The Drawer Boy
About the Play
The Drawer Boy replays the adventures of a young actor from a Toronto theatre group who visits the rural Ontario home of two elderly bachelor farmers to “research” farm life for a new play. In doing so, he demonstrates the way in which a collective creation appropriated the lives of its subjects and changed their own interpretation of it. The two farmers, Morgan and Angus, have achieved a precarious balance in their lives together. Morgan, a tough-minded, stubborn man, cares for Angus, who has had brain damage and lost his memory during the bombing of London in the Second World War. Angus is initially identified as “the drawer boy” because he used to design buildings and has the talents of an architect. Morgan calms and reassures Angus by retelling their story – of the two tall women whom they loved, and who came to live with them in Canada. The young actor, Miles, learns, however, that this story is a fiction and that the truth is much sadder. It would, in fact, destroy their friendship. In the process of telling their story as play, however, he reawakens Angus’s memory. Art becomes life. Miles is in effect the “drawer boy,” delineating and creating an alternative reality. As he tells Morgan, “We’re here to get your history and give it back to you.” The Drawer Boy is fundamentally about the power of storytelling in creating and interpreting reality and how it can transform lives
North Shore Zone Festival Entry 2013
The Drawer Boy will be part of the Theatre BC North Shore Zone festival of plays at Presentation House Theatre May 6-11, 2013, performing on Thursday, May 9. Nine plays, six days, professionally adjudicated by Jay Brazeau. Full details from 604-990-3474 or Presentation House Theatre. Come and support your favourite club in this annual event.
The Drawer Boy is staged by arrangement with Pam Winter, and the Gary Goddard Agency
DIRECTOR’S NOTES
Michael Healey has chosen to write The Drawer Boy as a homage to The Farm Show. The Farm Show includes vignettes of rural life, and was written by members of Theatre Passe Muraille of Toronto who visited the Clinton, Ontario area in 1972 in order to write about the farmers they lived and worked with. But Healey goes further into the characters in The Drawer Boy as it becomes a portrait of male friendship, support, guilt, love, pain and anger. It’s also an affirmation that theatre has the magic and the power to change things. For me, this play calls to me from my own past as a theatre student in the early 70s and as the grandchild of prairie farmers and hits me in the gut of my Canadian roots. It has also been the best of theatre experiences as Rosemary, Peter, Leslie, Tyler, Barry, Nick and everyone involved have outdone themselves with their hard work and love for the job at hand. I can’t thank them enough. This one is for Farrah, who should have been here. – Judith Barkley White
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
Thank you for joining us for our Festival entry. This show has been two years in the making, and we are proud of the result. Thanks to all who have worked so hard. If you have a few spare hours, we’d love to have you come join us on the journey, or better still, become a member – and get our monthly newsletter that keeps you up to date on upcoming auditions, shows and theatre news. Application forms and other information is available in the lobby. We look forward to sharing the magic of live theatre with you again very soon! – Glynnis Brassil
Character | Played by |
Angus | Tyler Q. Felbel |
Morgan | Barry Walker |
Miles | Nick Palidwor |
Director | Judith Barkley White |
Assistant Director | Peter Zednik |
Author | Michael Healey |
Production Manager | Rosemary Hundal |
Assistant Production Managers | Ray Boucher, and Sue Worrow |
Stage Manager | Leslie Whittaker |
Assistant Stage Manager | Jade Frampton |
Set/Décor Designers | Glynnis Brassil, and Judith Barkley White |
Set Construction | Gord Pope, David Read, James White, and Alborz Mousarand |
SetPainters / Decorators | Glynnis Brassil, and Robin Hilliard |
Properties / Set Furniture | Helen Dobric |
Lighting Designer | Paul Kloegman |
Lighting Assistants | Michael Morabito |
Technical Programmer | Glen Miller |
Sound Designers | Anne Marsh |
Lighting and Sound Operator | Sandy Branning |
Costumes / Seamstresses | Sharon Alexander, Maggie Mason, and Chisato Dobric |
Hair / Make-Up | Leslie Whittaker |
Graphic Artist | Linda Sharp |
Publicity and Program | Anne Marsh |
Front-of-House Coordinator | Liz Whittaker |
Box Office | Mitchell Mackay |
Photographer | Gary Schwartz |
Videographer | Chris Wolfe |
Original Performance Dates | April 5 to 20, 2013 |
Venue | The Theatre at Hendry Hall, North Vancouver, BC |
Production Length | 1 hour and 40 minutes |
Production Style | Drama with pithy rural humour |
Special Thanks To | Maplewood Farms (Asha, Courtney, Savannah), Linda Morrison, Park Royal Mall Community Services, Rona (Park & Tilford), Music: Don Messer and The Islanders |
Judith Barkley White | Director – A graduate of Cap U’s Theatre Direction Program, Judith is happy to be back at NVCP for her fourth show at Hendry Hall and her 41st as Director. Her favourite productions include NVCP’s Wrong Turn at Lungfish, and Vincent in Brixton and These Shining Lives (both for Deep Cove Stage Society). She’d like to thank Rosemary and Peter plus an amazing crew. Not to mention the best cast she has ever directed. |
Peter Zednik | Assistant Director – Peter has enjoyed a 25-year career in theatre as a professional actor, playwright, musical director and general manager. Coincidentally he was once understudy for the real “Miles” in The Drawer Boy! For NVCP he has directed The Murder Room, Beauty & the Beast, and Aladdin, and was Musical Director and Choreographer for Checkout Girls. |
Tyler Q. Felbel | Angus – This is Tyler’s first show with NVCP; and he is pleased to be working with such a talented cast and crew on such a great play. Tyler has appeared in numerous community theatre productions over the last ten years, mostly musicals. He has studied Creative Writing, Art and Theatre at UBC. He sings and plays several instruments. He would like to thank his mom, Cecelia, who has always supported her children’s creativity; and who worked hard for many years caring for our Canadian war veterans. |
Nick Palidwor | Miles – As an actor, we are given the gift of stories. Stories that we are asked to bring to life before the very eyes of our audience. Thank you for coming to hear our story. Nick has been slowly making himself into a North Shore namestay in community theatre for the last five years. Past credits include Neil, Fred and Loring in Bluff, Paul in Moon Over Buffalo, and Charles Marlow in She Stops to Conquer, all with NVCP, Leo/Maxine in Deep Cove Stage Society’s Leading Ladies, and Norman in Living Together for Theatre West Van. For Camille. |
Barry Walker | Morgan – Acting on a dare, Barry began his adventures in the theatre in 2007. Still acting daringly, he returns to Hendry Hall to tread the boards with Nick Palidwor and Tyler Q. Felbel in this award-winning Canadian play under the dedicated direction of Judith Barkley White, and with the generous support of our backstage stars, without whom our characters could not be fully realized. |