Grand Theatre presents The National Arts Centre, Vita Brevis Arts, Canadian Stage Company, Neptune Theatre, Grand Theatre Production of



Grand Theatre presents The National Arts Centre, Vita Brevis Arts, Canadian Stage Company, Neptune Theatre, Grand Theatre Production of
Part One: Family Tree
Part Two: The Diary
We are proud to support the Grand Theatre and the artists who have been captivating audiences with exciting, innovative, and entertaining productions.
BMO is proud to sponsor the Grand Theatre’s 2022/23 season.
This stage version of Ann-Marie MacDonald’s beloved Canadian classic, Fall On Your Knees comes to us after an extensive, cross-country tour – making stops in Toronto, Halifax, and Ottawa. After touching the hearts and minds of audiences across the nation, we proudly welcome this company to the Grand as they share their final performances with us and complete their epic stage journey.
You will find that “epic” is a word that is often used to describe this production. And, for good reason. Everything about this production is, in fact, epic: the story, which is so vast that it must be shared over two performances; the multitude of large theatre companies involved; and the extraordinary gathering of artists from coast to coast. In
so many ways, this production is an incredible feat. But, more than that, it is a true testament to what can be accomplished when we come together in the name of artistic creation.
After years of development and much anticipation, we are thrilled that you have joined us – in person – to experience this historic show. Whether this is your first encounter with the Piper family of Nova Scotia, or the tenth, we hope that this grand adventure transports you, surprises you, and reminds you of the strength of family – by blood or by choice – and the power of the arts!
Welcome.
dennis garnhum artistic directorWe are thrilled to welcome you back to the Grand Theatre, where we operate on the traditional lands of the Attawandaron (also known as Neutral) peoples and territories associated with various treaties of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, and Lunaapewak. The Attawandaron peoples once settled this region alongside the Algonquin and Haudenosaunee peoples and used this land as their traditional beaver hunting grounds.
In London, our treaties include the 1796 London Township Treaty and the 1822 Longwoods Treaty. The London Township Treaty was a regional treaty signed by diplomats representing all parties living on the land, which today we know as southwestern Ontario. The Longwoods Treaty was signed by representatives of the Crown and the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation and covers approximately 580,000 acres in the area.
Locally, there are three First Nations Communities. They are the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, the Oneida Nation of the Thames, and the Munsee Delaware Nation. We would also like to recognize the growing Indigenous urban population, comprised of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people.
We value the significant historical and contemporary contributions of local and regional First Nations, and all of the Original Peoples of Turtle Island (also known as North America), and acknowledge the traditional lands upon which we operate.
Spriet Stage, march 29 to april 2, 2023
Opening Night march 31
Grand Theatre presents The National Arts Centre, Vita Brevis Arts, Canadian Stage Company, Neptune Theatre, Grand Theatre Production of
World Premiere
Adaptation for the stage by Alisa Palmer & Hannah Moscovitch
Co-Created and Written by Hannah Moscovitch
Co-Created and Directed by Alisa Palmer
Production Dramaturgy by Mel Hague
Based on the Novel by Ann-Marie MacDonald
Lead Donors - Margaret Fountain, C.M., D.F.A.(hc), D.H.L.(hc) & David Fountain, C.M.
Developed with support from the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Produced with the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council.
Part 1: Family Tree - Approximately 3 hours with 1 intermission
Part 2: The Diary - Approximately 3 hours with 2 intermissions
Any video and/or audio recording of this production is strictly prohibited.
government funders
season sponsor
title sponsors
Grand Ghosts
Rubaboo
high school project
Boom X Elf: The Musical
Controlled Damage
East Coast Kitchen Party
East Coast Kitchen Party Guest Artist Sponsors
Title Sponsor Program Sponsors
Make a Difference Youth Programs Sponsor
jeans 'n classics presenting sponsor student club
grand gala presenting sponsor
compass new play development
Grand Ghosts
community partners
Hotel Apparel Vehicles Printing
Framing Catering Florist
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James Piper TIM CAMPBELL
Adelaide Taylor / Sweet Jessie Hogan JANELLE COOPER
Sister St. Monica / Giles MacVicar DIANE FLACKS / Mrs. Luvovitz
Lily Piper EVA FOOTE
Frances Piper DEBORAH HAY
Kathleen Piper SAMANTHA HILL
Ralph Luvovitz / David DREW MOORE
Leo “Ginger” Taylor / Impresario TONY OFORI
Materia Piper / Charity Woman CARA REBECCA
Mrs. Mahmoud / Musician MARYEM TOLLAR
Rose Lacroix / Doc Rose AMAKA UMEH
Anthony / Ambrose DAKOTA JAMAL WELLMAN
Mercedes Piper / Jeanne JENNY L WRIGHT
Mr. Mahmoud / Jameel / Maestro ANTOINE YARED
Rehearsal Swing KIRA CHISHOLM
Rehearsal Swing NAOMI NGEBULANA
musicians
Conductor, Piano, Accordion DOUGLAS PRICE
Violin, Accordion ANNA ATKINSON
Flutes, Reeds, Pipes SPENCER MURRAY
Vocals, Qanun, Oud, Percussion
MARYEM TOLLAR
The Grand Theatre is an active member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT) and engages, under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement, professional artists who are members of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. The Grand Theatre acknowledges with thanks the co-operation of Locals 105 and 828 of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists, and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada, and The London Musicians’ Association Local 279.
creative team
Author ANN-MARIE MACDONALD
Director / Adaptor / Co-Creator ALISA PALMER
Writer / Adaptor / Co-Creator HANNAH MOSCOVITCH
Associate Director CHERISSA RICHARDS
Choreographer NATASHA POWELL
Associate Choreographer HOLLYWOOD JADE
Associate Choreographer TEREKA TYLER-DAVIS
Music Supervisor & Composer SEAN MAYES
Set Designer CAMELLIA KOO*
Costume Designer JUDITH BOWDEN
Associate
Costume Designer JOYCE PADUA
Lighting Designer LEIGH ANN VARDY*
Sound Designer BRIAN KENNY
Audio Engineer BRANDON WELLS
Technical Director DANIEL BENNETT
Associate Music Supervisor DOUGLAS PRICE
Fight & Sexual Choreographer ANITA NITTOLY
Dramaturg MEL HAGUE
Dialect Coach JANE GOODERHAM
Dialect & Disability Consultant YOUSEF KADOURA
Stage Manager MICHAEL HART
Assistant Stage Manager SARAH MILLER
Apprentice Stage Manager VIRG IREDALE
A special thank you to Ciaran Brenneman, Apprentice Stage Manager in Toronto
*Indicated designers on this production are represented by the Associated Designers of Canada, IATSE Local ADC659.
Vita Brevis Arts (VBA) was founded by Alisa Palmer to support the development of theatre projects that are ambitious in scope, urgent in content and that have the capacity to speak to a wide range of audiences in a highly theatrical and sensually rich language. Inclusive and artistically excellent storytelling is at the heart of VBA’s mission.
In practice, VBA partners with established theatre companies to curate artist-driven development processes outside traditional models.
Past credits include the development for: Fall on Your Knees, Hamlet 911.
Artistic Producer
Alisa PalmerManaging Producer
Paul Beauchamp
Board of Directors
Paul Beauchamp, Elaine Calder, Alisa Palmer
Fall On Your Knees - Stage Adaptation was developed under the auspices of Vita Brevis Arts over a period of 10 years through the generous support of The National Arts Centre and the National Creation Fund, The Canada Council for the Arts, the Toronto Arts Council, The Citadel Theatre, The Shaw Festival, New York Theatre Workshop and Mirvish Productions. The Development and Premiere Production were directed by Alisa Palmer.
VBA would like to thank the many talented individuals whose generosity and commitment made this project possible. VBA offers special thanks to Ann-Marie MacDonald for her insights, her ongoing support and for her inspiring novel.
Special thanks to Jeanine Tesori and Reza Jacobs for their inspired and inspiring musical guidance; to Patricia Cerra for helping shape the artistic development; and to David Abel for his role in guiding VBA.
