FOR TWO NIGHTS ONLY - WILD ABANDON, BY DANIEL MCIVOR

The Curtain Club is pleased to announce a special summer production for two nights only! On July 15 and July 16 only, The Curtain Club will present the Canadian play Wild Abandon by Daniel MacIvor.

Plenty of tickets for the run of Wild Abandon, at the incredible price of only $18.00 each (students $15 each), are available from The Curtain Club box office (905-773-3434).










Wild Abandon is a one man show about Steve, a man who believes he’s alone in the world. This is a raw, existentialist play staring Stephan Ermel as Steve. Stephan, who is a student of drama, won The Curtain Club’s Cicely Thompson Scholarship some years back. Seeing Stephan evolve from his highschool years, when he preformed in The Curtain Club production of Marvin's Room by Scott McPherson, will be a treat for long-time Club patrons!

Daniel MacIvor is a Canadian actor, playwright, theatre director and film director. He was born in Sydney, Nova Scotia and educated at Dalhousie University in Halifax, and then at George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario.

JUNE 11, 2011 - Join us for Doors Open, and Visit Our Booth at the Heritage Village Festival

The Curtain Club is excited to participate in Doors Open Richmond Hill on June 11. On the same day, The Curtain Club will have a booth as the Heritage Village Festival on Yonge St. The Club will be open for Doors Open visitors from 10 am to 4 pm. You can take a tour backstage, try on some medieval costumes, and take a look at the set for Regret's Only - the play that is currently running. You can also put your name forward to win tickets to one of our upcoming productions: Wild Abandon by Daniel McIvor. We will also be giving away tickets at The Curtain Club booth will at The Heritage Village Festival. See you Saturday!

For more information, consult: http://www.richmondhill.ca/subpage.asp?pageid=heritage_doors_open_event

OPENING THIS WEEK, ON JUNE 3

Regrets Only
A Comedy by Paul Rudnick

Richmond Hill, Ont. (May 30, 2011): The Curtain Club is pleased to announce the opening of the last play of the 2010/2011 Season, Regrets Only, a comedy by Paul Rudnick on June 3 (there will be a preview on June 2 and the play closes on June 18, 2011). On June 3, 2011, after the opening night performance, patrons will be treated to a reception in the lobby of the theatre with an opportunity to meet the cast, design team and crew. Plenty of tickets for the run of Regrets Only, at the incredible price of only $18.00 each, are available from The Curtain Club box office (905-773-3434).

Regrets Only is a comedy about manners set in a Park Avenue penthouse in Manhattan. It explores the latest topics in marriage and friendship and the plot touches on issues such as the drafting of a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage.
The play revolves around married socialites Jack, an attorney (played by Greg Nowlan) and Tibby (played by Victoria Curran) and their relationship with designer Hank (played by Steve Hetherington, who is also producing Regrets Only). Hank is one of the world’s most successful fashion designers. Jack and Tibby’s daughter, Spencer (played by Rakhee Morzaria) is getting engaged during a city-wide strike adding to the romp. Adding colour are Myra, the maid (played by Heather Nutt-Christensen), and Marietta, Tibby’s mother (played by Lorraine Whaley).


Producer Steve Hetherington has been pleased with work of the cast and crew on Regrets Only as the entire team had to work around the 2011 Theatre Ontario Festival, which The Curtain Club hosted from May 18 to 2011. He was rallying the team during the technical runs during this weekend saying “We're almost there everyone! Thank you all for your hard work on this show and working around the Festival.”


Regrets Only is a modern “drawing room” comedy, and was first performed in New York in 2006 with the character of Tibby played by Christine Baranski. Paul Rudnick, was born in 1957, is an American playwright, screenwriter and novelist. His plays include I Hate Hamlet, Jeffrey, The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told, Valhalla and The New Century. He also wrote for Premiere magazine under the pseudonym Libby Gelman-Waxner. He is Jewish and openly gay.

Each season The Curtain Club gives back to the community through its Charity Night initiative. One performance of each play is given to local charities to use as a fundraiser or a volunteer thank you. The Curtain Club is pleased to welcome York Central Hospital Volunteers, Thornhill Chapter and the Club Tamar as recipients of the Charity Night for Regrets Only.

