Listen to an interview Sara Tilley did about Neutral Mask with Mack Furlong for CBC Radio’s Weekend Arts Magazine, leading up to the Neutral Mask workshops in St. John’s in February 2012 as part of the Women’s Work Festival, co-produced by She Said Yes!, White Rooster Theatre and RCA Theatre.
She Said Yes! is pleased to announce that we are bringing Turkish playwright, theatre professor and expert on Theatre of the Oppressed, Dr. Ebru Gokdag, to St. John’s in 2012 to offer a one-week exclusive workshop on Theatre of the Oppressed techniques, as part of the Women’s Work Festival, co-produced by She Said Yes! with RCA Theatre and White Rooster Theatre. Theatre of the Oppressed is a style of theatre creation which is rarely taught in Newfoundland and we encourage anyone with curiosity to register early as space is limited.
The workshop will take place from Feb. 27 – March 2, 2012, 10 am to 1 pm daily. Registration is $250 for the five-day course, and we are offering an early bird discount until January 15th of just $200. This would make a great Christmas present for the thespian on your list!
This workshop will focus on ‘Forum Theatre’ and ‘Image Theatre’ techniques from the arsenal of the Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) Techniques. TO was born in 1971 in Brazil. It is a system of games and special techniques that aims to develop the language of theatre in order to empower oppressed people, helping them fight against their oppressions by using TO techniques and transforming the society that engenders those oppressions.
This special system is based on games of dialogue. Participants play and learn together. The discipline of the game is the belief that we must re-establish the right of everyone to exist in dignity. Theatre of the Oppressed can be used in all fields of human activity – social, pedagogical, political, artistic etc.
This workshop will include a brief history of Theatre of the Oppressed, as well as special warm-up exercises and games. This will be followed by work with the Forum and İmage Theatre Techniques.
Theatre of the Oppressed is by,for and about the oppressed. Anyone with or without any theatre experience can participate in the workshop.
To register, contact Women’s Work Festival Coordinator Ruth Lawrence at whiteroosterproductions@yahoo.ca or text to 709 682 5951.
Check out our other Women’s Work Festival Workshops, Neutral Maks Levels I and II!
Generously supported by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the Department of Canadian Heritage.
She Said Yes!, White Rooster Theatre and RCA Theatre present:
NEUTRAL MASK with Sara Tilley
February 2012
Women’s Work Festival Workshop Series
Level I – Saturday February 25, 2012 1-4 pm (3 hrs)
Level II (prerequisite Level I) – Sunday February 26 1-4 pm (3 hrs)
$40 regular/$20 students -one session $65 regular/$35 students -both sessions
TO RECEIVE $10 OFF REGULAR PRICE, REGISTER & PRE-PAY BY JANUARY 15, 2012. Limited spaces. Pre-register at whiteroosterproductions@yahoo.ca or text to 709 682 5951
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Dress in comfortable clothing; bring a yoga mat or thick blanket.
LEVEL I will focus on the essentials for work with the mask. We will use the mask as a clearing tool for the body, to help shed old habits, gestures and postures in order to be ready to take on new experiences. Neutral Mask work is moving meditation – an opportunity to exist wholly in the present moment.
LEVEL II will take the neutral mask experience further into its application as a sponge for energy and experience. Using the mask to channel different natural energies and to create the foundations for character, this session will build on the work done in Level I. We will look at a variety of ways to use the mask as a springboard for creative expression.
Sara with Neutral Mask. Photo by Janet Shum.
Sara Tilley has studied neutral mask with Ian Wallace, Dean Gilmour and Jill Courtney. She is a trained mask teacher, and works with artists and non-artists in Neutral Mask, Pochinko Clown Through Mask and Kinetics.
NEUTRAL MASK is a powerful tool for any creative person – it allows you to simplify, to reconnect to the physical body, and to live in the present moment. The neutral mask pares us down to the essential. It is a beginning place from which to approach any new character or project. This work is beneficial to all artists – actors, writers, musicians, dancers, visual artists – as well as to anyone who is curious about mask.
These photos were taken during our dress rehearsal for the show at Femfest in Winnipeg, by photographer Janet Shum. Sara Tilley as Mona and Ruth Lawrence as Rita, with Mark White as the Dapper Stylist, in Shannon Bramer’s MonaRita.
Call for Submissions: Women’s Work Festival 2012
0 Comments Published October 27th, 2011 in UncategorizedCo-produced by RCA Theatre, She Said Yes! and White Rooster Theatre in celebration of International Women’s Week, March 3-9, 2012.
All submissions must be either by a female playwright or deal with a female character as the central figure. All plays must be unproduced, although previous workshops or readings of the work are permitted.
Deadline 5 pm December 15, 2011. Scripts will be selected by a committee representing all three companies.
