Showing posts with label The Lonesome West. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Lonesome West. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 01, 2017

the lonesome west | responses


"Your best bet on stage right now continues to be the fecking grand production of Martin McDonagh’s The Lonesome West. As funny as it is dark, this trip to Leenane is worth it, and marks an auspicious start for one of our city’s newest indie theatre groups.... As Valene and Coleman, John Voth and Kenton Klassen are absolutely terrific. Matching each other note-for-note, there is a naturalness to their delivery leaving little doubt the two come from the same blood. One can’t help but wonder if the two actors, who are roommates, are giving some life to their characters from experience in the real-world." | Mark Robins, Vancouver Presents

"John Voth is doing an excellent job of playing the rhythms as Valene while staying responsive and giving his character an active inner life... And I unreservedly admire Paige Louter’s work as Girleen. Not only does she get the rough humour right, she also finds the delicacy." | Colin Thomas

"These are four excellent performers. John Voth is big and burly and yet there is something decidedly boyish about Valene, especially in his collection of figurines of the saints which he believes will get him into heaven... Coleman, on the other hand, played by Kenton Klassen is nasty, cunning and sly. He knows exactly how to get Valene riled up and takes wicked pleasure in doing it... As Girleen, Paige Louter is saucy and pert... Against all odds, Sebastien Archibald makes Father Welsh a pitiable character in spite of his drinking and self-loathing." | Jo Ledingham

"The play, by Irish/British bad boy Martin McDonagh, is tons of fun. The writing vibrates with lethal verve... You wouldn’t expect patricide and Catholicism to be this much fun." | Darren Barefoot, The Georgia Straight

"Brilliant show - dark, funny, hard and hopeful. Like a Pogues song turned into a play." Nicola Colhoun

Monday, October 30, 2017

the lonesome west | about the leenane trilogy

THE LONESOME WEST is the third play in Martin McDonagh's Leenane Trilogy, a series of plays about the same small town in western Ireland. Together, the plays sketch in a town full of dysfunctional and violent family relationships, from the mother-daughter duo in THE BEAUTY QUEEN OF LEENANE who give THE LONESOME WEST's Valene and Coleman a run for their money, to the grave digger in A SKULL IN CONNEMARA whose wife dies under mysterious circumstances, these three plays weave a fascinating, dark, poetic, and comedic image of life.



From Fintan O'Toole's introduction to the Bloomsbury publication of all three plays:

"The savagery of the plays is not literal, but neither is it pure invention. It comes from a vividly imagined sense of cultural infusion, from a world in which meanings and values have been shattered into odd-shaped fragments. And what's more important is that the plays themselves try to put the fragments back together again... And what matters in the end is that McDonagh is more than just a clever theatrical stylist. His tricks and turns have purpose. They are bridges over a deep pit of sympathy and sorrow, illuminated by a tragic vision of stunted and frustrated lives. Moments of love and loss, yearning and even faith catch the light now and then. That they cannot abide long in such a blighted world seems somehow less remarkable than the fact that they arise at all."

Monday, October 23, 2017

the lonesome west | opening night reception

What an opening weekend for THE LONESOME WEST! We had a wonderful time celebrating this opening of this dark Irish comedy, as well as Cave Canem Productions.








Tuesday, October 17, 2017

the lonesome west | meet the crew

The Cave Canem boys have pulled together a fantastic design team for THE LONESOME WEST, opening in just a few days!


Evan Frayne - Director

Phil Miguel - Lighting Designer

Sandy Margaret - Set Designer

Madelaine Walker - Assistant Stage Manager

Matthew MacDonald-Bain - Co-Sound Designer

Shelby Bushell - Stage Manager

Kaitlin Williams - Costume Designer

Curtis Tweede - Co-Sound Designer

Friday, October 13, 2017

Wednesday, October 11, 2017

the lonesome west | meet the cast

One of the best things about our guest production model is giving new theatre production companies their first shot at putting together a professional show. Cave Canem is knocking it out of the park so far, especially when it comes to hiring the right people. Check out this amazing team of actors they pulled together for THE LONESOME WEST!


