Chrysalis Theatre
engage with the power of theatre
Staged reading of
The Monument
by Colleen Wagner
Messages of Support from Our Audience Members.
I attended Chrysalis Theatre's rehearsed reading of Colleen Wagner's The Monument at the Unitarian Centre in Saskatoon some time ago. It was a very fine reading. The play, of course, is outstanding. The two actors--Carol Wylie and Mitchell Larsen--both did an excellent job of their very challenging roles. And I was impressed with Louise Seidel's capable direction of a play dealing with the excruciating subject matter. I think that audiences would appreciate the production, which is well worth seeing.
Betty Ternier Daniels, playwright bettytdaniels@gmail.com 306-441-6056.
The Monument took abstractions like "the horrors of war," "violence against women," "courage," "sacrifice," "duty" and made them real in the lives of two angry, flawed human beings and a devil's bargain between them. That's a rare and difficult thing. Mitchell Larsen, as the unrepentant young soldier, and Carol Wylie, as the mother searching for her missing daughter, were terrific in a staged reading of the play last year. The Monument would be a great addition to any season. I'll come to see it again as a full production.
Best wishes,
Rod Macpherson
Clips From 2013 Production
"It’s a story I want my kids to see." Planet S Magazine
Our youth face many challenges while growing up. Add bullying to the mixture and school can seem unbearable. Bullying hurts everyone: those bullied, those who witness the violence, even the perpetrator. By presenting the award-winning The Shape of a Girl, Chrysalis Theatre hopes to inspire our community's youth to find a way out of the cycle of violence.
This production is available to schools and community groups in Saskatoon and surrounding area.
Please contact Louise Seidel
306-380-2759
2013 Saskatoon Fringe Festival Reviews
Audience Members
"Show well worth seeing for teens & parents." Janice Braden
"Great Show" Chris Donlevy
"Powerful performance!" Bernie Spilchen
"Great! Love that the play used a bystander's [point of] view." Cyndie Landstad
"Well written, well acted - really got the message out and made us think." Katie Duek
+
"Made me cry." Maynard Spilchen
"Beautiful & impactful" Jessica & Travis Wassermann
Planet S Magazine
"Braidie, a young girl trapped in a shitty situation. Her friend is nasty, and Braidie is ill equipped to deal with it. Guilt, shame and fear are all double edged for Braidie and she is an emotional hostage from the age of [8 yrs] right through her high school years.
Big kudos... The tears are real and if you can watch her performance without getting misty, then you are stronger than I (or you’re just heartless and cold).
Do you know a teenager you could haul out to this show? It’s a story I want my kids to see."
StarPhoenix
"Young local actor delivers the one-woman show with skill and heart."
Prairie Groundling Blog
"U of S [student], in her first solo show, takes us on a profound and shocking emotional journey."
Braidie is played by Shelley ClouthierWith this performance Shelley feels things have come full circle for her. In grade 6 a touring performance of The Shape of a Girl came to her school. Shelley was deeply affected by the performance and left wanting to be that actress. Now here she is performing the show! Shelley is a drama student at the U of S. In her spare time, she likes to act, sing, write, and play the piano. A few of her credits include Lily in "Annie" and Selma in "Death By Chocolate". The Shape of a Girl is her theatrical debut in Saskatoon.
In the late 90’s Louise heard Joan MacLeod reading her new script The Shape of a Girl on CBC radio. She was instantly hooked. This was a play she needed to produce. A few years later realizing the community theatre she was involved in at the time would not produce this type of material, she struck out on her own with Chrysalis Theatre. More recently she chose this piece as her first directing project in her new home, Saskatoon. She presented The Shape of a Girl at the Saskatoon Fringe. The production you are seeing tonight will also be presented to schools and community groups. Louise’s directing experience includes The Shape of a Girl, Saskatoon Fringe, A Child’s Christmas in Wales and The Ambassador, Theatre Inconnu, Victoria, BC; Shape of a Girl, and Generations, Chrysalis Theatre, Rocky Mountain House, AB; What I Did Last Summer, The Baying Buffoons, Rimbey, AB; and Pimp, Chrysalis Theatre, Edmonton Fringe.
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