We are sending lots of love to the cast and crew of both The Seagull by Open Theatre Company and also to Under Wraps by Artistic Fraud- both shows opening tonight! Can’t wait to see them! Also, the Women’s Work Festival has been rocking it here in town all weekend, sharing so many incredible pieces by women playwrights. PLUS the sun has even been hanging around these parts! How lucky we are. Congrats to the last Picture Start short film that just wrapped as well with NIFCO!
Engine Productions
an artist-run d.i.y theatre company
You are AWESOME! Thank you!
Well, 2013 has been an awesome year for us so far! Our fundraiser at The Levee was by far our MOST successful yet! So many lovely faces, so many talented bands, lots of sweet baked treats, pizza graciously donated by Stoggers Pizza, and just a really fun night. We would like to give a shout out to the wonderful Gene Browne and all of the staff of The Levee (our favourite bar! Such supporters of the arts). Also thanks to James Richard at 8 Limb Muay Thai for donating three memberships worth almost $900 to Engine Productions for the fundraiser! So many thanks! Also to Carolyn Ferrie for the donation of beautiful handmade scarves! As always, extra love to all of the musicians who performed: Avalon Stanley, The Corroborators, A Tribute to Dr. Dog (Evan Mercer, Tristan, Brad Mercer, Leon white & Nick Giles) and The Beer Patrice.
The ladies of EP being silly as always at our fundraiser!
SO MANY THANKS AND GRATITUDE to everyone who gave donations or came out. Couldn’t have done it without you, and for that we send love, thanks, and we can’t wait to share more theatre with you!
Speaking of which, just a quick update since there is lots of wonderful theatre action happening right now in St. John’s!
-TaDa presents CHICAGO! opens TONIGHT at the Arts and Culture Centre and features so many talented dancers, singers and performers, such as Lynn from Lynn Panting Dance!
-Our friends at GraveYard Shift Productions are opening Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me at the Barbara Barrett Theatre on April 17 (book tickets now), and features EP’s favourite Ross Moore (Philip from The Shape of Things, Short & Queer I).
-Lawnya Vawnya: An Exposition of Independent Art and Culture also gets on the go April 17-21 and has SO MANY GOOD BANDS and events! I love this festival and think it is a wonderful and needed addition to this city and really blows me away with the talent.
-Shakespeare By The Sea Festival – St. John’s are holding auditions for their 2013 season on May 4th and 5th, including crew and volunteer staff. You can contact them here!
-PLUS Best Kind Productions have tickets on sale for “Avenue Q” at the LSPU Hall box office now, so you can go ahead and book those up too!
SO MANY SHOWS! How exciting. Hope you get out there, and break legs to everyone who’s sharing great work! EP show announcements soon too!
xo
EP
Here we go, 2013!
So, welcome! We’ve not been the best at updating these days, but the new year has been a fast-paced one, but exciting none the less. We are in the planning stages of another theatre show PLUS all super amped for the 2nd Annual Queer Theatre Festival! Oh yes! It’s ago for this year Pride’s Week! We’re busy getting the ball rolling on projects, and are excited for our upcoming fundraiser!
We invite you to join us at our favourite bar, The Levee, March 28 at 10:30pm for an awesome night of wicked music, freshly baked sale, hot pizza, 3 for $5 beer and shenanigans! As always, it’s gonna be a laugh and every bit of support is always appreciated. Plus, we miss your faces and would love for you to come out and say hi! The lineup for the night includes One Night Band (Kim Drake, Meg Farrell & Mike Hickey), the talented Avalon Stanley, A Tribute to Dr Dog (Evan Mercer, Tristan Woodworth-Lynas, Brad Mercer, Leon White & Nick Giles) and The Beer Patrice. You can rsvp at our facebook page!
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year from us here at EP- Although we’re kind of late! It’s grant writing and winter-bundling up season so we’re working away at out next project and really excited to let you know more once we can! We hope everyone’s doing well, and remember that the City of St. John’s has a deadline of January 31 to get in applications for Arts Grants for Artists and Arts Organizations, if you’re interested. Stay warm, folks. it’s snowy out there. More info soon! Hope all is well!
