POVERTY COVE THEATRE COMPANY WAS FOUNDED BY MEGAN GAIL COLES AND SHANNON LYNN HAWES IN 2009. IN THE YEARS THAT FOLLOWED, COLES AND HAWES LED THE COMPANY AS THE CREATIVE DRIVING FORCE WRITING AND PRODUCING COLES’ WORK AS WELL AS DEVELOPING WORK FROM OTHER EMERGINGPLAYWRIGHTS
IN 2014, HAWES LEFT THE COMPANY TO PERMANENTLY PURSUE OPPORTUNITIES ELSEWHERE WHILE COLES REMAINS THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND PLAYWRIGHT IN RESIDENCE. IN 2020-21, EMMA TIBALDO FORMALLY JOINED PCTC AFTER BEING A CORE CREATIVE TEAM MEMBER SINCE ITS INCEPTION. ELIZABETH HICKS AND EMILY BRIDGER ALSO JOINED AS ARTISTIC ASSOCIATES ROUNDING OUT THE CORE TEAM TO FOUR WE CURRENTLY HAVE A THREE PERSON BOARD OF DIRECTORS CONSISTING OF PHILIPPAJONES,MAGGIEBURTONANDMELANIEOZON
PCTC IS DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING THE NEW WORK OF DEVELOPING NEWFOUNDLAND AND NEWFOUNDLAND-BASED PLAYWRIGHTS. PLAYWRIGHTS, ALONGSIDE LITERARY WRITERS AT LARGE, RARELY, IF EVER, SUBSIST ON EARNED INCOME RELATED TO PLAYWRITING BUT INSTEAD PLAY-WRITE WITHIN THE MARGINS OF STOLEN TIME. PCTC AIMS TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE PRESSURE PLACED ON PLAYWRIGHTS BY PROVIDING CONTINUAL SUPPORT THAT PRIVILEGES THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO PLAYMAKING AND THEATRE IN OUR PROVINCE AND ACROSS THIS COUNTRY WE CALL CANADA. THANK YOU TO ALL OUR PARTNERS, PRESENTERS AND FUNDERS FOR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT OUR WORK ANDTHANKYOUTOTHEAUDIENCEFORCOMINGTOOURSHOW WEMAKETHEATREFORYOU
PLAYWRIGHT’SNOTES MEGANGAILCOLES
I READ LISA MOORE’S OPEN IN A NEWFOUNDLAND LITERATURE CLASS OVER TWENTY YEARS AGO I KNEW AT ONCE THAT GRACE, IN PARTICULAR, WOULD STAY WITH ME ALL THE WHILE CHANGING THE TRAJECTORY OF MY ACADEMIC AND ARTISTIC LIFE YEARS LATER, WHEN I WAS REQUIRED TO SELECT PROSE FOR AN ADAPTATION PROJECT AT THEATER SCHOOL, THE CHOICE WAS OBVIOUS. I WAS TWENTY-FOUR, ROUTINELY PENNILESS AND CHRONICALLY UNREFINED, ATTEMPTING TO CULTIVATE A SENSE OF SELF WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THAT WOULD EVEN DEMAND OF A PERSON. IN THIS WAY, ELEANOR’S PERPETUAL STRUGGLE RESONATES WITH ME STILL AS IT LIKELY WILL WITH MULTITUDES THOUGH I HAVE NO DIRECT EXPERIENCE WITH CONSENSUAL NON-MONOGAMY, I HAVE UNFORTUNATELY COUNTLESS TIMES FOUND MYSELF COERCED INTO MEETING THE WANTS AND NEEDS OF OTHERS IT IS UNDOUBTEDLY PAINSTAKING, YET UNDENIABLY NECESSARY, TO EXAMINE ONE’S FLAWS ANDFALSEHOODSASELEANORDOESANDSOSHEISOURDESERVEDANTIHERO. DRUNK AND ANGRY, FIGHTING FOR HERSELF. IMPERFECT. DETERMINED. COMPLEX. LIFE IS FULL OF LESSONS IN RESILIENCE AND CAPACITY BUILDING, THE LIKES OF WHICH CAN ILLUMINATE THE JOY OF LIVING IF ONLY WE REMAIN COMPASSIONATE WHILE NAVIGATING OUR WELL-INTENDEDERRORS
IN THESE MOMENTS OF TRANSITION AND STRIFE, ART CAN PROVIDE A PHYSIOLOGICAL BUFFER AGAINST THE DAMAGE DONE WHILE UNDOING THE WORST OF IT. THEATRE ESPECIALLY, AS A REPRESENTATIONAL ART FORM, HAS THE REVOLUTIONARY CAPACITY TO ENACT PRO-SOCIAL CHANGE AND IMPROVE COLLECTIVE WELLNESS THROUGH EXAMINING SHARED BELIEFS. THE PLAY’S THE THING YOU SEE, IT ALWAYS HAS BEEN. STORYTELLING IS OUR CONNECTIVE TISSUE, THE STORIES WE TELL MAKE ANDREMAKEUS
IT HAS BEEN A BLESSING TO FINALLY TELL THIS STORY WITH THESE PEOPLE IN THIS PLACE WE CALL HOME. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO MADE THIS HAPPEN.
