A CROW’S THEATRE PRODUCTION OF UNCLE VANYA

Written by: Anton Chekhov
Directed by: Chris Abraham
Adapted by: Liisa Repo-Martell

FIND YOUR PASSION A modern adaptation and dazzling cast breathe new life into Chekhov’s masterpiece. In the waning days of Czarist Russia, Vanya and his niece, Sonya, toil ceaselessly to run their family estate. After retiring, Sonya’s father, a celebrated professor, returns to the estate with his young, glamourous wife. When he announces his plans to sell the land and evict them all, passions explode and lives come undone. Brimming with emotional intensity and comedic genius, Hamilton audiences will see what The Globe and Mail calls “Spellbinding.”

ARTWORK BY: Christopher Hall
With a 23-year background in tattooing and graphic design, “Professor” Christopher Hall has developed a purposeful style and a keen eye for color composition that he expresses in his acrylic painting practice. Drawing heavily on a deep culture of tattooing symbolism, Hall translates a mixture of these images into fresh contemporary works of bright, eye-catching palettes and design. Utilizing digital software tools to complete the majority of the preliminary work allows him to responsively manipulate the composition and palettes before painting them onto canvas. Christopher Hall holds a diploma in Graphic Design from Canadore College, ON. His works are held in private collections in Canada and the United States.

A CROW’S THEATRE PRODUCTION

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ADVISORY

Mature language, loud noises (thunder, gunshots) and haze.

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“This may be the best production of Uncle Vanya you will ever see.”

STAGE-DOOR

IN CONVERSATION

Stay tuned for details on Artist and Creative Team Talk Backs during the Theatre Aquarius Run of ‘Uncle Vanya’.

January 11, 2024, 6:45 PM in the Director’s Lounge
Pre-Show Chat with Chris Abraham and Mary Francis Moore

January 23, 2024
Post-Show Talk Back with the ‘Uncle Vanya’ Cast

dtaborah jonhson as Maria in the Crows Theatre Production of Uncle Vanya

PHOTO BY DAHLIA KATZ

(L-T-R) Anand Rajaram as Telegin, Eric Peterson as Alexandre, Bahia Watson as Sonya, Tom Rooney as Vanya, dtaborah j ohnson as Maria, Shannon Taylor as Yelena , and Carolyn Fe as Marina.

PHOTO BY DAHLIA KATZ

“I cannot recommend Uncle Vanya enough; truly it was a spectacular evening of theatre.”

A VIEW FROM THE BOX

“Repo-Martell and Abraham are a winning creative team, and this Uncle Vanya is wonderful.”

INTERMISSION MAGAZINE

CAST

Portrait of a woman with straight brown hair and a black shirt

Carolyn Fe … Marina

Woman with silver afro wearing a black shirt and a gold-black-blue patterned coat

dtaborah johnson … Maria

Portrait of man in a suit with a boxed beard and quiffed dark hair.

Ali Kazmi … Astrov

Older man wearing eye glasses with a striped fedora and black coat.

Eric Peterson … Alexandre

Selfie of a man with tan skin holding red rimmed eye glasses down his nose with a finger wearing a red and blue scarf and beige coat in the car

Anand Rajaram … Telegin

Image of a woman with blonde curled hair in front of a purple wall wearing a black sparkly top.

Liisa Repo-Martell … Sonya

Man with thin red hair and boxed beard wearing a gray suit jacket with blue collared shirt

Tom Rooney … Vanya

Woman with red curled hair wearing pink top

Shannon Taylor … Yelena

CREATIVE

Studio portrait of a man looking back wearing a blue suit with gray beard

Chris Abraham … Director

Liisa Repo-Martell … Adaptor

Black and white image of woman with short dark hair and white button up.

Julie Fox … Set and Props Co-Designer

Image of man wearing a black shirt with brown bears and short quiffed hair.

