February 5, 2010
Click here to read Toronto Star review of Assassins
News Release
October 28, 2009
Cast and Creative Team Announced for TIFT’s production of Assassins
Barrie, ON.. Today Artistic Producer Arkady Spivak announced the cast and creative team for Talk Is Free Theatre’s upcoming production of Assassins. With book by John Weidman (based on an original idea by Charles Gilbert), lyrics and music by Stephen Sondheim, Assassins (in co-production with Birdland Theatre, Toronto) will be performed at TIFT’s Downtown Theatre from January 21 to 31, 2010.
Bold, original, surreal, disturbing, thought-provoking and alarmingly funny, Assassins is perhaps the most controversial musical ever written. This most American of musicals lays bare the lives of nine individuals who assassinated or tried to assassinate the President of the United States, in a one-act historical "revusical" that explores the dark side of the American experience. From John Wilkes Booth to Lee Harvey Oswald, Stephen Sondheim and John Weidman bend the rules of time and space, taking us on a nightmarish rollercoaster ride in which assassins and would-be assassins from different historical periods meet, interact and in an intense final scene inspire each other to harrowing acts in the name of the American Dream.
The cast includes Dora Winner Graham Abbey (Stratford Festival and CBC’s The Border) as Samuel Byck, Jay Davis as Giuseppe Zangara, Kate Hewlett (Stargate Atlantis) as Emma Goldman, Martin Julien (Tarragon Theatre, Canadian Stage Company) as Proprietor, Trish Lindstrom (Stratford Shakespeare Theatre, Shaw Festival) as Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, Paul McQuillan (Mirvish Productions) as John Wilkes Booth, Mike Ross (Soulpepper Theatre Company) as Leon Czologosz, Steve Ross (Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Mirvish Productions, TIFT) as Charles Guiteau, Eliza Jane Scott (Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Mirvish Productions) as Sara Jane Moore, Christopher Stanton (Birdland Theatre) as John Hinckley, Jonathan Tan (Acting Up Stage Company, LKTYP) in the Ensemble, Alicia Toner (TIFT) in the Ensemble and with Geoffrey Tyler (Canadian Stage Company, Mirvish Productions, Disney) as The Balladeer and Lee Harvey Oswald.
Assassins will be directed by Dora Winner Adam Brazier (TIFT’s director of Myths and Hymns, star of Napoleon and Anyone Can Whistle, star of Broadway’s Woman in White and Into the Woods). Assistant Director is Linda Garneau, Musical Director is Reza Jacobs (Shaw Festival, TIFT’s Variations on a Nervous Breakdown), Set Designer is Beth Kates and Lighting Designer is Gareth Crew (Stratford Shakespeare Festival, TIFT’s Variations on a Nervous Breakdown).
Assassins will preview on Thursday, January 21, 2010; open on Friday, January 22, 2010 and run until Saturday, January 31, 2010, with a variety of matinee and evening performances, held at the Downtown Theatre, 1 Dunlop St. West in Barrie. After TIFT’s run in Barrie, the production will travel to Toronto’s Theatre Centre for the Birdland Theatre run scheduled between February 4 and 21, 2010.
Single tickets are $29.50. Group and subscription rates are also available. Tickets may be purchased by contacting the Box Office at (705) 792-1949, www.tift.ca.
News Release
October 20, 2009
REGISTATIONS FOR IMPROV CLASSES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH CONTINUE
Barrie, ON – Talk Is Free Theatre is pleased to accept more registrations for the remaining 5 improvisation sessions for children and youth at the new head office location at 230 Bayview Drive. This new program called, TIFT Improv Olympics, will give students the opportunity to be coached by one of TIFT professional actors. The sessions, which are completely unique to the Barrie-area, provide training in improvisation using popular games and exercises. The training will culminate with an Improv Olympic Games, where teams will be awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, as judged by a panel of TIFT experts and professionals.
