Download our Poster (pdf format).
Download our Handbill (pdf format).
Items of Interest
Media storytellers should find interest in both the subject matter of 2040: The Passage as well as a number of stories surrounding this production. The subject matter, presented through black comedy, deals with contemporary political issues (hear the echoes of Fahrenheit 9-11) from a distinctly Canadian perspective. This perspective includes guilt over theft of the continent and continued failure to rehabilitate relations with Native peoples. The personal interest stories include:
Youthful Talent
Energy, talent, training, and cooperative
spirit mark this young but already distinguished cast. For example, Edmonton
native Nicole English (playing the Captain and other parts) recently completed
a three-year program at the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama, UK. In 2003,
she won the highly prestigious Spotlight Award for the UK's most promising actress.
Yay Nicole. We believe that our other cast members would have been worthy candidates
for the spotlight, too.
Theatre and Education Crossovers
Like many other productions at la Vie en
Fringe, 2040: The Passage owes much to Edmonton's rich training programs and
has ongoing connections to theatrical education. Five of our six cast members
are recent grads of the Grant MacEwan program in theatre arts. Stage manager
Eva Pang and Costume Designer Beth Campbell study in specialized programs at
the U of A. Co-director Joyce Miller is managing director of Edmonton's ever
prospering Theatre Prospero, a company dedicated to presenting Shakespeare and
the classics in Alberta schools. Playwright Dave Brundage teaches advanced creative
writing students at Athabasca University and, with Vern Thiessen and Industry
Canada funding, is preparing a new online course in writing for performance.
The Fringe Then and Now
Described by Nancy Bell in 1987 as a "Fringe
Veteran," Dave Brundage returns after a 17-year absence. The contrast between
Fringe 1985 and Fringe 2004 may not be quite what Rip Van Winkle experienced
between the world he left behind and the one he rediscovered-but it's not far
from.
Challenges of Physical and Visual Theatre
While not an exclusively physical company,
Red Earth Productions is influenced by the work of Robert Lepage as well as
the ritual traditions of so-called non-Western drama. Incorporating lifts, fights,
dance moves, and general physical elements has been an important aspect of our
work.
Music Production and Theatre Crossovers
To the long list of Edmonton theatre artists
who also write, perform, and produce music, we may now add Dave Brundage. His
new CD City of Champions (with James Kwong)-the product of four years of recording
at Beta Sound Recorders and many more years of writing-will be available by
mid August 2004. See davidarts.com for links to sound samples and more information
(after Aug 1).