself in theatre and music including singing with Prairie Voices. He has become a performing member of Hinode Taiko, a Japanese drumming group. Currently, “Mr. Pickled” is working on his Education degree at the University of Winnipeg..

WES RAMBO (ENSEMBLE / ALL GOOD GIFTS) hails from Landmark, Manitoba. He is currently enrolled in his final year of the Vocal Performance stream of the Bachelor of Music degree program at the University of Manitoba’s Desautels Faculty of Music. He has been seen on various stages around Winnipeg and Southeastern Manitoba, including at the Winnipeg Fringe. He has also performed several lead roles with the Winnipeg Gilbert and Sullivan Society.

EMMA STEFANCHUK (ENSEMBLE / DAY BY DAY) is delighted to be appearing in Godspell with a group of actors she loves and admires. There’s nothing like getting up on stage with a group of friends! Previous credits include Little Women (Dry Cold), Into the Woods (District Theatre Collective) and Bloodless (White Rabbit Productions). She would like to thank the people in her life for putting up with listening to the cast recording over and over again. Enjoy the show!

HALEY VINCENT (ENSEMBLE / BLESS THE LORD) is currently working her B.A Honours in Theatre at the University of Winnipeg. Most recently Haley was involved in a production of Into

the Woods where she played Little Red. Haley is also the recipient of the 2014/15 Jean Murray – Moray Sinclair scholarship, presented to her by the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. She is extremely excited to be working on Godspell this summer with such a talented group of people!

CREW AND CREATIVEKSENIA BRODA-MILIAN (DESIGNER) is delighted to be back at Fringe and working with WST. She holds an Honours BA from UWinnipeg in theatre design and is looking forward to pursuing an MFA at UAlberta in 2015. Recent design credits include Killing Game, Power of Yes, Sainte-Carmen…, and Seven Doors (UW), a youth outreach project for Sarasvati Productions, assistant lighting designer on Handmaid’sTale (RWB), and apprentice on Buddy… (Rainbow) and The Seagull (RMTC).

JORREL CAMUYONG (ASSISTANT PRODUCTION MANAGER / SOUND TECHNICIAN) is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg’s Theatre and Film program, and has recently completed his Bachelor of Education. Past Winnipeg Fringe credits include Zanna Don’t! (Stage 16), Fresher: the Musical (WST), and The Studio (Coffee Guy Productions). He is very excited to be working with WST again on this amazing production of Godspell, and would like to thank his friends and family for all of the love.

TATIANA CARNEVALE (DIRECTOR) LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to Mom, Dad, Leigha, Aiden, friends, and this amazing Godspell group. Favourite directing credits: The Seagull (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, apprentice), Avenue Q (District Theatre Collective, assistant), and [title of show] (Pocket Frock Productions). Training: BA Theatre, University of Winnipeg; MA Theatre Studies, University of Guelph. This August, Tat will be heading to Toronto to take part in the SummerWorks Leadership Intensive Program. Enjoy the show!

PAUL DE GURSE (MUSIC DIRECTOR) is a Winnipeg based music director and piano player. Favourite theatre credits: Avenue Q (Music Director, WST), Closer Than Ever (MD, Dry Cold), Ordinary Days (MD, WST/Angelwalk Theatre), Assassins (Keyboard II, RMTC). Apprentice Music Director: Mary Poppins (Rainbow), Little Women (Dry Cold). Other: Appearances for the past four years in the Winnipeg Jazz festival. Training: University of Manitoba.

ALI FULMYK (PRODUCTION MANAGER) is a local Stage Manager completing her apprenticeships. She is lucky to have her first Production Managing job with the cast and crew

of Godspell! Past credits include The Producers (Rainbow Stage), A Man of No Importance (Dry Cold), La Boheme (Manitoba Opera), Jane Eyre (RMTC), Don Pasquale (Manitoba Opera), The Miser of Middlegate (TPM/zone41), Mary Poppins (Rainbow Stage), Other People’s Money (RMTC), Ordinary Days (WST/Angelwalk Theatre).

KAYLA GORDON (PRODUCER) is just thrilled to be working with such a talented group of emerging artists. Godspell has been a love of hers since she saw it in the early 80’s. Enjoy the show and this fabulous group of artists!

