Mesa

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“Mesa is a road trip worth taking. Check it out. Bring your grandparents.” Martin Morrow, FFWD Magazine

by Doug Curtis

WED. January 22 - Sold Out

Thur. 23 – Fri. 24 - Sat. 25 at 7;30

Matinees Sat & Sun 25 & 26 at 2:00 pm

Black Box Theatre Cultural Centre

Written by Doug Curtis and first performed in 2000 at the
One Yellow Rabbit High Performance Rodeo in Calgary, MESA is based on a True Story.

Paul, an out of work artist, is asked to drive his wife's 93 year old Grandpa 'Bud' from Calgary to his retirement trailer in Mesa, Arizona. Paul dreams of a great adventure in the American desert. Bud wants Denny's and Motel 6. This is Bud's final year in Mesa, and Paul is his Chauffeur.

Paul and Bud spend 5 days together, navigating the predictable turnoffs on the Interstate, while discovering their need for each other: hopes, dreams , lives, and experiences all become shared.

Directed by Karen Cunningham, and Starring Grant Bray as “Bud” and Mike Waskilik as “Paul”; this play will touch the heart of any age.

"A road map to the heart... nearly everything about Mesa is odd and surprising. It's lack of sentimentality, it's perspective on the exotic, it's reaction to America, it's sense of humour... a beautifully written play." Edmonton Journal

“Brilliantly written...Mesa is a warm, wonderful, and funny play.”
St. Thomas Times-Journal

“Heartfelt and funny.”
Edmonton Sun

TICKETS: $15 +s/c + gst

Available THREE ways:

In person: at ESPLANADE Box Office or Mall Outlet

Online: at Ticket Central:

Buy your tickets online NOW

by clicking this link:

www.tixx.ca

By phone: on the Ticket Hotline: (403) 502-8777

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Reviews

Play portrays the life of controversial politician
by PETER CRNOGORAC
Medicine Hat News
Tommy Douglas "The Arrows of Desire," a one-man play by B.C. actor John Nolan was deep, dynamic and funny. But at times it was also drawn out and propagandic -- what better way for a play discerning the life of one of the most controversial and misunderstood figures in Canadian political history.
Nolan began the play, which was shown at the Esplanade on Wednesday night, by just simply walking on the stage.
Nolan, a short man like Douglas, was fiery in his speeches, which was one of Douglas's secret weapons.
Nolan began with a quick history of Douglas's early years. He was born in 1904, and left Scotland for Winnipeg as a young boy.
Douglas and his family briefly went back to Scotland during the First World War but returned to Winnipeg with his family as a 14-year-old boy.
Nolan told how at the age of 19 Douglas became a preacher and through a friendship with a fellow pastor, J.S. Woodworth, became involved in politics by joining the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation; the precursor of the NDP.
Some of the most interesting areas of the play were the years from 1944 to 1960 when Douglas led the CCF as Saskatchewan premier.
However, here was where the play felt like it was bankrolled by Jack Layton and the New Democrats.
The next 20 minutes was a diatribe on how successful the party was in Saskatchewan and how it could do no wrong.
If you are not a New Democrat or a socialist follower then you may have felt left out of the loop at times.
Nolan himself was a stellar talent, and a quick wit, such as Douglas is said to have been. At one point in the play, while moving from a desk to a table, a lighting mistake was made and Nolan was left in the dark.
"Get back into the light," he said, not breaking from the Douglas character. "One of the hardest things in life is to get back into the light." If the audience didn't see the lighting mistake then no one would have noticed the line was a free-running dialogue.
Another disappointment to the play was that it was one dimensional. One-play acts are difficult, and Nolan deserves accolades, but some of the funniest and most interesting parts in the play involved prerecorded
voice-overs of actors -- maybe Nolan? -- as opposition members of parliament.
Also whenever Douglas was involved in an election, a cheesy 1940s style boxing announcer would call out the champion and challenger. When describing Douglas, he would say things like "In this corner the Judas turncoat, wearing commie red..."
Another problem with the play was that it was too long. It came in at just under two and a half hours.
Beside these little points the play was a monumental success.
Douglas "The father of Medicare" is a rock solid Canadian hero. He was a fighter and a family man. He was anti-war and fully for humanity. Nolan shows all his sides in "The Arrows of Desires," and more.

A FUT FIRST

FUT Brings The Greatest Canadian
to Medicine Hat

Imagine spending an evening with Tommy Douglas!

FUT in the HAT is extremely proud to participate in the ESPLANADE Gala Opening by bringing to our newest stage a one-man performance that has been gaining wide attention across the country. TICKET INFORMATION can be found at the end of this article.

On October 25 plan on coming out to see TOMMY DOUGLAS: The Arrows of Desire. A Phantom Poet Production: written & performed by John Nolan, noted Canadian actor and playwright, is an exploration of Douglas’s life, beliefs, passions, battles, dreams and humanitarian accomplishments during 44 years as Premier of Saskatchewan and Member of Canada’s Parliament in Ottawa.

