Shaw Festival Announces 2009 Principal Casting

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, October 29, 2008 ’Ķ Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell today announced the principal casting and creative teams for the Shaw Festival’Äôs 2009 season. The 2009 playbill includes full productions of each play in Noˆ´l Coward’Äôs Tonight at 8:30, a celebrated collection of ten brilliant short plays brought to life on all three of the Festival’Äôs stages. A world premiere, this marks the first time all ten plays have been presented together in repertory theatre history. On August 8, 29 and September 19 The Shaw presents all ten plays in one day, an event appropriately named ’ÄúMad Dogs and Englishmen’Äù. The season also includes Bernard Shaw’Äôs The Devil’Äôs Disciple and In Good King Charles’Äôs Golden Days, a limited run of John Osborne’Äôs The Entertainer in our new Studio Theatre, four additional full productions, and the popular reading series of contemporary Shavian writers. The season runs from April 1 to November 1 in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The Shaw Festival welcomes back Company members Michael Ball, Neil Barclay, Donna Belleville, Andrew Bunker, Fiona Byrne, Benedict Campbell, Krista Colosimo, Nicolˆ° Correia-Damude, Sharry Flett, Patrick Galligan, Mary Haney, Deborah Hay, Patty Jamieson, David Jansen, Gabrielle Jones, Claire Jullien, Lorne Kennedy, Peter Krantz, Thom Marriott, Julie Martell, Marla McLean, Peter Millard, Moya O’ÄôConnell, Laurie Paton, Gray Powell, Ric Reid, David Schurmann, Goldie Semple, Graeme Somerville, Jay Turvey, Mark Uhre and Jenny L. Wright. In keeping with the Festival’Äôs emphasis on nurturing the careers of emerging theatre artists, several new members of the Company return in featured roles in 2009, including Kawa Ada, Beryl Bain, Lisa Codrington, Billy Lake, Ali Momen, Ken James Stewart, Richard Stewart, Jonathan Widdifield and Robin Evan Willis.

Festival favourites Evan Buliung, Patricia Hamilton, Corrine Koslo, Jim Mezon, Steven Sutcliffe and Wendy Thatcher return after absences from The Shaw’Äôs stages. Newcomers Kyle Blair, Saccha Dennis and Kelly Wong are warmly welcomed to The Shaw’Äôs Ensemble.

In making the announcement, Jackie Maxwell noted: ’ÄúThe creativity and multi-faceted character of our world renowned Ensemble of actors, directors and designers allows us to embark with great brio on an ambitious season. The staging of Tonight at 8:30, in particular, requires great versatility in the acting company and innovation and imagination from our directors and designers. I’Äôm thrilled to welcome to The Shaw for the 2009 season ’Äì and to welcome back ’Äì many of Canada’Äôs top theatre artists.’Äù

The Festival is also pleased to announce that Blair Williams will direct the Tonight at 8:30 production Ways of the Heart, which will include The Astonished Heart, Family Album, and Ways and Means, in the Court House Theatre. A veteran Shaw actor, Mr. Williams made his directorial debut at The Shaw in 2008, to great critical and audience acclaim, with Ferenc Molnˆ°r’Äôs The President.

Creative teams and primary and secondary castings include the following:

FESTIVAL THEATRE

Tonight at 8:30:
Brief Encounters

(Still Life, We Were Dancing, Hands Across the Sea)

by Noˆ´l Coward

Previews ’Äì April 11 Opens ’Äì May 20 Closes ’Äì October 24

Sponsored by: CIBC World Markets

Directed by Jackie Maxwell, designed by William Schmuck, lighting designed by Kevin Lamotte, original music and sound design by John Gzowski, video designed by Adam Larsen, choreography by Valerie Moore

Featuring Deborah Hay and Patrick Galligan, Corrine Koslo and Thom Marriott, with Krista Colosimo, Gray Powell and Goldie Semple.

Born Yesterday

by Garson Kanin

Previews ’Äì May 5 Opens ’Äì May 23 Closes ’Äì November 1

Sponsored by: Sun Life Financial

Directed by Neil Munro, designed by Sue LePage, lighting designed by Alan Brodie

Featuring Deborah Hay as Billie Dawn, Thom Marriott as Brock, and Gray Powell as Paul, with Donna Belleville, Patrick Galligan, Lorne Kennedy and Ali Momen.

The Devil’Äôs Disciple

by Bernard Shaw

Previews ’Äì June 14 Opens ’Äì July 9 Closes ’Äì October 11

Directed by Tadeusz Bradecki, designed by Peter Hartwell, lighting designed by Kevin Lamotte

Featuring Evan Buliung as Dick Dudgeon, Fiona Byrne as Judith Anderson, and Peter Krantz as Anthony Anderson, with Donna Belleville, Jim Mezon, Peter Millard, Richard Stewart and Jonathan Widdifield.