Like so many readers, I remember where I was when I read Fall On Your Knees because I remember the effect the novel had on me. As a young, queer, gender non-conforming person, born and raised on the East Coast into a family whose tree included immigrants, settlers, secrets, and surprises, I was moved and inspired by the novel; I felt seen by the story and stirred by the hope that lay in the characters’ reckoning with truth – however searing.
As a theatre maker, I was struck by what I recognized as an inherently theatrical engine driving the novel; I could see, hear and feel the worlds that MacDonald created. I was inspired to explore a theatrical adaptation because I knew that this voice, which continued to speak and sing in my imagination long after I set the book down, would speak and sing as powerfully to an audience. I’m grateful that Ann-Marie (who is, full disclosure, one of my most frequent artistic collaborators and also my wife) allowed me to try.
I have had the good fortune to assemble a remarkable team of artists. Over the past ten years, Vita Brevis Arts, my company with producers Paul Beauchamp and Patricia Cerra, with the support of incredible theatre companies and artistic leaders, has shepherded the project through a development process designed to listen to the voice of the novel; to explore the material and discover the style of the piece. My first artistic partner in this endeavour was Hannah Moscovitch, who had not only the talent and vision but also the courage and stamina to take it on. I want to thank all the gifted artists who have joined the project during this process and whose brilliant work you experience on stage today.
The shared dream of our artistic team was to bring to the stage the dynamic of the
novel; its sweep of love and ambition; its page-turning suspense; the deep relationships that readers develop with characters who are flawed, gifted, and often wounded. All this, along with the sheer delight of a story animated by music and passion and ultimately love.
When it came out, the novel Fall On Your Knees was immediately remarkable for the lesbian love story at its heart but as time has gone on, the long overdue reckoning with racism and abuses of power in our society has rendered other veins in the novel more urgent than ever. In the twenty-five years since I first read it, my children have grown up, my parents have passed away, and both my perspective and our world have shifted. In light of the increasing vulnerability of so many of our communities, the larger embrace of the novel’s story of family, both chosen and biological, is all the more poignant and powerful.
Fall On Your Knees is above all a story of passion – for life, for love, for truth and ultimately for redemption. Redemption is possible only when the truth has been acknowledged and shared. Ann-Marie has been quoted as saying that it’s a happy ending when at least one person has survived to tell the tale. Our theatrical version is inspired by the healing power of storytelling in its most enduring form, the shared circle. The circle crosses cultures and eras, and its invitation to bear witness is not only extended to a community, it also creates community. Thus, in one of the oldest forms of theatre we find the heart of our piece’s offer of hope for the future.
alisa palmerPackage includes: Two tickets to Neptune Theatre ’s production Billy Elliot The Musical Charming accommodations at The Halliburton Hotel
A three course, candle-lit dinner for two at local restaurant Stories
Theatre Credits: Tim has appeared in over 35 productions at the Stratford Festival, including John Proctor in The Crucible, Buckingham in Henry VIII, Chris Keller in All My Sons, and Horatio in Hamlet. Other theatre credits include Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare Theatre, Washington DC); Death of a Salesman, Twelve Angry Men, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Soulpepper); and Private Lives (Chicago Shakespeare). Film/TV: Robyn Hood (Global), Under the Banner of Heaven (FX), You Can Live Forever (Prospector Films), and V/H/S/94 (Shudder.)
Janelle Cooper is an award-winning Actor, a Director, Choreographer, Producer, Writer, and a Founder and the Artistic Director of Ellipsis Tree Collective. Janelle’s expertise is in the excavation of lived experience through performance creation/devising and multigenre storytelling, IBPOC artistic mentorship, and EDID (Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Decolonization) education through organizations like Black Pledge and The SCPA EDID Action Committee. Select Acting Credits: John Ware Reimagined (Blyth), The Color Purple (Neptune/Citadel/Royal Manitoba), Twelfth Night (Theatre Calgary/NAC), Adventures of a Black Girl, I Am For You (NAC); Speed Dating (Lunchbox);Charlotte’s Web, Penelopiad, Toad of Road Hall (ATP).
Diane Flacks Sister St. Monica / Giles MacVicar /Mrs. Luvovitz
Diane Flacks is a writer/actor. Her 5th solo play, Guilt, directed by Alisa Palmer, premiered this fall at One Yellow Rabbit, and is being developed with Tarragon toward a national tour. Pre-Covid, Diane played Nathan in Nathan the Wise (Stratford) and wrote & starred in the Dora nominated Unholy (Nightwood). Selected Acting: 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother (WJT), Body Politic (Dora nom), Yichud (TPM). Selected Playwrighting: Waiting Room, SIBS and Care with Richard Greenblatt (Tarragon), Luba, Simply, Luba (Kobzar award) and her hit solo shows Myth Me, By A Thread, Random Acts and Bear With Me (adapted from her book). She was CBC radio’s longtime National parenting columnist & TV writing includes Workin’ Moms, Baroness Von Sketch, and Kids In The Hall.
Theatre Credits: Jenna, Hamlet-911, Hermia, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Stratford Festival); Eva, April Fools (Segal Centre); UnCovered: Notes from the Heart (Musical Stage Co.); Girl, Once (Segal Centre); Audrey, As You Like It, Phillipa, The Taming of the Shrew (St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival); Andrea, Dark Vanilla Jungle (Blarney Productions); Halley, Armstrong’s War (Theatre Network); Mary Pickford, Murdoch Mysteries (Season 15). Training: National Theatre School of Canada, Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre. Awards: Two-time nominee – Sterling Award; three-time nominee – Edmonton Music Award; recipient of 2019 Montreal English Theatre Award for Lead Performance in a Musical & Emerging Artist; recipient of 2019 Shirley Banks Prize for Emerging Musical Theatre Artists.
The National Arts Centre is proud to partner with Grand Theatre, Vita Brevis Arts, Canadian Stage and Neptune Theatre on the World Premiere stage adaptation of Fall On Your Knees.
We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to two of Canada's greatest theatre champions: NAC Foundation board member Margaret Fountain, C.M., D.F.A.(hc), D.H.L.(hc) and her husband David Fountain, C.M. of Halifax.
Their generous leadership support has helped to bring this acclaimed Canadian story to stages across the country.
Canadian/International Credits: Deb is delighted to return to the Grand Theatre, where she last appeared as Mary in Mary Poppins. She's played on stages across Canada and internationally, and her selected credits include: London Road (Canadian Stage) As You Like It (Jeff Award Nomination) and School for Lies (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), Caroline, Or Change (Musical Stage Co), A Doll’s House Pt.2 (MTC/ Mirvish), as well as nine seasons at the Shaw Festival and six seasons at the Stratford Festival. Deborah played Catharine Cardinal in CTV’s award-winning crime drama Cardinal, and Therese Mendez in Apple TV’s mini series Five Days at Memorial, and starred in the feature film The Anniversary. Upcoming: Deb will be returning to the Shaw Festival to play in Blithe Spirit and The Game of Love and Chance.
Originally from Winnipeg, Samantha has performed on stages across Canada and the US. Broadway credits include Les Miserables (Cosette) Phantom of the Opera (Christine). Other Selected Theatre Credits: Jules Verne: From the Earth to the Moon (Off-Broadway), Les Miserables (Mirvish), August Osage Country, Christmas at Pemberley (RMTC), Gracie (PTE), The Mousetrap (Cape Playhouse), South Pacific (Drury Lane), Nine, The Light in The Piazza (Dry Cold Productions). Film/TV: The Editor, Who We Are Now (TIFF Premieres). Training: Samantha is a proud graduate of the University of Alberta BFA Acting Program. Other: I am so very grateful to be telling this story. Much love to mama and dad. @samjeannehill
Drew grew up on the traditional unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe (Ottawa). GCTC Past Credits: Forever Young, This is War, Generous and Proud. Other Theatre: Taming of the Shrew, As you Like it, Twelfth Night, All’s Well That Ends Well (SLSF) A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Company of Fools) Children of the Bear (Outside the March) Woyzeck’s Head (Third Wall) where Drew was nominated for a Prix Rideau award. Training: Drew is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada.
Tony was born and raised is Toronto and is a 2022 Dora Mavor Moore Award nominee for Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role for his performance in Soulpepper’s Pipeline Training: Tony is a Humber College and York University Alumni. Theatre Credits: Actually (Obsidian Theatre), Copy That (Tarragon Theatre) and Pipeline (Soulpepper Theatre).
