the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe | meet the crew

We are just about ready for tonight's preview performance of THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE! Here are the artists working behind the scenes, busy putting on the final touches before an audience makes its way into the show.

Sarah Rodgers (Director): A long-time member of the PT family, Sarah last directed THE CHRISTIANS on our stage.

Lauchlin Johnston (Set Designer): This is Lauchlin's third time designing for THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, previously doing lights for our 2012 tour and then doing sets and lights for the musical version in Rosebud.

Julie Casselman (Sound Designer): Julie works as a sound designer, composer, actor, and writer all over town, and she was nominated for a Jessie Award for her sound design for OUTSIDE MULLINGAR at PT.

Sheila White (Costume Designer): The last time we worked with Sheila was for DRIVING MISS DAISY in the 2007-08 season. Since then she has been busy designing for television as well as theatres all over town.

Dianna Lewis (Props Manager): This is the first time we have worked with Dianna, who manages props for our sister company in Abbotsford, Gallery 7 Theatre.

Linnea Perry (Stage Manager): Linnea is one of this season's apprentices, who has already worked on KIM'S CONVENIENCE and is co-producing the upcoming HARK! A STONE'S THROW CHRISTMAS SHOW.

Shelby Wyminga (Assistant Director): Another of our season apprentices, Shelby has been soaking in whatever she can learn as assistant director. You may have already seen her first apprentice project, a reading of her script A HERO FOR NOW.

John Webber (Lighting Designer): John has been a PT regular for years, and we are always thrilled to have him on board. Last time around, he designed lights for TOLKIEN.

dec 10 | breaking borders | mariam barry

One of last season's apprentices, Mariam Barry (THE CHRISTIANS), is producing and co-hosting BREAKING BORDERS: IMMIGRANTS TAKE THE MIC! More info below.

BREAKING BORDERS
Dec 10 at 7pm at Cottage Bistro
Entry By Donation
Event Info Here

Breaking Borders is a story driven performance event where immigrants take the mic!

Newcomers to Canada, working professionally as artists, will step to the stage to showcase their talents and share stories.

A night of rap, music, storytelling, and slam poetry, Breaking Borders is a celebration of our fearless visa holders, immigrants, and refugee theatre artists.

Co-hosted by Mariam Barry and Alexandra Lainfiesta, this gathering comes on the heels of an exciting new initiative - a brand new trust account created to support young theatre artists in our community who are immigrating to Canada.

Both Alexandra Lainfiesta and Mariam Barry have walked through this experience alone, and know intimately how immigration can be a very isolating, arduous and expensive process for young newcomers. The trust account they are creating will therefore provide financial support to any young theatre artists seeking help with covering their lawyer consultation fees, PR application fees, and language exams.

With this Alexandra Lainfiesta and Mariam Barry will foster a new network of support and guidance, connecting those who have walked through the process with the ones about to start on that road.

Performers include Isidro Isi, Ghazal Azarbad, Tunji Taylor-Lewis, Kurai Mubaiwa, Yoro Noukoussi, Jacky Essombé, a surprise rapper from Rwanda and more!

nov 25 | christmas presence | set list

ACT ONE
charles dickens | scrooge's nephew (from 'a christmas carol')
the kwerks | god rest ye / star of wonder
ron reed | edict (from 'first christmas')
carolyn arends | long way to go
frederick buechner | the innkeeper (from 'the magnificent defeat')
carolyn arends | vacancy
madeleine l'engle | the irrational season
william nicholson | christmas drinks party (from 'shadowlands')
spencer capier | ashokan farewell
c.s. lewis | mr tumnus (from 'the lion, the witch and the wardrobe')
steven garber | always winter
jon ochsendorf | rescue me
c.s. lewis | father christmas (from 'the lion, the witch and the wardrobe')
the kwerks | carry me
carolyn arends | do not be afraid

ACT TWO
carolyn arends | christmas must be tonight
mike mason | three fools (from 'twenty-one candles')
jon ochsendorf | long time coming
anon | southern magi
dowie | three wise men (from 'jesus, my boy')
carolyn arends | my first christmas
tim anderson | ivory in the desert
the kwerks | all that I want
madeleine l'engle | o sapientia
carolyn arends | nothing but the love / o come all ye faithful


FEATURED ARTISTS

Musicians
jon ochsendorf, carolyn arends, the kwerks
stringed things, spencer capier
bass, becca birkner
drums, rick colhoun
hammond organ, chris hawley

Readers
ron reed

links to some of these readings can be found here

the lion, the witch and the wardrobe | meet the cast

The cast of THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE is made up of two faces who should be very familiar to regular PT audiences: Rebecca deBoer (OUTSIDE MULLINGAR) and John Voth (THE LONESOME WEST, THE FOREIGNER). We asked them what their personal connection was to this magical story.

Rebecca deBoer: I am excited about this show because of the new challenge it presents me as an actor (8 characters!), because of who I get to do it with (Sarah Rodgers! John Voth!), because I get to join the long line of fabulous actors who have done this show before me, and (perhaps most?) because this will be the first show that my daughters can come see me in!

John Voth: I grew up reading Narnia! The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was also one of the first plays I acted in high school. It was a musical and I had face paint on.

christmas presence | the line ups

Our favourite Christmas tradition is back again - CHRISTMAS PRESENCE is always a beautiful and festive evening of songs and stories about the holidays. We have gathered the musicians and the line ups for each night are below.

December 9 (matinee):
Michael Hart, Corey Janz, Jon Ochsendorf, Karen and Katie, Spencer Capier,  Chris Hawley, Becca Birkner, Rick Colhoun, Peter Abando.

