VIMY - Western Canada Theatre Show Program

VIMY By

Vern Thiessen

E

0, 2018 2 O T ER 11 OCTOB

TR H THEA S U R B E SAG 1

THANK YOU TO OUR VALUED SUPPORTERS Presenting Partner

Government Support

Foundations

Season Partners

Printing | Signs + Displays | Responsive Marketing

VIMY Show Sponsors

Spotlight Sponsor

PWYC Mainstage MatinĂŠe Sponsor

Student Club Sponsor

Pre-Show Salon Partners

GENERAL NOTES In consideration of your fellow audience members’ comfort and enjoyment of the show, we ask the following:

Electronic Devices: Please turn off all cellular phones and watch alarms prior to the show.

Late Seating Policy: Patrons who arrive after a performance has begun will be seated at an appropriate interval in the program.

Scent-free Facilities: Please arrive perfume/cologne-free and do not bring flowers into the lobby or theatre.

Children: WCT productions, unless they are identified as Family Friendly, are not suitable for children or babes in arms. Every patron, regardless of age, requires a ticket. For more information, please visit the FAQs on wctlive.ca.

Recording Policy: Due to copyright regulations, the use of cameras and other video or audio recording of this performance by any means is strictly prohibited.

Services for Patrons: The Sagebrush Theatre now has hearing assist listening systems.

Both the Pavilion and Sagebrush theatres are wheelchair accessible and equipped with wheelchair-seating locations.

Please see the House Manager for details.

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VIMY

By Vern Thiessen Featuring in alphabetical order

GAELAN BEATTY Laurie NATHAN CARROLL Sid MARK FORD Jean-Paul (JP)/Bert LUCY MCNULTY Clare CHRISTOPHER MEJAKI Mike/Claude JACOB WOIKE Will Artistic Personnel JAMES MACDONALD Director NARDA MCCARROLL Set & Lighting Designer & Original Production co-Designer BRETTA GERECKE Original Production co-Designer CINDY WIEBE Associate Costume Designer LUKAS VANDERLIP Sound Designer SKYLAR NAKAZAWA Stage Manager LISA DALMAZZI Assistant Stage Manager

Vimy received significant development at the Banff Centre and was completed during the playwright’s residency at the Citadel Theatre.

Vimy was premiered by the Citadel Theatre in October, 2007.

Vimy is produced by arrangement with Kensington Literary Representation, 34 St. Andrew Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1K6.

Vern Thiessen is a member of Playwrights Guild of Canada.

“Here We Are, Here We Are Again” is by F. Wheeler (1915).

French translations are by Brian Dooley with assistance from Vincent Hoss-Desmarais.

Western Canada 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 Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.

Programme Producer: Western Canada Theatre • wctlive.ca • 250-372-3216 Printer: Wayside Press • www.waysideco.ca • 250-372-3373 Box Office: Kamloops Live! Box Office • kamloopslive.ca • 250-374-5483

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KAMLOOPS

1322 McGill Road

Sales•Design•Installation

info@kamtileworks.com Phone: 250-374-1300 • Fax: 250-374-8115

www.kamtileworks.com

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ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S NOTES Welcome my heart.

to Vimy, a play and subject that are close to

I directed Vimy in its premiere production in Edmonton, in 2007. It was an fulfilling process, as the choices we made in rehearsal contributed to the development of a terrific original script. The presence of the playwright, Vern Thiessen, in rehearsals allowed him to immediately respond to the work. It was a fully collaborative process, with the creativity of the entire company contributing to the theatricality of the production.

Since its premiere, Vimy has had over a dozen productions across Canada. Vern’s script is an excellent intertwining of personal relationships with an exploration of Canadian and Indigenous history and identity and the visceral experience of battle. The play was inspired by many reallife sources – letters, diaries, and memoirs of actual nurses and soldiers. In tone and theme, it also reflects some of the haunting poems of the World War One poets, including Wilfred Owen and Siegfried Sassoon, as well as composers such as Vaughn Williams and Benjamin Britten.

We are proud to present Vimy as we approach the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War on November 11, 2018. Remembrance can sometimes be an abstract concept. Although we play songs, lay wreaths, and mark the sobering statistics (over 20 million people killed worldwide in that one conflict), a play like Vimy allows us to personally identify with a few of the people most affected by the war, with a representation of a small cross-section of our country.

At WCT we are committed to bringing you plays that explore the many aspects of the Canadian experience. So, we are pleased that our recent productions of GLORY (about a real-life 1930’s women’s hockey team) and Made in Italy (about a young Italian growing up in 1970’s Jasper) have been picked up to play in over 20 venues over the next year, carrying their stories, along with the WCT logo and the name of our outstanding city, with them. This production of Vimy will also have further presentations in Vernon and West Vancouver following the run in Kamloops.

We are grateful for the support of Veterans Affairs Canada, as well as the cooperation of the Rocky Mountain Rangers. We all pay tribute to the many women and men who have sacrificed so much to serve our country, and we thank them for their service.

Lest We Forget.

