Constellations Program June 21

Land acknowledgement

The cast and crew of Constellations would like to acknowledge our presence on the ancestral lands governed by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum between the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and the Anishinaabe Nation, an agreement to peaceably share and care for the lands and resources around the Great Lakes. In a spirit of reconciliation, may we always seek to respect the history, spirituality, and culture of Indigenous Peoples and uphold our continuing responsibility as treaty people.

A Note About the Play

I have the words “time is how you spend your love” tattooed on my back. They come from a poem by Nick Laird by way of Zadie’s Smith’s novel On Beauty. What they don’t tell you about back tattoos is that you yourself rarely get to see them. Many days I forget the words are there. But as I’ve immersed myself in the world (words) of this play, that quote has been dancing in my head. Constellations is a play about love, to be sure, but it’s also a love letter to time and how we spend it. Nick Payne’s play uses Marianne and Roland to help us examine how we all spend our time. How our own hours might, eventually, be written in the stars.

Stories are the great love of my life. It was books first, and then theatre. I believe Yuval Noah Harari when he says, “stories are the greatest human invention”. I think this holds true for many reasons, not the least of which is their ability to help us see what we can only imagine. As you join us tonight in Nick Payne’s vision of the multiverse, I invite you to imagine your own great story. Here you are, in a room surrounded by strangers and neighbours and fellow humans, all imagining together. As Marianne says, “we have all the time we’ve always had.” I hope, then, you might leave asking the question - how will I choose to spend it?

~Amber Mills, Artistic Producer of Hamilton Theatre Project

CONSTELLATIONS

by Nick Payne

CAST

MARIANNE

ROLAND

AMBER MILLS

COLIN PALANGIO

PRODUCTION TEAM

DIRECTOR

STAGE MANAGER

PRODUCER

BRANDON VEDELAGO

RACHEL MORE

AMBER MILLS

Originally produced on Broadway by the Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director, Barry Grove, Executive Producer, and The Royal Court Theatre by special arrangement with Ambassador Theatre Group and Dodgers on December 16, 2014.

Amber Mills - Marianne/Producer

Amber is an actor, singer, producer, and educator who was born and raised in Hamilton, ON. She is the founder and Artistic Producer of Hamilton Theatre Project, for which she has produced and starred in John & Jen, Ordinary Days, and now, Constellations. Some of her favourite theatre credits include Jesus Christ Superstar, The Sound of Music and My Fair Lady (Brott Festival), Fun Home (HTI), God of Carnage (Firehall Theatre), Tout Comme Elle (Necessary Angel), Twelfth Night, Therac 25 (Direct Flight), Steel Magnolias (Stirling Festival Theatre), Anne of Green Gables, The Beggar’s Opera (Thousand Islands Playhouse). Amber can be seen as Kindergarten teacher, Ms Doney on TVO’s Hi, Opie! and also happens to be a real life music teacher in the Montessori School at Hillfield Strathallan College. She is currently completing her MA in Community Music at Wilfrid Laurier University and is the proud mom of two delightful humans, Elliot and Greta.

Colin Palangio - Roland

Colin is an actor from Hamilton. He went to Westmount high school where he acted and directed plays and was head of the sketch team. His summer breaks were spent at the Theatre Aquarius summer programme. A graduate of the George Brown College theatre program and the Soulpepper Academy; Colin’s professional training as an actor spanned nearly six years. He is happy to be on the stage once again in this familiar space at the Staircase.

Rachel More - Stage Manager

Rachel is a Stage Manager, Production Manager, & Arts Educator. She has worked with Tapestry Opera, BrottOpera, and Toronto Operetta Theatre and is thrilled to once again be working with the incredible artists of Hamilton Theatre Project.

Brandon Vedelago - Director

Brandon Vedelago was born and raised in Hamilton, ON. He has been an educator and director of student productions for almost twenty years at Hillfield Strathallan College. While he loves directing students in musicals and plays, Brandon is excited for this opportunity to work with the adults of the Hamilton Theatre Project to bring Constellations to the stage.

Hamilton Theatre Project

Founded by Amber Mills in 2019, Hamilton Theatre Project aims to tell intimate stories for the big city that feels like a small town. Following our critically acclaimed debut, John & Jen in 2019 and our sell out success, Ordinary Days in 2020, Hamilton Theatre Project is delighted to tackle Nick Payne’s inventive romance, Constellations.

Thank you

Hillfield Strathallan College, McMaster University, Brian Mills, Gary Smith, Allison Jones, Patrick Brennan, James Kendal, Ron Palangio, Brandon Prodger, Matt Surina, Eric Bosch, Luke Brown, Michael Rode, Mason Micevski, Emily Boylea, Susan Ciancone, Antony Simunovic, Paradise Decks, The Dance Centre, Amanda & Lou Zamprogna, Jamie Andrew, Steve McKay, John Simpson, Glen McCann, Mark Davies, Lisa Ziegler