by George F. Walker
We the Family opening September 18, Hart House Theatre presents a new play by one of Canada’s most powerful voices; the award-winning and acclaimed member of the Order of Canada, George F. Walker. Directed by Andrea Wasserman and featuring the city’s finest professional and emerging talent, this production is a prime example of what Hart House Theatre does best: pairing professionals with trained emerging youthful talent in theatre that has a high production value and is both compelling and unique.
Two families collide in this dark comedy full of wit and biting commentary on family, religion, multicultural mosaics and love. We the Family looks at the after-effects of a wedding between culturally divergent families. As they struggle to understand one another, their own failings and bad choices set them on a collision course with a devastating – and hilarious – end.
Andrea Wasserman Heading up the creative team with guidance and creative input from Walker himself is Director Andrea Wasserman. Andrea has directed or performed in many of Walker’s works, all of which inform bringing this show to the stage. From her Director’s Notes: What an honour to delve into this new play with George and become a part of the building and exploration of these characters…These rich, layered characters – faulty, troubled people that show us how racism (innocuous or malicious) is something we all own and practice to varying degrees. Through these people, We the Family explores the notion of a cultural mosaic; its failings and lies. How each beautiful piece of that mosaic is unique while having more similarities than we might like to admit; a jumble of pieces that have just as much a chance of creating chaos as beauty.
Andrea goes on to describe how the play breaks down the meaning of family and lays bare the absurdity of its expectations – particularly when faced with a wedding that includes lies, betrayals and larceny.
Tasked with creating the familiar mosaic of We the Family is design team Brandon Kleiman (Set), Kathleen Black (Costumes), David DeGrow (Lighting) and Jeremy Hutton (Sound).
We the Family
Multicultural mayhem. Love. Larceny. And death!
By George F. Walker
Directed by Andrea Wasserman
Set Design by Brandon Kleiman
Costume Design by Kathleen Black
Lighting Design by David DeGrow
Sound Design by Jeremy Hutton
World Premiere
FEATURING
Starring in the role of David Kaplan is Dora Award winner and nominee, John Cleland. John has been a professional actor in Toronto since 1995. After three seasons at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-On-The-Lake (his first “Theatre School”), John came back to Toronto and has enjoyed a varied career in stage, film, television and voicework. He has performed on many stages in Toronto and across Canada, working with directors like Richard Rose, Leah Cherniak, Richard Greenblatt and David Ferry. He has shared the stage with such legends as David Fox, Fiona Reid, Julie Stewart and Rosemary Dunsmore. John has been nominated for Dora Awards for a number of shows and won a Dora for Best Performance for Edward the Crazy Man in 2011.
Playing his unpredictable wife Lizzie Kaplan is former ballet dancer Sarah Murphy-Dyson. Sara is no stranger to Walker’s work, having appeared in the premiere stagings of The Bigger Issue and Parents Night, as well as other productions of his plays. Sarah has appeared on such shows as Rookie Blue, The Next Step and as Isabelle’s ballet teacher in the most recent American Girl movie. She is also a regular on Precious Chong’s Sex and the Single Mom, the CCA nominated web series. Sarah won a Gemini Award a long time ago, and was cited by Now Magazine for Outstanding Performance for The Naked Ballerina, which she wrote
Playing their daughter Marnie is Hart House Theatre returnee, Lindsey Middleton. Lindsey is best known for playing Vanessa on the internationally award winning, Toronto based web series, Out With Dad. She also co-produced her own spin off series called Vanessa’s Story and recently won the 2015 IAWTV Award for Best Female Performance in a Drama for her role. A graduate from the University of Toronto Mississauga and Sheridan College Theatre and Drama Studies Program, Lindsey has played around on many stages doing puppetry, stage combat, Shakespeare and new Canadian works. Lindsey is a co-founder of Bald Monkey Theatre and Well Fought Theatre Company
Featured ion the role of married-into-the-family Jenny Lee, is Hart House Theatre newcomer, Phoebe Hu. Phoebe is a performer, musician and street choreographer born and raised in Taiwan. After coming to Canada five years ago, she attended The Performing Arts Preparation Program at Sheridan College and Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts where she received the Triple Threat Award upon graduation. She is a member of the Theatre 20 Emerging Artist Ensemble of the 2015/16 season.
September 18 – October 3, 2015
Week 1: Fri. and Sat., 8 pm
Week 2: Wed. to Sat., 8 pm
Week 3: Wed. to Sat., 8 pm and Sat., 2 pm
Postshow Talkbacks: Sat., Sept. 19 and Thurs., Sept. 24
Preshow Artist Chat: Sat., Oct. 3 at 1 pm
Tickets & Box Office
Single Ticket Prices
Adults: $28
Seniors: $17
Students: $15
$12 Student tickets every Wednesday night
UofTtix Box Office
416.978.8849
www.uofttix.ca
About Hart House Theatre
Established in 1919, Hart House Theatre is the University of Toronto’s Performing Arts Leader. Since its inception, the theatre’s unique mix of young professionals, alumni, and students has garnered the theatre a reputation as a cultural destination for not only the community of U of T but also the city of Toronto.