James MacDonald Artistic Director, Western Canada Theatre Director, Vimy 5

PROUD TO SPONSOR WESTERN CANADA THEATRE 1

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ARTISTS’ BIOGRAPHIES GAELAN BEATTY Laurie At WCT: Debut Elsewhere: Gaelan has been seen on stages across the country in 5 different provinces and 1 territory on his quest to work in all of them. Most notably, he has performed Off-Broadway in Nevermore, on the Canadian National Tour of Studies in Motion, in Crazy For You at the Gateway Theatre, and in Peter and the Starcatcher at the Globe Theatre in Regina. He also performed for 3 seasons at Bard on the Beach and played Dany Zuko in Grease at Theatre Under the Stars in Vancouver. More recently, he has been spotted at Stage West Calgary performing in Legally Blonde and some musical reviews and at the Globe Theatre in Regina doing Mary Poppins and All Shook Up, among other shows. He has also had the privilege to perform on such TV shows as Fringe, Arrow, and The 100. He would like to thank his partner and favourite photography subject, Kate. Gaelan is a graduate of Studio 58.

NATHAN CARROLL Sid At WCT: Upcoming: Buddy in The Buddy Holly Story (coproduction with 1000 Islands Playhouse) Elsewhere: Once (Grand/Manitoba Theatre Centre); Terry Fox in Marathon of Hope, Honk! (Drayton); The Wizard of Oz (Young People’s Theatre); Chasse Galerie (Storefront); The Drawer Boy (Port Stanley); Once (Mirvish); Two Gentlemen of Verona/The Tempest (St. Lawrence Shakespeare); Floyd Collins (Talk is Free Theatre/Patrick St.); Salt-Water Moon (Common Roof); The Sound of Music (Citadel); and The Book of Esther/Bordertown Café (Blyth). Other: Nathan has been a member of three Dora Award-winning ensembles (Once, The Wizard of Oz, Chasse Galerie) and is a graduate of George Brown Theatre School and the Theatre Aquarius Performing Arts Program. Upcoming: Peter Pan (Bad Hats/Soulpepper), Hook Up (Theatre Passe Muraille/ Tapestry), Next to Normal (Musical Stage Co./Mirvish) LISA DALMAZZI Assistant Stage Manager At WCT: Debut Elsewhere: After a brief stint in the Ontario craft beer industry, Lisa is thrilled to be back working in theatre. Production credits include The Real Inspector Hound (Bright Young Things); Souvenir (Gravenhurst Opera House); The Snow Queen (Azimuth Theatre); CLEAVE (Tiny Bear Jaws); Game of Clones (Kidoons); The Steadfast Tin Solder, Rumpelstiltskin (Alberta Opera); A Christmas Carol (Citadel Theatre); Othello, Twelfth Night, Much Ado About Nothing, MacBeth (Freewill Players); and Everything Is Terribly Nice Here (Ghost River Theatre). They hold a degree from the University of Alberta’s BFA Stage Management program.

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Proud to Support Western Canada Theatre

Western Canada Theatre continues to deliver VIBRANT professional theatre to our community.

The City of Kamloops is a proud sponsor and wishes the company all the best in its 2018-2019 season.

kamloops.ca 8

MARK FORD Jean-Paul (JP)/Bert At WCT: Debut Elsewhere: Other credits include Hamlet (Hamlet), Alan Strang (Equus), Lysander (A Midsummer Night’s Dream), Algernon Moncrieff (The Importance of Being Earnest), Romeo (Fools & Mortals), Fred/Young Scrooge (A Christmas Carol), Buddy Layman (The Diviners), Mark Dolson (Mass Appeal), Eddie Brock (Born Yesterday), Lucky (Dames At Sea), Barber/Rocinante (Man of La Mancha), Big Jew/DaSilva (A Clockwork Orange), Billy (Sherlock Holmes), Valère (Tartuffe), Arthur Miller (Ah! Wilderness). Mark is an award-winning actor and playwright from Okotoks, Alberta. He received a BFA from the Hartt School Actor Training Program (Magna Cum Laude, class of 2012). He’s proud to be a part of this production and is grateful to be a member of such a great company. Love and thanks to the Vimy team, and to my own team for everything.

MarkFord.ca @markyfordo BRETTA GERECKE Original Production co-Designer At WCT: Debut Elsewhere: Bretta is a set, lighting and costume designer for theatre, circus, and opera. She is the resident designer at Catalyst Theatre where she creates and tours new musicals across North America, the UK, and Australia. Bretta also designs for companies such as Cirque du Soleil, The Royal Shakespeare Company, The National Arts Centre, Edmonton Opera, Calgary Opera, and The Grand Theatre. She is the recipient of over 25 awards, in addition to being awarded Avenue Magazine’s Top 40 under 40, Global Television’s Woman of Vision Award, IPL Best Emerging Artist, being a nominee for the Lucille Lortel Award (Best Costume Design, Off Broadway), and three times short-listed for the Siminovitch Prize. She recently represented Canada in Prague at the Scenography Quadrennial and her costume designs were exhibited in Moscow, Beijing, and Taipei.

NARDA MCCARROLL Set & Lighting Designer & Original Production co-Designer At WCT: GLORY, A Christmas Carol, and Mary’s Wedding Elsewhere: Brontë: The World Without (Stratford Festival); To the Light, Gracie, Cockroach, The Circle, Red (Alberta Theatre Projects); Blow Wind High Water (Theatre Calgary); The Turn of the Screw, Sweeney Todd, The 39 Steps (Vertigo Theatre); Vigilante (Catalyst Theatre); Peter and the Starcatcher, The Penelopiad, As you Like it, Julius Caesar, Vimy, Einstein’s Gift (Citadel Theatre); The Trespassers (Belfry Theatre, Vancouver Playhouse); The Mikado (Calgary Opera); and The Drowning Girls (National Tour).

Film: Costume design for Cut Bank. Training: University of Alberta MFA. Awards: 4 Sterling Awards, 3 Betty Mitchell awards, SATA, Victoria Critic’s Spotlight Award. Online: narda.ca. Et cetera: Narda was the costume designer for Edmonton’s Shakespeare in the Park for 16 seasons, where she often collaborated with James MacDonald.

