GBC Theatre School’s spring season offers up two student-led productions.
The George Brown Theatre School’s graduating class is putting up two productions to open the spring season.
Student in the final year of the three-year theatre arts program are performing The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman and Low Pay? Don’t Pay! By Dario Fo. The productions play on alternate days until April. 22.
“Students in the third year perform in four productions – one in the fall, one in winter, and culminating in a spring repertory season, representing a professional festival-style theatre company experience,” shared Michael Longstaff, theatre arts support coordinator.
Performing shows in repertory requires cast members to perform two different shows concurrently, which requires them to rehearse the two shows at the same time.
Alex Vautour, student and cast member said, “Performing in repertory can be very challenging, but this is often the norm when it comes to working at Festivals like Stratford or Shaw. It is great because we get to practice what it will be like in the future. I think the point is to see how far we can go with the tools we have learned at the school.”
Student cast members, such as Vautour, have been rehearsing for the productions for up to 10 hours a day since winter intersession.
Vautour described the first production Low Pay? Don’t Pay as being timely, although it was written in the 70s.
The play takes place in a world that is on the brink of a recession and discusses the rising cost of groceries. This can be related to present-day Toronto where the cost of groceries, housing, and living has risen drastically.
“The play is very current, and we’ve also modernized it by implementing causes and issues that are important to our class during transitions, and at the beginning and end of our play,” Vautour added.
The theatre school engages professionally accredited directors, stage managers, and designers to lead and support cast members in these productions.
The theatre school’s production of Low Pay? Don’t Pay! is directed by Anand Rajaram who has accomplishments as a film and television performer, as well as a voiceover artist for video games and cartoons.
The second production is The Children’s Hour, directed by James Simon who is a teaching and acting instructor and has been teaching at the theatre school for 28 years.
Cast members of Children’s Hour (From left) Sarah Schmidt-McQuillan, Tia Baum, Aly MacFarlane, Alex Vautour. Photo credit: Cylla von Tiedemann
Student cast members believe that this production, too, is relevant despite being written as early as 1934.
“With topical undertones regarding the LGBTQ+ community and trauma and loss, this show remains relevant,” said Aly MacFarlane, another student cast member. “I believe that is why this show was chosen, not just because our cast size fits perfectly, but because this story is one that needs to be told, to make people think harder about their decisions and actions and how it can affect others around them.”
Audience can expect to laugh, be shocked and maybe even cry during these productions.
“Our hope is for you to walk away from the theatre and continue to think about what’s happening in the world today,” Vautour said.
The showings started on April 11 and will go on until April 22.
Tickets can be purchased on the GBC website pages: https://www.georgebrown.ca/mainstage-low-pay-dont-pay and https://www.georgebrown.ca/mainstage-the-childrens-hour.