REANNA JOSEPH (CHOREOGRAPHER) received training at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and is currently working towards a degree in theatre at U of W. She was the involved in the ACI Mentorship program, under Brenda Gorlick. Through this program she began her career in choreography assisting on Spring Awakening, Salomé and Altar Boyz. Reanna has had many opportunities working with different levels of ability by her involvement in flash mobs. She treasures telling stories through dance.

ERIN LAFORET (STAGE MANAGER) is thrilled to be working with such amazing talent at this year’s Fringe. Erin is pursuing an Honours BA in production & stage management at the U of W. When she’s not working as a production assistant with Sarasvati Productions, she tries to work on as many shows as possible. Her most recent credit is stage managing for the University of Winnipeg’s production of The Laramie Project, directed by Christopher Sigurdson.

ELLIOT LAZAR (ASSOCIATE MUSIC DIRECTOR) is excited to join the Godspell team! He was last seen at Fringe in Bare: a pop opera (Winnipeg Broadway Theatre). Elliot has been an apprentice with WST’s StudioWorks program on 13 the musical and Urinetown. Other asst. directing / asst. music directing credits include Massad: Live @ 60 (Camp Massad Manitoba) and Taking Off (Creative Minds). Watch for Elliot as Flounder in Disney’s The Little Mermaid at Rainbow Stage this August!

ANGELICA SCHWARTZ (ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGER) is thrilled to be working with WST for the first time with such a wonderful team! She has completed a year of Theatrical Production at the U of W and will be attending Studio 58 in the upcoming year. Past credits include: Power of Yes, The Killing Game (UW), A Funny Thing Happened ... (Kiss the Giraffe -Sondheim Fest), Diss (Sarasvati).

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Digital Program Notesby Ironstone Technologies

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THE BANDRachel Dueck, Matt Abraham

Cole Moreau

CHOREOGRAPHY ASSISTANTSEmily King, Chase Winnicky

PROMOTIONAL PHOTOGRAPHYCynthia Bettencourt

GRAPHIC DESIGN Ryan Segal

THANK YOU TO:Steve Vande-Vyvere, Hope McIntyre:

Sarasvati Productions,Alison Loat and Patty Hawkins:

The University of Winnipeg, Garden City Collegiate,

Bill Weissman:Shaarey Zedek Synagogue,

Wayne Buss, and Cherry Karpyshin: Prairie Theatre Exchange,

Chris Thompson: Rainbow Stage, Nancy and Tarra:

Woodydell Family Resource Centre, Phil Corrin, Trish Orton,Erin Meagan Schwartz,

Brendan Thompson, Jessina Cheffinsand of course, all our wonderful

families and friends!

WINNIPEG STUDIO THEATRE

Kayla GordonArtistic Director

Brenda GorlickAssociate Artistic Director

THE BOARDEveyln Hecht - PresidentDebbie Shaen - Officer

Benjamin Wiebe - DirectorRomey Whitwell - DirectorLorna McLarty - DirectorPhilipa Caplan - DirectorPam Sigurdson - Director

Ted Preston - DirectorRona Perlov - Director

Tracy Goltzman - DirectorRay Padua - Director

Victor Bargen - Honorary SolicitorLeanne Slobodian - Finance

SONGS

Day by Day ..............................................................................EMMA AND ENSEMBLE

Learn Your Lessons Well .............................. JACQUELINE, JESUS, AND ENSEMBLE

Bless the Lord ........................................................................HALEY AND ENSEMBLE

All for the Best ......................................................... JESUS, JUDAS, AND ENSEMBLE

All Good Gifts ........................................................................... WES AND ENSEMBLE

Turn Back O Man ................................................ JENNIFER, JESUS, AND ENSEMBLE

Alas for You ......................................................................................................... JESUS

By My Side .................................................................................................. ENSEMBLE

We Beseech Thee ............................................................... ADRIAN AND ENSEMBLE

Beautiful City ...................................................................................................... JESUS

On the Willows ................................................................................................. JUDAS

Finale ............................................................................................................ ENSEMBLE