These sessions will help students gain confidence and self-esteem, exercise their imagination and creative-writing skills, and will help improve social interactions with their peers. The healthy competition will also build on concentration and focus, as well as team-building and group co-operation, as the students work toward the final games. The Improv-Olympics provide a much- anticipated extension to our March Break and Summer Drama Camps, but there’s no prerequisite for the Improv Olympics. Both sessions are taught by multi-talented Director of Education, Carleigh Aikins.
There are still five classes that remain in each session for a reduced cost of $85. Classes run every Sunday from 10 AM to 12 PM (ages 6-9yrs) and 1PM to 3PM (ages10-14yrs) starting on November 2 and ending on November 29 with the final games and reception. All sessions are held at Suite 19, 230 Bayview Drive.
To register please call TIFT Box Office at (705) 792-1949 or in person at Suite 20-230 Bayview Drive, Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There are 5 more spots available in each age group.
News Release
October 7, 2009
TIFT launches the eighth season with a World Premiere comedy
Barrie, ON..Talk Is Free Theatre will open its eighth season on October 23 with the World Premiere adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s novella A Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich and Ivan Nikiforovich Had A Fight. The Tale of Ivan vs. Ivan is a hilarious and darkly satirical story of how two former best friends quarreled and ended up fighting out their differences in the courts.
Nikolai Vasilevich Gogol (1809 –1852) was a Ukrainian-born Russian writer. He is seen by most critics as the first Russian realist. His biting satire, comic realism, and descriptions of Russian provincials and petty bureaucrats influenced later Russian masters Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev, and especially Fyodor Dostoyevsky. Many of Gogol's witty sayings have since become Russian maxims. TIFT’s production of The Tale of Ivan vs. Ivan marks the bicentenary of Nikolai Gogol’s birth. TIFT has previously produced, to great acclaim, Gogol’s two major plays – The Inspector General (2007) and The Marriage (2003).
The cast of The Tale of Ivan vs. Ivan includes Milosh Rodic (Moliere or League of Hypocrites, This Is the Play, Oliver!) as Ivan Ivanovich and Caden Douglas (The Inspector General and director of Kiss of the Spider Woman) as Ivan Nikiforovich. Other cast members, playing various roles, include David Dodsley (Moliere or League of Hypocrites), Jennifer Stewart (Kiss Me, Kate, Harvest Moon Rising, Anyone Can Whistle and director of Bye Bye Birdie), Parris Greaves (Napoleon) and Alicia Toner making her TIFT debut.
The production is directed and adapted by Aleksandar Lukac whose previous TIFT credits include The Inspector General, Marriage, Oliver! and Moliere or League of Hypocrites. Set and Costumes are co-designed by Carleigh Aikins and Katherine Salnek and Lighting Design is by Gareth Crew. Stage Management is by Pamela Craig.
The Tale of Ivan vs. Ivan will preview on October 22, 2009, open on October 23, 2009 and run to October 31, 2009. Performances are from Mondays to Saturdays at 8 p.m. with various weekday and weekend matinee performances available.
The Tale of Ivan vs. Ivan will be held at the Downtown Theatre at 1 Dunlop St. West (Five Points) in Barrie. Single tickets are $29.50. Group, student and 4-ticket flexible rates are also available. October 22 preview performance offers free access to full-time students with a valid student card. Please contact the Box Office at (705) 792-1949, www.tift.ca.
News Release
September 30, 2009
Talk Is Free Theatre moves its administration and box office to a new location
Barrie, ON – As of October 1, Talk Is Free Theatre Box office, administration, rehearsal studios and production facility will be located at Suite 20-230 Bayview Drive.
“Ever since we moved out of Park Place Theatre two years ago, we ended up scattering our operations all over Barrie. Every time we needed to rehearse a production or conduct a theatre day camp we had to look for a venue”, explained Arkady Spivak, Artistic Producer. “It was a practical and cost-effective consideration that we consolidate all our areas of operation into one central location. It will enable us all to be in one spot when our productions are being rehearsed. We can now also conduct our youth outreach activities at any time. And we have so much space that we may end up making it available to other arts groups for rent."
Rehearsals for the first production of the 2009-2010 Season, The Tale of Ivan vs. Ivan are scheduled to begin at the new location on October 5, followed by the Improv Olympics fall sessions for children and youth ages 6-14.
The Tale of Ivan vs. Ivan will preview at the Downtown Theatre on October 22 and will open on October 23.
TIFT Box Office is located at Suite 20-230 Bayview Drive, and is open Monday-Friday 10-5. For more information please call (705) 792-1949 or visit www.tift.ca.
News Release
September 22, 2009
STUDENTS SEE “THE TALE OF IVAN VS. IVAN” FOR FREE
Barrie, ON – On October 22, 2009 at 8 p.m. Talk Is Free Theatre will launch its 2009-2010 Season with a free evening performance of the World Premiere comedy, The Tale of Ivan vs. Ivan, for students. Adapted and Directed by Aleksandar Lukac, this is a hilarious and darkly satirical story of how two former best friends quarreled and ended up fighting out their differences in the courts. Our production commemorates the 200th Anniversary of Nikolai Gogol’s birth, the author of two previous TIFT triumphs – The Marriage (2003) and The Inspector General (2007).
Anyone who is a full-time student (high school, college or university) can receive a maximum of two complimentary tickets, by presenting a valid student card. Tickets are limited to 100 and will be made available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Students can get tickets by calling TIFT’s box office at (705) 792-1949, e-mail at admin@tift.ca or in person at Suite 20- 230 Bayview Drive after October 5. In addition, there will also be a post-performance question and answer period with members of the cast.
“I’m very happy to be able to present a free evening performance for the students again,” says Artistic Producer, Arkady Spivak. “I’ve always wanted to find a way for students to experience a legitimate evening performance outside of a class field-trip format. Past productions by our director Aleksandar Lukac reached a special kind of popularity with students of local high-schools and this is the kind of work I would like the students to see.”
A corporate sponsor for this evening will be announced at a later date.
The Tale of Ivan Vs. Ivan will be performed at the Downtown Theatre, located at 1 Dunlop St. West (Five Points) in Barrie from October 22 to 31, 2009. Free evening student performance will be held on Thursday, October 22 at 8 p.m.
News Release
September 17, 2009
IMPROV CLASSES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH
Barrie, ON – Talk Is Free Theatre is pleased to offer improvisation sessions for children and youth at the new head office location at 230 Bayview Drive. This new program called, TIFT Improv Olympics, will give students the opportunity to be coached by one of TIFT professional actors. The sessions, which are completely unique to the Barrie-area, provide training in improvisation using popular games and exercises. The training will culminate with an Improv Olympic Games, where teams will be awarded Gold, Silver and Bronze medals, as judged by a panel of TIFT experts and professionals.
These sessions will help students gain confidence and self-esteem, exercise their imagination and creative-writing skills, and will help improve social interactions with their peers. The healthy competition will also build on concentration and focus, as well as team-building and group co-operation, as the students work toward the final games. The Improv-Olympics provide a much- anticipated extension to our March Break and Summer Drama Camps, but there’s no prerequisite for the Improv Olympics. Both sessions are taught by multi-talented Director of Education, Carleigh Aikins.
There will be six classes in each session for a cost of $100. Classes run every Sunday from 10 AM to 12 PM (ages 6-9yrs) and 1PM to 3PM (ages10-14yrs) starting October 18 and ending on November 29 with the final games and reception. There is no class on Sunday, October 25. All sessions are held at Suite 19, 230 Bayview Drive.
To register please call TIFT Box Office at (705) 792-1949 or in person at Suite 533-80 Bradford St. Monday to Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m before October 1, or at Suite 20, 230 Bayview Drive after October 1 . There are 30 spots available in each age group. Classes will run according to registration numbers and are subject to change.