Film/TV: Currently, Tony can be seen on Apple TV’s season 3 of Daytime Emmy winning show Ghostwriter as Malcolm Turner. Other: Want to know what’s next for Tony? Check him out at www.tonyofori.com.
deborah hay samantha hill drew moore tony oforiCara Rebecca is an actor, fight director, creator and emerging director. Theatre Credits: Cowgirl Up (ATP), Indecent (Segal), The Ward Cabaret (Harbourfront), Romeo & Juliet and Much Ado About Nothing (Repercussion), Don’t Read the Comments (Segal, Centaur, Fringe & Touring). Film/TV: Love in the Time of Coronavirus (self-produced), Antioch (Talisman), Pandora (Youtheatre), We F*ck (Indie), Forbidden (Discovery), Word! (TVO Kids), Elle (Fokus). Other: Cara is a co-founder of Ragtag, a multidisciplinary collective whose inaugural installation QUEERasure will premiere in Montreal later this year. Training: She is a graduate of the National Theatre School, McGill, and is accredited with the Academy of Dramatic Combat.
Credits: Maryem Tollar is a renowned EgyptianCanadian vocalist, known for her world music performances. She composed the music for the song Blow Blow Thou Winter Wind for Canadian Stage’s production of As You Like It, directed by Anand Rajaram in 2022. She was nominated for a 2010 Dora Award for outstanding cast in Nine Parts of Desire by Heather Raffo; and was in the 2009 Dora Award winning production of R. Murray Shafer’s opera The Children’s Crusade, playing the role of Ariana. Her voice has been heard CBC’s Little Mosque on the Prairie and A.R. Rahman’s Bollywood hit, Mayya Mayya. She performs with several Toronto musical groups including: Al Qahwa and Turkwaz. Maryem was awarded the inaugural 2019 Johanna Metcalf Prize for Performing Arts.
Theatre Credits: Hamlet in Hamlet; PraiseSinger in Death and the King’s Horseman; Helena, Flute, Moth in A Midsummer Night’s Dream; 1851: Spirit and Voice (Soulpepper/Myseum); 00 in The Wolves (Howland/Crow’s); Abigail in A Christmas Carol (Grand Theatre); Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Shakespeare in High Park); Spiker in James and the Giant Peach (Young People’s Theatre); Ariel in The Tempest (Hart House). Training: Factory Theatre Mechanicals; Randolph College. Awards: BBPA Harry Jerome Award; Dora Awards for The Wolves and Moby: A Whale of a Tale (Art & Water). Other: To my family, friends, and fans: thank you for your support. @yesamaka.
Dakota Jamal Wellman is a performer, educator, and creator, originally from Port Hope (ON) and currently based in Montreal. Training: He is an alumni of Bishop’s University (B.A. Drama, 2015) and of Black Theatre Workshop’s Artist Mentorship Program (2015-2016).
Awards: For his work on Simone Half and Half (BlackTheatre Workshop), Dakota was awarded the 2020 META for Outstanding Supporting Performance. Selected Theatre Credits: Pool ( No Water) (Persephone Productions), Superdogs (Segal Centre for Performing Arts), Summer of Sonnets (Repercussion Theatre), and Don’t Read The Comments (Sermo Scomber Theatre). Film/ TV: The Christmas Checklist, Terror Train, The Naughty Nine, About Sex, and Fester.
Jenny is thrilled to be making her Grand Theatre debut. In addition to this novel being her all-time favourite, she has been involved in its creation as a piece of theatre for ten years. Theatre Credits: Jenny has been in over fifty productions at the Shaw Festival since 1996, including You Can’t Take It With You, Time And The Conways, Peter Pan, Merrily We Roll Along, Pal Joey, Albertine in Five Times, Happy End, Guys and Dolls, Peter And The Starcatcher, Oh What A Lovely War, Androcles And The Lion, Holiday Inn. Other Credits: The Fighting Days (ECT), The 39 Steps, Educating Rita (Lyndesfarne), Cyberia (NAC). Training: BFA Concordia University.
Credits: Born in Lebanon and raised in Montreal, Antoine has worked in theatres across Canada and the US. His love of Shakespeare prompted a move to Stratford, where he spent five seasons performing classical plays such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, Pericles, King John, The Merchant of Venice, John Gabriel Borkman, The Alchemist, The Madwoman of Chaillot and Mother Courage. Antoine’s taste for adventure then spurred him to seize the opportunity of appearing in Groundling Theatre’s production of King Lear in Toronto, before accepting a role in The Last Wife at Montreal’s Centaur Theatre. More recently, he was employed south of the border at Washington DC’s Arena Stage in A Thousand Splendid Suns – a role he’d reprised a few months after the production toured San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.
Naomi got her start in community shows in Calgary, then moved to Toronto “for the culture”, eventually ending up in England, where she graduated with an MFA from the Guildford School of Acting in 2020. She has been waiting ever so patiently for theatres to re-open and is excited to have made her professional debut this year. Theatre Credits: Educating Rita (Watermark Theatre), DRACULA: A Comedy of Terrors (Segal Centre). Other: Outside of living the dream, she’s a certified yoga instructor and either on her mat or eating ice cream. Haagen Dazs. The vanilla one with the chocolate covered almonds.
Kira Chisholm Rehearsal Swing
Kira Chisholm (she/her) is an actor and theatre-maker who grew up on the land of the Wolastoqiyik (Fredericton, NB). She graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada’s Acting program in 2022 and is currently based in Winnipeg on Treaty 1 Territory. Recent Theatre Credits: Sally Bowles in Cabaret, The Brother/ Mother-Showman/Gradeschool Chum in Venus, Jezebel in An Irresistible Urge to do Something Inadvisable, and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (National Theatre School of Canada).
Velma Kelly in Chicago, Agave in The Bacchae (Theatre St. Thomas); Isabella in Measure for Measure, Lady Anne in Richard III (Bard in the Barracks).
Ann-Marie MacDonald is an author, playwright, and actor. She is known for her novels, Fall On Your Knees, The Way the Crow Flies, Adult Onset, and Fayne, as well as her plays, Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet), Belle Moral: A Natural History, and Hamlet 911. Her work as an actor on stage and screen has earned her a Gemini Award and a Genie Nomination, and she hosted and narrated CBC TV’s documentary series, Life and Times and Doc Zone. Her writing has been honoured with awards including the Chalmers, the Dora Mavor Moore, the Governor General’s, and the Commonwealth Prize. Ann-Marie is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada. In 2019 she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in recognition of her contribution to the arts and her activism for LGBTQ2S+ rights.
Alisa Palmer has led the development and world premiere of acclaimed theatre creations for over twenty five years including East of Berlin by Hannah Moscovitch, Sibs by Diane Flacks and Richard Greenblatt, Body Politic by Nick Green, Oh My Irma by Haley McGee, Belle Moral, Anything That Moves and Hamlet-911 by Ann-Marie MacDonald. Ms Palmer spent eight seasons at the Shaw Festival. Selected Credits: The Women, Sunday in the Park with George, The Philanderer and Pal Joey, and three seasons at the Stratford Festival (Hay Fever and Hamlet-911). She directed the box office breaking production of Good-Night Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) by Ann-Marie MacDonald, featuring the playwright in the leading role. Ms. Palmer has directed Canadian
premieres of works by international playwrights including Sarah Ruhl, Naomi Wallace and Caryl Churchill. Her acclaimed revival of Churchill’s Top Girls is featured in the documentary film Girls on Top by Fighting Fish Productions. She directed Cloud 9, also by Churchill for Mirvish Entertainment, where she was Resident Director for the World Premiere of Lord of the Rings. As Artistic Director of Nightwood Theatre, Ms. Palmer oversaw the commissioning, development and premiere of celebrated plays including Djanet Sears’ Harlem Duet and Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God, and Alex Bulmer’s Smudge, the first professional play by a visually impaired theatre maker which she also directed. Ms. Palmer is the recipient of numerous awards in Canada and internationally, including multiple Dora and Chalmers Awards, and the Award of Excellence in the Arts. She is a three-time finalist for the Siminovitch Prize for Directing and is a proud recipient of a Harold Award for her contribution to Independent Theatre. Ms. Palmer is currently the Executive Artistic Director of the National Theatre School of Canada, English Section and is founder and Artistic Producer of Vita Brevis Arts. She was born and raised in New Brunswick, in the unceded Territory of the Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik and currently lives in Montréal, unceded territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation, with her wife and daughters.