Each script will receive a one-day dramaturgical workshop with a professional cast and dramaturge, followed by a staged reading in St. John’s. All playwrights, actors and dramaturges will receive a small honorarium for their work. The Festival does not cover any transportation or accommodations costs for out-of-town playwrights but your local arts council or the Canada Council for the Arts may provide travel grants for this purpose. All proceeds from the reading series will be donated to a local women’s shelter.
Submit an electronic copy of a full draft of your play and a short synopsis in either Microsoft Word or PDF format, with an email indicating your telephone number, mailing address, and email address, as well as your reasons for applying to the Festival, to rcata@rca.nf.ca (put Women’s Work Festival in the subject line).
MonaRita Tour Part 2: Halifax, St. John’s, Winnipeg!
0 Comments Published August 14th, 2011 in UncategorizedOutstanding Ensemble Production, Toronto Fringe 2011, NOW Magazine, Jon Kaplan & Glenn Sumi
Go see this dark comedy about two real women dealing with love, motherhood, self-acceptance … you will not be disappointed…the most enjoyable experience I have had at a Fringe show in a very long time… simple but stunning… flawless acting, 5 out of 5… Stephanie Yantsis, Hamilton Fringe Review
A fresh look at retaining identity in the face of motherhood and relationships…quirky dialogue…honest observations … Tilley earns huge applause…DF-G, NOW (Toronto)
Tilley’s performance…is vulnerable and impassioned. Lawrence’s…is likeable, enviable and sad. …timeless. Mooney on Theatre (Toronto)
A so-called ‘chick flick’… will interest, even fascinate males audiences too. Well done in both creation and execution. Terry Metter, Ontario Arts Review (Toronto)
A performance that simply has to be seen… Ashley Fitzpatrick,The Telegram (St. John’s)
Sara Tilley as Mona and Ruth Lawrence as Rita in MonaRita
Atlantic FRINGE, Halifax, Bus Stop Theatre
Thursday, Sept 8, 6:00pm
Friday, Sept 9,10:30pm
Saturday, Sept 10, 6:45 pm
Sunday, Sept 11, 3:45 pm
Tickets:$10
- ADVANCE SALES (until 5pm on the day prior)
Neptune Theatre Box Office Advance Box Office Hours Monday – Friday: 9 am – 5 pm Saturday – Sunday: 12 pm – 5 pm
IN PERSON – 1593 Argyle Street, at the corner of Argyle and Sackville Street in downtown Halifax
BY PHONE – Purchase tickets over the telephone during our regular hours at (902) 429-7070.
ONLINE – Purchase tickets online 24/7. Click here to use Neptune Theatre’s easy, convenient & secure online ticket system.
Tickets purchased in person with cash or debit incur no surcharge.
Tickets purchased in person with credit card incur a $.50 surcharge.
Tickets purchased by phone or online incur $1.50 surcharge.
Advance Tickets are sold until 5 pm on the day preceding the performance.
- SAME DAY SALES
Only at the Venue Tickets go on sale AT THE VENUE 1 hour before the first performance of the day until the final performance of the day.
- St. John’s, LSPU Hall
- Wed., Sept. 14, 8:00 pm, ONE NIGHT ONLY! Tickets $20 plus tax, available at 709-753-4531 or www.rca.nf.ca.
FemFest, Winnipeg, Canwest Centre for Theare and Film Sunday, September 18, 9:00 pm
Tues., September 20, 7:00 PM Tickets are $10. Femfest accepts reservations by e-mail and by phone as well as through their website at http://sarasvati.ca/fem-fest/tickets/. Simply send the number of tickets, name under which tickets should be held, date and performance title to info@sarasvati.ca at least 24 hours before show time. A confirmation e-mail will be sent as long as the reservation is at least 24 hours in advance. Or call 586-2236. All reserved tickets must be picked up at least 15 minutes before show time. Tickets will be held at the door and can be paid for in cash upon arrival for the performance. Payment is cash only. Box office opens an hour before each show.
Sara Tilley will be teaching a workshop in Neutral Mask during Femfest. Sunday, September 18th 1-3pm
Canwest Centre for Theatre and Film
Cost $15. Only 14 participants can be accommodated so register now at info@sarasvati.ca or 586-2236!
She Said Yes! Theatre Company presents the fifth annual
MAIL-ORDER DRAMATURGY PROGRAM
A long-distance dramaturgy program for new plays in development. Works must be in the first draft stage or later. Each script will be paired with a professional dramaturge, who will work with the playwright via email and/or Skype through the completion of a further two drafts of their work.
All playwrights, regardless of experience or province of residence, are eligible to apply. Up to three scripts will be chosen for development in 2011-2012. Please note that She Said Yes! is a feminist theatre company, and as such we are interested in developing works that are written by, for or about women. While we do not stipulate that the playwright must be female, priority will be given to works which develop and enrich the canon of theatre for women.