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UPCOMING FUNDRAISER 12th Annual

Saturday, January 19, 2019 details coming soon to

The Team that Works for You

www.mayorsgalaforthearts. com to www.mayorsgalaforthearts.com

Paul & Company, Barristers & Solicitors 172 Battle Street, Kamloops, BC V2C 2L2 Tel: 250-828-9998 • Fax: 250-828-9952 www.kamloopslaw.com

ELEANOR KING INVERTED PYRAMIDS & ROADS TO NOWHERE

SEPTEMBER 29 TO DECEMBER 29, 2018 CURATED BY CHARO NEVILLE Eleanor King Highland Valley (research), 2018 digital composite image image courtesy of the Artist

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465 Victoria Street, Kamloops, BC 250-377-2400 • kag.bc.ca

JAMES MACDONALD Director At WCT: GLORY, Christmas Carol, Million Dollar Quartet. James is also the Artistic Director of Western Canada Theatre.

Elsewhere: 36 productions at Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre, including Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Venus in Fur, Vimy, and Billy Bishop Goes to War; Julius Caesar (Stratford Shakespeare Festival); The Old Ladies (Shaw Festival); A Few Good Men (Citadel/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre), Miss Shakespeare (Escape Artists, Vancouver), As You Like It, Much Ado about Nothing, (Canadian Stage, Toronto). James is the founding Artistic Director of the River City Shakespeare Festival and the former Program Director of the Citadel/Banff Centre Professional Theatre Program.

LUCY MCNULTY Clare At WCT: Debut Elsewhere: Lucy McNulty is a theatre artist based out of Vancouver. Select acting credits: 42nd Street (Theatre Under the Stars); Love/Sick (Stone’s Throw Productions); King Arthur’s Night (Neworld Theatre/Luminato/NAC/PuSh); Dissolve (Shameless Hussy Productions); Bull (Tremors/ Rumble Theatre); Advice to Love/Hate You (DAT Theatre/ Van Fringe); Rivulets (Babelle Theatre); FLEE and There is no way to fix what is going wrong (Electric Company Theatre).

Lucy is a graduate of Studio 58, the recipient of the Sydney J Risk Foundation Acting Award and a Jessie Richardson Award recipient. Up Next: Lucy will be reprising her role as ‘Any girl’ for a BC tour of Dissolve, a solo show where she plays 16 characters and is then on to Victoria for 4000 Miles at the Belfry. Thanks to the James and the company for all the memories.

CHRISTOPHER MEJAKI Mike/Claude At WCT: Debut Elsewhere: Christopher is Ojibway/Odawa from the Wikwemikong Unceded Indian Reserve on Manitoulin Island, Ontario. He is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada's Acting Program (2018) and is also a graduate of the Centre for Indigenous Theatre (2015).

Christopher is a story teller, powwow dancer, and theatre maker. He would also like to share teachings from his culture, history, and identity through playwriting. His most recent credits include Ioskeha and Tawiscara: The Great Creation Game – Dancer (Pierre Paul Savoie/The First Peoples Festival); Sky Dancers: The Quebec Bridge Disaster – Dancer (Barbara Diabo/The Segal Centre); and The DreamCatchers – Singer/Dancer (ahdri zhina mandiela/Young Company).

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SKYLAR NAKAZAWA Stage Manager At WCT: The Birds and the Bees, The Comedy of Errors, I'll Be Back Before Midnight, 2015 Highwire Festival: Children of God; Cure for Death by Lightning, Miss Caledonia, Closer Than Ever; As Assistant Stage Manager: GLORY, Mamma Mia!, Mary Poppins, 39 Steps, Liberation Days, Peter and the Starcatcher, Driving Miss Daisy, Waiting for the Parade, Silent Chap, Les Misérables, Boeing Boeing; As Apprentice Stage Manager: Fiddler on the Roof, The Importance of Being Earnest, Educating Rita, A Christmas Story, Harvest, and Noises Off. Elsewhere: Some favourite credits: Ubuntu (The Cape Town Project) (The Citadel/Prairie Theatre Exchange); The Comedy of Errors (Theatre Aquarius); The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) (Project X); Girl in the Goldfish Bowl (Theatre Northwest); Noises Off, A Shayna Maidel (Chemainus Theatre Festival); and Closer Than Ever (Thousand Islands Playhouse).

Other: She would like to thank James and Dawn for their support. And special thanks to Dušan and Kitkat. xoxo.

LUKAS VANDERLIP Composer/Sound Designer At WCT: Composer/Sound Designer: Armstrong’s War. Actor: The Butler in Masterpiece Theatre: Redux and Scut Farkas in A Christmas Story.

Elsewhere: Lukas is a composer and sound designer based in Kamloops. He has prepared sound and music composition for local film and theatre productions, such as Frankenstein (Chimera Theatre), Disappearing Summers (film by Kora Vanderlip), and Medea (Performing Arts Westsyde). Outside of theatre and film work, Lukas has released two albums of music under the name Beholding and is studying for his Bachelor of Arts at Thompson Rivers University. Lukas has been endlessly inspired by all those involved with WCT’s production of Vimy and is thankful for this wonderful opportunity. This show has proven to be a hugely rewarding and beautiful experience, and Lukas can’t wait for the world to see it! He also wants to thank his friends and family for keeping him motivated and focused.

ions t a l u t a Conognr anothecrtion! produ t a e r g Todd Stone, MLA

Peter Milobar, MLA

446 Victoria St., Kamloops (250) 374-2880

618B Tranquille Rd, Kamloops (250) 554-5413

www.ToddStoneMLA.ca

www.PeterMilobarMLA.ca

Kamloops - South Thompson

Kamloops - North Thompson

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Embrace Your Inner Elf!