Joshua Quinlan … Set and Props Co-Designer

Picture of woman with ruffled black hair, leather jacket, and green scarf outside

Ming Wong … Costume Designer

Black and white image of woman with straight blonde hair and wide smile

Kimberly Purtell … Lighting Designer

Black and white image if a man with short dark hair and black collar top

Thomas Ryder Payne … Sound Designer

Image of man with dark quiffed hair and striped white and gray shirt in front of a brick wall

Paolo Santalucia … Assistant Director

Image of a man wearing a dark baseball cap, eye glasses, black athletic sweater in front of a pink background

William Dao … Second Assistant Director

Graphic representation of a person in light blue over dark blue background

Lisa Nighswander … Head of Props

Janet Pym … Wardrobe Assistant

Polly Phokeev … Russian Translator and Consultant

Mario Morello … Music Consultant

Black and white cropped portrait of a woman with light coloured straight hair

Jennifer Parr … Stage Manager

Portrait of a man with wide forehead, blur eyes, and white dotted blue shirt

Michael Barrs … Assistant Stage Manager

WORLD PREMIERE
A new musical by: Tom Wilson & Shaun Smyth
Inspired by the book Beautiful Scars: Steeltown Secrets, Mohawk Skywalkers and the Road Home by Tom Wilson

Dramaturgy and Original Direction by Mary Francis Moore

Music Supervision & Orchestrations/Arrangements by Bob Foster

Starring Sheldon Elter as Tom Wilson

Oblivious to a secret deeply held by his parents, Tom Wilson’s search for identity started on the East Hamilton Mountain of the 1960s and 70s.

For decades after, Tom carved out a life for himself in the shadows, battling demons along the way as he waited for the secret of who he was and where he came from to reveal itself. And when it did, it swept up the St. Lawrence River to Kahnaw’a:ke Mohawk territory and exposed a story generations in the making. A best-selling book, film and now a world premiere musical featuring some of the country’s most celebrated actors and musicians with a powerfully evocative score by multi-award-winning musician Tom Wilson, Beautiful Scars is a story of loss, love and forgiveness that will leave you spellbound to the final note.

ARTWORK: Elements & guitar by Tom Wilson – TEHOHA’HAKE

AUDIENCE ADVISORY: The performance contains strong language and sensitive content relating to drugs. Suitable for ages 15+.

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IN CONVERSATION

POST-SHOW CHAT: Join members of the company of Beautiful Scars for a post-show chat on May 7

“It’s like “The Wizard of Oz,” “Hair” and maybe even “Oklahoma!” in the way it takes bold images and paints them in a highly elevated vocal and visual way.”

THE HAMILTON SPECTATOR

(Right to left) Phil Davis as Artist/Indigenous Collaborator, Valerie Planche as Janie, Sheldon Elter as Tom, Thompson Wilson as Young Tom/Ensemble, Brandon McGibbon as George/Ensemble, Jeremy Proulx as Bear and Kristi Hansen as Bunny/Ensemble, with band members Gary Craig on Drums and Anna Ruddick on Bass in the back left corner. Lighting design by Kevin Fraser. Set design by Jay Havens. Costume design by Yolonda Skelton.

PHOTO BY Dahlia Katz

Valerie Planche as Janie and Sheldon Elter as Tom. Lighting design by Kevin Fraser. Set design by Jay Havens. Costume design by Yolonda Skelton.

PHOTO BY Dahlia Katz

Lighting design by Kevin Fraser. Set design by Jay Havens. Costume design by Yolonda Skelton.

PHOTO BY Dahlia Katz

Sheldon Elter as Tom. Lighting design by Kevin Fraser. Set design by Jay Havens. Costume design by Yolonda Skelton.

PHOTO BY Dahlia Katz

Phil Davis as Artist/Indigenous Collaborator with Bob Foster on Keyboards Lighting design by Kevin Fraser Set design by Jay Havens Costume design by Yolonda Skelton

PHOTO BY FRAMEWORK

“One of the most exciting new works to hit a Canadian stage in recent months.”

INTERMISSION MAGAZINE

“A rollercoaster ride of mirth, myth and tragedy…that is both defiant and triumphant.”

HAMILTON CITY MAGAZINE

CAST

Portrait of a man wearing a blue shirt with side swept brown hair in front of a blue studio backdrop.

Sheldon Elter … Tom

Outdoor portrait of a person with shoulder-length dark orange hair and beard wearing a white jacket over a black top and standing in front of a concrete wall.

Thompson Wilson … Young Tom / Ensemble

Portrait of a person with medium-length straight blonde hair wearing a baby blue tank top in front of a white background.