You've seen John Voth on our stage in THE FOREIGNER (he won a Jessie for that one!) and THE RAINMAKER - and in earlier days, REMNANTS: A FABLE and as Dick Martin in our wonderfully peculiar production of GODSPELL. A very funny improvisor with Vancouver Theatre Sports, he's one of the producers of Cave Canem Productions and performing in their first show.

Kenton Klassen is another member of the Cave Canem Productions team. A former company apprentice, he produced and performed in the original production of GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES before we brought it to our stage, and played Noah Curry in  THE RAINMAKER.

Sebastian Archibald is Playwright-in-Residence & Co-Artistic Producer at Vancouver's innovative ITSAZOO Productions, and it's Sebastian who first brought The Lonesome West to our attention. This is his first role on our stage! We are so excited that he got looped into this incredible team and for the chance to finally work with him.

Fresh from an advanced acting program in Ireland, Paige Louter was one of last year's apprentices, performing in Classic Chic's production of CORLEONE: THE SHAKESPEAREAN GODFATHER, as well as apprentice productions IN THE FLESH, THE MOST MASSIVE WOMAN WINS, THE WOLVES, and DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA (directed by none other than Kenton!).

Friday, October 06, 2017

the lonesome west | first read

We had the first read of THE LONESOME WEST this week. It's been a while since we laughed this much around the table!









Tuesday, August 22, 2017

2017-2018 | artwork spotlight | the christians and the lonesome west

It's time for another Artwork Spotlight! Every season we work with fantastic local artist Emily Cooper to create artwork for our shows that is evocative and thoughtful. These complex images have a lot to them, so we like to share a bit of the backstory for how we came up with them. Today we'll dig into the artwork for THE CHRISTIANS and THE LONESOME WEST.


THE CHRISTIANS is about a conflict that arises in a church. While the disagreement in THE CHRISTIANS is about heaven and hell, the heart of the play is about the conversations that arise in the community as a result of this shift. We wanted the image to show both the heaven and hell dichotomy as well as the community conflict.

What Emily brought us was perfect - the chasm between people, and depicting them in black and white, shows that the sense of division, and yet they are still turned towards each other, in conversation. Have a look at the heaven and hell imagery for some beautiful detail work!


THE LONESOME WEST tells the story of two brothers who, to put it lightly, just can't get along. Their anger at each other and the world bursts out in a host of unhealthy and violent actions. Yet, the play is a comedy (a very dark comedy, but comedy nonetheless.)

The image Emily created for us does a beautiful job of showing the combativeness between the brothers, as well as their environment. Their home is rundown, full of trash, and a few items that become important in the story, such as the Catholic figures.
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Friday, August 11, 2017

2017-2018 season | staff picks | phil

Our Production Manager, Phil Miguel, weighs in with the three shows he is most excited to see next season.


THE LONESOME WEST
I'm a fan of rough, dark plays with explorations into redemption. I'm also excited at what Cave Canem is going to bring.

ALMOST, MAINE
I keep seeing bits of this show pop up and every time I'm delighted at how cute and yet deep this play gets. It'll be nice to see it all together.

AN ALMOST HOLY PICTURE
Stories about innocence and the forging and breaking of relationships have always stuck with me in the most profound way. I'll be pondering this one for some time.

Wednesday, August 02, 2017

2017-2018 season | staff picks | alison

Our General Manager Alison Chisholm is back! After a year away on maternity leave, we are so excited to have her with us once again. Here are the three shows she is most excited for next season.


THE LONESOME WEST
I love the gritty writing of Martin McDonagh. Can't wait to see what the Cave Canem boys bring to this inaugural production.

SIDESHOW
This show is the perfect excuse for me to laugh, play, and let loose and somehow still call it work. I look forward to our annual SIDESHOW every year.

BAR MITZVAH BOY
I can't wait to see Gina and Jay in this comedic and heartfelt gem of a show. Beautiful script! Stellar cast!