DIRECTOR’SNOTES
EMMATIBALDO
EVERY NEW PLAY BY MEGAN GAIL COLES UNLEASHES AN UNFORGETTABLE NUMBER OF CHARACTERS THAT HAUNT YOUR DREAMS AND IGNITE YOUR IMAGINATION THE CHARACTERS IN GRACE, ADAPTED FROM LISA MOORE’S NOVELLA, ARE NO DIFFERENT I AM BEYOND THRILLED THAT YOU GET TO EXPERIENCETHEMONTHISSTAGETONIGHT
RELATIONSHIPS CAN FALL APART, LOVE IS SOMETIMES FLEETING, FAMILY IS ALWAYS COMPLICATED. BUT WE STRUGGLE TO MAKE SENSE OF IT ALL, TO LOVE AS WELL AS WE CAN, AND FIND A SENSE OF WELL-BEING, PERHAPS ATTAINGRACE.IT’SMESSYBUTNECESSARY.
THECAST,ANDCREATIVETEAMCOMMITTEDTOTHESTORYWITHFEROCITY IN TRUTH, THIS HAS BEEN A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS THAT HAS MARKED ME, IN A GOOD WAY, FOREVER EVERYONE BROUGHT THEIR HEARTS, AND IMAGINATIONS TO THE WORK EVERY DAY, WITH KINDNESS, HUMOUR, AND ATOUCHOFDANGER.
PRESENTER’SNOTES AIDENFLYNNDIRECTOR,ARTSANDCULTURECENTRE
THERE ARE A LOT OF STORIES TO TRACK IN THE ARTS AND CULTURE CENTRES’ WORK WITH POVERTY COVE THEATRE IN THE DELIVERY OF GRACE TO THE MAINSTAGE POVERTY COVE THEATRE COMPANY HAS WORKED WITH THE ACC IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF 2 PREVIOUS PRODUCTIONS, OUR ELIZA AND FALLING TREES, AND MEGAN BROUGHT GREAT VISION, BEAUTIFUL WRITING, AND A WONDERFUL SENSE OF PURPOSE TO THESE PROJECTS. GRACE BEGAN AS A DISCUSSION ABOUT COVID RECOVERY AND WHAT THEATRE MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN A POSTPANDEMIC WORLD. I AM SO HAPPY THAT THIS WORK HAS FINALLY REACHED THE MAINSTAGE AND THANKS TO MEGAN, CAST AND CREW, AND PCTCFORBRINGINGGRACETOTHEACC
THE ACC STAFF WORKS TIRELESSLY WITH PERFORMING ARTS CLIENTS ACROSS ALL DISCIPLINES AND ALL LEVELS IN THE DELIVERY OF THEIR PRODUCTION GOALS AT ALL OUR PROVINCIAL VENUES. EVERY RELATIONSHIP IS UNIQUE, AND REQUIRES OUR PARTICULAR RESOURCES AND STAFF SKILLS IN ORDER TO GET TO CURTAIN. OUR CLIENT WORK IS ALWAYS SUPPORTED BY TECHNICAL TEAMS, PROMOTIONAL TEAMS, BOX OFFICE RESOURCES, ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, AND HOUSE MANAGEMENT IN THEIR REGULAR ROLES AND AT TIMES THEY ARE CALLED UPON TO EXTEND THEMSELVES IN ORDER TO MEET CLIENT REQUEST AND REQUIREMENT I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE ACC STAFF WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED THEIR TIMETOWORKONGRACE,ANDALLTHEIREFFORTSACROSSTHEPROVINCE IN HELPING OUR CLIENTS AND PARTNERS REALIZE THEIR OWN PRODUCTIONGOALS356DAYSAYEAR.
