A zone41 theatre / Theatre Projects Manitoba Premiere

WRITTEN BY CAROLYN GRAY. DIRECTED BY KRISTA JACKSON

October 3rd – 13th 2013 at the Asper Centre for Theatre & Film- 400 Colony Street (University of Winnipeg Campus)

in association with UWinnipeg Artfest 2013 as part of Culture Days Manitoba

Dark days have come for Winchell, our modern day miser. He is faced with the most dynamic situation of his life: he must woo his wife back so he won’t have to pay her out in divorce court, and cure his recently engaged daughter Emily of the matrimonial urge, so he won’t have to pay for a wedding – ever!

Set in modern day Winnipeg, Gray’s inspired version of Molière’s classic satire is part sex farce and part screwball comedy. Exploring family, love and money, The Miser of Middlegate sharply critiques our culture obsessed with acquisition and never loses its sense of humour.

A cheeky and irreverent romp into the lives of one entrepreneurial Winnipeg family.

“I’ll have everyone in the house put to torture, manservant, daughter, fiance and wife! Everyone – myself included! I suspect the whole pack of them!”

The Cast

Nicholas Rice as Winchell – The Miser
Marina Stephenson Kerr as Mia – The wife
Shannon Guile as Emily – The daughter
Andrew Cecon as – The waiter
Ryan James Miller as Richard – The butler

The Artistic Team

Set Design by Grant Guy
Costume Design by Angela Fey
Lighting Design by Scott Henderson
Sound Design: Greg Lowe
Dramaturge:  Bruce McManus
Stage Manager: Lisa Nelson
Production Manager: Steven Vande Vyvere
Production Consultant: Hugh Conacher
Apprentice Stage Manager: Ali Fulmyk
Apprentice Dramaturge: Casey Shapira

Photo: Dylan Hewlett

Carolyn Gray

Playwright

Carolyn Gray is a Winnipeg writer, actor, director, designer, and puppeteer. She is a founding member of Adhere and Deny Object Puppet Theatre, led by Grant Guy. Her play, The Elmwood Visitation (Scirocco Drama), was produced by Theatre Projects Manitoba in 2007 and won the Manitoba Day Award for excellence in archival research. She co-wrote a series of plays with the Rude Players helmed by Alan Williams, including Fun in Manitoba which she performed all over Manitoba and at the Tarragon Extra Space, TO. Her most recent play, North Main Gothic (Scirocco Drama), was the centrepiece of Theatre Projects Manitoba’s 2010 season. Gray was the 2008 winner of the John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer.

In May of this year she was appointed Executive Director for The Manitoba Writers Guild.

Krista Jackson
Director

Krista is very pleased to return to TPM after appearing in Linda Griffith’s Age of Arousal, Carolyn Gray’s North Main Gothic and Bruce McManus’ Three Sisters. Krista spent last season at The Shaw Festival where she assisted on Hedda Gabler, His Girl Friday and Misalliance and directed FourPlay. Other local directing credits include: The Seafarer, MTC, The Mamet Women, WJT TribeFest, Everything’s Fine, MAP Sirocco Drama Competition. As founding artistic director of zone41 theatre – a company devoted to re-visioning classics through ensemble collaboration – she directed Village Wooing, 2012 Master Playwright Festival/ShawFest and has led the developmental process for The Miser of Middlegate over the past two years with Carolyn, Bruce and Casey. A big thank you to Manitoba Association of Playwrights for supporting the development and TPM for joining zone41 as production partners. Next up Krista will direct Dying to Be Thin at MTYP and The Seagull at MTC. Krista was the 2013 recipient of The Gina Wilkinson Prize for Emerging Female Directors.