What a wonderful 2011 Theatre Ontario Festival!

The Curtain Club was proud to host the 2011 Theatre Ontario Festival right here in Richmond Hill from May 18 to 22, 2011. The performances and the awards brunch were held at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, but all other Festival activities were held at The Curtain Club.

The Curtain Club was particularly proud to to have Joan Burrows’, long-time member of The Curtain Club, resident playwright and former President, play “Staff Room” included in “Grassroots,” an anthology of plays being published by Theatre Ontario and released by Canada Playwright Press during the 2011 Festival.

Joan says “I'm thrilled to have Staff Room included in “Grassroots!” And especially excited that the anthology is being launched in the very space that gave Staff Room its first premier production. I think it speaks volumes about the entire Curtain Club whose members gave it such encouragement, support and effort to make it all possible.”

The Festival was a great success with Festival adjudicator Jane Carnwath awarding 15 awards during the Award Brunch on May 22. Five of these, including best production, were deservedly won by “Trying,” presented by Domino Theatre from Kingston, Ontario.

The productions that participated in the Festival were:
• “Suds,” a musical comedy by Melinda Gibb, and presented by Whitby Courthouse Theatre for ACT-CO.
• “Balconville,” a bilingual comedy by David Fennario, and presented by Espanola Little Theatre for QUONTA.
• “Trying,” a drama by Joanna McClelland Glass, and presented by Domino Theatre (Kingston), for EODL.
• “Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf?” a drama by Edward Albee, and presented by Theatre Windsor, for WODL.

"Who's Afriad of Virginia Woolf?" was a masterpiece!

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? was a great close to the 2011 Theatre Ontario Festival. At the Awards Brunch on May 22, the best production of the Festival as well as the best in other aspects will be selected ....



The cast and crew arrived at the green room party last night quite late as the three act play was the longest of the Festival so far.

taking the stage tonight "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?"

DON'T MISS THE LAST PLAY OF THE 2011 THEATRE ONTARIO FESTIVAL AT THE RICHMOND HILL CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS.

The classic drama by Edward Albee is a must see and favourite of audiences -- based simply on the fact that it has seen so many Broadway revivals.


The cast and crew have been busy building their set at the RHCPA and rehearsing. The show is at 8PM. Tickets are available from the RHCPA Box Office at 905.787.8811 Walk-in Patrons Are Welcome!! TICKETS ARE JUST $25 EACH. See you there.




And don't forget, tomorrow at 11:30 AM there will be an awards brunch. Tickets are on sale at the RHCPA box office, but we need you to purchase those in advance as we need to notify the caterer of the number of attendees. And, of course, if you are there you will hear first-hand who takes all the Theatre Ontario Awards this year! So, don't miss out!

On May 20th "Tyring" was a Triumph during the 2011 Theatre Ontario Festival

Last night was the third night of the 2011 Theatre Ontario Festival. The audience has now developed a taste for excellence and they were not disappointed.

Tyring was a poignant masterpiece. At times pulling at strong emotions, always challenging perceptions, and occasionally uproarious.



Festival adjudicator Jane Carnwath, during the public adjudication noted "everything about this piece fit." She comment on the impact that people have on each other, and the many clashes: social class, generation....


FOLLOWING the show, patrons, and the cast and crew met at The Curtain Club for a green room party!










This morning, May 21, Jane provided the cast and crew and several other keen theatre enthusiasts many more tidbits during the private adjudication at The Curtain Club. She commented on the symmetry in the play, as well as the in the choices that the design team had made. She commmented on the many catch phrases in the play -- "lace your skates and get on the ice;" "I am a bugger for work;" my mind just left without permission."
Jane also provided amazing suggestions to the cast on crew on different approaches to the play and even had the two actors stand up and perform several scenes. It was a very positive experience for all.


THE FESTIVAL CONTINUES TONIGHT WITH THE CLASSIC "WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF?"
PLENTY OF TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE AT THE RHCPA -- WALK-INS ARE WELCOME!