John Nolan brings Tommy Douglas alive again in this provocative and poignant portrayal of the life of The Greatest Canadian. This feature-length play captures the life and essence of one of Canada's greatest citizens and humanitarians. It is a theatrical tribute to celebrate the memory of a man whose humanitarian vision was ahead of his time. Tommy Douglas had a colourful history throughout Saskatchewan, serving as a Baptist Minister, federal MP and Premier. Of course, he was also named Canada's greatest Canadian in the Fall of 2004.

“In words, intonation, stories and passion Nolan recreates the magic of Tommy.” His work is the only definitive full length dramatic biography of Tommy Douglas known to exist. It is new. It is original. It is pure Douglas - a theatrical tribute to one of the most important Canadian statesmen. “Freedom, like peace, is indivisible. I must protect my neighbour’s rights in order to safeguard my own.” – T.C. Douglas

From the website of the PhantomPoets Touring Theatre Company of Canada; . .. "The original script, TOMMY DOUGLAS: The Arrows of Desire, was written by Canadian actor and playwright, John Nolan, following 15 years of study, research, writing, writing and rewriting as he pared down 81 vibrant years to a workable feature-length play. The title in part, is taken from a line in William Blake's poem, "Jerusalem" which Douglas quoted on many occasions."And further explains the performance as ". . .an exploration of Douglas's life, beliefs, passions, battles, dreams and humanitarian accomplishments during 44 years as Premier of Saskatchewan and Member of Canada's Parliament in Ottawa." For more information on the play itself please visit PhantomPoets.com . At the right is an image of John Nolan in performance as TC Douglas.
October 25,

8 p.m.
The Greatest Canadian
Tommy Douglas :

Arrows of Desire
Main Performing Arts Theatre
Tickets :
$14+s/c

($16 at door)
On sale

9 am Monday, September 19, 2005 and are available:
• in person, ONLY at City Hall Information Kiosk, Main Floor, City Hall, 580 First
Street SE
• online, at Ticket Central: www.tixx.ca
• by phone, ONLY at Ticket Hotline: (403) 502-8777
Presented by Fut in the Hat Theatre Guild

For more information on this play and the the entire slate of ESPLANADE GALA WEEK Events check the above site (WWW.TIXX.CA) or proceed to the the Esplanade website at www.esplanade.ca

AUGUST PRODUCTION

SELF HELP

Norm Foster's romp about the Self-Help industry was called "a sensational black hearted farce" by the Hamilton Spectator, and is Fut's offering for our Summer production.

A hilarious comedy about a married couple of second rate dinner theatre actors who recast themselves as nationally renowned self-help gurus. Their lives unravel in a farce as they try to conceal a body and hold on to their falsely won fame.

"Hilarious from beginning to end." - Kitchener Waterloo Record Running August 4, 5, 6, and 11, 12, 13 at 7:30 pm in the Black Box Theatre at the Cultural Centre, you can pick up your tickets at Our Flower Shoppe, Attitudes Hair, or Cafe Mundo for $15.00 a seat.

Suburban Motel

Suburban Motel all about quality
By LEAH PRESTAYKO
Medicine Hat News
The only problem with the debut production of Suburban Motel: Problem Child was the weak crowd size.
But as director Karen Cunningham said in introducing the play, "It's about quality not quantity."
The production itself was all about quality and is sure to bring in larger crowds as word gets around.
One of George F. Walker's six one-act plays set in the same suburban motel room, Problem Child tells the tale of a couple, who are a little more than down on their luck, and their struggle to get their infant daughter back from social services.

Starring Jim Rissling as RJ and Clare Lapinksie as Denise, the play looks at the division of the world -- at least as it is seen by RJ and Denise -- between the lucky and the unlucky, the haves and the have-nots. At the same time, some of the characters face the struggle of determining whether they should or shouldn't give two hoots about anything.
Running through the play is the theme of justice, what it is, what it means to different parties and how it feels to be without it.
As RJ and Denise meet with the social worker responsible for their case, their situation only proceeds to go downhill, a situation they bring upon themselves.
RJ spends much of his time watching daytime talk shows, concerning himself more with the problems of the shows' guests than with his own problems. At one point he ironically says the TV characters need a reality check. He does his best to keep Denise optimistic and positive, only to see her continually shoot down his efforts.
Rissling's portrayal of RJ is one any director would dream of; he brings sincerity and a genuineness to the character. Lapinskie played her role well, at times with such clarity a viewer would do anything to help her get her child back.
The two other characters in the play, though just as important to the story and the quality of the show, were Phillie, the drunken hotel manager played by David Stewart, and Helen, the social worker played by Carol Beatty.
Stewart's character brought levity to an otherwise dark play and great laughter from the crowd. The story would be much less enjoyable without him.
Beatty brought with her the traits everyone expects to find in the stereotypical social worker and played the role to a tee, she brings the moderate, reasonable, polite values her character pushes for to the stage with ease.
Though a somewhat heavy play, it was none the less one worth watching. Paired with the more humourous Suburban Motel: Criminal Genius, the Fut in the Hat production of two of Walker's plays is guaranteed to be enjoyed by all who enjoy live theatre and can handle a fair bit of foul language. (Criminal Genius, the second play to hit the stage, could not be viewed and reviewed in time for deadline.)
The audience will especially enjoy the intimate setting of the Cultural Centre's Black Box Theatre perfect for this play, it's like sitting at the edge of the motel room.