Submission deadline is October 14th, 2011, at 5 pm. Submissions must be emailed, postmarked or dropped off by this date in order to be considered.
To apply, send a copy of your script in pdf or Word format, along with a cover letter stating your reasons for applying to the program and your history as a playwright to sara@shesaidyestheatre.ca, or send submissions by post to: Sara Tilley, She Said Yes! Theatre Company, 64 Quidi Vidi Rd, St. John’s NL, A1A 1C1.
We pay a small honorarium to all participating playwrights and dramaturges.
For more information on She Said Yes! and its work, visit www.shesaidyestheatre.ca, or contact Sara Tilley, Artistic Director of She Said Yes!, at sara@shesaidyestheatre.ca.
MonaRita named as an Outstanding Ensemble Production by Jon Kaplan in the NOW Magazine Fringe Wrap-up!
Review from the Hamilton Fringe, artword.net
By Stephanie Yantsis
When reading the synopsis for Mona Rita I wasn’t sure what to expect. The tale of two friends at a crossroads and whether or not their friendship will last. What Mona Rita turned out to be was the most enjoyable experience I have had at a Fringe show in a very long time.
Every piece of the show was rather simple but stunning in execution. On a superficial level, the set itself was simple and telling of the characters involved. It was a nondescript place friends Mona and Rita would meet to chat and share with each other. The costumes they wore helped you to understand the core of each of the characters as well as see where their insecurities lie.
The script was also simple in language but beautiful in action. You never discover why these women became friends or why they stay friends, but you realize that they need each other early on. The conversations they share are natural, the kind any two women have or wish they could have with their friends. They are honest, visceral, poignant, sad and funny. It makes me think about the relationships I have with my girlfriends and why we talk as we do.
Actors Sara Tilley as Mona and Ruth Lawrence as Rita are flawless. Their natural ability and movement on stage is a breath of fresh air. Sherry White’s direction makes the two ladies seem in sync while being torn apart. A very special and hilarious cameo by stage manager Mark White almost steals the show and is not to be missed.
Go see this dark comedy about two real women dealing with love, motherhood, self-acceptance and changing the world one cigarette butt at a time. Support this team of talented people coming to us from Newfoundland. As long as you are in the mood for a simple show about two lovely women portrayed by amazingly talented actresses you will not be disappointed.
5/5
The View magazine, Hamilton
White Rooster Theatre from St. John’s Newfoundland presents this show written by poet Shannon Bramer, starring Sara Tiley, Ruth Lawrence, Mark White. Like a good poem, you can take this show anyway you choose. It can be two women. It can be one woman’s inner psyche. It can be about needing our friends or being friends with ourselves. Either way it’s a hilarious and dark look at the different states a woman can get herself into. The solution, of course, involves a stylist and new hairdo.
NOW Magazine (Print Edition, July 14-20, 2011)
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Shannon Bramer‘s play about the interdependent friendship of Mona (Sara Tilley) and Rita (Ruth Lawrence) takes a fresh look at the challenge of retaining identity in the face of motherhood and relationships.The quirky dialogue includes some honest observations on the topic of beauty and aging. Both actors creation nuanced characters, and Tilley earns huge applause with her delivery of a monologue describing Mona’s annoyance at hanging out in a drop-in centre with other new moms. Amy Anthony‘s set and prop design is colourful and functional but leaves the play’s location a mystery. The show also reveals many truths about nurturing female bonds – and, in a humorous highlight, the importance of finding a great hair stylist (Mark White).
Mooney on Theatre (mooneyontheatre.com)
By Keira Grant
What is the difference between love and attachment? I’m sure neither Mona (Sarah Tilley) nor Rita (Ruth Lawrence) would purport to be able to answer that old chestnut, but they certainly take you through a very visceral, relatable emotional journey while contemplating the question.
In MonaRita two women, beset by various social and emotional pitfalls, learn to lean on each other in way that eludes the concept of boundaries. The crayon-bedecked flyers distributed at the end of the show announce that the show is particularly suited to moms. I would say that it is less well suited to those considering becoming moms.
Regardless of whether or not motherhood is a part of your experience you might well relate to the experience of feeling trapped and undone by a life that has been foisted upon you rather than chosen.
If you’ve ever struggled with issues of co-dependency some scenes might be painful to watch. Tilley’s performance as self-conscious, careworn Mona is vulnerable and impassioned. Lawrence’s confident, sexy, sassy, yet still woefully confused Rita is likeable, enviable and sad. The two-hander is comprised of various scenes; providing snapshots of their meetings interspersed by elapsed time.
Hair plays a key symbolic role in the show, consistent with the gendered themes of the narrative. Both hair and costumes were well facilitated. Clothes were used to question the relationship between one’s external presentation and private sense of self. I also had to laugh at myself a little when Rita, confronted with a mound of stunning formal shoes, laments: “none of these shoes are mine!”