Matthew Sklar

12, 2018 C E D O T NOV 29

H SAGEBRUS

Pay-What-You-Can Saturday Matinees DECEMBER 1 AND 8, 2:00PM

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THEATRE

CINDY WIEBE Associate Costume Designer At WCT: Cindy has been Head of Wardrobe since 2003.

Past costume designs with WCT include Armstrong’s War, GLORY, Million Dollar Quartet, Made in Italy, Don’t Dress For Dinner (with Thousand Islands Playhouse - Gananoque, ON/ Richmond Gateway Theatre), Closer Than Ever, Dreary and Izzy, Never Shoot a Stampede Queen, A Christmas Story, A Christmas Carol, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Elsewhere: Romeo and Juliet, Elizabeth Rex, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, and The Tempest (Project X).

JACOB WOIKE Will At WCT: Debut Elsewhere: Jacob feels incredibly fortunate to be a part of this production and to make his debut at Western Canada Theatre. Recent theatre credits include Pure ‘90s (Stage West Theatre); A Little Night Music (Patrick Street Productions/Gateway Theatre); Red, Hot, Cole!

(Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre); Hair (Renegade Arts Company); Les Misérables (The Arts Club); Company (United Players); and Broken Sex Doll (Virtual Stage). He would like to extend a warm thank you to James and the whole team of Vimy, and to Melissa and Shannon at da Costa. For his sensational mother, always. Thank you for supporting live Canadian theatre.

Proud Supporter of Western Canada Theatre

Alastair Murdoch

Accounting Group Ltd. Chartered Professional Accounting Firm 490-546 St. Paul Street, Kamloops, V2C 5T1 Phone 250-851-9900 • Fax 250-851-9901 www.alastairmurdoch.ca

249 Victoria St, Kamloops

(250)-374-1711 15

SOLDIERS OF THE KAMLOOPS Soldiers who died at Vimy Ridge and are recognized on the Kamloops Cenotaph at Battle Street and 2nd Avenue A.C. (Arthur Clifford) Day– died on April 9, 1917 J.A. (James Anthony) Enright – died on April 9, 1917 A.B. (Arthur Blake) Hoffman– died on April 9, 1917 W.F. (Wray Ferguson) Hunter – died on April 9, 1917 J. (James) McGillivary (surname also spelled MacGillivary) – died on April 9, 1917 W.J. (Walter Josiah) Pearse – died on April 9, 1917 J.W. (John Wink) Smith – died on April 9, 1917 J. (James A.) Tudge – died on April 9, 1917 B.A. (Victor Alfred) Johndro – died on April 13, 1917 R.H. (Reginald Hinton) Louis– died on April 13, 1917 P.C. (Percy Charles) Pierce (surname also spelled Pearce) – died on April 13, 1917 J.H. (James Henry) Watson – died on April 13, 1917 Soldiers at Vimy Ridge who survived, some of whom died later in the Great War D.C. Miller – First full-time paid fire chief of Kamloops J.E. (John Edward) Fitzwater – Later Mayor (1952-1961) and Freeman of the City (1962) Noel Harper – Survived the Great War and came back to Kamloops Fred Lee – Later killed in the Great War Leo Alphonsus Smith - Son of John Freemont Smith; later killed in the Great War J.R. Evans – Served in the Canadian Army Medical Corps and was later president of the Kamloops chapter of the Great War Veteran’s Association

List courtesy Kamloops Museum & Archives

Soldiers who died in World War One and are recognized on the Kamloops Cenotaph.

The population of Kamloops in 1914 was 3,800.

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AREA AT VIMY RIDGE FREDERICK LEE

DESMOND ODLUM VICARS

Frederick Lee was born on November 19, 1895, in Kamloops, where he worked as a farmer before enlisting with 172nd Battalion (Rocky Mountain Rangers) on March 13, 1916.

Desmond Vicars enlisted at 17 with the 172nd Battalion (Rocky Mountain Rangers), of which his father was commander. He was with the 72nd Battalion (Seaforth Highlanders of Canada) at the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

He left Canada for Europe that October.

On February 2, 1917, Lee landed in France.

Lee subsequently fought at Vimy Ridge and later vanished, likely annihilated by artillery after seeing victory in the Battle of Hill 70 on August 21, 1917.

Lee was among the very first Chinese to enlist in the Canadian Expeditionary Force (CEF). At a time when he would have been denied the right to vote, to work in certain professions, and to exist in certain parts of towns, Frederick Lee served Canada.

Credits: findingfredlee.com; Libraries & Archives Canada

Vicars was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, at 19 the youngest Canadian recipient of the order at the time. The citation for the award reads, “For conspicuous gallantry and devotion in operations. On reaching the objective only two of his platoon remained, but with the greatest coolness he attacked about 50 of the enemy, bayonetting several himself, causing numerous casualties and taking eight prisoners, driving the rest away. His conduct throughout was magnificent.”

Credits: Kamloops Museum & Archives; Kamloops This Week

GEORGE MCLEAN Born in Kamloops in 1875, George McLean was the son of Allen McLean, leader of the Wild McLean Boys. His mother, Angele, was the daughter of Chief Chillihetzia of the Douglas Lake Indian Band. McLean served during the Boer War, in South Africa with the Canadian Mounted Rifles.