ann-marie macdonald alisa palmerHannah Moscovitch is an acclaimed Canadian playwright and TV writer whose work for the stage has been widely produced in Canada as well as around the world. Hannah been honoured with numerous awards for her body of work, including the Trillium Book Award, the Governor General’s Award, both the Herald Angel and a Scotsburn Fringe First at the Edinburgh Festival, and the prestigious Windham-Campbell Prize administered by Yale University. Hannah’s music-theatre hybrid Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story (co-created with Christian Barry and Ben Caplan) garnered a landslide of critical praise, including more than fifty four- and five-star reviews, becoming a TimeOut and New York Times Critic’s Pick, and receiving six Drama Desk Award nominations. Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story has been touring since 2017 and recently crossed the 400 performances line. Hannah’s other writing for the stage includes Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes, Post-Democracy, East of Berlin, This is War, Bunny, The Russian Play, What a Young Wife Ought to Know and Secret Life of a Mother (with Ann-Marie Kerr and Maev Beaty) among others. In television, Hannah is the Co-Creator, Executive Producer and Head Writer of Little Bird alongside show runner Jennifer Podemski for Bell Media and Rezolution. Little Bird will air on Crave and APTN Lumi in May 2023 (watch it, Canadians, watch this show). Recently, Hannah was Co-Executive Producer on Interview With The Vampire for AMC with Gran Via and Dwight Street Book Club producing. Hannah splits her time between Halifax and Los Angeles.
Cherissa Richards has appeared on stage and screen throughout Canada. Recent Directing Credits: Red Velvet (Crow’s Theatre); Harlem Duet (Bard on the Beach); Meet Me at Dawn (Theatre by the River); VOICE (Prairie Theatre Exchange); The Power of Harriet T (Manitoba Theatre for Young People). Cherissa is a Crow’s Theatre RBC Rising Star Emerging Director recipient-‘21, Why Not This Gen Directing Fellow-‘21, she received a directing diploma from National Theatre School directing residency in independent study-‘21. Directing Residencies: Bard on the Beach, Shaw Fesitval, Stratford Festival. Upcoming Directing: Trouble in Mind (Royal MTC/Citadel), Julius Caeser (Bard on the Beach) 2023, Diggers (Prairie Theatre Exchange/BlackTheatre Workshop) 2024.
Natasha Powell is a Toronto native who has been working in the dance industry for 17 years. Her soulful approach to movement that transcends genre can be seen and felt in her choreography and teachings. Credits: No stranger to the stage, Natasha has collaborated and created over 20 dance works for live performance. As the founder, artistic director, and choreographer for her company HOLLA JAZZ, she created the award-winning show FLOOR’D - the company’s first full-length production, presenting historical jazz dances in a new light. Awards: FLOOR’D was nominated for 4 Dora Mavor Moore Awards (including Outstanding Original Choreography by Powell, and Outstanding Production) winner of the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble, and named one of top 10 dance shows.
hannah moscovitch cherissa richards natasha powellA visionary with a passion for excellence, Hollywood Jade wears multiple hats as a choreographer, artistic director, performance coach, and media personality, among others. Selected Credits: Choreographer, Sleeping Beauty (Capitol Theatre), Choreographer, The Soul Of Motown (Stage West), Resident Choreographer/ Guest judge Canada’s Drag Race (Crave/World Of Wonder), Assistant Choreographer, The United States vs Billie Holiday (Hulu), Choreographer, Queen Tut (Fae), Choreographer, Accused (Fox).
Tereka T is a passionate performing artist and dance professional, always looking for ways to explore and tell diverse stories. She has appeared on screen and on stages in North America, Europe, Africa, and the Caribbean. Selected Credits: Facing Home: Love and Redemption (Kashedance), Shades (Esie Mensah Creations), Tribute to Harry Belafonte (Culchaworks), and Margarita (Holla Jazz). Awards: Tereka won a Dora Award for Best Ensemble as part of the cast of FLOOR’D (Holla Jazz). Film/TV: She has appeared in series American Gods and Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam CJ Walker and Canadian film Door Mouse.
Based in New York & Toronto, Sean Mayes enjoys a varied career as a conductor, music director, orchestrator, arranger, composer,
author & educator, spanning the range of numerous musical styles between Broadway, theatre, opera, classical & pops. Conducting Credits: Hadestown & MJ (Broadway), The Color Purple (Canadian Premiere), and Black Broadway with American Pops Orchestra (PBS National Broadcast). Other Credits: Come From Away (Music Supervisor, Finland), Aportia Chryptych (Composer/ Music Supervisor, Canadian Opera Company), King Lear (Composer, Stratford 2023). André De Shields with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (Orchestrations, Music Direction). Other: Co-author of An Inconvenient History of Black British Musical Theatre & Reframing the Musical (Bloomsbury).
Camellia is a Toronto based set and costume designer for theatre, opera, dance and site-specific performance installations and collaborations. Recent Theatre and Opera Credits: collaborations with The Electric Company, Factory Theatre, The National Arts Centre, Soulpepper Theatre, The Shaw Festival, The Stratford Festival, Tarragon Theatre, Against the Grain, Banff Centre, Boston Lyric Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Edmonton Opera, Helikon Opera (Moscow), Minnesota Opera, Pacific Opera Victoria, Santa Fe Opera, and Tapestry New Opera. Awards: Camellia has received six Dora Mavor Moore Awards (Toronto), a Sterling Award (Edmonton), a Chalmers Award Grant, 2006 Siminovitch Protégé Prize, and the 2016 Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Award for Costume Design.
hollywood jade tereka tyler-davis sean mayes c amellia kooJudith Bowden has been designing for the theatre for the past 25 years. Selected Credits: Costume design for Queen Goneril and King Lear (Soul Pepper Theatre). The Humans, (Citadel Theatre/ Canadian Stage). London Road, The Other Place, (Canadian Stage). Sense and Sensibility, (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre). Chimerica, (M.T.C./ Canadian Stage). Set and Costume design for White Christmas, Gaslight, Holiday Inn, LadyKillers, Grand Hotel, St Joan, and Sweeney Todd, costume design - Cabaret, at the Shaw Festival where she has designed for the past 20 seasons. She has had the pleasure of working at a number of theatres including the National Arts Centre, the Grand Theatre, Prairie Theatre Exchange, P.O.V. Theatre Calgary, The Citadel, Crows Theatre, ATP and Arena Stage, Washington, D.C.
Joyce Padua is a Toronto-based costume designer, cutter, and head of wardrobe. A BFA graduate of York University, her work as a designer and assistant has been featured in several productions including shows with the Shaw Festival, the Stratford Festival, and Factory Theatre. Awards: In 2021, Joyce was nominated as a Siminovitch Prize Protegée under designer Gillian Gallow. Theatre Credits: Costume design: Too True to Be Good (Shaw Festival), Year of the Rat (Factory Theatre), Desire Under the Elms (Shaw Festival), Head of Wardrobe: TOKA (Theatre PasseMuraille), Trout Stanley (Factory Theatre), Lady Sunrise (Factory Theatre), Marjorie Prime (Coal Mine Theatre).
Recent Theatre Credits: Hamlet 911, The Neverending Story, As You Like it, The Diary of Anne Frank (Stratford), The Breathing Hole, Metamorphosis (NAC), Misery, The Rocky Horror Show (Neptune), Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes (Belfry Theatre), For A Look or a Touch (Pacific Opera Victoria), Tell Tale Harbour (Confederation Centre for the Arts), Between Breaths, Everybody Just C@ lm The F#ck Down (Artistic Fraud), The Silver Arrow (Citadel Theatre), The Third Colour (Prairie Theatre Exchange), Secret Life of a Mother (Theatre Centre, Crows Theatre), and The God That Comes (2b). Other: Leigh Ann is a teacher and coach at NTS. She is originally from Newfoundland and now lives in Nova Scotia and works all over the country. She’s honoured to be part of the telling of this story with these remarkable people.