JOHN-MICHAEL TEBELAK (CONCEPT AND ORIGINAL DIRECTION) originally wrote Godspell as his Master’s thesis project at Carnegie Mellon in 1971. Subsequently, he directed productions of Godspell at LaMaMa, the Cherry Lane Theatre, the Promenade Theatre and on Broadway. He received the 1971 Drama Desk Award for Most Promising Director. In 1972, Mr.Tebelak directed the play Elizabeth I on Broadway, and Off-Broadway staged The Glorious One in 1975 and Ka-Boom in 1980. He was also co-writer with David Greene of the 1973 film of Godspell. He was dramaturgy for the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine in New York, where he staged liturgical drama, and the church’s theatre bears his name. John-Michael Tebelak died of a heart attack in 1985 at the age of 35.

STEPHEN SCHWARTZ (MUSIC AND LYRICS) has contributed music and/or lyrics to Godspell, The Magic Show, The Baker’s Wife, Working (which he also adapted and directed), Rags, Children of Eden, My Fairytale, Pippin, and the current Broadway hit Wicked. He collaborated with Leonard Bernstein on the English texts for Bernstein’s Mass and wrote the title song for the play and movie Butterflies are Free. For children, he has written songs for two musicals, Captain Louie and My Son Pinocchio. For films, he collaborated with Alan Menken on the songs for Disney’s Enchanted, as well as the animated features Pocahantas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and wrote the songs for the DreamWorks animated

feature The Prince of Egypt. He has released two CDs of new songs entitled “Reluctant Pilgrim” and “Uncharted Territory.” His first opera, Séance on a Wet Afternoon, premiered with Opera Santa Barbara in the fall of 2009 and was recently produced by New York City Opera. A book about his career, “Defying Gravity,” has recently been released by Applause Books. Under the auspices of the ASCAP Foundation, he runs musical theatre workshops in New York and Los Angeles, and is currently the President of the Dramatists’ Guild. Mr. Schwartz has recently been given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and inducted into the Theatre Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Other awards include three Academy Awards, four Grammy Awards, four Drama Desk Awards, and a tiny handful of tennis trophies.

A MESSAGE FROM THE MUSIC DIRECTORIt was about 10 months ago that Tatiana and I went to lunch at Stella’s and began to talk about putting a piece in the Fringe Festival. We had had a lot of success at the Fringe in 2010 with [title of show], and we were both longing to do something creative and collaborative. We discussed a lot of different shows that day, but kept coming back to Godspell. The original idea was to re-orchestrate the show to have the cast play as many instruments as possible (backed up by a very small band), and to stage it in a non-traditional location. I knew we would need permission for that scale of music re-orchestration, so that night I sent Stephen Schwartz an email directly, describing our project and asking whether we had his blessing to go ahead. To my surprise, his representative got back to me within a couple days saying that Schwartz said, “go for it”.

Since then, this project has gone through many changes in order to get to the July 16th opening. We partnered with Kayla Gordon and Winnipeg Studio Theatre, who have shown an incredible amount of support and trust throughout this process. The show was nearly cancelled when our chosen non-traditional location fell through at the last second and we were fortunate to be able to secure PTE (thanks largely to hard work from Kayla, Ali Fulmyk, and Cherry at PTE). The orchestrations themselves went through several different iterations as we figured out what skills our wonderful cast had to offer. Overall, it’s been an incredible journey with Tat, Ali, Kayla and everyone else who has helped us at various points along the way. I’m so thrilled with the organic way this show has grown and the way the cast has embraced our ideas and made them happen in a way that feels natural and joyful.

I had planned on talking about the logic behind our musical concept on the show; about how having the cast play instruments that would traditionally be found in an elementary school music room highlights the theme of Jesus as teacher and the disciples as students. However, hopefully all of that and more will be apparent when you see the show. In place of that, I just want to say enjoy the show and spread the love!

Paul DeGurse

A MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTORIn his notes on Godspell, Stephen Schwartz states that this show, is a deceptively difficult one to direct. He cautions against the piece appearing formless or haphazard, because despite the seeming lack of a linear plot, there is a story underneath all these songs and parables that you are about to see. It may not be evident as we begin this journey. However, I challenge you as an audience member to find your own personal meaning while you watch this phenomenal cast and carry it with you out of PTE and into the world.