Kristi Hansen … Bunny / Ensemble

Person standing in a dark room with bokeh studio lights, with tall gray hair wearing a brown scark and trench coat with pulled collars.

Brandon McGibbon … George / Ensemble

Portrait of a woman with straight long blonde hair wearing an roange sleeveless top with a blurred background behind her.

Valerie Planche … Janie

Person with long dark wavy hair, wearing a leather jacket and standing in from of a blurred dark background with window light.

Jeremy Proulx … Bear

Close-up portrait of a person wearing thin rounded sunglasses, gray hair tied to the back, and a black top in front of a concrete wall.

Phil Davis … Artist / Indigenous Collaborator

BAND

Gary Craig … Drums

Bob Foster … Conductor / Keyboards

Portrait of a person with cowboy hat, brown leather jacket and eyeglasses in the sun with a red and white building in the back.

David Gray … Guitars

Anna Ruddick – Bass

CREATIVE TEAM

Tom in the back seat of a car wearing a black toque and black top, with long dark wavy hair and mustache and beard.

Tom Wilson … Playwright / Co-Creator

Portrait of a person with short dark gray hair wearing black turtleneck in a dim room behind him.

Shaun Smyth … Playwright / Co-Creator

Portrait of a person with mid-length orange hair wearing a black jacket over a green top leaning against a brown railing in a glass building

Mary Francis Moore … Director

Bob Foster … Music Director / Arrangements and Orchestrations

Portrait of a man with gray hair and beard wearing a black shirt over a gray shirt in front of a gray backdrop.

Kevin Fraser … Lighting Designer

Person with short dark hair wearing glasses and gray plaid shirt over an orange shirt holding a paintbrush to the camera.

Jay Havens … Set Designer

Portrait of a person with short side swept black hair wearing beaded coat and jewelry over a black top, blurred background of other people

Yolonda Skelton … Costume Designer

Ranil Sonnadara … Sound Designer

Portrait of a woman with long straight dark hair wearing a mesh black top over a black tank and large gold earrings in front of a gold background.

Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo … Movement Director

Portrait of a person with long wavy blonde hair, wide smile, blue t-shirt, jeans.

Alexandra Herzog … Blindness Consultant

Portrait of a person wearing glasses, black stud earring, black turtleneck and quaffed and curled blond hair in front of a dark and blurry background

Danik McAfee … Workshop Assistant Director

Person with shoulder length black hair, blue jean jacket, and purple scarf

Josephine Ho … Stage Manager

Black and white portrait of a person with long wavy hair

Jasmyne Leisemer … Assistant Stage Manager

Image of a person with tall dark straight hair standing in front of studio lights, wearing a gray shirt headphones around neck and holding a clapperboard.

Khaleel Gandhi … Apprentice Stage Manager

WRITTEN BY WILLY RUSSELL

Directed by: Tracey Flye

Starring: Shauna Black

FIND YOUR SELF Shirley Valentine is a Liverpool housewife – lost in marriage and motherhood and spending far too much time talking to the kitchen wall while making her husband’s evening meal of “chips and egg”. When she gets the chance of a lifetime to fly to Greece- is she ready to step outside of her comfort zone and take a chance? Shirley Valentine is a beloved, joyous and life-affirming reminder that it’s never too late to rediscover your purpose and passion.

ARTWORK BY: Kieran Daly
Kieran Daly is an illustrator and graphic designer. She uses a wide range of both traditional and digital media and focuses on stylized portraiture, narrative, and editorial work.

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ADVISORY

Includes mature content and sexual references.

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IN CONVERSATION

PRE-SHOW CHAT: Join Shirley Valentine‘s Director Tracey Flye and Theatre Aquarius Artistic Director Mary Francis Moore for a pre-show chat in the Michael & Jane Schwenger Director’s Lounge on Thursday, March 7, 2024. Ask questions and learn more about the iconic Shirley Valentine!

March 7, 2024, at 6:45 pm
Pre-Show Chat in the Director’s Lounge

POST-SHOW TALK BACK: Join the Shirley Valentine‘s Shauna Black for a post-show talk back on the mainstage on Tuesday, March 19, 2024. Ask questions and learn more about the iconic Shirley Valentine!

March 19, 2024
Post-Show Talk Back