Brian is a designer for theatre from Mt. Pearl, Newfoundland and Labrador and is a graduate from The National Theatre School of Canada and Sheridan College. Selected Credits: Come From Away in Concert (Mirvish, Marquis Ent), Billy Elliott, The Rocky Horror Show, The Music Man, Little Shop of Horrors (Stratford Festival), Elf, Grow, Mary Poppins (Grand Theatre), Once (Segal Centre), Everybody Just C@lm The F#ck Down, Between Breaths, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams (Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland), Supper Club, Birthday Balloon (RCA Theatre). Other: Brian is a board member of the IATSE Local 659, The Associated Designers of Canada.
Douglas Price is an award-winning composer, music director, and teacher from London, Ontario. Training: He is an alumni of the Shaw Theatre Festival’s music directing internship program (mentor: Dr. Paul Sportelli), a masters graduate from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and he inaugurated the position of Head of Music at the National Theatre School of Canada (2014-2020). Other: He is the founder and creator of tunetorialz.com (an online catalogue of musical theatre lessons), and he recently launched his first book, Seventeen To Millionaire, a personal finance book for Canadian teenagers available at seventeentomillionaire.com.
Selected Fight Director Credits: 2019 Season (The Stratford Festival); The Last Wife, The 39 Steps, Successions (Centaur Theatre); Whole World (Carousel Players); Kitchen Radio, Stag & Doe, 2018 Season (Blyth Festival); Don Quichotte, Die Walkure, Carmen (Canadian Opera Company, Associate Fight Master). Stage Combat Instructor and Fight Director/Sexual Choreographer (National Theatre School).
Intimacy Choreographer: Trojan Girls and The Outhouse of Atreus (Outside The March/Factory Theatre/Factory Theatre); Our Place (Cahoots Theatre/Theatre Passe Murraille); TV/Film: Stunt Performer/Stunt Actor (selected credits: SEE, Star Trek: Discovery, Pretty Hard Cases, Teen Titans, The Boys, Rabbit Hole, What We Do in the Shadows, various Ubisoft motion capture productions).
Mel Hague is a Toronto based Curator and dramaturge. Mel is the Artistic Director of Factory
Theatre in Toronto. Previously, Mel has worked with Canadian Stage Company, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Obsidian Theatre Company, IFT Theatre, Factory Theatre, Banff Centre Playwrights Colony, current performing arts, fu-Gen Asian Canadian Theatre, Eastern Front Theatre, Queer Acts Festival, The Paprika Festival, and Mulgrave Road Theatre. Mel was the Director of the Rhubarb Festival from 2014 - 2019 and was selected as a Leader in Residence at the National Theatre School of Canada (2018/19). Selected Dramaturgy Work: Venus’ Daughter by Meghan Swaby (Obsidian Theatre Company, 2016) Up the Garden Path by Lisa Codrington (Obsidian Theatre Company, 2016), Black Boys by Saga Collectif (with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 2018) lulu v.7 aspects of a femme fatale (red light district with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 2018) Always Still the Dawn by Susanna Fournier (Canadian Stage, 2020). Other: Mel is a member of the Board of Directors for the Summerworks Festival.
Theatre Credits: London Road, The Syringa Tree, Rock ’n’ Roll (Canadian Stage) 19 seasons with The Stratford Festival; Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Cloud Nine, The Lord of the Rings, The Producers (Mirvish); Shaw Festival; War Horse, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Royal National Theatre/Mirvish); Matilda (Royal Shakespeare Company/Mirvish); Oroonoko, Chair (Theatre for a New Audience, New York). Television: Good Sam (CBS), Reacher (Amazon), Republic of Doyle (CBC). Teaching: Head of Voice, National Theatre School of Canada (2009-16); Centre for Indigenous Theatre; Birmingham Conservatory. Training: Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (MA Voice), Guildhall School of Music & Drama (BA Acting).
douglas price anita nittoly mel hague jane gooderhamYousef Kadoura is a Disabled Lebanese-Canadian actor, writer, and curator as well as a graduate of the acting program at the National Theatre School of Canada (2017). He was the producer and host of Walking the Space, a podcast series exploring disability in the arts, and was previously the 2018 Curator in Residence at Tangled Art + Disability. Theatre Credits: P.T. Barker, Inangible Adorations Caravan, as a part in Toronto’s Year of Public Art (2022) Jonathan, Jonathan La Figure du Goeland, (Geordie Theatre, 2021), and Jihad, Eraser, as a part of the Riser Project (2019).
Theatre Credits: 26 seasons at the Stratford Festival including All’s Well That Ends Well, Little Shop of Horrors, The Rocky Horror Show, Hay Fever, The Tempest starring Christopher Plummer, The Duchess of Malfi, The Swanne Trilogy amongst others; Heisenberg, Liv Stein (Canadian Stage); Constellations (Centaur/Canadian Stage); Body Politic (Buddies); The Death Of The King (Modern Times); The Winter’s Tale (Groundling); Bombay Black (Factory); Manon, Sandra and the Virgin Mary (Pleiades); Saint Carmen of The Main (NAC/ Canadian Stage); Romeo and Juliet (NAC); Mother Courage and Her Children (NAC/MTC); Real Live Girl (MTC); Fully Committed, Silence, Einstein’s Gift (Grand Theatre); Wit (Centaur); Hamlet (Neptune).
Sarah MillerAssistant Stage Manager
Sarah Miller is a Toronto-based freelance stage manager for live theatre and events. Select
Credits: I Send You This Cadmium Red (Art of Time); A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline (Capitol Theatre); MixTape (Crow’s Theatre/Grand Theatre); Bang Bang, The Crackwalker (Factory Theatre); The Runner ( Human Cargo/ Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre); Monday Nights (Luminato/Theatre Centre); Of Mice and Morro and Jasp (Manitoba Theatre for Young People); Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Mirvish); Lil’ Red Robin Hood (Ross Petty Productions); Sisters, Innocence Lost, Of Human Bondage, Spoon River, A Christmas Carol, Hosanna, The Heidi Chronicles, Angels in America (Soulpepper Theatre); Forever Plaid (Starvox Entertainment); Orestes, Yaga (Tarragon Theatre); The De Chardin Project (Theatre Passe Muraille) and Freedom Singer (Project Humanity).
Apprentice Stage Manager
Virg (she/her) is a freelance stage manager and props builder based in Mi’kma’ki, Halifax Nova Scotia. Select Stage Management Credits: Elapultiek (Tour for Two Planks and a Passion)
Crimes of the Heart, Boeing Boeing (Watermark Theatre) Dayboil, Good Grief, Half-Cracked, Hook, Line & Sinner (Ship’s Company Theatre)
#IAMTHECHEESE (Eastern Front Theatre & Halifax Theatre for Young People) Beneath
Springhill, The Lear Project (Neptune Theatre)
Hamlet (Below the Salt) Brundibar (Halifax Theatre for Young People) People, Places & Things, La Calandra (Fountain School of Performing Arts)
Pocket Rocket (Theatre Baddeck) Props Credits: Elf the Musical, Rocky Horror, Woman in Black (Neptune Theatre).
yousef kadoura michael hart sarah miller virg iredaleBehind-the-scenes in the
From the cast and crew meet and greet until the team moves to its final rehearsals on the Spriet Stage, the magic of theatre comes alive in the rehearsal hall.
We are grateful for the financial support provided by the following companies whose contributions assisted in the refurbishment of our main rehearsal hall – now aptly named: The Developers Rehearsal Hall.
Anna Atkinson is a singer, songwriter, composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist originally from Windsor, Ontario. She studied the viola at the University of Victoria before spending nine years immersed in Toronto’s creative music and theatre communities. Anna performs her own music as Linaire: experimental electro-pop combining emotionally lucid lyrics with synths, strings, and lo-fi beats. A self-titled debut album was released in 2020. Anna has also contributed, both as creator and performer, to numerous projects across music, theatre, film and dance. Most recently, she was musical director, co-creator and performer in Joe Jack et John’s Les waitress sont tristes in Montreal, where she now lives.