Nicholas Rice
Winchell – The Miser

Nicholas Rice is always glad to come back to his hometown Winnipeg. He last appeared here with Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, as Roy Cohn in the two-part Angels in America. Other Winnipeg credits include The Price, Fiddler on the Roof, Little Shop of Horrors, Diary of Anne Frank, and Waiting for Godot with MTC; Broken Glass, The Golden Land, None is Too Many, and A Shayna Maidel with Winnipeg Jewish Theatre; and Guys and Dolls and Fiddler on the Roof with Rainbow Stage. In addition, Nicholas was the studio teacher on the recently filmed Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story. A Kelvin grad and a lifelong Blue Bomber fan, he sends his best to all the Winnipeg loved ones and friends. This one’s for Doreen

Marina Stephenson Kerr
Mia – The Wife

Marina has appeared at TPM in two performances by Fufu Chichi, the racy ladies’ choir!

Most recently she played Cassius in SIR’s production of Julius Caesar and the Angel in WJT’s production of Angels in America.

On screen she can be seen in Todd and the Book of Pure Evil, Less than Kind, My Awkward Sexual Adventure and The Case Against Casey Anthony

Shannon Guile
Emily- The Daughter

Actor, writer, comedian, stunt performer and mime artist, Shannon Guile is a woman of action… or maybe just has ADD. Shannon is best known for her comedic stylings with two-time Canadian Comedy Award Nominated sketch troupe, Hot Thespian Action. Not confining her talents only to HTA, Shannon has also graced independent and professional stages around Manitoba, including Winnipeg Jewish Theatre’s Death of A Salesman , Manitoba Theatre Centre’s The History of Manitoba and most recently Sarasvàti Production’s Jail Baby . Always physical, Shannon spends a chunk of her time toppling over things, tumbling down other people’s stairs and getting punched in the face, as seen in Space Network’s Todd and the Book Of Pure Evil and Fox Television Studio’s Home Alone 5 . When not performing on stage or screen, Shannon has devoted herself to producing a mime program for members for the Deaf community and is helping them develop a troupe that will one day take over the World… or at least perform for it.

Andrew Cecon
Martin – The love interest

Andrew is a member of Shakespeare in the Ruins. This is his second show with the zone 41/TPM alliance. Recent credits include: Julius Caesar , The Walworth Farce, Ed’s Garage and A Few Good Men.

Love to Claire.

Ryan James Miller
Richard- The Butler

Ryan Miller may be familiar to you as one fifth of comedy sketch troupe Hot Thespian Action. With HTA, Ryan has performed to sold out audiences and has been nominated for two Canadian Comedy Awards. Ryan’s solo career has included performances with Winnipeg Jewish Theatre (Angels in America), Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre (Gone with the Wind), and most recently Shakespeare in the Ruins (Julius Caesar).

Bruce McManus
Dramaturge
Bruce McManus has written 20 plays, including All Restaurant Fires Are Arson, The Chinese Man Said Goodbye, Ordinary Days, Schedules, Calenture, and Selkirk Avenue, which was nominated for a Governor General’s Award for Drama in 1998. Adaptations include Three Sisters and A Dolls House (Prairie Theatre Exchange) and A Christmas Carol (Manitoba Theatre Centre). He served as Artistic Director of Theatre Projects Manitoba (1995-2000) and was a founding member of the Manitoba Association of Playwrights (MAP). He has been playwright –in- residence at MTC, PTE, the University of Winnipeg, MAP and most recently at the Winnipeg Public Library.

Grant Guy
Set Design

Grant Guy, founder and artistic director of Adhere And Deny, is a director, designer, playwright, curator and arts programmer/curator, video producer, performance artist and writer. The theatre companies Guy has worked for include the Tarragon Theatre, Theatre Projects Manitoba, the Manitoba Theatre Centre, Alberta Theatre Projects, Prairie Theatre Exchange, Chamber Opera West, Magnus Theatre, Shakespeare In The Ruins, Theatre Calgary, the Performing Theatre Company, Stratford Festival Theatre and Manitoba Theatre Workshop. Manitoba Arts Councils Arts Award of Distinction 2004.

