Eastern Front Theatre announces 2009-2010 Season

Halifax, NS – Artistic Producer Scott Burke announced today Eastern Front Theatre’s Playbill for the company’s 17th Season and the return of the SuperNova Theatre Festival.

“Prepare to be moved… highlights the fact that Eastern Front is returning to its roots as an itinerant company that engages a variety of performance venues,” said Burke, “as well as our desire to transport our audience with productions that provoke laughter, engage the intellect, and stir the emotions.”

The productions in the 2009-2010 Season feature forces that define the human condition: the strength of a child’s imagination and the compelling nature of true love.

Extinction Song

The season begins with the Atlantic Canadian Premiere of Extinction Song, written and directed by Ron Jenkins. Winner of two Edmonton Sterling Awards for Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Production, the play previews November 15, opens November 17 and runs until November 29 at the Windsor Lecture Theatre in the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia.

Extinction Song is a child’s play for adults that explores the relationship between seven-year-old James and his alcoholic father. James is a highly imaginative young boy who insists that he was raised by wolves as an escape from his day-to-day reality. While his rich fantasy world offers a temporary respite from his dysfunctional family, it is also a source of tension and conflict with those around him. James’ struggle reaches a breaking point when he is left unattended in a car during a snowstorm, while his father knocks a few back with his colleagues. Can James ever escape the cycle of alcoholism, or will the sins of the father be visited upon the son?

Extinction Song is a funny, tender and heartbreaking account of one boy’s way of coping with the troubled world around him.

Ron Jenkins is the former Artistic Director of Edmonton’s Workshop West Theatre and is Co-Artistic Director of November Theatre. Ron has received ten Sterling Awards as a director and producer; most recently for Extinction Song; and received a Betty Mitchell Award for Direction for The Black Rider. Ron was shortlisted for the 2007 Siminovitch Prize in theatre for Direction. Ron hails from Sydney Cape Breton and is thrilled to bring his work back home to Nova Scotia.

Extinction Song features a tour-de-force performance by Edmonton actor Ron Pederson. Ron has worked at many theatres in Toronto and Western Canada. He is an alumnus of Fox Television’s MadTV (3 seasons – Canadian Comedy Award nominee); a faculty member of the Second City training centre, a founding member of Toronto’s newest improvisational theatre company Impromtu Splendour.

The Artistic Team for Extinction Song consists of Director Ron Jenkins, Set Designer D’arcy Poultney, Lighting Designer Bruce MacLellan, Sound Designer David Clarke, Projections Designed by Narda MacCarroll, and Stage Manager Melania Radelicki.  It premiered at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, Alberta in March 2009.

Lauchie, Liza & Rory

In the New Year Eastern Front Theatre presents one of Nova Scotia’s most beloved hit comedies, Lauchie, Liza & Rory by Sheldon Currie (FRankie Productions). The show previews April 6, opens April 7, and runs until April 18 at the Bus Stop Theatre.

Lauchie, Liza & Rory premiered in 2003 at Mulgrave Road Theatre, toured Nova Scotia and enjoyed a brief run at Eastern Front’s SuperNova Theatre Festival. In 2004 the play was presented at the Magnetic North Theatre Festival in Edmonton and toured New Zealand in 2005. Lauchie, Liza & Rory received the 2004 Merritt Award for Best New Play.

Coal miner Lauchie Macdonald lives a humdrum existence but his world turns upside down when the vivacious Liza dances into his life. The awkward courtship is sealed with a big win at bingo, until Lauchie’s daredevil twin brother, Rory, bursts into the scene. Two actors bring
a whole town of characters to vivid life, and a real story begins… a wry spinster, sonorous priest, reformed party girl, and cantankerous Cape Breton matriarch, are all witnesses to a twenty-year interrupted love story.

Eastern Front Theatre’s presentation of Lauchie, Liza & Rory features the stellar acting talents of Christian Murray and Natasha MacLellan, and is superbly directed by Mary-Colin Chisholm.

Christian Murray is an acclaimed actor, writer and director based in Halifax and a founding member of Jest in Time Theatre. Jest highlights include a Japanese tour, three national CBC specials and performances at the Sydney Opera House. He recently performed in Artistic Fraud’s production of AfterImage at Harbourfront Toronto’s World Stage Series. Christian has appeared numerous times on the Neptune stage and on stages throughout Canada. He received a Gemini Award for his writing on 22 Minutes, and in 2006 was short listed for the CBC Literary Awards for his short story Frost.

Natasha MacLellan works as an actor, writer, producer and director. In these capacities she has spent time with Mulgrave Road, FRankie Productions, Live Bait, Ship’s Company, OneLight and the Irondale Ensemble Project. She is a co-founder of Forerunner Playwrights Theatre and a longtime board member of Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre. In 2007 she was named the protege of Jenny Munday, recipient of the Mallory Gilbert award for demonstrated leadership in the theatre community. Natasha is currently the Artist in Residence at Mulgrave Road Theatre.
One of Nova Scotia’s finest theatre creators, Mary-Colin Chisholm recently appeared in Artistic Fraud’s AfterImage at Harbourfront Toronto’s World Stage Series. She also performed in Halifax Theatre for Young People’s inaugural production of The Gravesavers. He’d Be Your Mother’s Father’s Cousin was a major hit at Eastern Front Theatre’s 2009 SuperNova Theatre Festival. Mary-Colin has had continuing roles in the CBC television series Black Harbour, Pit Pony and Made in Canada. She is a co-founder of LunaSea Theatre and FRankie Productions.

The SuperNova Theatre Festival returns to the Neptune Studio Theatre April 29 to May 9, 2010. For eleven days Atlantic Canada’s National Professional Theatre Festival will once again feature an eclectic line-up of innovative theatre, comedy, music and special events. The SuperNova Theatre Festival brings the best and brightest touring productions from across the country to take centre stage alongside equally thrilling home-grown fare.

As a follow up to the sold out run of the One Man Star Wars Trilogy at last year’s festival, we are delighted to make an advance programming announcement that Charles Ross will bring his equally acclaimed One Man Lord of the Rings show to SuperNova 2010. One Man Lord of the Rings received rave reviews and a sold out run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August and Eastern Front Theatre is pleased to offers fans of the books and movies the opportunity to experience Charles’ exceptional one man re-creation of another epic trilogy. Complete programming for SuperNova will be announced in April 2010.

Subscriptions and Single Tickets on Sale Now

Eastern Front Theatre is thrilled to offer a Subscription Package that makes live theatre an irresistible bargain. Subscriptions are on sale now at a 25% discount off the single ticket prices. Two play Subscriptions are $45 and include: 1 ticket to Extinction Song, 1 ticket to Lauchie, Liza & Rory, and feature a choice of performance dates, no hassle exchange privileges, taxes included and no service fees! To purchase subscriptions and single tickets please visit us online at www.easternfronttheatre.com or call 902-463-PLAY.

Eastern Front Theatre is generously funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Department of Canadian Heritage, the Nova Scotia Department of Tourism, Culture and Heritage, and the Halifax Regional Municipality.

O’Regan’s Automotive Group returns as Eastern Front Theatre’s Season Sponsor.