During the First World War, although now 41 years old, McLean enlisted and arrived in France with the 54th Battalion of the Canadian Infantry (Kootenay battalion) in December 1916. For his actions at the Battle of Vimy Ridge, McLean earned the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM). The official London Gazette citation reads: “Single-handed he captured 19 prisoners, and later, when attacked by five more prisoners who attempted to reach a machine-gun, he was able—although wounded—to dispose of them unaided, thus saving a large number of casualties.”

After the war George McLean returned to wrangling at Douglas Lake and other ranches in the Nicola, living in a small cabin. He died in 1934.

Credit: “Searching for Pvt. George McLean – and honouring a hero of Vimy,” armchairmayor.ca, Sept. 17 & 18, 2014. Photo courtesy Mel Rothenburger.

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Enjoy the Show!

Presenting Partner

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Ron & Rae Fawcett ke l song ro up.c om

VERN THIESSEN - PLAYWRIGHT Vern Thiessen’s plays have been seen across Canada, the US, Asia, UK, and Europe, including Einstein’s Gift, Blowfish, Lenin’s Embalmers, Bird Brain, Vimy, Shakespeare’s Will, Apple and Of Human Bondage. He has had four plays produced off-Broadway. Vern is the recipient of the Sterling and Dora Awards for Outstanding New Play, The City of Edmonton Arts Achievement Award, the University of Alberta Alumni Award for Excellence, The Carol Bolt Award, the Alberta Playwriting Competition, the Canadian Jewish Playwriting Competition, and the Governor General’s Literary Award. He is Past President of both the Playwrights Guild of Canada and the Writers Guild of Alberta. He is currently at work on commissions from Epic Theatre Ensemble, Ensemble Studio Theatre, Concrete Theatre/L’UniThéâtre, and Touchstone Theatre/Patrick Street Productions. In 2014, Vern was appointed as Artistic Director of Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre.

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WE CAN HELP. Proud supporter of Western Canada Theatre WE CAN HELP.

For&aESTATES full listing• of our lawyers and services, • TRUSTS WILLS ESTATE PLANNING please visit our website mjblaw.com Mair Jensen Blair LLP - Lawyers 700-275 Lansdowne St. Kamloops, BC V2C 6H6 20 Ph: 250.374.3161 Toll-Free: 1.888.374.3161

VERN THIESSEN’S VIMY: BIG PICTURES FROM SMALL CORNERS

The essential characteristic of the Canadian public mythology is its complexity. To the extent that it denies the illusion of simplicity, it is a reasonable facsimile of reality….

To accept our reality – the myth of complexity – is to live out of step with most other nations.

It is an act of non-conformity.

-John Ralston Saul in Reflections of a Siamese Twin: Canada at the End of the Twentieth Century

Vern Thiessen’s Vimy reminds us of the complexity of the four-day battle in France in 1917 that the Canadian Encyclopedia calls Canada’s “most celebrated military victory,” and the Vimy Foundation deems a “turning point in Canadian history” that is “often cited as the beginning of Canada’s evolution from dominion to independent nation.” In his notes prefacing the play’s script, Thiessen insists “Vimy is not a play about war” and reveals his purpose as “to crawl inside one small corner of a large offensive and explore something different.” In what is certainly not atypical fashion for a Canadian writer, Thiessen has aimed a creative (rather than documentary) lens at different time periods in the lives of characters historically marginalized and, in doing so, has created a play that grips, informs, and interrogates.

By eschewing chronological realism, Thiessen enhances psychological impact. Going back and forth through time, the play manages to provide insight into characters’ inner lives, the rich impact of memory on interpretation, and the transformation that the trials of war can engender. Achieving depth when one is dealing with eight characters in the space of less than two hours is no mean feat, but Thiessen accomplishes it by taking wise advantage of tools of theatricality such as immediacy and expressionism. ...continues on the next page

Photo courtesy of Kamloops Museum & Archives | KMA photograph collection No. 1677

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PROUD SUPPORTER

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VERN THIESSEN’S VIMY: CONTINUED Thiessen also provides an illuminating prompt: this battle was not fought by a homogeneous group of men. In fact, an estimated 3,100 nurses – Canadian women – served in World War One, which ended the year before women win the right to vote in federal elections. The role of Clare in Vimy goes beyond administering bandages; in fact, she is the glue that holds the group together. Francophone characters Claude and J.P. are acutely aware that their second-class status at home carries over to the battlefields. At a time when the right to vote was over four decades away for most Aboriginal peoples in Canada, approximately one in three Indigineous — First Nations, Métis, and Inuit — ­ men volunteered for duty in World War One. Mike, from the Kainai (Blood) First Nation, fights bravely, and like most of the other characters, sustains lasting injuries. From different regions, religions, and cultures, these and other characters are thrown together to do history’s bidding, and no one emerges unscathed.

Thiessen’s Vimy, like John Gray and Eric Peterson’s classic Billy Bishop goes to War (produced by Western Canada Theatre in 2011) employs theatricality to its best advantage – by embracing intricacy and peeking behind some important curtains to explore profound truths.