COURT HOUSE THEATRE

A Moon for the Misbegotten

by Eugene O’ÄôNeill

Previews ’Äì April 28 Opens ’Äì May 23 Closes ’Äì October 9

Sponsored by: Scotiabank Group

Directed by Joseph Ziegler, designed by Christina Poddubiuk, lighting designed by Louise Guinand

Featuring Moya O’ÄôConnell as Josie, David Jansen as James Tyrone, and Jim Mezon as Phil.

Albertine in Five Times

by Michel Tremblay, in a new translation by Linda Gaboriau

Previews ’Äì June 24 Opens ’Äì July 10 Closes ’Äì October 10

Directed by Micheline Chevrier, designed by Teresa Przybylski, lighting designed by Ereca Hassell, original music and sound design by Marc Desormeaux

Featuring Nicolˆ° Correia-Damude, Patricia Hamilton, Mary Haney, Marla McLean, Wendy Thatcher and Jenny L. Wright.

Tonight at 8:30:

Ways of the Heart

(The Astonished Heart, Family Album, Ways and Means)

by Noˆ´l Coward

Previews ’Äì July 21 Opens ’Äì August 1 Closes ’Äì October 11

Directed by Blair Williams, set designed by Sue LePage, costumes designed by Judith Bowden, lighting designed by Louise Guinand

Featuring Claire Jullien, Laurie Paton and David Jansen, with Michael Ball, Andrew Bunker and Lisa Codrington.

ROYAL GEORGE THEATRE

In Good King Charles’Äôs Golden Days

by Bernard Shaw

Previews ’Äì April 17 Opens ’Äì May 21 Closes ’Äì October 9

Sponsored by Producers Circle

Directed by Eda Holmes, set designed by Camellia Koo, costumes designed by Michael Gianfrancesco, lighting designed by Bonnie Beecher

Featuring Benedict Campbell as Charles II, Graeme Somerville as Isaac Newton, Laurie Paton as Catherine of Braganza and Ric Reid as Fox, with Andrew Bunker, Lisa Codrington, Nicolˆ° Correia-Damude, Mary Haney and Claire Jullien.

Sunday in the Park with George

Book by James Lapine, Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim

Previews ’Äì April 1 Opens ’Äì May 22 Closes ’Äì November 1

Sponsored by: TD Canada Trust Music

Directed by Alisa Palmer, musical direction by Paul Sportelli, designed by Judith Bowden, lighting designed by Alan Brodie

Featuring Steven Sutcliffe as George/George and Julie Martell as Dot/Marie, with Sharry Flett, Jay Turvey and Mark Uhre.

Tonight at 8:30:

Play, Orchestra, Play

(Red Peppers, Fumed Oak, Shadow Play)

by Noˆ´l Coward

Previews ’Äì June 9 Opens ’Äì July 11 Closes ’Äì October 31

Directed by Christopher Newton, musical direction by Paul Sportelli, designed by Cameron Porteous, lighting designed by Louise Guinand

Featuring Patty Jamieson, Jay Turvey and Steven Sutcliffe, with Wendy Thatcher.

Lunchtime:
Tonight at 8:30:

Star Chamber

Previews ’Äì June 25 Opens ’Äì July 11 Closes ’Äì October 11

by Noˆ´l Coward

Directed by Kate Lynch, designed by William Schmuck, lighting designed by Kirsten Watt

Featuring Neil Barclay, Evan Buliung, Fiona Byrne, Sharry Flett, Gabrielle Jones, Marla McLean, Mark Uhre and Jenny L. Wright.

In the New STUDIO THEATRE:

The Entertainer

by John Osborne

Previews ’Äì July 31 Opens ’Äì August 15 Closes ’Äì September 20

Sponsored by Paradigm Capital Inc.

Directed by Jackie Maxwell, designed by Peter Hartwell, lighting designed by Kevin Lamotte

Featuring Benedict Campbell as Archie, David Schurmann as Billy Rice, and Corrine Koslo as Phoebe, with Krista Colosimo and Ken James Stewart.

READING SERIES:

August 16 Ourselves Alone, by Anne Devlin, director TBA

August 30 Her Naked Skin, by Rebecca Lenkiewicz, directed by Eda Holmes

September 12 Topdog/Underdog, by Suzan-Lori Parks, directed by Philip Akin

September 27 Maria Severa, by Paul Sportelli and Jay Turvey, directed by Jackie Maxwell

Tickets for the 2009 season go on sale to Shaw Festival Members on November 8 and sales to the general public begin January 5 by mail, fax or online and on January 10 by phone or in person.

Tonight at 8:30 is generously supported by Lombard Insurance, Media Partners CTV and The Globe and Mail, and Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund.