Offensive to Some - January 24th to 27th at the LSPU Hall
|
Presented by Resource Centre for the Arts
Produced by PerSIStence Theatre January 24-26, 2019 at 8pm January 27, 2019 at 2pm LSPU Hall |
Written by Berni Stapleton
Directed by Ruth Lawrence Starring Miranda MacDonald Stage management by Jaimie Tait Production management by Mara Bredovskis Lighting design by Diana Daly Set design by Emily Austin Sound design by Lori Clarke |
|
In prison for killing her husband – a man who has abused her for years- her journey as a wife, mother, daughter, but most of all as a woman, is revealed in her interactions with unseen cops and a parade of talk show hosts. Through dark humour, flights of fancy, and dramatic flashbacks that reveal her painful past, an unforgettable and deeply truthful portrait emerges before the audience.
|
Director's notes
In that season suddenly our island
Broke out its old sores for all to see.
We saw them too.
-excerpt from the poem Domestic Violence by Eavan Boland
Berni Stapleton’s Offensive to Some was written in 1995. Twenty-three years later, the long awaited inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women has just concluded its Truth Gathering phase. Over the past year, numerous high profile offenders have been exposed as women, often in positions of power long after the assaults, came forward to confront their abusers. While these are some signs of progress, the reported statistics on violence against women are still dismal.
These issues all tragically hit home when a young Indigenous woman from the Miawpukek Nation in Conne River was murdered this month; the man charged is from the small outport where I grew up. What was once the unimaginable is now the reality.
We must face it; we have a serious problem here in this province. We have nowhere left to hide. We have to stop pretending that domestic violence and these murders are an anomaly. Women live with domestic violence every day in our lovely pristine communities and in numbers greater than we are able to understand. Until our society addresses these behaviours, the senseless tragedies will likely continue. This is unacceptable. All of us here tonight can demand accountability at every level and we can start with using our personal, positional, and political power to incite change. How else do we live with ourselves?
Tonight's interpretation of Ms. Stapleton’s play takes us into the interrogation room to imagine a two-way mirror, to witness the unraveling of a woman pushed to the brink and forced to cope with her own “domestic situation.” We present a raw, unflinching, and truthful fiction. We know that for many, the “sores” are very real. We see them. We need to work together to heal them.
-Ruth Lawrence
In memory of Chantel John
1990-2019
If you are being abused, you can call Iris Kirby House any time, day or night (709) 753-1492 or 1-877-753-1492
If you have been sexually assaulted, you can call the 24-hr Crisis, Support, and Information Line: 1-800-726-2743
If you are survivor, you may want to get involved in the Journey project http://nlsacpc.com/thejourneyproject/
Broke out its old sores for all to see.
We saw them too.
-excerpt from the poem Domestic Violence by Eavan Boland
Berni Stapleton’s Offensive to Some was written in 1995. Twenty-three years later, the long awaited inquiry into Murdered and Missing Indigenous Women has just concluded its Truth Gathering phase. Over the past year, numerous high profile offenders have been exposed as women, often in positions of power long after the assaults, came forward to confront their abusers. While these are some signs of progress, the reported statistics on violence against women are still dismal.
These issues all tragically hit home when a young Indigenous woman from the Miawpukek Nation in Conne River was murdered this month; the man charged is from the small outport where I grew up. What was once the unimaginable is now the reality.
We must face it; we have a serious problem here in this province. We have nowhere left to hide. We have to stop pretending that domestic violence and these murders are an anomaly. Women live with domestic violence every day in our lovely pristine communities and in numbers greater than we are able to understand. Until our society addresses these behaviours, the senseless tragedies will likely continue. This is unacceptable. All of us here tonight can demand accountability at every level and we can start with using our personal, positional, and political power to incite change. How else do we live with ourselves?
Tonight's interpretation of Ms. Stapleton’s play takes us into the interrogation room to imagine a two-way mirror, to witness the unraveling of a woman pushed to the brink and forced to cope with her own “domestic situation.” We present a raw, unflinching, and truthful fiction. We know that for many, the “sores” are very real. We see them. We need to work together to heal them.
-Ruth Lawrence
In memory of Chantel John
1990-2019
If you are being abused, you can call Iris Kirby House any time, day or night (709) 753-1492 or 1-877-753-1492
If you have been sexually assaulted, you can call the 24-hr Crisis, Support, and Information Line: 1-800-726-2743
If you are survivor, you may want to get involved in the Journey project http://nlsacpc.com/thejourneyproject/
Production Community
Emily Austin - Set
Emily is originally from CBS, NL and has a BFA in Technical Theatre Production from Grenfell Campus, Memorial University. She specializes in scenic carpentry and painting with her recent work including Colony of Unrequited Dreams (2017 national tour) for Artist Fraud; Sound of Music and Dead Man Walking for Opera On The Avalon; Mamma Mia for Theatre St. John’s; and Dedication for the Resource Centre for the Arts Theatre Company.
Mara Bredovskis - Production Manager
Originally from Hamilton, ON, Mara now calls St. John’s home. Credits include: Isle of Demons (PerSIStence Theatre); Mamma Mia and The Little Mermaid (Theatre St. John's); Dead Man Walking, Sound of Music, and Ours (Opera on the Avalon); Between Breaths (Artistic Fraud); Circus Glorious and Bolt Out of the Blue (Wonderbolt Circus); Hunger (White Rooster Theatre); PROUD (Double-Sure Theatre Co-op); Spamalot (Atlantic Light Theatre), Give Me Back (skc originals); the Spring 2016 season as an assistant technical director at the Canadian Opera Company; and four seasons at the Grand Bank Regional Theatre.
Lori Clarke - Sound Design
Lori Clarke has collaborated with dance, theatre and film artists as sound designer, composer and performer for more than 30 years. Her work and research interests are informed both by art practice and her practice in body psychotherapy. Lori runs Resonance Somatic Counselling Services where she works with people finding hope and connecting to vitality as they heal from cumulative and traumatic stress. Loriclarke.com
Diana Daly - Lighting Design
Diana is a multi-instrumentalist, performer, designer, storyteller and songwriter. Originally from St.John's, Newfoundland she has spent the last ten years living and working in BC, Montreal and Nunavik. She is the administrator for DanceNL and the Festival Coordinator for St.John's International CircusFest. A lover of story through song, image, dance and spectacle, Diana has a keen interest in printmaking and Ethnomusicology. Favourite projects that she has created include: The Fogo Island Song Share, the Lhasa de Sela Youth Stage for the Montreal Folk Festival, her EP "When Women Kill", being the "Femme d'Orchestre" for the puppet show Kate Crackerberry and all of the musical experiences with her students in Puvirnituq and Kangirsuk. Diana is one third of the Daly Family Collective where she gets to tell stories about her extraordinary family with her dear friends, Louise Moyes and Anne Troake in the stage show If A Place Could Be Made. Recently, Diana was the production designer for the world premiere of Sharon King-Campbell's ORIGINAL with PerSIStence Theatre.
Jenn Deon - Producing Artistic Director
A freelance theatre artist who has worked in St. John’s since the early 90’s, Jenn is a founder and currently the producing artistic director of the PerSIStence Theatre Company. As artistic director with the Shakespeare by the Sea Festival from 1995-2015, she directed many of its productions over the years. Recent directing projects include Life Sucks (Deon-Walsh Productions), an excerpt from After The Sirens (Quills on the Edge/St. John's Shorts), and Isle of Demons (PerSIStence). As a performer, Jenn most recently appeared as Mrs. Dunphy in Brazil Square (Girl Power). In 2013, Jenn was a recipient of a Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for her community involvement, and received the 2018 Woman of Distinction Award for Arts & Culture from the YWCA St. John's. More at jenndeon.ca.
Ruth Lawrence - Director
Ruth Lawrence’s work as an actor, writer, and filmmaker has taken her to Ireland, France, the US, and across Canada. She is the artistic director of White Rooster Theatre. Since 1991, she has performed lead and principal roles in over 100 professional theatre, film, television, and radio projects, mostly original productions. Ruth has performed with theatre companies including Tarragon Theatre, Sarasvati, Resource Centre for the Arts Theatre (mainstage and second space), Rising Tide Theatre, Wonderbolt Productions, She Said Yes!, White Rooster, c2c theatre, and Newfoundland Young People’s Theatre, and she has toured Newfoundland & Labrador (extensively), across Canada, and Ireland with various productions. Ruth was named the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council’s 2011 Artist of the Year and in 2013 was honoured with the Queen’s Jubilee Medal.
Miranda MacDonald - Actor
Theatre credits; Trummp the Musical (PMP); Once the Musical (Theatre SJ); Offensive to Some (PerSIStence); Context (Echo); The Wedding Singer (Stage West Calgary); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Persephone); Lights, Camera, Christmas! (Upper Canada); Rob Ford the Musical (Factory Theatre); Fortunes Fools (Shakespearience Group); Back in 59 Tour (Showboat Festival); Pinkalicious the Musical (The LOT). Teaching / Directing credits; choreographer for Guys and Dolls and A Call to Arms (ALT); co-creator of Summer Youth Company, Liberty Junction Theatre (choreographer, director and music director). Currently; creator of Dynamic Fusion Show Choir, teaches at MacDonald Music Studio. Training: Sheridan College. Thank you, Jenn, Ruth and Berni for having me back to share, again, this incredible piece of work. Love to my most amazing family who supports the crap out of me and my baby girl, Mcaleigh #imnotaregularmomimacoolmom. www.mirandamacdonaldbutler.com
Berni Stapleton - Playwright
Berni Stapleton is a Newfoundland- Labrador writer and performer of unique distinction. Her play The Pope and Princess Di was just listed on the Playwrights Guild of Canada Sure Fire List of top 23 plays from female playwrights in Canada, and her play Woman in a Monkey Cage was also long-listed. Berni has been a playwright-in-residence with companies across Canada, and her plays are regularly produced nationally and internationally, including Offensive To Some, Brazil Square, The Haunting of Margaret Duley and Our Frances. Other accolades include The Rhonda Payne award from Arts NL; the Writer’s Association of NL award for best work in non-fiction for her contribution to the book They Let Down Baskets; and the Ambassador of Tourism award from Hospitality NL. Recently, Berni received the 2018 Arts and Letters award for best dramatic script, and was supported by the Canada Council to write her book Girly Muckle and the Queer Hands. Her new one woman show is called Late Lesbians and Other Bloomers, and Berni is one of the featured performers in Artistic Fraud’s Between Breaths. Berni was the Artistic Director of the Grand Bank Regional Theatre Festival for 11 years, was dramaturge for and helped devise transVersing (Artistic Fraud/Love of Learning), and most recently directed Sharon King-Campbell's play Original for PerSIStence Theatre. More at bernistapleton.com.
Jaimie Tait - Stage Manager
Originally from Vancouver BC, Jaimie moved to Newfoundland four years ago and is now proud to call St. John’s her home. Most recently Jaimie stage managed Original for PerSIStence Theatre; ...float... for Choral Canada; and Tosca for Opera on the Avalon. Favourite credits include: Ours for Opera on the Avalon; Offensive to Some (2017) for PerSIStence Theatre; Betroffenheit with Kidd Pivot; Chelsea Hotel: The Songs of Leonard Cohen for The Firehall Arts Centre; and All The Way Home for The Electric Company. Jaimie also recently worked at the St. John’s International Circus Festival. Jaimie is a graduate of Studio 58.