POVERTY COVE THEATRE COMPANY AND THE ARTS AND CULTURE CENTRE - PRESENTS -
WRITTEN BY MEGAN GAIL COLES
DIRECTED BY EMMA TIBALDO*
BASED ON THE NOVELLA BY LISA MOORE
CAST
AIDEN FLYNN - PHILIP**
AMELIA MANUEL - ELEANOR
CRAIG FRANCIS POWER - FRANK HARVEY
DARRYL HOPKINS - GLENN MARSHALL
DEIDRE GILLARD-ROWLINGS - CONSTANCE*
MEGHAN GREELEY - SADIE
CHORUS
ANDRYA DUFF
HILARY WALSH
MARTIN VALLÉE
*THEPARTICIPATIONOFTHESEARTISTSISARRANGEDBYPERMISSIONOFCANADIANACTORSEQUITY ASSOCIATIONUNDERTHEDANCEOPERATHEATREPOLICY.
**ACCSTAFFWHOAPPEARLISTEDASCASTANDCREWARENOTCONTRACTEDCOMPANYMEMBERS FORPOVERTYCOVETHEATRECOMPANY.
CREATIVE TEAM
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR - MARIE JONES**
SET AND LIGHTING DESIGNER - RENATE POHL
COSTUME DESIGNER - ELIZABETH PERRY
SOUND DESIGNER - DON ELLIS
CHOREOGRAPHER AND MOVEMENT DIRECTOR - LYNN PANTING
STAGE MANAGER - NEFREN FEIZO-GAS
PRODUCTION MANAGER - PATRICK FORAN
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR - RANDY FEENER
PRODUCTION MENTEE - SPENCER BELLOWS
SCENE PAINTERS - JACK SOUCEY AND SARA DOREY
PROPS - AUDREY GEROW AND ANDREW PYNE
CREATORS
MEGANGAILCOLES PLAYWRIGHT
Megan Gail Coles is a writer from the Great Northern Peninsula of Newfoundland/Ktaqmkuk. Her books include Squawk, Satched, Eating Habits of the Chronically Lonesome and Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club Her work has been a finalist for the Scotiabank Giller prize, a Canada Reads contender and has twice won the BMO Winterset award
EMMATIBALDO DIRECTOR
Emma is Artist in Residence at Concordia University, Theatre Department. She is Associate Artist with Poverty Cove Theatre in NL, and a freelance Director and Dramaturg She is the former Artistic and Executive Director of Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal. Emma has directed new Canadian plays across the country and is a recipient of LMDA’s Elliott Hayes Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dramaturgy, and the Conseil Québécois du théâtre Prix Sentinelle.
LISAMOORE AUTHOR
Lisa Moore is a writer of short stories and novels from St. John’s. She has won the Commonwealth Fiction Prize, CBC’s Canada Reads, and the Writers’ Trust Engel Findley Award and received nominations for the Man Booker Prize, Scotiabank Giller Prize, and Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize Her third novel, Caught, was adapted into a CBC television series Moore often sets her stories in Newfoundland, where she was born, raised, and lives with her family.
CAST
AIDENFLYNN PHILIP
Aiden is an accomplished actor, producer, writer, director, promoter, and administrator He has creator status on numerous festivals, venues, and companies and has worked alongside many great NL and Canadian artists, across all disciplines In 2011, Aiden began his tenure at the helm of the six provincial Arts and Culture Centres, first as programming manager and then director, a position he holds to this date He has produced and presented works across all disciplines in this position and had great success in 2023 as co-producer of the Gander production of Come From Away He still continues his work as an actor in theatre, tv, and film Recent credits include the RCAT production of Rig in 2023 at the LSPU Hall, his one-man show in its 21st season Penning The Carol at the LSPU Hall in 2023, and an appearance in the most recent season of Hudson and Rex.
AMELIAMANUEL ELEANOR
Amelia Manuel is an actor/singer/writer from Clarenville, NL. Some of her past theatrical credits include Birthday Balloon, Tartuffe, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Chicago, Tempting Province Supper Club
Amelia has appeared in the films Hunting Pignut, Black Conflux, Sweetland and The King Tide, as well as the television shows Astrid and Lilly Save the World, SurrealEstate and Hudson & Rex Amelia is also cocreator and co-writer of Double Out, a television comedy based on NL women ' s darts which is in development
CRAIGFRANCISPOWER FRANKHARVEY
Craig Francis Power (he/him) is an author, visual artist, and now an actor whose previous stage credits include the role of Noseworthy in She Said Yes!/RCA Theatre's production of "The Incomplete Herstory of Women in Newfoundland (and Labrador!)," and as Tiger/Pony in Persistence Theatre's "Room For A Pony" by Andrea Cooper He is the award-winning author of three novels, with a collection of poetry forthcoming in the fall of 2024. As a visual artist, he has shown widely at galleries across Canada, and is a previous nominee for the Sobey Art Award He lives in St John's with his partner, daughter, dog, and cat
DARRYLHOPKINS GLENNMARSHALL
Darryl Hopkins is an actor and musician from Mount Pearl, NL He holds a BFA from SWGC (MUN), where he received the Tommy Sexton Award in 2002 Hopkins spent the following decade touring and performing Robert Chafe's Tempting Providence to over 120,000 people on 3 continents. He was awarded Best Actor in a Short Film from both the Monaco International Film Fest (2017) and the Social World Film Fest (2018) for his performance in Noel Harris' short film, Touch He has appeared in three other Poverty Cove productions: The Battery, Rabbit Rabbit and Falling Trees.