December 9 (evening):
Michael Hart, Corey Janz, Jon Ochsendorf, Karen and Katie, Karen and the Carolers, Spencer Capier,  Chris Hawley, Becca Birkner, Rick Colhoun, Peter Abando.

December 10:
Garth Bowen, Corey Janz, The Kwerks, Ron Marshal, Mark Bender, Rick Colhoun, Brett Ziegler.

December 16:
Garth Bowen, John Ochsendorf, Karen and Katie, Spencer Capier, Nelson Boschman, Becca Birkner, Kenton Wiens, Rick Colhoun, Brett Ziegler.

December 17:
Zaac Pick, Jon Ochsendorf, The Kwerks, Karen and Katie, Spencer Capier, Nelson Boschman, Mark Bender, Rick Colhoun, Brett Ziegler.

December 18:
Zaac Pick, Jon Ochsendorf, The Kwerks, Karen and Katie, Spencer Capier, Nelson Boschman, Becca Birkner, Rick Colhoun.

December 22 (Valley):
Michael Hart, Jon Ochsendorf, The Kwerks, Nelson Boschman, Chris Hawley, Mark Bender, Rick Colhoun.

pt is hiring | associate manager

As you may have heard, our Associate Manager Andrea is departing after ten wonderful years to pursue a great theatre opportunity. We will miss her, but that means we have the opportunity to find a wonderful new addition to the PT family!

ASSOCIATE MANAGER - Job Description

Interested parties can send resumes and cover letters to Executive Director Alison Chisholm at alison@pacifictheatre.org.

the lion, the witch and the wardrobe | first rehearsal

On Monday morning, we all gathered around the table for the first table read of THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE! We had a lot of laughs and a few tears as we journeyed back to Narnia for the first time in many years.

announcements | andrea

We are proud to announce that our Associate Manager, Andrea Loewen, has accepted a position as the Managing Director at Presentation House Theatre.

Friends and patrons of PT already know what a gift it has been to have Andrea as a coworker, leader, artist, and friend for the past ten years. She, like many of our staff members, began as an apprentice in our 2008-2009 season and has been a pillar of the office ever since.

Alison Chisholm: “It has been a complete privilege to have had Andrea on our staff for the past decade. Her dedication, hard-work, unabashed hunger for learning and betterment combined with her joyous and compassionate spirit helped define our culture and who we are as an organization.”

We know better than anyone how lucky Presentation House is to have Andrea and how truly missed she will be. If you see her during our Christmas shows, congratulate her! We are all doing the same.

nov 13 | solitary refinement | dennis hassell

Forty years ago, when I had left theatre for good, I saw Dennis Hassell in a Lamb's Players touring show at, I believe, West Van Baptist. Performing the most un-stageable Tolstoi story imaginable, How Much Land Does A Man Need?    ("Pahom can have all the land that he can walk around in a day for one thousand rubles....") We've all learned a great deal since then.

Anyhow, Dennis is still in the game, and his latest show - undoubtedly much more stageworthy - plays at Tenth Church this Tuesday.  Directed by Tom Carson, who memorably helmed THE NERD at Pacific Theatre so many years ago. But not so many as forty...

the wolves | more photos

A final round of photos before THE WOLVES closes up shop this weekend! We are so grateful to have shared this powerful story with you and to have had the opportunity to work with With a Spoon Theatre and Rumble Theatre.

Photos by Ron Reed. Featuring Georgia Beaty, Paige Loiter, Montserrat Videla, Shona Struthers, Danielle Klaudt, Jalen Saip, Amanda Sum, Kim Larson, and Ali Watson. Not pictured: Anjela Magpantay and Tanja Dixon-Warren. Costumes by Chantal Short. Lighting by Nicole Weismiller. Sound by Matthew Macdonald-Bain.

the wolves | director's notes

Jamie King wrote some beautiful director's notes for THE WOLVES and, sadly, we had to ask her to truncate them to fit into the program for printing. So here they are, in all their glory!

Once in a while you find a piece of art that speaks directly to your heart
(as if it has always been inside of you, noodling away in the back of your brain)
then
POW!
It has shape and words, completely tangible before you.
That’s what finding Delappe’s The Wolves was like.
From the first page alone the room I read in was filled with nine teenage girls:
sweating, swearing, chatting about politics and periods and so alive. They leaned over my shoulders while I read.

How could I resist this play?
Its haunting nostalgia, its humour, its life…
These girls are an extension of myself at seventeen. All the beautiful quirks and traits that time is pulling away from me.
Afternoons of lying on sun-washed porches after school, wondering who I would be… who I could be… who I wanted to be...

Coming back to this show after a year and a half away was a profoundly joyful experience.
A bit like going on a long trip and opening the door to your home: the still air, the sun shining through the windows, and clean sheets on the bed waiting for you.

So much has changed in the world (and in us) over this last year, while so much has stayed the same.
To quote Naomi Wadler:
"People have said I am a tool of some nameless adult. It's not true. My friends and I might still be 11, and we might still be in elementary school, but we know. We know life isn't equal for everyone and we know what is right and wrong."

As we move together into the stages of "What Next?" All I can think is to ask for more like this.
More plays about girls being intelligent and petty and oblivious and overachieving and shy and funny and rude and caring.
More art that shows our flaws and our triumphs.
More art that just shows us.
A glimpse of a future that we are just beginning to explore.

Thank you for being here.

we
are
the wolves
we are all The Wolves.

-Jamie King, Director