2009 SEASON    

F A M I L Y    E N T E R T A I N M E N T

July 14 to August 23, 2009
Adapted from the international best seller by French writer and aviator Antoine de Saint Exupéry by Luciana Burcheri
Directed by Kelly Straughan

KELLY STRAUGHAN

Kelly is currently Artistic Director of Seventh Stage Theatre Productions and the Assistant Artistic Director at Tarragon Theatre. Recent productions include assistant directing Wajdi Mouawad's Scorched at Tarragon Theatre and on the Canadian tour, directing Soulless for 505 Productions at Factory Theatre, Wake at the 2008 Toronto Fringe Festival (Patrons Pick, Best of the Fringe, Now Magazine's Best Director), Bright Room Called Day with Theatre Best/Before, as well as writing and directing Timebomb for the 2007 Toronto Fringe Festival (Patrons Pick, Now Magazine's "Best Ensemble" and "Best Director"). Kelly also completed her Masters in Theatre Directing at the University of British Columbia where she directed Picasso at the Lapin Agile, Bully, Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune, Taming of the Shrew, Four Single People (Playwrights Theatre Centre) and Courting (Vancouver Fringe).

AURORA BROWNE - Rose, Businessman, Geographer, Ensemble

Theatre credits include: An Inconvenient Musical (Factory Theatre); Hello....Hello (Tarragon Theatre); The Tempest (Magnus Theatre); Plan Live! From Outer Space (Toronto Fringe); Showstopping Number: The Improvised Musical (The Bad Dog Theatre). At The Second City: Family Circus Maximus, Psychedelicatessen, Insanity Fair, The Bush League of Justice. Film and television credits include: Lars and the Real Girl, Corner Gas, The Eleventh Hour, Comedy Inc, The Gavin Crawford Show.

SHANE CARTY - Aviator

Shane is delighted to make his Resurgence Theatre debut. Most recently he played Sweeney Todd at the Sudbury Theatre Centre. Other credits include five seasons at Stratford with roles in: Much Ado About Nothing, The Duchess of Malfi, Loves’s Labour’s Lost, Present Laughter and The Brothers Karamazov among others. Elsewhere (selected): It’s A Wonderful Life, Einstein’s Gift (Grand Theatre); Sticks and Stones, The Mikado (National Arts Centre); This Is How It Goes (Neptune Theatre); Beauty and the Beast (Citadel Theatre, Theatre Calgary); Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, (Touchmark); Les Miserables, Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad, You Can’t Take It With You, Hay Fever (Thousand Islands Playhouse). Shane is a founding member of Theatrefront. He has appeared on Flashpoint (CTV/CBS) and is a graduate of Queen’s University.

ALEX FURBER - Astronomer, King, Lamplighter, Snake, Fox, Ensemble

Alex is thrilled to be apart of Resurgence Theatre this summer. A Toronto native, Alex has studied at George Brown Theatre School and is a recent graduate of The National Theatre School of Canada (NTS). Selected theatre credits include: The Importance of Being Earnest and All my Sons (NTS); Richard III, The Particulars, Grease (Escape), Godspell (TCST) and Saltwater Moon. Thanks to all my friends and family for their continual support and inspiration.

SIMON RAINVILLE - The Little Prince

Simon is thrilled to be making his Resurgence Theatre debut with The Little Prince and Romeo and Juliet. His most recent theatrical outings include Eliante in The Misanthrope with the Red Light District; Jamie in Wild Mouth at the Tarragon Theatre; Johnny in Escape From Grace at the Toronto Fringe. He can also be seen screaming his way through Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer. Simon is a graduate of the Ryerson Theatre School where some of his favorite roles were Queen Isabel in Fuenteovejuna, Elbow in Measure for Measure, and Shauva in Caucasian Chalk Circle.

LUCIANA BURCHERI - Playwright

Luciana is best known for her work as a stage manager in her hometown of Montreal. Playwriting is a recent endeavour, one which she has been secretly nurturing for a very long time. Adapting Le Petit Prince d’Antoine de St-Exupéry was an obvious first step for her. After playing the Rose and the Fox with sock puppets on her daughter bedroom floor, it seemed only natural to want to bring these incredible characters on a stage. Her adaptation was first produced by Geordie Productions in the Fall of 2008. As a stage manager, Luciana has had the immense privilege of working with the best talent in Montreal for the past decade. Past productions include: Peacemaker, A Giraffe in Paris, Brahm & the Angel (Geordie Productions); The Diary of Anne Frank, Cabaret (The Segal Centre); Bye Bye Baby (Imago Theatre/Centaur Theatre); Miss Orient(ed) (Teesri Duniya); 2000 Questions (Projet Porte Parole); End Game/Fin de Partie at the Cairo Theatre Festival, Small Returns, Long, Long, Short, Long (Infinitheatre), Camera Woman (Out Productions). This fall, she will be working with Roy Surette for The Centaur Theatre’s world premiere of Steve Galluccio’s new play In Piazza San Domenico.