Ginny Ratsoy Associate Professor of English Thompson Rivers University

THE BATTLE OF VIMY RIDGE When soldiers from the Canadian Corps attacked the German-held Vimy Ridge on the morning of April 9, 1917, it was the first time in the World War One that all four Canadian divisions fought on the same battlefield. By April 12, the entire ridge was under Allied control and remained so for the remainder of the war. In the four-day battle, 3,598 Canadians died and another 7,004 were wounded. www.canadiangeographic.com/educational_products/activities/vimy_ridge/Vimy-teachers-guide-EN.pdf

Photo courtesy of Kamloops Museum & Archives | KMA photograph collection No. 1366

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VW TURTLE RIVER RACE VW TURTLE RIVER RACE

Award Presentation at Volkswagen Kamloops: LEFT TO RIGHT, BACK: James MacDonald (WCT), Dave Hewitt (PC Doctor), Kristi Williams (Aberdeen Mall), Mike Russell (Surfer Enterprises); LEFT TO RIGHT, FRONT: Kay Hankewich, Marilyn Stephens, Dian Verway, Maggie Campbell, Cheryl Blackwell (B100), Kayla Derkach (CFJC TV), Lucy Geary (WCT), Kevin Smith (5th Avenue Jewellers), Suzan Goguen (WCT), Terry Lowe (Volkswagen Kamloops), and Stephanie McLean (WCT).

One of Western Canada Theatre’s major fundraisers, the VW Turtle River Race, was once again a huge success this summer! We heartily thank TERRY LOWE and his team at VOLKSWAGEN KAMLOOPS for sponsoring the race and for all their support in the fundraising efforts.

Thanks to everyone who participated, we raised $25,500 for WCT youth arts programs!

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNERS!!

RACE 1 (1:00pm): First - PC Doctor (Dave Hewitt) Second - Surfer Enterprises (Mike Russell) Third - Maggie Campbell

RACE 2 (2:00pm): First - Lois Priebe Second - 5th Avenue Jewellers (Kevin Smith) Third - Jennifer Wilbur

CORPORATE CHALLENGE WINNER: Westway Plumbing and Heating

SANTAAA!!!!

Ho, Ho, Ho! – It’s no joke, Santa Claus is not only coming to town with WCT’s production of ELF – The Musical, but he could be heading to your office or house party to sing!

Get merry with WCT’s new festive fundraiser, SINGING SANTA. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for more information coming in October….

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THANK YOU to the following companies and volunteers and to you, our Turtle Ticket Buyers!

SPONSORS Volkswagen of Kamloops – Terry Lowe and Staff Westjet – Robin Clark and Staff Save-On-Foods Rocky Mountaineer Surplus Herby’s Aberdeen Mall Interior Whitewater Expeditions Advance Hospitality Consulting – Bryce Herman Andre’s Electronic Experts Ocean Pacific Water Sports Treetop Flyers Mittz Kitchen Kamloops Community YMCA — YWCA Rivershore Golf Links 98.3 CIFM B-100 ivivva by lululemon CFJC TV7

KamloopsCity.com Brimacombe Design Associates Visual Signs & Awards Wayside Press Barre Kamloops Brown’s Social House Pineridge Golf Course Pacific Taco Co. RACE DAY PARTICIPANTS All our amazing Volunteers!

Kamloops Arts Council Kamloops Paddlewheelers Lion’s Club Aberdeen Mall – Kristi Williams Westjet – Robin Clark and Staff TICKET SELLERS Kamloops Live! Box Office Home Hardware Building Centre

CORPORATE CHALLEGE PARTICIPANTS First Place Detail Holmes is Where the Heart Is — Match Making Lane’s Superior Exteriors Clear View Glass Scorpion Technologies Owen & Hunter Architects Royal LePage — Amy Leaf Fresh Is Best Westway Plumbing and Heating Care Ice Cream Morelli Chertkow Best Western PC Doctor Computer Repairs (WINNER!) Jay’s Service Hub International Insurance Brokers Cates Ford Epp Law Firm Twin River Plumbing & Heating Royal LePage - Mike Shannon Key Financial Group R&S Auto Body Family Glass Rivershore Ram Chrysler Jeep

Surfer Enterprises (WINNER!) Jay’s Service Key Accounting Sun Life Financial - Christian Gayfer Scotia McLeod - Les Consenheim Kamloops Computer Centre Volkswagen of Kamloops Amanda and Mike Mitchell Tracy Moffett Zimmer Wheaton Buick GMC The Noble Pig Señor Froggy Restaurants Stone Hazell and Company Lisa Lake – TRU School of Business and Economics A&T Developments Sussex Insurance Fifth Avenue Jewellers (WINNER!) Century Glass Caffé Motivo Chances Casino Kamloops Insurance Services Brendan Shaw Real Estate 25

All of us from KTW are proud to support Western Canada Theatre

Full-Service Eye Care & Fashionable Eyewear

101 -286 St Paul St. Kamloops, BC V2C 6G4 (250) 374-2441 | info@nicolaeyecare.com | nicolaeyecare.com 26

WESTERN CANADA THEATRE STAFF VENUE SERVICES Shevaun Fortune, Venue Services Director Allison Bregoliss, Volunteer Coordinator Morgan Benedict, Front of House Coordinator Front of House Staff: Kayla Alfred, Brian Charbonneau, Maxwell Gallagher, Krystine Lucas, Celine Majcher, Christina Poirier

James MacDonald, Artistic Director Evan Klassen, Managing Director ADMINISTRATION Ron Thompson, Financial Manager Catrina Crowe, Marketing & Communications Director Suzan Goguen, Growth & Engagement Director Lucy Gearey, Special Events Manager Stephanie McLean, Events and Development Coordinator Terri Runnalls, Education Coordinator Randy Chow, Accounting Assistant Frankie Knight, Marketing Associate Bryce Herman, Fund Development Consultant Laura Michel, Indigenous Engagement Coordinator PRODUCTION Dawn Bergstrom, Producer Bill Chabassol, Production Manager Nathan Cordeiro, Production Technical Director Liam Befurt, Intern Production Manager/ Technical Director Brian St-Amand, Sagebrush Technical Director Paul Cuthbert, Sagebrush Assistant Technical Director Cindy Wiebe, Head of Wardrobe Charlotte Wagner, Wardrobe Rory Lynch, Head of Scenic Carpentry Angela Frye, Head of Properties