DEIDREGILLARD-ROWLINGS CONSTANCE
Deidre is from the Great Northern Peninsula She holds a BFA from MUN From 2002-2012 she toured with Theatre Newfoundland Labrador's production of Tempting Providence by Robert Chafe She’s worked with theatre companies across the province and the country, including four seasons at the Stratford Theatre Festival She’s appeared in Gordon Pinsent’s Heyday!, CBC’s Republic of Doyle, City TV’s Hudson and Rex, Discovery’s Frontier and Christian Sparkes’ Hammer, as well as many shorts The last time she worked with Pover Cove was in 2011 when she appeared in The Battery
MEGHANGREELEY SADIE
Meghan Greeley is a writer, performer, and director from Corner Brook, NL She holds a BFA in Theatre from Sir Wilfred Grenfell College. As a performer, select theatre credits include: Jawbone, Hunger, Kingdom, Out of It, West Moon, Saltwater Moon, Play Me Home,Three Sisters, Richard III and Rabbit Rabbit For film: Crackie, Warehouse 13, Quelle Affaire, and Swallowed. If Meghan looks vaguely familiar to you but you can’t quite place her, it might be because you ’ ve seen her as Lucy Maud Montgomery in a Canadian Heritage Minute
ANDRYADUFF CHORUS
Andrya Duff is a multi-disciplined performer and creator who has brought this blended approach to stages to screens across North America, some highlights include, The Baroness Von Sketch Show (Choreographer/Dancer), Close to the Bone (Ian Foster Video Album), Fictional Dance Party (Geoffrey Pugen - Mulitple film festivals) Pleasure Principle (Ryan McNamara - Harbourfront Centre), Soundstreams (The Children’s Crusade - Luminato), Peaches (Opera House), Broken Social Scene (Sound Academy), Girl Talk (Toronto Island Festival). Circus Orange (Tricycle - World Pride, Hamilton SuperCrawl, Rochester Fringe), Theater Rusticle (Dinner at 7:30/The Stronger Variations - Buddies in Bad Times), Sore for Punching You (Exhale - Citadel, Dancemakers), Young Drones (Maggie MacDonald featuring The Bicycles Summerworks Music Series, Long Winter 2 4 the Great Hall) The Proust Project (Canstage Festival), Eli and The Death Curse (Untellable Movement Theatre) and Bad New Days (Summerworks)
HILARYWALSH CHORUS
Hilary Walsh (she/her), is excited to be joining Poverty Cove Theatre Company for Grace. A settler from St. John's, Newfoundland, Hilary is a multidiscipline dancer and aerial artist She has spent many years both dancing on the ground and in the air with local companies Recent credits include: Rocky Horror (Tada Entertainment), The Dress (Lynn Panting Dance), Eli & the Death Curse (Untellable Movement Theatre), Sidewalk Dandelion (Choreographer: Lauda, Shallaway Youth Choir), Four Parts (Untellable Dance Theatre), La Cage Aux Folles (Tada Entertainment). Outside of this Hilary is a registered occupational therapist and a qualifying dance movement therapist
MARTINVALLÉE CHORUS
Martin Vallee was Artistic Director of Kittiwake dance Theatre between 2007 and 2023 Trained at L’École Supérieure de Dance du Quebec and the Alberta Ballet School, his performing dance career took him to the United States and Europe with companies including: the Alberta Ballet, Calgary City Ballet, Banff Festival Ballet, Ottawa Ballet and The National Folk Ensemble, Les Sortileges In 2018, Martin was named the BMOArtsNL Artist of the Year for Newfoundland and Labrador. He was a member of the Dance Teachers Association of Newfoundland and served on the founding board of directors of DanceNL who recently granted him honorary lifetime Membership.
ARTSANDCULTURECENTREST JOHN’S-MAY11