News Release
September 15, 2009
A Celebration of Vaudeville as a Fundraiser for TIFT. Line-up of Stars Announced.
Barrie, ON – Today Artistic Producer Arkady Spivak announced the cast of stars (all members of the TIFT ensemble from previous seasons) for a special fundraising performance. Mystique will be a celebration of the vaudeville era performed by the theatre stars of today on Monday, October 5 at 7:30PM at the Roxx Nite Club at 46 Dunlop St. West in Barrie. Although it apparently never operated in that capacity (having opened in 1934 as vaudeville was diminishing), the Roxx is a classic example of 1930’s era vaudeville house architecture.
Vaudeville was a popular genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s in which each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill. Typical acts included popular and classical musicians, dancers, comedians, trained animals, magicians, female and male impersonators, acrobats, one-act plays or scenes from plays, athletes, lecturing celebrities, minstrels, and movies.
The evening will be directed and hosted by TIFT and Toronto’s Hairspray star Jennifer Stewart. Joining her will be Adam Brazier (Woman in White and Into the Woods on Broadway) and Mamma Mia!; Michael Lomenda (Nick Massi in Toronto’s Jersey Boys); Elodie Gillett (Toronto's Jersey Boys, Stratford and Shaw Festivals); Starr Domingue (Cookin' at the Cookery and Ain't Misbehavin' in Toronto and on the US tour); Leah Oster (Marian the Librarian in Stratford Festival’s The Music Man); Renee Strasfeld and David Lopez (star of Ain't Misbehavin' at CanStage in Toronto and Shaw Festival) among others.
Performers will be backed by a three-instrument band, led by musical director Mark Selby. The evening will also include street performers, door prizes and a silent auction, featuring a variety of theatre-related prizes.
Single tickets are $30 (floor level reception-style); VIP restricted balcony access with hors d’oeuvres and desserts are $120 per ticket or $500 for 6 tickets.
Major sponsor for the event is The Correct Group of Companies, co-developers of the exciting new Allandale Station Project. Season sponsors are “A” Barrie and The Barrie Advance.
Please contact the Box Office at (705) 792-1949 located at Suite 533-80 Bradford St. in Barrie for information or tickets or see us at www.tift.ca.
News Release
August 21, 2009
Talk Is Free Theatre chosen as a recommender for funding by the Ontario Arts Council
Barrie, ON – For the third consecutive year Talk Is Free Theatre has been chosen as a recommender for funding by the Ontario Arts Council under its Theatre Creators’ Reserve Program.
As part of this program, individual artists can apply for funding directly to Talk Is Free Theatre using an official OAC procedure. The program will support individual creators working on new work. Under Talk Is Free Theatre’s specific criteria, the organization will accept submissions from creators of musical theatre (composers, lyricists and book writers) who are in the early stage of their careers. For the list of other recommenders and their priorities and deadlines, program guidelines and an application form please visit: http://www.arts.on.ca/Page86.aspx
Talk Is Free Theatre requests the following to be part of each submission:
1) Description/ Artistic Vision for the proposed new work
2) Proof of any rights, if an adaptation
3) Resumes of each member of the writing team
4) A brief sample of each - book, lyrics and music, if available
5) Two letters of support from the Artistic Directors/New Play Development Co-ordinators of an Ontario professional theatre company
6) Budget
7) Any other relevant support material
Minimum grant request is set at $1,000 and maximum at $5,000. However, due to budgetary constraints, awarded amounts may be smaller than requested.
Deadline for submissions is September 25, 2009 (please note that other recommenders of this program have each set their own deadline). Please mail all submissions to:
Arkady Spivak,
Artistic Producer
P.O. Box 247
Barrie, ON
L4M 4T2
For more information or to discuss this project, please contact Arkady Spivak at (705) 792-1949 ext. 22 or arkady@tift.ca.