KAMLOOPS LIVE! BOX OFFICE Dawn Brauer, Box Office Supervisor Box Office Staff: Robin Arundel, Sheldon Bergstrom, Michelle Chabassol, Judy Day Maddy Henry, Linda McLean

BOARD David Ross † Tim Rodgers - President Tom Kerr ‡ Grant Chu - Past President Judge T.W. Shupe § Gordon Miller - Vice D. Michael Dobbin * President Peggy Gilmour * Francis Barnett * Mike Latta * Richard Block Anne Manson * Lori Bregoliss Maureen Marshall * Marilyn Crossen Lanni Shupe * Beverley DeSantis Wesley Eccleston Sharon Frissell † ‡

Honorary Life Artistic Producer § Honorary Life Chairman Founding Artistic Director * Honorary Life Member

SPECIAL THANKS Major (Retd) Dr Wendy McKenzie, MMM, CD Michael Young, CD Lt (Rtrd) Brian Dooley Tracey Power Bretta Gerecke The Citadel Theatre Cheryl Hoover Jim Meers Patsy Thomas Vincent Meseck Daniela, Billy, Phil, Mat, Sheldon, and Vincent Dave Clarke Dr. Neil MacDonald Bronwen Evans

Vimy Foundation Veteran Affairs Canada Canadian Geographic Kamloops Museum and Archives Rocky Mountain Rangers

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Locally Owned & Operated

Proudly Supporting

Western Canada Theatre homehardware.ca

Rick Kurzac Home Store Owner Kamloops, British Columbia

1325 Josep Way Kamloops BC, V2H 1N6

Is your child a

Phone: 250-377-7234 Fax: 250-377-7256

Home Owners

helping homeowners Hours: Monday - Saturday 7am-6pm Sundays 9am-5pm

Then bring them to

WCT’s Stage One Theatre School! real We can teach them to be imaginary characters, too! character?

For over 20 years, we’ve helped young people grow in confidence, creativity and physicality. Plus, they have fun!!

We have classes for everyone aged 4 – 18: Introductory • Teen • Musical Theatre • Performance More at 28

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BRAVO! Western Canada Theatre gratefully acknowledges the following government agencies, corporations, foundations, and individuals for their generous financial contributions through sponsorships and/or charitable donations. We are very thankful to everyone who plays their important part in helping us to bring the highest quality of work to the broadest possible audience. (Listings based on annual contributions, August 1, 2017 to August 15, 2018.)

Funders The City of Kamloops Canada Council for the Arts Department of Canadian Heritage Canada Cultural Spaces Fund Government of Canada The Province of BC British Columbia Arts Council Foundations BC Interior Community Foundation RBC Emerging Artists Project Presenting Partner Kelson Group, Ron & Rae Fawcett Season Sponsors CFJC TV Home Hardware Kamloops This Week Stone Hazell & Company Wayside

Show Sponsors 98.3 CIFM B-100 British Columbia Lottery Corporation Schoening & First Memorial Funeral Services ideaLEVER Kami Countertops Kamloops Airport K97.5 New Country 103.1 New Gold Overland Press Paul & Company Radio NL The Riverland Inn & Suites Simply Computing TNRD Watson Engineering Ltd. Mainstage PWYC Sponsor BEST WESTERN PLUS Kamloops Hotel

Diamond Companions ($10,000 and above)

Michael E. Black Platinum Patrons ($5,000-9,999) Rae Nixon Gold Patrons ($3,500-4,999) Put your name here!

Silver Patrons ($2,000-3,499) Roland & Anne Neave Copper Patrons ($750-1,999) Bill Adams Elizabeth Benczkowski Mirella & Bob Holden Edith Pletzer Russ & Jane Reid David & Rosemarie Stoltze James & Barb Wentworth Patrons ($500-$749) Anonymous Ben & Lorene Anders Dr. Jill Calder & Dr. Robert Walter

THE LORI MARCHAND FUND

for Indigenous Theatre Creation The Lori Marchand Fund for Indigenous Theatre Creation signifies Western Canada Theatre’s strong and lasting commitment to Indigenous theatre artists: in the production and development of their work and by providing opportunities for professional growth and audience engagement.

"WCT has had a profound impact on me as an Indigenous artist. From supporting me as an actor, to now as a playwright, I absolutely attribute my success to Lori’s unwavering commitment to having Indigenous-led stories be a consistent part of WCT’s seasons and mandate."

Kim Senklip Harvey, Playwright and Director of Kamloopa

"We are proud to continue and strengthen our commitment to producing work by established Indigenous playwrights and creators, mentoring emerging Indigenous creators from our community and beyond, and engaging Indigenous audiences at WCT."