I have loved Godspell for a long time, mostly at first because of the amazing music. As I have explored the show further from a director’s perspective, I’ve come to appreciate it even more than I did as a fifteen year old listening to the soundtrack. Schwartz and his collaborator, the late John-Michael Tebelak, were extremely smart individuals. They created something that is complex and layered yet extremely accessible for everyone regardless of age, background, religious perspective, or taste. With this production, we as a company have tried to give the show a contemporary feel without losing any of the edge or experimentalist spirit that made this piece such a hit in the 70’s and allowed it to endure. This Godspell was truly a collaborative endeavour and it would not have been possible without the hard work, love, smarts, and spirit of this incredible company.

Thank you for coming to sing about love with us this Fringe! If you enjoyed the show please connect with us on Twitter at @GodspellWpg14 or on Winnipeg Studio Theatre’s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/groups/winnipegstudiotheatre/ and tell all your friends, family, and strangers to come check out our little skit.

All the best, Tatiana Carnevale

A CHAT WITH SOME OF THECAST AND CREATIVE CREWHow did you become interested in musical directing / choreographing / performing / production / etc?

ROBERT: I was a very fortunate child and was raised surrounded by the music and movies of Disney, and that’s definitely where my passion for performing began. The exact moment of my calling to the stage was when I first saw the touring company of Phantom of the Opera perform at the Centennial Concert Hall, I was singing the Christine Daae part for months after that.

EMMA: I had wonderful teachers growing up who inspired me and were able to help me become exactly the performer I wanted to be. The first musical I ever saw was Annie and from that point on I knew theatre had to be something I pursued within whatever capacity I could.

JACQUIE: My dad always played the full-length, double-cassette, cast recording of The Phantom of the Opera on road trips, and it was always my dream to play Christine Daae. Finally, in middle school, I convinced my parents to let me take voice lessons. After that came countless Music Festival performances and school plays. I was hooked!

ADRIAN: When I arrived in Canada from Poland, I had a really hard time with English and communicating with others was difficult until coming across the theatre and choral departments in high school. The first time that my friends heard me really talk was when I spoke my lines in my first play! Singing with a choir has taught me correct pronunciation and I’ve learned an incredible amount of new words! Choir’s also where I found my passion for percussion and drumming. I’ve got a big collection of percussion instruments from all around the world, which you’ll see, in the show. I highly recommend that any newcomer should join the theatre and/or choral programs in their school because it’s changed my life!

KSENIA: As a child, I was always designing little sets with my Barbies and Playmobil, and loved making outfits for paper dolls - early costuming! I trained in musical theatre for many years, including several with the StudioWorks program (back when it was still called YoungStars!) and have always loved theatre, especially musicals. I am happiest when contributing to a show in a creative capacity and love the problem-solving and collaborative aspects of design, and it’s exciting to use experiences from my past training to help make a show the best it can be.

ERIN: This is actually the very first musical I have ever worked on. I guess what got me interested in working on a musical production is it’s such a challenge.

It takes a lot of moving parts coming together harmoniously to make a musical happen. As a stage manager, I love the challenge.

ANGELICA: When I saw my very first professional production I was completely awestruck by the production sets, costumes, lights, and transitions and I whispered to myself “I want to do that.” I can tell you right now that I am one of the only people I know that gets goose bumps watching really clever and smooth scene transitions!

TATIANA: I have been involved in theatre since grade school as a performer. I kind of fell into directing in 2010, when I really wanted to produce [title of show] at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival, but I wanted to make sure it went my way! I really enjoyed that experience, though I promised myself I would never act (I played Heidi) and direct at the same time again, and I realized I kind of like directing things more than acting, and was better at it. You can eat as many donuts as you want and don’t have to go to the gym when you’re a director! Since [tos] I have been pursuing almost exclusively directing opportunities. While I was studying at the University of Guelph, I got to assistant direct two shows. Then I moved back to Winnipeg and was involved with local director Krista Jackson in the awesome mentorship program supported by ACI. After that I directed a new play by a high school playwright for the Scirocco High School Playwriting Competition. I love directing because of the unique challenges it presents. There is the opportunity to be really creative and innovative. There’s also a ton of hard work and research involved, but it’s so collaborative. I feel like directing is a great way for me to combine the practical training I received while studying acting at the University of Winnipeg, and the theoretical knowledge from my MA at the University of Guelph. The support of amazing mentors like Krista and Kayla has really encouraged me to continue making my way in this field.