April 16, 2009
Press Release
City Bus Production Extended Again
Barrie, ON - Talk Is Free Theatre (TIFT) is extending its sold-out production of Tales of an Urban Indian by an additional month to June 27, 2009. The popular performance will be held on a moving city bus, providing patrons with a truly unique experience.
Written by and starring Darrell Dennis (best known for his roles in such television series as Northwood and The Rez) and directed by Herbie Barnes, Tales of an Urban Indian is a semi-autobiographical tale about a modern First Nations male who grew up on a reserve as well as in the city of Vancouver.
“The idea of performing on a moving bus came to me through the necessity of having to find a venue for the play while our new downtown theatre home undergoes another phase of renovations,” says Arkady Spivak, TIFT’s Artistic Producer. “And, in the end, I was grateful for the challenge.”
Initially scheduled to close the current season on May 16, the production was already extended to May 30, and now again to June 27, 2009. This almost two-month run makes it the longest running play in Barrie’s history.
Tickets are $32 and exclusive performance options are available at $1,000 for all 35 seats by calling the Box Office at (705) 792-1949. Additional information is available at www.tift.ca.
March 16, 2009
Press Release
Adam Brazier to star as Napoleon in a concert production of a major Canadian musical
Barrie, ON – Today Artistic Producer Arkady Spivak announced the cast and creative team for the upcoming concert production of Napoleon with book by Andrew Sabiston and Timothy Williams, lyrics by Andrew Sabiston and music by Timothy Williams.
Adam Brazier (Broadway’s Woman in White and We Will Rock You) will star as Napoleon with Blythe Wilson (Sound of Music, Stratford’s Oklahoma! and Oliver!) as Josephine. The cast will also feature Eric Craig as Lucien, Kevin Dennis as Anton, Gabi Epstein as Clarice, Stephanie Martin (Les Misérables & Pocahontas) as Thérèse and Cameron Mitchell Jr. as Talleyrand. Other cast members include Daniel Abrahamson, Elizabeth Beeler, Parris Greaves, Mark Harapiak, Jocelyn Howard and Andrew McAllister.
It will be directed by Richard Ouzounian (Theatre Critic for the Toronto Star and Director of TIFT”s Variations on a Nervous Breakdown, Anyone Can Whistle- in Concert and Emily). Other members of the creative team include Assistant Director Sam Manchulenko, Musical Director Konrad Pluta, Set and Costume Designer Brandon Kleiman, Sound Designers John Lott and Emily Porter, and Stage Manager Pamela Craig.
Napoleon, Canada’s answer to mega-musical, is a musical as big as the man it is about. Napoleon shaped modern Europe, recast France and its institutions, spent millions of Francs and hundreds of thousands of lives, loved passionately and lost bitterly the Empress Joséphine. This is the first time Napoleon is produced in Canada since its initial commercial run at the Elgin Theatre in Toronto in 1994.
“Napoleon is Canada’s first and perhaps the only mega-musical,” says Artistic Producer, Arkady Spivak. “Yet, in preparing for the re-written and re-imagined version of the show we discovered how intimate and personal the material is.”
“I have loved this show for 15 years,” added Ouzounian, “and have been waiting for a chance to see it done as the authors originally intended. Andrew and Tim have worked hard to restore a lot of their original vision. They’ve also added a dazzling new historical perspective. I couldn’t be more excited to work on it.”
There will be four performances of Napoleon-In Concert, including previews on Thursday, April 16 at 8PM and Friday, April 17 at 11AM, opening on Friday, April 17 at 8PM and a performance on Saturday, April 18 at 8PM. Performances are held at the Gryphon Theatre at 1 Georgian Drive, Building C in Barrie, ON. Single tickets are $32 or 4 tickets for $116. Group and student discounts are also available. Please contact the Box Office at (705) 792-1949 located at Suite 533-80 Bradford St. in Barrie or www.tift.ca.
