None of This Is Happening by Ellen Peterson

on

November 10-20, 2022

Rachel Browne Theatre – 211 Bannatyne

DIRECTED BY ALISSA WATSON

We are thrilled to bring audiences this World Premiere by Winnipeg treasure, Ellen Peterson. This apocalyptic fable follows a trio of aging ex-vaudevillians who are inextricably tied together even as they goad each other to the brink.

A play about garbage, longing, Niagara Falls, and our inescapable interconnectedness–for better and worse.  It’s the end of the world seen through the incomparable imaginative lens of one of Winnipeg’s finest playwrights.

Originally commissioned by TPM pre-pandemic, Peterson’s first draft (titled Daredevils) centered on tightrope walkers in Niagara Falls in the 19th century. But when real-life seismic shifts shook our social, geopolitical, and ecological world to its foundations, a whole new play grew out of the rubble. In None of This Is Happening Peterson has recycled the vaudevillians and daredevils of her original idea, reimagining them, in all their sharp humour and faded glory, as the central figures in a primal struggle for survival.

Featuring a stellar team of local artists, Alissa Watson (The Paper Bag Princess – PTE, founding member of The Red Nose Diaries and The Talentless Lumps), directs Monique Marcker (Albertine in Five Times, The Elmwood Visitation, North Main Gothic), Simon Miron (A Winter’s Tale – SIR, Orlando – RMTC, Artistic Director of the Village Conservatory), and Jane Testar (Winter’s Tale – SIR, founding member of Outside Joke, and Hot Thespian Action) with Assistant Director Carol-Ann Bohrn, and designers Joyce Licup, Brenda McLean, Ksenia Broda-Milian, and Emma Hendrix. Dramaturgical Support: Ryan Griffith, Don Hannah and Sharon King-Campbell. Original graphics & poster design by Danielle Friesen.

Meet the Artistic Team!

Read the Digital Program

For some insight on Ellen Peterson and her process on “Developing a new play at the dawn of a pandemic”, check out this article as she discusses a very early iteration of what has now become None of This Is Happening! You can also explore Ellen’s website and blog.

**We will not require proof of vaccination nor require you wear a mask, though both practices are strongly recommended.**

Monique, a middle-aged woman with blonde hair gazes intently at a diorama of rocks and water. Her hands are extended and she appears to be placing objects onto the diorama.
Monique Marcker.
Simon wears a patched leather vest with plaid pants, Jane wears a red top, black denim shorts and a sequined sweater, and Monique wears what looks like a button down homey dress. The three are engaged in a vaudeville routine. Simon plays the ukulele, Jane rests her head on Simon's shoulder, and Monique's head is on Jane's shoulder.
Simon Miron, Jane Testar, and Monique Marcker.
Simon sits upon a small raised stage. He is playing the ukulele and has a look of longing on his faith.
Simon Miron.

Production Photos by Dylan Hewlett