Grenfell Grads on Tour
As you may or may not know, Engine Productions was founded by three graduates of Memorial University’s Grenfell Campus (or as we called it back then, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College- or plain ol’ Grenfell!). We are updating today to let folks know that two of our friends and fellow Grenfell grads, Mark Bradbury and Colin Furlong are touring Daniel MacIvor’s play House to the LSPU Hall in St. John’s next month! Moving it from Corner Brook right across the island, they are touring this wonderful one-man show and trust when we say that this gang is crazy talented!
“House tells the story of Victor, a man in crisis who is eager to confess tales of his sordid history with the hope of achieving a more satisfying future. House blurs the boundaries between actor and audience in an unpredictable ride riddled with black humor and vivid storytelling.”
RSVP to the show at their facebook event page, and if you would like to donate to their fundraising, please visit here. Gotta support fellow Grenfell talents! Break legs!
*UPDATE! ANOTHER GREAT SHOW!*
Kevin Woolridge (yet another Grenfell alumni) is having his work Saner and Buzzy open at the LSPU hall TOMORROW night (running November 15-17). Starring Ross Moore (who you may remember from EP’s “The Shape of Things” and also our Queer Theatre Fest), Rory Lambert and Neil Butler! A really quirky show and I know it’s going to be hilarious!
Photo from The Telegram, credit of Deidre Gilliard-Rowlings
“Saner and Buzzy is a play about Michael Jackson and Chris de Burgh. And gummy bears. And creepy fortune tellers. And also Monet. It may include a game of Twister. It definitely involves two strangers named Saner and Buzzy and the consequences of waiting too long for something that might never happen.”
Pride & Prejudice + More!
From Theatre Calgary’s website, promo for Pride and Prejudice
Our very own Laura Huckle is rocking the main stage at Theatre Calgary in the role of Lydia Bennet in Pride and Prejudice- which is SOLD OUT already in Calgary! We are super proud and excited for Laura and send much, much love! Laura will also get to work with our dear friend Jill Keiley at the National Arts Centre when the show makes it way to Ottawa! Tickets are still up for grabs at the NAC here!
Back in St. John’s, Hangashore Productions (created from Memorial University of Newfoundland’s “Producing the Play” course) are getting ready to stage The Laramie Project at the LSPU Hall. Directed by Danielle Irving, this show has an incredibly important story to tell, and is an amazing piece of theatre. We can’t wait to see it. They have a fundraising website here if you’d like to help. Learn more about Matthew Shepard, his story and the original creation of this piece of theatre here.
On a different note, there have also been some great, frantic and guerrilla-style film making happening here in St. John’s with the Nickel Independent Film Festival‘s 48-Hour Challenge! 48 hours to write, shoot and edit a 5 minute horror film. We are expecting some crazy shorts out of this!
November has proved itself to be an active month full of creations and challenges! Keep it comin!
Summer Update!
You got sunburns, freckles, went swimming, camping, and some of you are back to school or returning home from summer stock theatre. Congrats! We’re approaching Fall, and EP wanted to congratulate everyone who rocked the summer theatre festivals this year, those who produced their own work here in town and elsewhere– Shakespeare by the Sea, Graveyard Shift Productions, Black Bag Media Collective (rockcanrollrecords), white rooster theatre, our queer theatre fest and more! It’s really exciting to see new work being produced, and there have been a TON of great independent films coming out too! There are also a few big features being filmed here, such as The Grand Seduction which has helped Trinity and area to be a buzz this season too! Of course, Republic of Doyle is kicking butt filming their fourth season in St. John’s, plus Best Boy Entertainment have been filming tons. People are busy and we hope that the summer didn’t go by too fast and that you were able to take some of it in!
If you do feel like you missed out, you can see many of your favourite actors in Beat Down which is now playing at Empire Cinemas across Atlantic Canada- directed by one of our favourites, Deanne Foley! Also, our friends at c2c theatre are celebrating their 10th anniversary this Fall with the opening of Parlour Song, September 14-23.
Okay, lots of love and excitement to all of you creating and enjoying the diverse work in the arts in NL. Also, take note that EP has some treats coming your way soon, as we have several projects in the works for you! More news soon!
Short & Queer Theatre!
