Alumnae Theatre to Present Season Finale RABBIT HOLE, 4/11-26

The Alumnae Theatre Company presents its season finale Mainstage show of the 2013-2014 season: Rabbit Hole, by David Lindsay-Abaire. The current production is directed by Paul Hardy, who also directed Alumnae's critically acclaimed production of Oscar Wilde's A Woman of No Importance in the 2012-2013 season.

David Lindsay-Abaire's play won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and he adapted it into a critically-acclaimed film (directed by John Cameron Mitchell, starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart) in 2010.

Becca and Howie Corbett have everything a family could want, until a life-shattering accident turns their world upside down and leaves the couple perilously adrift. Rabbit Hole charts their bittersweet search for comfort in the darkest of places and for a path into the light of day.

RABBIT HOLE stars local theatre scene regular Cameron Johnston as Howie; classical theatre mainstay Christopher Manousos in the role of Jason; the award winning actress, Shelia Russell will be gracing the stage in the role of Nat; Joanne Sarazen will be playing the part of Izzy in her third production with Alumnae; and Paula Schultz will be returning to the Alumnae Mainstage once more in the part of Becca.

The show is staged managed by Madison Kalbhenn, with assistance from Emily Costa and Carina Cojeen. The set was designed by Jacqueline Costa. Sound design for Rabbit Hole is by Angus Barlow. Costumes for the production were designed by Sara Brzozowski. The show is produced by Brenda Darling and Francine Dick.

Cast

Cameron Johnston (Howie) is an actor, director and writer who spends his days working at Canadian Stage.He was seen most recently in St. Francis Talks to the Birds (Royal Porcupine Productions) at the Toronto Fringe. Other Notable Credits: Goon #1 and Poor Person #1 in Robin Hood: The Legendary Comedy Musical. Hart House Theatre) Touchstone in As You Like It, Dogberry in Much Ado about Nothing (Canopy Theatre), Peter/Edmund in The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (ArtsEngine), Jerry in You Are Here (Alumnae Theatre), Flute/Egeus in A Midsummer Night's Dream (Driftwood Theatre).

Christopher Manousos (Jason): Selected Credits: Twelfth Night (Hart House Theatre); Two Noble Kinsmen (Kinsmen Collective); Henry V (Stratford Festival); Crimes of the Heart, The Seagull, Arcadia, And Then There Were None (University Players).

Sheila Russell (Nat) is very pleased to be performing the role of "Nat" in Rabbit Hole. She recently played "Professor Rose Levine" in Radical at NIF 2014 play reading. Prior to that she played "Mrs. Madden" in the Irish Players production Big Maggie. In Eastside Players 2012-2013 season she played "Aida" in Over the River and Through the Woods." Sheila won Best Female Actor at the American Avant Garde Arts Festival NYC for her role as "Betty" in It All Leads To The Lemon Scene which premiered at NIF 2012. Other favourite roles include: "Sarah Binks" Sarah Binks, the Sweet Songstress of Saskatchewan, "Skip Fuller" The Perils of Persephone, "Flora Van Huysen" The Matchmaker and "The Nurse", Romeo and Juliet.

Joanne Sarazen (Izzy) is thrilled to be working with Alumnae for the third time. Recent acting credits include: The Killdeer, Cosi (Alumnae Theatre), Problem Child, Risk Everything (Tableau D'Hote), The Midlife Crisis of Dionysus, Sexy Dirty Bloody Scary (Mainline Theatre), Urban Tales (Centaur Theatre/Theatre Urbi et Orbi). Directing and writing credits include: Jesus Jello: The Miraculous Confection (Montreal and Toronto Fringe), The Birth of Weza (HuntClub Playbill Series), Nothing Never Happens in Norway (Book and Lyrics/Montreal Fringe/Centaur WildSide Festival), Virgin (Centaur Theatre/Theatre Urbi et Orbi). Joanne also wrote and directed the short film The Utter Disappointment of Real Life with The Toronto Film School.

Paula Schultz (Becca) is a graduate of Queen's University and has received further training from LAMDA and Equity Showcase Theatre. Favourite past credits include Mrs. Allonby in A Woman of No Importance at Alumnae Theatre, the title role in Candida for Theatre Kingston, and Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing for Dream North (Toronto/Whitehorse). Paula also teaches language arts and literacy workshops and works in arts education and outreach. Upcoming: Romeo and Juliet, Humber River Shakespeare, Summer 2014; 60×60 Dance (Theatre in Education Coordinator), October 2014. She dedicates her performance in Rabbit Hole to Brenda Carr.

Crew

Paul Hardy (Director): For Alumnae Theatre Company, Paul Hardy has previously directed Oscar Wilde's A Woman Of No Importance, Daniel MacIvor's You are Here, Judith Thompson's Perfect Pie and Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind, as well as designing lighting for about a dozen productions, most recently After Mrs. Rochester. He also served as lighting designer for Willow Quartet, The Stranger (Praxis Theatre), [the sadly departed] Alchemy Theatre's All's Well and A Midsummer Night's Dream, Lovesick Productions' Hank Williams: The Show He Never Gave, and many others. Also an actor, Paul's leading stage roles include Underneath (Praxis Theatre), As You Like It (Canopy Theatre), The Killdeer, For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again and She Stoops to Conquer (Alumnae Theatre), Step Up (Stagekids), and Macbeth (Classical Theatre Project).

Jacqueline Costa (Set Designer) is a graduate of Brock University. Her recent design credits include Shirley Valentine (Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects); Assistant Lighting Design for Twelfth Night (Brock University); The Underpants (Alumnae Theatre Company); Tales from the Garden (Theatre Beyond Words); The Inconsolable Blueness of Jeans (Tottering Biped Theatre); Educating Rita (Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects); Forest in my Room (Carousel Players); and Assistant Designer for Water Under the Bridge (Carousel Players). Upcoming projects: Dib and Dob and the Journey Home (Carousel Players), and Scenic View (Essential Collective Theatre).

Sara Brzozowski (Costume Designer) is thrilled to announce her Alumnae debut. In a number of wardrobes throughout Ontario, she has filled the role of seamstress, milliner, cobbler, breakdown artist and most recently a costume buyer for Evil Dead the Musical 2013 at Randolph. Her assistant costume design credits include: The Wedding Singer the Musical (Hart House Theatre); Hair (Randolph Theatre); Blithe Spirit, Waiting for Godot, Cymbeline, and Richard III (Stratford Festival). Currently, Sara is in her sixth season at Stratford as the assistant costume designer for King Lear.

Rabbit Hole

Opening Night & Gala: Friday April 11, 2014

Performance Dates: Friday April 11 - Saturday April 26 2014

Schedule: Wednesday - Saturday 8:00pm; Sunday matinee at 2:00pm

Talkback with cast and director after the matinee on April 20

Tickets: Wednesday 2-for-1; Thursday, Friday & Saturday $20; Sunday PWYC.

May be purchased online for Thu/Fri/Sat at www.alumnaetheatre.com

Location: Alumnae Theatre, 70 Berkeley Street (SW corner with Adelaide), Toronto.

Box Office: 416-364-4170 (box 1) or online. For cash purchases, Box Office opens one hour prior to each performance. Please note: Alumnae box office does not accept credit or debit cards.

Alumnae Theatre Company has been producing thought-provoking, challenging and rarely-performed plays since 1918. Check our website at www.alumnaetheatre.com for production photographs, and a retrospective on how Alumnae Theatre has shaped Toronto's theatre scene.

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