HALEY: I became interested in performing at a very young age. I started taking singing and acting lessons when I was about 10 years old, which led me into not wanting to do anything else but perform. I also remember watching Grease repeatedly as a child and thinking it was thee best thing! So John Travolta could have been my muse…

Is there any special preparation you did to prepare for this production?

EMMA: When we found out we were cast, I ran into Reanna (the Choreographer) who said, “Better get your cardio up!” with a smirk. I knew she meant it, and I was terrified. I’ve been running…hopefully that helps.

JACQUIE: Working out to get ready for Reanna’s tough choreography!

ADRIAN: In the show I’m going to have to tell a story as I drum! To be able to

sing or speak while drumming it takes quite a bit of practice, which I’m excited to put in to make it entertaining and fun!

KSENIA: this show is unique because the actors are basically playing themselves. I’m looking at the text a lot and getting to know everyone to see how we can help their personalities shine onstage. I’ve also thought about different everyday materials and objects that can be used in a fun way for storytelling and choreography – everything onstage has to be there for a reason and we need it all to contribute to the actors’ portrayal of the text and ideas beyond it. Soon I’ll be trying to determine the moods and themes of each scene to work out lighting design.

ERIN: Besides making paperwork? I’ve been trying to teach myself to read music… and also make more paperwork.

ANGELICA: PREVENTING MY STAGE MANAGER FROM STRESS AND MAKING THE ACTORS LOOK SUPER FABULOUS ON STAGE

ROBERT: In preparation for Godspell I am committing to regular gym sessions to build up my stamina and also increased voice training. This is the hardest score I’ve had to sing yet, and boy, these orchestrations are something special.

TATIANA: The other evening I watched the old movie version of Godspell starring Victor Garber, which was… interesting. Stephen Schwartz has been very forthcoming in various interviews about Godspell, so I have done a lot of reading about him. In his notes to the director in the Godspell libretto, he also references an old book called A Feast of Fools by theologian Harvey Cox, which was John Michael Tebelak’s inspiration for the show and really helped me to embrace the spirit of what this piece is. I have been reading some more practical books about directing as well, which offer advice on everything from how to coach actors to how to talk to your designer to how to run an effective tech. It’s been a great learning experience so far.

HALEY: In preparation for the show I’ve been spending a lot of time on learning my harmonies. The show is pretty challenging musically so the more time I spend on it now the better! I’ve also been trying to figure out who my character is and how to infuse myself into what’s already written.

JEN: Growing up in the Catholic faith, I am personally very interested in the connections and interpretations in the script that were taken from the original Gospel readings. I feel that it is crucial to go back to these readings to get into the mindset of the disciples, as it would make for a truthful performance. All of this, and working on my egg shaking skills.

What is it about the Fringe that makes doing theatre so much fun?

EMMA: This is my first time in the Fringe Festival! It’s the coolest atmosphere to now be a part of as a performer rather than an audience member. There’s something magical about roaming through the Exchange and being surrounded by people who are there to be a part of that magic, too. There’s a lot of camaraderie between the companies and actors- that is something special about Winnipeg’s theatre community in general though, not just Fringe.

JACQUIE: It’s my first Fringe show, so I guess I’m about to find out! As an audience member though, I think what makes Fringe so exciting is the amount of theatrical diversity that you can always expect to find. I love seeing actors and directors experiment and explore, and I think the Fringe Festival is always rich with that.

KSENIA: building a beautiful show on a shoestring budget, working with a fabulous team of my fellow emerging artists, collaborating with up-and-coming talent, an attitude of trying new things is encouraged, presenting the show in a time and place when theatre fills the city!