Happy Pride Week, everyone! Last night we proudly presented Newfoundland and Labrador’s first ever Short & Queer Theatre Festival, adding a theatre element to coincide with St. John’s Pride Week! The night was really wonderful, moving and special for EP! So thrilled to have had so many talented artists contribute and create this evening, and thank YOU for the support! Intimate and interactive, it’s how we roll! We would like to thank Robert Chafe, Liz Solo, Amy Anthony, Megan Coles and Mark White for the amazing scripts, and Jenn Brown, Kimberley Drake, Natalia Hennelly, Ross Moore, Darren Ivany, Mitch McGee Herritt, Michael Smith and Emily Locke for their direction and acting. Also, to our friends at Ontop/Above! Our many sincere thanks to the everyone who came out and supported this event, and a special thanks to the City of St. John’s and the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council for funding support as well!
Here’s to an even better 2nd annual Queer Theatre Festival next year! Click the poster below to go to our designated Queer Theatre Festival page!
Again, Happy Pride Week!
News soon!
Well, it’s been a slow patch for EP’s website, but that’s mainly because all co-founders have been super busy making movies, rocking theatre festivals, organizing flash mobs and all kinds of other jazz! However, we will be sending out some fun news soon! Stay tuned!
Hope everyone is enjoying summer and that you get to check out all of the theatre shows and festivals which have already begun their seasons for the year, so explore NL and check them out!
New World Theatre Project has opened their season with unique Shakespeare and classical adaptations, such as their Newfoundland-inspired The Tempest which officially premiered TONIGHT! New World will be sharing a wonderful lineup of theatre this summer in Cupids, NL. Check out New World’s Website here for more info.
New World Theatre Project opens its 2012 season with a Newfoundland inspired production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, starring Greg Malone as Prospero. In honour of the 400th anniversary of the first contact between John Guy and the Beothuk in Cupids, Newfoundland, this dramatic re-imagining is conceived and directed by Jeannette Lambermont-Morey, with a score composed by Mi’kmaq artist, Cathy Elliott, who also plays Ariel. Featuring Jake Bradbury, Courtney Brown, Neil Butler, Gabriella Colavecchio, Liam Dawson, Cathy Elliott, Jerry Etienne, Brian Marler, Stan Nochasak and Paul Rowe, with costume design by Peggy Hogan.
To get into the summer theatre mood, enjoy some local shakespeare while having out in the park if you’re in St. John’s. Shakespeare By The Sea is a community based, non-profit theatre that shares it’s stage with the boats and beauty of Harbourside Park (among other outdoor venues) in the summer months. Wear sunscreen, bring a drink, enjoy the sun and fun shows such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream which opens tomorrow! Break legs!
Margaret Hild and Dylan Brenton in rehearsal with SBTS
(Photo copyright and courtesy of SBTS- click on it for their FB page!)
April Happenings!
April has a lot of great people working on awesome projects!
So, did you like the cast of our last show? Want to see them all work together again? You can help! Ross Moore (Philip from The Shape of Things) is directing a short film that he wrote, and needs any and all sponsohip to make it a reality. The extra fun thing is that Kimberley Drake, Michael Smith AND Laura Huckle will all be acting in the film! Exciting! Learn more about and donate to the film Of the Essence by clicking the link! The wonderful Liz Solo is also fundraising for her film The Machine, “a cyberpunk fairytale set in St. John’s” which begins shooting this week!
Darren Ivany will be acting in Joel Thomas Hyne’s one-man play Say Nothing, Saw Wood opening tomorrow, April 11 and running until the 14th. Drowning Girls is running at the LSPU Hall April April 26th-May 6th, and cast member Sara Tilley and her theatre company She Said Yes! are offering their infamous Clown Through Mask workshop again this summer. As someone who has studied with Sara, it really is a life changing and really opening workshop if you can join.
The second annual festival of Lawnya Vawnya, an amazing celebration of music by a beautiful array of talented bands and artists from around the world, is happening again this year right here in St. John’s! (in case you’re wondering, Lawnya Vawnya is an old Newfoundland expression meaning “having a good time at a dance party with plenty to eat.”) They already rocked us with Fake Prom last weekend, but the full music festival April 18th-22nd at various venues around the city.
PLUS Our Friend Renate Pohl needs your help to go to to Space University! Check out her campaign page here or click the photo below for more info on this great opportunity for our lovely friend and theatre designer + stained glass artist!
Lots of people looking for help, lots of big ideas, and so many talented people! Read about them and spread the word!
