"TUESDAYS & SUNDAYS"
by Tina Smith, Ship's Company TheatreInspired by the true story of two PEI teenagers in 1887, an award-winning play tours Nova Scotia
Parrsboro NS - After the successful Halifax run of their production "How I Learned to Drive" in January of this year, Matthew Stephenson and Kate Lavender have joined forces again to present the critically acclaimed play TUESDAYS & SUNDAYS, by Alberta playwrights Daniel Arnold and Medina Hahn. Premiering in 2001, the production was hailed as one of the "Top Ten Plays" of the year in Toronto, Edmonton and Vancouver. This evocative and touchingly funny work has played to sold-out houses across Canada and been performed internationally in a number of centres including Edinburgh, New York and Prague.
The play begins its Nova Scotia tour on August 1 at Ship's Company Theatre in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. After a four-day run it moves to Truro, Windsor, Annapolis Royal and Halifax. Lavender and Stephenson take on the roles of the star-crossed lovers Mary Tuplin and William Millman. As the play opens, Mary and William awaken in limbo and begin to relive their heart-breaking story. Shifting between the roles of the young couple and other pivotal characters in the small rural community, Lavender and Stephenson take their audience on a journey that explores new love, full of potential, and the events that set its tragic course.
Samantha Wilson, who has worked with both Lavender and Stephenson on other occasions, directs the play. Currently Director of Neptune Theatre School, Wilson returned home to Nova Scotia last year after 10 years in Toronto and Vancouver. This winter she performed in "How I Learned To Drive" and directed Lavender in the Neptune touring production "The Shape of a Girl". Film & TV credits include "Queer As Folk"," Legends", and "Love & Death on Long Island".
TUESDAYS & SUNDAYS marks the third time that Lavender and Stephenson have performed together. They met working on The Ship's Company Theatre's production of "Shatter" during the summer of 2005. The actors formed the neighbourhood watch in the spring of this year, with a goal to present no frills theatre that engages its audience through strong performances and dramatic storytelling. the neighbourhood watch also offers a variety of theatre education opportunities in communities where it tours.
After earning her Masters at the famed Actors Studio in New York, Lavender was anxious to return to the Maritimes where she believes there are challenging opportunities to present engaging and relevant theatre. Before moving to New York, she worked with both Neptune Theatre, and Theatre New Brunswick and was actively involved in theatre education in both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. "TUESDAYS & SUNDAYS is a perfect example of what a compelling narrative told through theatre can achieve," she explains. "It is a simple, beautiful and haunting story that we hope will affect everyone who sees it, " she says.
Stephenson agrees and cites the broad audience to which this story can appeal. "This play articulates something universal. It's a magical story which recalls our rich maritime history, but at the same time, it's style will grab modern-day audiences," he continues. A Halifax-based actor, producer and theatre educator, Stephenson has recently been seen in a number of Maritime productions including "The Mystery of Maddy Heisler" and "Lillibet" at Ship's Company Theatre and "A Few Good Men" at Neptune Theatre.
The curtain rises on TUESDAYS & SUNDAYS at Ship's Company Theatre at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, August 1 and runs till August 4. For ticket information visit us online or call: 1-800-565-SHOW or 902-254-3000. Ship's Company Theatre's Second Stage is generously funded by untv.ca