David Mamet presents
OLEANNA was first produced on the New York stage by Frederick Zollo, Mitchell Maxwell, Alan J. Schuster, Peggy Hill Rosenkranz, Ron Kastner, Thomas Viertel, Steven Baruch and Frank and Woji Gero, in association with Patricia Wolff. The Back Bay Theater Company production opened at the Orpheum Theatre on October 25, 1992.
Dedication:
To my family, Ariana, Robin and Uwe, who go above and beyond in supporting me, my work and vision. I love you and thank you!
To my mentors to whom I owe all my directing skills: Tudor Marascu, who taught me how to think, David Rotenberg, who taught me how to see. And to my dear friend, Sorin Botoseneanu who always listened.
Cristiana
Creative Team: Director: Cristiana Ripeanu
Distribution:
Carol: Jill Goranson
John: Paul du Toit
Set Design: Emily Schuler
Lighting Design: Michael Kerns
Sound Design: Jill Goranson
Photography: Moonrider Productions
Marketing Team:
Grace McNamarra - graphic design and marketing
Micaela Abalos - social media manager
Francis Rosario - website and newsletter design
Nikta Barzegar - outreach and analytics
Why Oleanna Now
A note from Cristiana Ripeanu, Director
Oleanna has been on my mind since I first encountered it back in the '90s. For reasons I couldn’t articulate at the time, it made me deeply uneasy. I was in theatre school then— an environment rife with normalized abuse: psychological, verbal, physical, and sexual. We accepted it as a rite of passage, a test that separated the “deserving” from the rest.
When I first read the play, I sided with the professor and hated Carol. But something about my response didn’t sit right. Over the years, I kept returning to the text, trying to understand that unease. Eventually, I realized I needed to stage it—not just to wrestle with the play itself, but to process my own experiences and evolving perspective.
It hasn’t been an easy journey. I’ve struggled with Mamet’s intentions. His portrayal of Carol lacks generosity and nuance, and I couldn’t accept the interpretations that have come before. I know the play famously split audiences along gender lines, with even many women siding with the professor. But for me, that only underscores how much the narrative is shaped by whose voice is given weight—and whose is not.
I approached this production through the lens of lived experience—through what it’s like to be in Carol’s position, now understood with the clarity that comes from time and distance. The world has shifted, too. We see power and gender differently today. But that doesn’t mean the conversation is over. It shouldn’t be. Just because there are newer, louder issues in the spotlight doesn’t mean this one has been resolved.
As with all my work, I’m not here to preach or push a single view. My hope is simply to open a door to a different reading of the text—one rooted in empathy, complexity, and the often-overlooked nuance of language. I hope the choices we’ve made in staging and performance reflect that. And if you leave the theatre with more questions than answers, I’d love to hear them. Reach out through our website. Let’s talk.
Cristiana Ripeanu, Director (she/her) Director
Cristiana is a Romanian-Canadian theatre director and educator. Her work has been staged at several state theatres in Romania and performed in multiple languages at festivals across Europe, such as Balkan Theatre Festival, International Theatre School Festivals (Greece, Netherlands, Albania), and Freistil Festival (Germany). In Canada and Germany, Cristiana has worked as an acting teacher and director for independent theatre companies and organizations. She also worked in community-building and social outreach programs with sociocultural organizations in Germany. After spending the last 14 years in Germany, Cristiana has relocated to Vancouver, where she joins other creators in the effort of enriching the Canadian theatre scene. She co-founded Exact Resemblance to create a platform where professional artists facing discrimination or barriers in accessing professional work can come together and create compelling work showcasing their talent and diverse perspectives. She also created mentorship programs for emerging artists to learn from their more experienced peers by being involved in the creative process while being taught relevant skills.
Jill Goranson (she/her)
Actress
Jill is a theatre creator, performer, producer, and educator of Métis, Austrian and Swedish descent who lives and works on the traditional lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. She graduated from Sheridan College’s Bachelor of Musical Theatre Program in 2019, where she was awarded the Triple Threat award. Since graduating, Jill has worked as a producer with Art Pop-Up (2019-2025), as an improviser with the Vancouver’s International Improv Festival as part of the Festival Ensemble (2022), as a creator with her one-person improvised musical and stand up show Sweaty, Bloated, and Stressed which premiered at the Toronto Fringe Festival (2023), and most recently as a composer and performer in The Tempest at Buddies in Bad Times (2024) with Theatre Rusticle.
Paul du Toit, Actor (he/him)
Actor
Paul is a celebrated actor and director, renowned for his work in television and film, including starring roles in Apple TV's "Foxtrot," Lifetime TV's "The Girl Who Wasn't Dead," and Amazon Prime's "My Spy: The Eternal City" alongside Hollywood A-listers. His international appearances include roles in "Bulletproof 3" for Sky TV and as Commander Lazarro in SYFY's "Vagrant Queen." Paul has a rich background in diverse projects like "Maze Runner 3," "Shark Killer," and "Tremors: Cold Day in Hell." He gained fame in South Africa as Malan Koster in "Binnelanders" and coproduced "Rough or Smooth" through his company, Fanagalo Films. On stage, he won the 2022 Fleur du Cap Theatre Award for Best Director for "The Unlikely Secret Agent" and has numerous accolades for his performances in musicals and plays, including "The Rocky Horror Show" and productions at the Fugard Theatre. Educated in drama and opera at Stellenbosch University, Paul currently divides his time between Vancouver, Canada, and Cape Town, South Africa, continuing to captivate audiences with his compelling performances and productions.
Paul says: Mamet's work is a challenge. To both artists and audiences. His work is not easy. It is neither easy to perform nor easy to watch. He takes the precious diamond we perceive ourselves to be and reveals its flaws - one tragic imperfection at a time. I am deeply honoured to play this piece with the support of such a dedicated and talented cast and crew here in Vancouver.
Emily Schuler (she/they)
Set Design
Emily (she/they) is a designer and musician currently based in Vancouver, BC. She is a recent graduate of the University of Victoria with a BFA in theatre design and a minor in music. Past costume credits include A Soldier Dreams (Costume Design, Douglas College), Dolly Parton’s A Smokey Mountain Christmas Carol (Assistant Costume Design, Arts Club), Window at the Prague Quadrennial ([UN]Common Design Project), and The Hot L Baltimore (Costume Design, Phoenix Theatre). Past set credits include The Lord Sees All (Set Design, SATCo) and What People Do in the Dark (Set Design, Independent Project).
Michael M. Kerns
Lighting Design
Michael is a Vancouver-based designer, technical director, and production manager whose work has spanned venues from New York’s HERE Arts Center to Vancouver Opera. A former Director of Technical Theatre at Germantown Friends School and Production Manager at Arcadia University, Michael has collaborated with renowned artists including Basil Twist and Lee Breuer. He is currently pursuing dual Master's degrees in Architecture and Landscape Architecture at UBC, where his research explores the intersection of performance, space, and ecological design.
Special thanks:
Productions
Thank you for the beautiful production photography. and to
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