EMILY COLLIN - Apprentice Stage Manager

This is Emily Collin’s first time participating with Resurgence Theatre. She comes from Shelburne, Ontario and attended Brock University for Theatre, where she learned stage management. After obtaining her Honours BA, she worked with Mask and Mime troupe; Theatre Beyond Words Young Company. During her university career, Emily often enjoyed acting, in such roles as Tommy’s Mrs. Walker; Our Country’s Good’s Wisehammer. She also frequently performed with Niagara rhythm and blues band James Doolin and the Mob. Last year Emily lived and taught Drama and English in Seoul, South Korea. Since returning to Canada, she has stage managed with Blackhorse Village Players on the award winning production of Rabbit Hole. She recently moved to Toronto where she actively pursues work in stage management and is very happy to have her first apprenticeship with Resurgence.

ROBERT HARDING - Stage Manager

At Resurgence Theatre Company (Tally’s Folley, A Midsummer Night’s Dream). Other theatres include: Tarragon Theatre (A Beautiful View, How it Works, Past Perfect); Studio 180 (Blackbird, Stuff Happens); The Company Theatre (Festen, Marion Bridge, A Whistle in the Dark); Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People (Seussical, Hongbu and Nolbu: The Tale of the Magic Pumpkins); Centaur Theatre Company (Carmela’s Table); Charlottetown Festival (British Invasion II: America Strikes Back!, British Invasion). Upcoming: Stuff Happens (Studio 180 in association with Mirvish Productions); Communion (Tarragon Theatre).

WILL HOFSTETTER - House Technician

SEAN MULCAHY - Set Designer

Sean received his formal training at York University, graduating with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, honours, and several awards marking his contributions to the Fine Arts Theatre Department, including the redevelopment of the Joseph G. Green Studio seating structure. Sean continued his training, mentoring at the Canadian Stage Company (two seasons), and The Stratford Shakespeare Festival (six seasons), under some of North America's most prominent theatre designers, including Philip Silver, Danielle Levesque and Santo Loquasto. Selected credits include: Heat Wave, The Melville Boys, The Attic the Pearls and Three Fine Girls (Sudbury Theatre Centre); Here on the Flight Path (Prairie Theatre Exchange); Narnia, Forever Plaid, (Theatre New Brunswick); Quit (premiere), Relatively Harmless (premiere), There is a Land of Pure Delight (premiere), (Live Bait Theatre); The Crucible, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Les Belles Seours, de Sade, (The Randolph Academy); 'Night Mother (Eclectic Theatre/Art Word Theatre). Sean has been awarded both a Guthrie and Tom Patterson award from the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Recent Work: Narnia, (Theatre New Brunswick) Set Design, There is a Land of Pure Delight, (Live Bait Theatre) Set and Costume Design.

JONATHAN ROOKE - Production Manager

Jonathan Rooke is thrilled to be back for a fourth fun-filled season with Resurgence in this beautiful setting. He has production managed for many companies over the years, most recently for Humber College's Theatre Program. He has been with Theatre Passe Muraille for four years as Technical Director and five as Production Manager. Other production management credits include: 36 Views (Actors Repertory Theatre); Science Fiction (River/Marquis); Muscle Memory (Theatre Viscera); Simon Heath’s 1002 Nights (The Shed Co.); one fantastic season at the Regent Theatre in Picton, Ontario.

JULIA VANDERGRAAF - Lighting Designer

Selected lighting design credits include: The Kiltartan Comedies, Love Among the Russians (The Shaw Festival); The Marilyn Tapes, Collected Stories (Neptune Theatre); Chairmaker, the Musical (Theatre New Brunswick); Merlin, Les Portes Tournantes (The Atlantic Ballet Theatre); The Tempest, Henry IV, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Macbeth, Measure for Measure, As You Like It, Richard III (Bard on the Beach). Julia has also designed productions for George Brown College, Theatre Direct, The Charlottetown Festival, and Theatre Under the Stars. She has worked as an Assistant Lighting Designer for the Shaw Festival, the Stratford Festival, the Vancouver Opera Company, and the Charlottetown Festival. She now spends most of her time working as an Architectural Lighting Designer.

ADRIENNE VRANCKAERT - Costume Designer

Adrienne is happy to be back at Fairy Lake for another summer with Resurgence Theatre Company. Originally from British Columbia, Adrienne has been designing across Canada for the past seven years. Her recent theatre credits include: Costume Designer for Twelfth Night and The Secret Garden (Resurgence Theatre Company); Set and Costume Designer for Extremities (Surface Underground Theatre); Assistant Costume Designer for Aladdin Jr. (Silvermist Productions), Crazy for You and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (Drayton Entertainment). Film and television credits include: Art Direction for A Taste Of Shakespeare: Othello (Eugenia Educational Foundation); Back in ’93 (Polenta Productions, BravoFact short film); Costume Designer for How Does Your Garden Grow?, The Phone Company Man and Love, Mom (CFC); Assistant Costume Designer for the T.V. series Urban Legends and Paradise Lost (Nextfilm).

2009 SEASON