The son of a proud Scottish immigrant, Spencer Murray got his start playing the bagpipes when he was 8 years old. In his twenties Spencer moved to Toronto to study saxophone at Humber College with jazz legend, Pat LaBarbera, but at night he was studying Irish flute with Juno-winning Irish musician, Loretto Reid. In 2016, Spencer was accepted to the University of Limerick in Ireland, where he became the first ever Canadian to receive a Master’s degree in the Uilleann piping. Spencer has performed as a soloist with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra and with the Canadian company of Come From Away for over 850 performances. He is about to release his second album with his band Pipeslinger.
East Coast Kitchen Party, originally titled The Argyle Street Kitchen Party, offers an authentically Nova Scotian experience. It’s a concert celebration set in a kitchen, where the instruments come out, and friends start to play some of the best music that the East Coast has to offer. Each performance will see the stunning cast of Maritimers, joined by an outstanding lineup of London, Ontario musicians, who will drop in to give the party a very local flavour.
This is the perfect opportunity to grab your friends and family, raise a glass, and celebrate the music that defines us – and the music that binds us.
IN-PERSON VIDEO
Get the local inside scoop on East Coast Kitchen Party from co-creator, Jeremy Webb.
Exterior House Cleaning Services
• Window Washing
• Roof Washing
• Gutter Cleaning
• Power Washing
• Christmas Lights
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Dennis Garnhum
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Evan Klassen
ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION
PRODUCER
Lyndee Hansen
COMPANY MANAGER
Christine Gruenbauer
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR INTERN
Lennette Randall
EDUCATION MANAGER
Breanne Ritchie
ADMINISTRATION
IT DIRECTOR
Barb Whang
TESSITURA ADMINISTRATOR
Britt Duncan
operations
BUILDING MANAGER
Mike MacDonald
ASSISTANT BUILDING MANAGER
Aaron Simmons
HoUSEKEEPing
Luke Morrison
Patricia Sexsmith
Ben Storie
SECURITY
Shannon Goneau
Marty Petersons
Gaurav Thukral
John Whitty
DIRECTOR
Ansel Tempral
FINANCE ASSOCIATE
Judy Risser
ACCOUNTING ASSISTANT
Kelly Fraleigh
marketing & digital strategy
DIRECTOR
Lia Karidas
DIGITAL MARKETING
STRATEGIST
Rana Bajandooh
MARKETING PROJECT MANAGER
Allison Birs
COMMUNICATIONS
MANAGER
Caitlin Core
DIRECTOR
Heather Siskind-Levite
DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS AND EVENTS
Sarah Hilton
DEVELOPMENT
COORDINATOR
Jacob Wiley
FRONT OF HOUSE
FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER
Ali Samuel
ASSISTANT FRONT OF HOUSE MANAGER
Haley Helm
BAR & BEVERAGE
Mackenzie Bishop
Melissa Cameron
Laura Gallant
Amelia Hilton
Ben Kennes
Sabrina Sa
Sabrina Stewart
Hannah VanAlphen-Fyfe
Landon Wright
box office
AUDIENCE SERVICES SUPERVISOR
Denise Hay
REPRESENTATIVES
Caitlin Cahill
Trinity Harrison
Brittney-Lee Lowey
Karen McDonald
Cheryl Willison
PRODUCTION
DIRECTOR
Paul Fujimoto-Pihl
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Brayden Crawford
ASSISTANT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR
Sonja Niedermaier
PRODUCTION DRIVER
Jim Doucette
PROPERTIES
HEAD OF PROPS
Natalie Kearns
PROPS BUILDER/BUYER
Natalie Tsang
PROPS APPRENTI CE
Kassidy Noble
WARDROBE
HEAD OF WARDROBE
Lisa Wright
ASSISTANT HEAD OF WARDROBE/ACCESSORIES BUILDER
Elaine Ball
CUTTER
Kathryn Sherwin
WARDROBE APPRENTICE
Meghan Choma*
Scenic carpentry
HEAD SCENIC CARPENTER
Craig Pearson
FIRST CARPENTER
Tom Stewart
SECOND CARPENTER
John-Michael Plester
SCENIC CARPENTERS
Rory Leydier
Jerry Kirshner
SCENIC ART
HEAD SCENIC ARTIST
Richard Lawler
SENIOR SCENIC ARTIST
Craig Guthrie
SPRIET STAGE
HEAD STAGE CARPENTER
Steve West
HEAD OF AUDIO
Aaron Ouellette
HEAD OF LIGHTING
Liam Arbogast
HEAD OF FLYS
Jared Whitty
HEAD STAGE WARDROBE
Sarah Tracy
CREW
Jeff KenBialkowski Scott
Heather Sinclair
Raz Zemitis
AUBURN STAGE
HEAD TECHNICIAN
Steve Allen
PRESIDENT
George Kerhoulas
VICE-PRESIDENT
Matt Parr
PAST PRESIDENT
Anita Shah
TREASURER
Bill Assini
SECRETARY
Anne Toal DIRECTORS
Christopher Alleyne
Nicole Blanchette
Jamie Campbell
Blair Fantillo
Alexis Gordon
Jennifer Ho
Ron Koudys
Amira Mous
Jane Scholes
Jennifer Slay
Dr. Robert Sokol
PRESIDENT
Ron Koudys
VICE-PRESIDENT
Jamie Crich
TREASURER
Bill Assini
SECRETARY
George Kerhoulas
Tom Burnett
Dianne ElizabethCunningham
Drewlo
Peter Markvoort
Bob Schram
Tom Tillmann
*Supported by The George Cedric Metcalf Charitable FoundationAs we continue to build back audiences after two years of shutdown due to COVID19, we need your support more than ever before!
Your donation will ensure we are able to continue to deliver on our mission of creating transformative experiences on our stages, through our stories, to connect with and inspire our communities.
Donations of any and all amounts are valued by our Grand theatre family and come with a range of benefits. Thank you for your generous support.
GRAND Visionaries
$5,000–20,000+
Directors’ Circle / Ambassadors’ Circle / Patrons’ Circle
Pace-setting support at this elite level will, in turn, provide you with the most exclusive and personalized benefits, designed to bring you up close and personal with the staff and artists working at our theatre, as well as the Artistic and Executive Directors. Benefit highlights include: complimentary hosting opportunities, curated events, Opening Night subscriptions and more.
GRAND Champions
LONDON PROUD CLUB
$2,500–4,999
Donors at this level will directly assist your fellow Londoners who may not be able to afford access to the Grand through programs like Student Club, Holiday Wish for Kids and the CANOO program welcoming new Canadians to London. As a Grand Champion, you will attend specially designed events with like-minded supporters that will unlock the backstage experience of productions. Added benefits include: exclusive behind the scenes events including invitation to sneak peeks of coming seasons and a full season of posters!
GRAND Supporters
$10–2,499
Partners / Members / Friends / Associates
Your support will enable the Grand to expand and enhance programming. Benefits highlights include: recognition in our house programs, complimentary beverage tickets, a season poster collection and more!
A complete list of donor benefits is available on our website at grandtheatre.com. Any comments, questions, or suggestions can be directed to our Development Coordinator, Jacob Wiley, at jwiley@grandtheatre.com or 519.672.9030, ext. 245
Please note this donor list contains all donations received within the past 18 months
GRAND VISIONARIES DIRECTORS’ CIRCLE $20,000+
Lynn Davis • Elizabeth & Allan Drewlo • Caroline & Rodney Hancock • Nicole Le Riche & John Howard • Ron & Deb Koudys • Linda & Cecil Rorabeck • Debbie & Bob Schram •
Helen & Andy Spriet • Carol Stephenson • Marty & Susanne Thrasher • Judy White •
1 Anonymous Donor
patron's CIRCLE $10,000–19,999
Lynne Cram • Noreen De Shane • Alison Hannay • Susan & Ron Holliday • Jacqueline Crosby & George Kerhoulas • Diane & Michael Smith • Anne Toal & Paul Brisson
AMBASSDOR'S CIRCLE $5,000–9,999
Jane & Justin Amann • Heidi Bayley & Jamie Crich • Sharon Bryan • Allan & Susan Edwards
• Deb Harvey • Harry Joosten & Kathleen Murphy • Suzanne Lanthier • Peter Markvoort •
Deanie Markvoort • Amira Moussa • Jackie & John Porter • Alison & Doug Ross • Anita & Amit Shah • Susan Smith-Goddard • Roberta & Dr. Robert Sokol • Nicole Spriet & Sandy
Mikalachki • Zelinka Family
GRAND CHAMPIONS LONDON PROUD CLUB $2,500–4,999
Anne & Bruce Barran
Chris Alleyne & Chris
Costello
Jim Cressman
Jennifer Ho
Lily & Grant Hopcroft
Joan & Glenn Johnson
Evan Klassen
Lesley MacAskill & Chris
Jackman
Sandra & Don Letton
Mike Meddaoui
Jenny, Matt & Finn Parr
Carey & Holden Rhodes
Eleanor Schnall
Jennifer Slay
Linda Frosst Adams &
Stephen N. Adams QC
Jill & Brian Allen
Yvonne & Dr. Ross
Archibald
Rachael Berta
Brenda & Kerry Benson
David & Terianne Brebner
Susan Carlyle & David
Southen
Diana & Charles Coates
Dr Paul E Cooper & Mr
David J Hiebert
Dianne Cunningham
Jan & Guy De Rose
Danna DeJong
Chandlee Dickey & Larry
Panych
Emma Donoghue & Chris
Roulston
Jennifer Duncan
Glen & Marg Gagan
Elaine Stalker & Jack Norman
Domenico Strano
Debbie & Dave Tennant
Jane & Tom Tillmann
Sarah Tattersall & Kevin Endo
K L Turner
Rick Verrette & George Jolink
Peter & Beth Whatmore
$1,000–2,499
Ruth Laidlaw
Diana Bennett & Spencer
Mark Wilton
Dennis Garnhum & Bruce
Sellery
Mary Gillett & Thomas
Burnett
Jo-Anne & Richard Hammond
Barbara & Paul Hebert
Eleanore Huang & Jack Jung
Sandy Jamieson
Joanne Lubansky Johns & Dennis Johns
Elana Johnson & Christopher Collins
Michael Johnson
Kirsten Knight & Craig
Emptage
Mary Margaret & Gary
Koreen
Lanthier
Sharon & Brian Lessard
London Foods Ltd.
Liz & David Macdonald
Mary-Jane & Rick Mann
Darlene & Larry Marsh
Libby & Earl McMillan
Teresa & Ron McRae
Cydna Mercer
Michael and Valerie Milde
Ina Pakkert Migneron
Dawn & Franco Paron
Paul Butler and Chris Black
Foundation
Sandra & Robert Pearson
Dr Janet Pope
Deborah & Ronald Purdy
Glenda Robinson
Judith & Wilson Rodger
Mina Samuels
Pam Samuels
Georgina & Ralph Schinkel
Heather & Peter Scott
Liisa Sheldrick
Kim Shuit
Elaine & Ian Simpson
Joanne & Jack Smit
Erin & Dave Stimac
Norma Stokes
Diane Baird & Jurgen Tietz
The United Church of Canada
Foundation-The Mary and Norman Warner Fund
Margo Visser-DeVuono
John Zubick Limited
Anonymous Donor (1)
$500–999
Sharon & Harold Arbuckle
Doreen & Mike Bartlett
Beverly & David Bell
Maureen Boland
Carolyn & Colin Botten
C Chamberlain & C Bell
Moira Burke
Janet & James Caskey
Grace Coutinho
Jennifer & Peter Day
Midge & Phil Dean
Eileen Dobell
Marilyn & Art Fidler
Paul Fujimoto-Pihl
Joyce Garnett
Joseph & Gloria Gilbert
Kathryn Glasgow & Dave
Aziz
Rhonda Hallberg
Bea & Gavin Hamilton
Najet & Hanny Hassan
Margaret & John Hewitt
Ms Patricia Hoffer
Nitzan Holzberg
Brenda & Morrison Hurley
Jenna Hutchison
Alicia Jeffery
Ann & John Judson
Marty Kolls Schram & Mark
Schram
Steve Kopp
Ruta & William Lawrence
Michael Leopold
Dianne Lesperance
Catharine & Trev Luke
Jennifer Matthews
Scott McKowen & Christina
Poddubiuk
Kate Milner & Andrew
Petrasiunas
Julie Nicholson
Bekki Ollson
Deborah & Joe Owens
John Peebles
Lili Rechnitzer
Linda & Scott Ritchie
Sabrina Sater & Dave
Schram
Andrea M. Scott
Carolyn & Jack Scott
Celia & Rod Silverson
Anne Souter & William
Dawson
Jacqueline & Erich Specht
Linda E. Staudt
Maureen & Michael Tilson
Joan & Ross Totten
Judy & Gerry Wheaton
Faye & Rod Willis
Jacki Yellowlees
Dr. Betty Anne Younker
Anonymous Donors (5)
$100–499
Judy & Jack Abell
Susan Agranove
Henry J. Albers
Carole Alton
Mary Arrand
Reg Ash
Karen & Eric Auzins
Ruby Bantock
Sister Simone Batte
Alice Beddoe
Pat & Rodney Bell
Jane & Don Benson
Helene Berman
Ingrid & Monica Betz
Patricia Black & Bryan
Burwash
Sherri and Brandon
Bocchini
Joan & Robert Boyce
Lorena & Jack Brown
Sharon & Bill Burns
Linda & Larry Burt
Chris & Lori Cahill
Pamela Cameron
Madeline Campbell
Mary & James Campbell
Paul & Sandi Caplan
Lesley Carmichael
James Cassidy
Judy & Peter Castle
Jacklyn Chang-Cardoso
Donna Chute-Dolan
Janet Collins
Eileen & Hugh John Cook
Jane Corbett
Ada & Henry Cornelissen
Catharine Cornhill
Larry Cornies
Kenneth Cossoy
Aindrea Cramp
Cecilia & William Davies
Noreen Davis
Bonnie Dawe
Alfred Day
Barry Deathe & Susan
Brown
Eileen Dobell
Joanne Dow
Dorothy Downs & Thomas
Sobut
Vicki & Gord Drimmie
Joseph Driskill
Mary Dryden
Phil Dwyer & Christen
Shoesmith
Frances Dyson
Jeanette & Stuart Eberhard
Penny Eizenga
Doris England
Betty Escaf
Liz & Jim Etherington
Kim Eyre
Laurie Farquharson
Rudy & Lorna Fast
Barb & Bruce Fearnall
Linda & Louis Ferraro
Pat Fewster
Andrew First
Ann & Bill Fleming
Chuck and Valerie Ford
Lorie Forwell & William
Clark
Elizabeth Fowler
Suzanne Fratschko Elliott
Rhonda & David Freeman
Barbara Froats
Kim Gadsdon
Aaron Garber
Nathan Garber
Haley & Ryan Gauss
George Georgopoulos
The Glass Family
Rigmor & Gary Glen
David Gliddon
Basil and Belinda Gracious
Sheila & Al Green
Deb Greenfield
Jane Hair
Leah Hamilton
Pauline & Peter Hart
Manfred and Judith Harth
Muhammad Hassan
Margaret & Bruce Hastings
Denise Hay
Glenn and Lois Hayter
Maureen & Ian Herrick
Jennifer Hiltz
Mark Hodgkinson
Gail & Rick Hoevenaars
David Hoff
Kathleen Holland
Nancy & Martin Holmes
Cheryl Hooper
Louisa Howerow
Marian Hundt
Heather & Paul Huston
Susan & Howard Isaacs
Allan Johnson
Terry & Evelyn Julian
Mabel & Elton Kane
Michelle Kaplansky
Maureen & Shayne Kasiurak
Heather & David Keast
Tanis Kelly
Jordan Kilfoy
Marianne & Paul Kippax
M. E. Kirk
Rose & William Klein
Sheila & Stan Kogon
Susan & John Koval
Claire Lane
Margaret E Laird
Jennifer & Wayne Lawrence
William & Shirley Lawrence
Mr R Lawton & Mr S
Chitovas
Cheryl and Doug Lester
Marie Liddell
Karen Lilley
Susan and Mike Liska
Frank and Bonnie Littell
Dennis and Sharon Lunau
Suzanne Majhanovich
Mary Lynn & Paul Mansell
Lynn Marshall
Cheryl Masson
Janine & Jeff Mathyssen
Judith McBride
Sheila McBride
Gwen McBurney
Jamie and Cheryl McCallum
Joan McCarthy
Ms Mary Ellen McDermott
Nancy & Ian McDowell
Ann McEwan-Castellan
Ken McGuffin
Heather McLean
Sheilanne Lindsay
Patrick Malloy & Gayle
White-Malloy
Dianne & Ian McIntosh
Ann & Hugh McIntosh
Jason McIntyre
Nancy & Bill McKeough
Luella Barath & Paul McKnight
Marilynne McNeil
Robert Mepham
Louise Milligan
Beverley & Paul Mills
Shirley Mitchell
Michelle Mylemans
Larry and Nancy Needham
Celia Nichols & Cam
Johnston
Colleen O'Brien
Sandra O'Brien
Helen & Gordon Olmstead
John and Norine Opper
Dorothy & John Palmer
Maura Pare
Steven Parfeniuk
Elizabeth Parmeter & William Horne
Susie & Larry Patrick
Cam Pettinger & Tracey
Watters
Ann Pinchin
Norma & Jim Poel
Blair Poetschke
Mary Possmayer
Wesley & Wilma Prescod
Claire A. Prins
Karen & Rick Pritchett
Lisa Putman & Bruce Reed
Nancy Quinn & Jeff
DeLuzio
Gail & Gary Rains
Susan Wallace & James
Reaney
Bonnie & Peter Regier
Linda Rempel
Eleanore Reynolds
Sharon Rich
Kathleen & Douglas
Richards
Doris & Frank Robak
William & Barbara Robins
Garrett Rodman
Karen & Paul Romanson
Trudy Roth Walker & Lloyd
Walker
Elizabeth & Ralph Rudy
Dianne & Rick Rumney
Lynda & Howard Rundle
Inge & Paul Russell
Peggy Sattler
Denise & Gordon Saylor
Alan G. Sellery
Catherine & Gordon Sellery
Ms Julia Sert
Todd Shaddick
Valerie & John Sharpe
Sandra Shaw
Kathryn Sherwin
Jennifer Shields
Margaret & Robert Shirley
Lynne Sinclair-Ifill
Judy and Kevin Smith
Judith & Robert Southcott
Mr. and Mrs. Nancy and
Jerry Springer
Helena Steinmetz & Bruce
Hewitt
Susan Steven
Shonagh Stevenson-Ramsay
Sarah Stewart
Karen Stone
Janice & Paul Strickland
Bill & Sheila Strybosch
Joan & Ken Sumnall
Anne Sutton
Janet Szilagyi
Anne & Don Thede
Diane Thrasher
Gerard Tillmann
Jane Tillmann
Jody Timmerman
Anne Toal & Paul Brission
Susan Toth
Shannon Twynstra
Dr. Jane Upfold
Christine & Jake Van Dyk
Jan Vanesch
Catherine Vermue
Jennifer and Keith Vincent
David Wake
Judith Walker
Janis Wallace
Beth-Anne & Alex Wasko
Susan Waugh
Alice Wehlau
Margaret & Mark Whitley
Lynn & Ted Williams
Sandra-Pat Willis
Cheryl & Mark Willison
Joe Wilson
Ian & Mary Wilton
Pam & Paul Wilton
Ailene Wittstein
Doug W. Woods
Sharon Wright-Evans
Richard Yake
Elizabeth Yurkiw
Beverley Zaifman
Anonymous Donors (6)
The Barbara & John Cronyn Fund • The Grant & Lily Hopcroft Fund • The Larry & Susan Agranove Family Fund
• The Megan Holliday Memorial Fund
• The Verna D. Davis Endowment for the Arts
• Crawford MacLeod Foundation • Judith and Wilson Roger • McNee Family Foundation
• The William and Katharine Kostuk Family Fund
Thank you to those who gave in memory of Shirley Brown, Vivian Deleary, Mary Loncke, Eleanore Reynolds, Pam Samuels, and Lister Waugh, cherished friends of the Grand who are dearly missed.
We are deeply grateful to the compassionate individuals who have made the important and thoughtful decision to make a planned gift to the Grand Theatre. We honour them through their membership in the Proscenium Society.
Barbara Belbeck
Lynn Davis
Cathy & James Dunlop
Dr. Nicole le Riche & Dr. John Howard
EJ Lamb
Mary & Roger Lilliman
Susan Nickle
Diane & Gary Alan Price
Glenda Robinson
Judy White
Michael Wojtak
Karen Killeen
Membership to the Proscenium Society is available to those who have chosen to make a planned gift in one or more of the following ways:
• Bequests (donations through your will)
• Listed Securities
• Life Insurance Beneficiary Designation
• Charitable Remainder Trust and gifts of Residual Interest
• Charitable Gift Annuities
• Life Insurance Policies, rrsp, rrif
We remember the following members of the Grand Theatre family who have made a bequest to the theatre. Their legacy will help ensure that the Grand continues to flourish.
Hazel E. Bell
• Marista Ateena Brooks (Mikolaski)
• Walter R. (Wally) Duffield
• Douglas McCullough
Elizabeth Stratton
• Robert Crawford
• Innis Hammond
• Mary Eleanor Miller
• Buck A. M. Cuddy
• Theresa Cutler
• Helen Ann Day
• Barbara Horne
• Beryl Ivey
• Maureen Elizabeth Ryan
• Elizabeth Ann Jones
• Joseph Samuels
• Myrtle McCallum
• Donald Smith
• Doris Spence
We would also like to thank the members of our community who have welcomed visiting artists into their homes as Artist Housing Partners for this season:
Lesley Beagley
Pam Mandich
Mark Uhre
• Ross & Cathy Burgar
• Cam Quinn
• Jill Ellis-Worthington
• Patricia Reilly
• Peter & Jan Vogel
• Anna Grigg
• Wendy Sanderson-Culley
• Bob Ward & Susan Yerema
• Christine Hoover
• Anita & Amit Shah
• Megan Watson
• Denise Jung
• Lene Stentoft
• Doug & Connie Weir
• Beth Leibovitz
•
• Allan Stichbury •
The past two years have impacted many businesses and industries in our city. Please take note of and support the Grand Theatre Dining Partners listed below. Try out a new dining experience before or after your performance!
6-show Spriet Stage subscribers can enjoy 15% off their meal at participating dining program restaurants
Armouries Grille Premium Casual $$$ 325 Dundas Street, London
519-640-5030
www.marriott.com/yxudl
The Chef's Table Upscale Cuisine with $$
476 Richmond Street a Student's Smile
519-936-0960
thechurchkey.ca
The Church Key Bistro Pub Casual Fine Dining $$$
476 Richmond Street
519-936-0960
thechurchkey.ca
Che Resto Bar Casual Dining $$$
225 Dundas Street
519-601-7999
cherestobar.ca
Fellini Koolini’s Casual Fine Dining $$$
155 Albert Street
519-642-2300
fellinikoolinis.com
Garlic’s of London
481 Richmond Street
519-432-4092
garlicsoflondon.com
Upscale Rustic Cuisine $$$
Gnosh Dining & Cocktails Casual Fine Dining $$$$
125 Dundas Place
519-601-8050
gnoshdining.com
Grace Restaurant Farm-to-Table $$$$
215 Dundas Street (at Clarence) Fine Dining
226-667-4822
gracelondon.ca
Joe Kool’s Casual $$
595 Richmond Street
519-663-5665
joekools.ca
Marienbad Restaurant Casual Fine Dining $$$
122 Carling Street
519-679-9940
marienbad.ca
Moxie’s Grill & Bar Premium Casual $$$
441 Richmond Street
519-936-0745
moxies.com
Toboggan Brewing Company Brew Pub $$$
585 Richmond Street
519-433-2337
tobogganbrewing.com
Villa Cornelia Restaurant Continental $$
142 Kent Street Fine Dining
226-234-6267
villacorneliarestaurant.com
Winks Eatery Casual Dining Pub $$
551 Richmond Street (on Albert)
519-936-5079
winkseatery.com