James MacDonald, Artistic Director, WCT

Donate Now

WCTLIVE.CA 29

BRAVO! - continued Grant & Nancy Chu Lois Crown Jessie & James Fedorak Allen & Sharon Frissell (In Memory of Evelyn Gollar)

Jaylene Hanna Charles Izowsky & Judy Moser Michael & Debbie Kowbel Gwyneth Lamperson June McClure Master Robert W. McDiarmid & Justice Sharon Matthews James MacDonald & Tracey Power Len & Laurie Marchand Thomas & Sharon Moore Judy Moser Colene Palmer Murphy & Katharine Shewchuk Investors ($200-$499) Peter & Debra Allik-Petersenn Francis & Helen Barnett R.C Bidnell Richard & Fearon Blair Ed & Patti Bruzzese Jean Burris David & Laura Farrow Lois Hollstedt Dylan Houlihan Jo-Mary & Bob Hunter Joseph & Joyce Kalfics Fred & Nancy Leake Ray LePage Sandy & Ellen McCurrach Terry & Joan McQuillan Tanya Mihura Jim & Beverley Mundle Jake & Marg Ootes Guy & Jeanine Parker Sheila Pierson Dennis & Sue Reedman Tim Rodgers Ray & Susan Sewell Craig & Sharlene Sharpe Colleen Stainton Kent Stasich Florence Thomson Trisha Watkinson Dave & Maryanne Whiting J. Marilyn Zuke Benefactors ($100-$199) Michael Baker Jack & Pauline Braaksma

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Barry & Judy Brown Maureen Brown Kathy Chan Margaret Chrumka Sally Cornies Joan Cummings Frederick Cunningham Donald Dalgeish Pat Decker Roxanne Dauncey Rhonda Diaper Ross & Judy Dickson John Dittrich & Sharon Carrell Denise & Dan Douglas Robert & Patricia Esdale Reno & Marie Fabbro Ronald & Doreen Fairhurst Marvyn Fitzpatrick Ruth & Michael Fane Faye Fike Ali Floyd Blake & Linda Fox Louella Garner Jim & Joan Gordon Susan Hammond Coleen Hansen Ron Heslip Rosemary Hibbard Dave & Dorothy Hilton Darrel Jones Sharon Kika Bob & Pat King Maryann Kowalsky Doris McNutt Murray Mitchell Vic & Sally Mowbray Dennis & Maxine Mucha Jeannine & Bob Nishiguchi Carl & Penny Pentilchuk Laura Randall Ginny Ratsoy Sulwen (Cookie) Reimer Niki Remesz Terry & Susan Rogers L.M. (Lynn) Rutherford Peter Ryan Rosemary Saint-Michaels Susie Safford Terry Shupe Tricia Sellmer Peggy Swanson Pat Thom Lynne Totten

Nicole Tougas Judith Treherne Bob & Jennifer Trudeau Pat Wallace (In Memory of Evelyn Gollar) Denis Walsh Bob Zyrd Friends ($25-$99) Anonymous Karen Albiston Denise Anderson Margaret Brown Patrick & Jeanne Callahan Michael & Gerrianne Clare Carol Gonnet John & Jean Crowe Donna Demarni Elizabeth Dye Dave & Irene Edamura Susan Endersby (In Memory of Evelyn Gollar) Julie Feather Faye Fike Jean Gagne Yanni Giftakis Ina Glory J. Jewkes (In Memory of Evelyn Gollar) Adah Gruver Cathy Hall-Patch Ken & Marylyn House Bill & Sally Jennejohn Valerie Kemp Wendy Krauza Av Loerke William & Stephanie Albert McIntosh Wendy McLean Bevereley Martin Susan Nelson-Smith Stan & Louise Oakes Wilma Pagan Mavis Paravantes Cristina Petros Valentina Putoto Nancy Rigby Jay Rilkoff Margaret Sharon Karen Siggers Kathy Sinclair Dawne Taylor Nicole Tougas Edward Walsh Diane Webb Gillian Woods

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February 21 to March

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Flex Pass (5 or 7 Shows)

GEBRUSH THEA TRE

Can be used in ANY combination for ANY show in the 2018/19 season

Kamloops Live! Box Office – 250-374-5483 | 1025 Lorne Street

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The Honda Accord. Live accordingly

HALF ART, HALF SCIENCE. ALL STYLE.

With its dynamic angles, wider stance and longer wheel base, the newlyredesigned Accord attracts stares from every direction. The chrome grille, available chrome door handles and dual chrome exhaust finisher adds a luxurious touch to the sporty, aerodynamic exterior. The LED headlights with auto-on/off, LED taillights and LED daytime running lights add to its sharp looks, making you feel like the only one on the road.

SOME FEAR THE FUTURE. OTHERS DRIVE IT.

The Accord, like those who drive it, embraces change. We don’t just think about putting our drivers behind the wheel. We think about putting them behind pure dynamic power, with a striking, boldly designed exterior. When buckled in, you’re surrounded by style, performance and our latest available tech features. When you’re ready for more, the Accord is ready for you.

DON’T BE SHY. SAY HELLO TO LUXURY.

Once you’re in, you’ll never want to get out. The Accord features heated front seats with available ventilation and heated rear seats to keep everyone happy. If you enjoy the finer things, you’ll love the available heated leather-wrapped steering wheel. When you’re ready to get on your way, the proximity key entry system with pushbutton start lets you grab a front door handle to unlock, and push the start button to go.

COMMAND PERFORMANCE.

Think of the Accord as a well-tuned performance piece that really moves you. Engage the available Sport mode to create a dynamic handling experience you need to feel to believe. Adaptive Damper Systems adjusts for true driving comfort, tuning the suspension to either help deliver precision around every turn or provide softer ride for a more seamless, comfortable drive. The road is long, and that’s just the way the Accord likes it.

Kamloops Honda

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Proudly supporting the Western Canada Theatre

www.kamloopshonda.ca