White Rooster Theatre styles itself as a feminist shop. The themes explored are not earthshattering but certainly timeless.
Ontario Arts Review (ontarioartsreview.ca)
Symbioses: – where two or more things, even opposites complement each other; i.e. ‘The Odd Couple’s” Oscar and Felix. MONA and RITA become MONARITA in this drama written by Shannon Bramer. Director Sherry White has her cast’s personas underscored by props…Mona [a parent] is surrounded by Lego™; Rita – shoes. This is a live and on-stage version of a So-called ‘chick flick’ but will interest, even fascinate males audiences too. Touching in concept, its first apparent shallowness disguises emotional depth & insecurity that reflect both sexes; even alternative lifestyles. Well done in both creation and execution. TM
MONARITA
by Shannon Bramer
directed by Sherry White
featuring Sara Tilley and Ruth Lawrence with Mark White
“How do you know if someone loves you?”
MONARITA is the hilariously surreal story of two close friends at a crossroads. Soon after Mona becomes a mother she finds she has lost herself—now one of the greatest friendships of her life is in danger of being lost as well, when her best friend Rita tries to break it off and make a new life without her. Will Mona let Rita go? Can Rita exist without Mona? Isn’t love supposed to last forever?
This is a tour of the premiere production of the first play by Hamilton-raised, Toronto-based poet, Shannon Bramer, presented by White Rooster Theatre and She Said Yes!, St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador. See below for information on our tour dates in Toronto, Hamilton and Winnipeg!
Toronto FRINGE
Bathurst St. Theatre (just below Bloor)
Fri July 8, 5:15 pm
Sat July 9, 7:30 pm
Tue July 12, 9:00 pm
Wed July 13, Noon
Thu July 14, 11:00 pm
Sat July 16, 5:45 pm
Sun July 17, 1:45 pm
Ticket Information for the Toronto Fringe:
On-Line:
June 15th – July 17th
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For online sales go to www.fringetoronto.com
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Payment options: Visa and Mastercard
By Phone:
June 15th – July 17th, 10am – 6pm
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Call (416) 966-1062
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Payment options: Visa and Mastercard
In Person:
July 6th – 17th, 12pm – 8pm
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***NEW THIS YEAR: our new Box Office Tent will be located in the parking lot behind Honest Ed’s (34 Lennox Ave.)
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Payment options: Cash, Visa, and Mastercard
Hamilton FRINGE
Downtown Arts Centre
28 Rebecca St.
Mon July 18, 9:00 pm
Tue July 19, 7:30 pm
Wed July 20, 5:30 pm
Thu July 21, 10:00 pm
Fri July 22, 8:00 pm
Sat July 23, 4:00 pm
Sun July 24 10:00 pm
Ticket information for the Hamilton Fringe:
Advance tickets available only via the Fringe website www.hamiltonfringe.ca, starting
July 6th. Otherwise, all tickets are available at the individual venue box
office 1 hour prior to show time.
Atlantic Fringe, Halifax
Bus Stop Theatre
Thursday, Sept 8 – 6:00PM
Friday, Sept 9 – 10:30PM
Saturday, Sept 10 – 6:45PM
Sunday, Sept 11 – 3:45PM
Femfest, Winnipeg:
Sunday, September 18 @ 9:00 PM
Tuesday, September 20 @ 7:00 PM
Tickets: $10
We accept reservations by e-mail and by phone. Simply send us the number of tickets, name under which tickets should be held, date and performance title to info@sarasvati.ca at least 24 hours before show time. A confirmation e-mail will be sent as long as the reservation is at least 24 hours in advance. Or call 586-2236. All reserved tickets must be picked up at least 15 minutes before show time. Tickets will be held at the door and can be paid for in cash upon arrival for the performance. Payment is cash only.
MONARITA
by Shannon Bramer
directed by Sherry White
featuring Sara Tilley and Ruth Lawrence with Mark White
June 2-4th, Rabbittown Theatre, 8 pm
Preview June 1st at 8 pm
Tickets $20, $15 for students and special coupon holders (bring coupon with you to theatre) with a Pay Whay You Can matinee on June 4th at 2 pm.
For tickets call 739-8220 or buy online rabbittowntheatre.com
“How do you know if someone loves you?”
MONARITA is the hilariously surreal story of two close friends at a crossroads. Soon after Mona becomes a mother she finds she has lost herself—now one of the greatest friendships of her life is in danger of being lost as well, when her best friend Rita tries to break it off and make a new life without her. Will Mona let Rita go? Can Rita exist without Mona? Isn’t love supposed to last forever?
Come see the show before we hit the road for Toronto, Hamilton and Winnipeg!
Presented by White Rooster Theatre and She Said Yes!