Angela Fey
Costume Design

Angela’s costume design credits include
Dai (Enough)(Winnipeg Jewish Theatre);Three Sisters, A Village Wooing (zone41); and It’s a Wonder Life Manitoba (Parks Canada).
Angela has a degree in Theatre from the University of Winnipeg and is currently completing her Masters in Native Studies at the University of Manitoba.

Scott Henderson
Lighting Designer

Scott Henderson is a Winnipeg-based lighting designer who has worked for theatre companies across Canada including at the Stratford and Shaw Festivals. Scott’s work has also been seen on the stages of almost every theatre in Winnipeg. Most recently, Scott lit Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story and Mary Poppins for Rainbow Stage.The Miser of Middlegate is Scott’s debut production for zone41 theatre/Theatre Projects Manitoba.

Scott is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada and a graduate of Ryerson Theatre School

Greg Lowe
Sound Design

Guitarist Greg Lowe composes and performs in many diverse settings. He has recorded seven CDs of his own as well as recent releases by the Ministers Of Cool 2011 and Woody Holler and his Orchestra 2010. He has composed and performed music for over thirty theatre productions, over twenty radio dramas and musicals, and has had several orchestra pieces performed by the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and broadcast by the CBC. He performs often in Winnipeg with various jazz combos.

Please visit GREGLOWE.COM

Lisa Nelson
Stage Manager

Lisa Nelson is thrilled to be returning to TPM to work with this amazing cast and crew. Much love to Nick and Dave for their love and support!

Stage Managing credits include: Encore (Theatre Projects Manitoba); Angels in America: Perestroika (Winnipeg Jewish Theatre); Magical Mystery Munsch (Prairie Theatre Exchange); Tough Case (Manitoba Theatre for Young People); Henry V, Julius Caesar (Shakespeare in the Ruins); Talk (Prairie Scene Festival & Stage One English Festival/Winnipeg Jewish Theatre).

Apprentice Stage Managing credits include: Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Way to Heaven, Sunday Father (Winnipeg Jewish Theatre); The Fighting Days (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); The Moonlight Sonata of Beethoven Blatz (Theatre Projects Manitoba).

Steven Vande Vyvere
Production Manager

Steven started working in the technical realm of Theatre in 2008, and hasn’t looked back since. A recent graduate from the University of Winnipeg’s department of Theatre and Film, specializing in the production stream, he’s had the pleasure of being involved with over 20 productions and festivals since then, wearing a multitude of hats ranging from Production Manager to Props Coordinator, from Sound Designer to Stage Manager. Very recently, Steven worked as the Production Manager for Winnipeg Jewish Theatre’s Angels in
America: Perestroika. Steven is very excited and overjoyed to be working with Theatre Projects Manitoba for the first time in what promises to be a spectacular 2013 / 2014 season.

Hugh Conacher
Production Consultant

Ali Fulmyk
Apprentice Stage Manager

Ali is excited to work with TPM for the first time on The Miser of Middlegate! Select Stage Management/Props credits include: Mary Poppins (Rainbow Stage), Rooms: A Rock Romance (WST), Other Peoples Money (MTC), Ordinary Days (WST/Angelwalk), DAI (WJT), FemFest 2012 (Sarasvati), Fresher! The Musical (WST),EDEN (Sarasvati), FemFest 2011 (Sarasvati), Zanna, Don’t! (Stage 16), and [title of show] (Pocket Frock).(Shout out to Mum and Dad!)

Casey Shapira
Apprentice Dramaturge

Casey Shapira is thankful to Bruce McManus, zone41, TPM and the Winnipeg Arts Council for this incredible opportunity. Casey has worked as an actor, assistant director, theatre administrator, teacher and artist in Winnipeg and Toronto. Most recently she finished a workshop of Hirsch at the RMTC, and looks forward to working on the Warehouse production in November. Dramaturgy: Transit Diaries (Humber Theatre/Chameleon Co-Op). Actor: June’s Window, Above the Empress of China (Theatre Anywhere); Thimblerig (MAP); Spinning You Home (Sarasvati); wasted on the young, Year 25 Vigil, The Backspace Project (Humber Theatre).