Performance History



See our HOME page for our more recent years' work.


2014: 

City Stage New West & Couch Trip Collective present 
FREUD'S LAST SESSION by Mark St. Germain
directed by Chris Robson, with Richard Newman and Damon Calderwood
at New Westminster's historic Galbraith Manor






2012: 

Enduring Age, Enduring Youth project: KING--and QUEEN-- LEAR!
 
KING LEAR

A concert reading of Shakespeare’s profound and timeless play, directed by Renee Bucciarelli, featuring Richard Newman as Lear, with Russell Roberts as Gloucester. Original sound design by
Gordon Roberts. Swords, drums, and a supporting cast of emerging young artists:
Afshin Haidari, Luke McAndless-Davis, Frances Kitson, Keegan Flick-Parker, Kenn McLeod, Leslie Dos Remedios, Lilli Clark, Marc Anthony Williams, Munish Sharma, Adam Weidl, Anais West, Veronique West, John Voth, and Jacob Gold.

at Holy Trinity Cathedral, New Westminster

Review of King Lear in Plank

More praise for KING LEAR--scroll to 7th paragraph in this GVPTA article

Click here to see photos and an article about our recent special audience-participation theatre programming for Century House and Moody Park Youth Centre members, exploring senior and youth themes in Queen Lear and King Lear with Richard Newman, Judith Berlin, Renee Bucciarelli, Lilli Clark, and Tsion Mulatu.


QUEEN LEAR
by Eugene Stickland

A concert reading of the contemporary Canadian comedy.

Directed by Colleen Winton, featuring Marilyn Norry, Rachel Harrison, and music by cellist Peggy Lee, reprising her original Jessie Award-winning sound design from a previous mounting of this play at Presentation House Theatre.

An aging actress cast in an all-female production of Shakespeare's King Lear hires a teen to help her memorize her lines, and the two begin an extraordinary relationship.

Special World Theatre Day Talk Back: PLAYING LEAR with Simon Webb and Richard Newman.
Two highly acclaimed actors and long-time friends--Simon Webb and Richard Newman discussed climbing the "Mount Everest" of Shakespearean roles.

Post-event comment: Webb, recently acclaimed for his work in Blackbird Theatre's Waiting for Godot, had just finished playing the title role of 'King Lear' in the Honest Fishmonger's innovative hit production directed by Kevin Bennett. Newman, recently Bard on the Beach's acclaimed 'Shylock' in their Merchant of Venice, was rehearsing the role for City Stage New West's performance when this encounter took place. Differing opinions and approaches to tackling this mega-character made for a lively discussion!

All Queen Lear programming took place at Holy Trinity Cathedral, New Westminster



2011: 

BURNING UP THE INFIELD: THE 1974 FRASERS
by Renee Bucciarelli, Rod Drown, with Ken McIntosh
directed by Renee Bucciarelli
  • Based on the book The New Westminster Frasers by Ken McIntosh and Rod Drown.
  • Directed by Renee Bucciarelli, with musical accompaniment by George Ryan.
  • Featuring Blu Mankuma, with Vincent Tong, Neil Minor, Chris Robson, Kyra Zagorsky, Jemma Isaac, Jeremy Lowe, Mike Antonakos, and Marc Anthony Williams.
This wonderfully human and often hilarious story of the young semi-pro baseball team that briefly launched New Westminster sports into international fame was performed at Douglas College's Laura C. Muir Theatre in New Westminster, followed by a talk-back with special guests that included featured baseball artist Jennifer Ettinger (of Nat Bailey Stadium), lead actor Blu Mankuma, and baseball documentary co-authors Ken McIntosh and Rod Drown.
Special thanks to many, including New West's baseball star Justin Mourneau, for supporting this programming.

Read about the project in The Province article.

Page to the Stage: free programming celebrated World Theatre Day with City Stage New West
at New Westminster Public Library






















2010: 

STUMP CITY STORIES FOR YOUTH
written and directed by George Ryan
at the Massey Theatre

Read about Stump City Stories in Sing Tao Daily,
http://news.singtao.ca/vancouver/2010-09-23/headline1285237176d2748276.html

More about George Ryan
http://www.burnabynow.com/entertainment/Celebrating+lifetime+making+music/5468781/story.html

Check out Jeremy Lowe's interview with Omni TV about Stump City Stories.



More info on this cultural legacy project, including the professional cast recording, on our Home page.


2009: 

STUMP CITY STORIES  (original musical based on the history of New Westminster)
at Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre, Douglas College, New Westminster
written, composed, and directed by George Ryan
with Sean Allan, Dora Brooks, Damon Calderwood, and Jeremy Lowe.
Talk back with Chief Rhonda Larrabee of the Qayqayt First Nation, and British Columbian
 historian Archie Miller.


Click to view poster

City Stage New West commissioned award-winning composer George Ryan to write a light-hearted  Canadian musical celebrating intertwining lives and unexpected events from New Westminster's rich and culturally diverse history as part of the municipality's 150th birthday celebration.
Nominated for an Ovation Award. 

Read more

THE BELLE OF AMHERST
by William Booth Luce, at historic Galbraith Manor, New Westminster 
Benefit Performance & Victorian Tea with Emily Dickinson
featuring Renee Bucciarelli as Emily Dickinson
Talk-back guest/Paterson Prize-winning poet Indran Amirthanayagam
Read more about this production of The Belle of Amherst



2008: 

MURDER IN THE CATHEDRAL 

by T.S. Eliot
a concert reading directed by Renee Bucciarelli
original musical score & accompaniment by George Ryan

At Holy Trinity Cathedral in New Westminster:
featuring Russell Roberts as "Thomas Beckett"
with David M. Adams, Sean Allan, Judith Berlin, Rukiya Bernard, Damon Calderwood, Frankie Cat Dang, Amber Fraser, Angela Moore, George Ryan, Lynna Goldhar Smith, Parnelli Parnes, Valerie Sing Turner, Colleen Winton, Ronin Wong


At Christ Church Cathedral in Vancouver: 
featuring Russell Roberts as "Thomas Beckett"
with Stephen Aberle, Sean Allan, Judith Berlin, Amber Fraser, Sharon Heath, Paul Moniz de Sa, Parnelli Parnes, Vanessa Richards, George Ryan,Valerie Sing Turner, Quelemia Sparrow, Colleen Winton.
Stage managed by Kirsti Mikoda.
Click to view poster



BILLY BISHOP GOES TO WAR
by John MacLachlan Gray with Eric Peterson
directed by Gerry Mackay
musical direction and accompaniment by Gordon Roberts
Damon Calderwood as Billy Bishop, with Gordon Roberts
at Holy Trinity Cathedral in New Westminster,
with guest speaker/Canadian treasure John MacLachlan Gray
























FAVOURITE POSITIONS OF THE WEST COAST
by Ronin Wong
A cold reading of a new Canadian play at the Massey Theatre's Plaskett Gallery
directed/dramaturged by Trina Davies
with Peter Shinkoda, Diana Ha, Amber Turek, Karen Rae, Peter Hall, Stephanie Tarasoff.