ERIN: Working on a show for the Fringe Festival is always such a unique experience. Every show you work on is completely different from the last. You have to be adaptable and make peace with the fact that you are always going to be kept on your toes. It’s never dull, that’s for sure!

ANGELICA: This is the first time I have actually been apart of shows in the Fringe Festival. In the past I only volunteered. I love the Fringe so much because it brings everyone in the arts together. All the different categories of art come together for two and a half weeks and just bond and celebrate life and the enjoyment of theatre. Fringe also allows up and coming artists (Like the fantastic ones in Godspell) have chances to show their talents which I find really amazing.

ROBERT: The sense of community always makes Fringe a must during the summer. There are always new friendships to be made and old ones to enjoy during the festival as well as this insurmountable feeling of joy at being able to live in such a supportive, creative environment for the whole of Fringe and months beforehand.

ELLIOT: The Winnipeg Fringe is one of the most fun and rewarding theatrical experiences I have ever come across. Everything is so accessible, while at the same time being wild and wacky!

TATIANA: My first Fringe was fourteen years ago, and I have been hooked ever since then. It’s so much fun! There’s all the people traffic in Old

Market Square, and the food, and the stage, and the vendors. Plus there is the opportunity to connect with local artists and artists from all over the world! You get to see shows that you might have never seen otherwise and so many of them for so cheap! It’s a blast. It’s also a great and fairly low-risk opportunity for young artists to get involved and learn about producing and directing and marketing. Many of my best memories and stories stem from my involvement at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival.

HALEY: In Fringe you get some of the wackiest, most beautiful shows that you would never see be put on in the regular theatre season! The Fringe also brings this amazing energy that makes doing a show or seeing one incredibly fun!

KAYLA: One of my first Fringe shows was Origin of the Species. It was an unusual play and I had the great pleasure of working with actors Nancy Drake and Laura Schroeder. We had such a ball that summer and I was hooked. I have done a number of fringe shows since and it’s really one of my favorite vehicles for trying new works and taking unusual risks. It has been a pleasure working with Tat and Paul and such a tremendous, enthusiastic group of young emerging artists.

Why should people come see this show?

EMMA: Godspell is about finding love and truth and beauty in everything you do. We are such a diverse group of people and the show manages to bring out all of our talents and special quirks in cool ways. Plus, the harmonies are incredible. It’s going to be a fun, refreshing, energizing show!

JACQUIE: The music is so fantastic and fun. It is a vibrant score that is full of energy and stellar arrangements. Hearing this talented cast bring the music off the page has been incredibly exciting for me, and I think that everyone else should hear it too!

ADRIAN: People should come see this show because I know it’s going to make them leave with a huge smile! It’s not just a show where you sit back and relax... Get ready for some audience participation!

KSENIA: The show is filled with so much joy! Everyone involved is putting their heart and soul into the process and that will be evident onstage. I hope it will be an uplifting experience for the audience.

ERIN: People should come see Godspell because, like grandma’s homemade pie, a lot of love went into it.

ANGELICA: Whether you are religious or not - Godspell is a very positive show that all audiences will enjoy. My favourite part is the story invites audience

participation and really allows everyone in the theatre to share a moment together. Come see Godspell and come SING ABOUT LOVE!

ROBERT: The music and the amazing cast and creative team are definitely one of the most important elements of this show but I encourage people to come see this show for the story above all else. It is not only religious doctrine but an exploration of human nature, emphasizing our relationships, fears and need for love. Most important is love and how it will always prosper through every circumstance.

ELLIOT: People need to come see Godspell because this cast is going to blow the roof off of PTE with their insane talent and movie-star good looks!

HALEY: People should come see this show because it is about a community coming together no matter their walks in life, which is exactly what Fringe is about! It also allows the cast to be so creative, and to actually shape their individual characters into whatever they’d like, which I think will be very interesting to watch! Who knows what we’ll come up with…

JEN: This might sound redundant, but it is definitely a kind of show that everyone can take something from. The overall message of love to one another to the challenging yet utterly gorgeous musical score will definitely take you on a roller coaster of emotions.

ENJOY THE SHOW!