Friends,

We sincerely hope that you are well and maintaining an island of calm during this turbulent and unnerving time. As COVID -19 impacts our whole world, we are concerned for the well-being of you, our community – the audiences, artists, donors and stakeholders who give us purpose, focus and keep our hearts wide open. Please take good care of yourselves and follow all the excellent advice of our health authorities. We agree their advice to washing your hands frequently and thoroughly and to embrace social distancing is our best hope of containing the spread of the virus. For critical information, there are links below – you can also sign up to receive updates from the MB government to keep in the loop.

We are saddened to announce that we will not be proceeding with the world premiere of Rick Chafe’s new play Five Moments in our 2019/20 season. The play was scheduled for April 23rd – May 3rd, 2020. We hope to reschedule in the coming months but do not have specific dates at this time.

This is a hard one for TPM. New plays are special and this spring our community lost three shows that were poised to meet audiences for the first time; WJT’s production of Narrow Bridge by Daniel Thau-Eleff and PTE’s Gingerbread Girl by Sharon Bajer. The loss to Manitoba artists, technicians and administrators is unprecedented.  We stand in solidarity with all those in our industry – here in Manitoba – and the entire Canadian Theatre community who have shuttered their seasons to help keep everyone as safe and healthy as possible.

We will be reaching out in the coming weeks. TPM has amazing community of partners and supporters. Some of you are season pass holders and some of you have purchased tickets to Five Moments – we appreciate your patience while we sort this out and be assured we are doing our utmost to look after our community; audience, artists, crew, staff and each other.

We will also share some of the creative projects and initiatives happening online. We will provide information to support our community’s artists. We will keep thinking of you all, and keep sending the best thoughts your way.

Our office is closed to the public but we are online and working from home.  Email is the fastest way to reach us: [email protected] but phone messages can be left at 204-989-2400. We are grateful that technology continues to connect us and keep us social.

Till soon, take care.

Love,
TPM

Helpful Tips

This COVID 19 primer was sent to us by our fabulous tech sponsor, Seerx. All helpful and concise – we are passing it along:

The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak has touched us all. And we have a ways to go yet. But we will get through this. Mostly, by helping each other.

By keeping that magical social distance of 2m between ourselves and other people until the pandemic is deemed over. Why its our best tool in this fight.
By using proper hygiene when coughing and/or sneezing.
By properly washing our hands and trying not to touch our faces. Here is the why.
By going out only if necessary currently, to keep the possibility of being infected as low as possible.
By following a general quarantine when the government tells us we all must stay home to try to eradicate the virus by separating infected patients from healthy individuals for a long enough time until the virus is no longer transmissible.
By doing a COVID-19 self assessment to see if you qualify for getting yourself tested at one of the government COVID-19 testing sites in our province.
By calling Health Links to get an appointment to be tested if you qualify after doing the COVID-19 self assessment.
By keeping up to date with what our provincial government has to say.

We are thrilled to share news that Emily Solstice Tait has joined Theatre Projects for 2020 as the newest Indigenous Arts Leader Fellow through a partnership with the Winnipeg Arts Council. Here is the media release and some information about the program and about Emily!

We are excited to have her on the team and look forward to you all meeting her soon!

Here’s a little more about Emily…

Emily Solstice Tait is of mixed settler and Ojibway heritage, living in Treaty 1 Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba whose works floats between fantasy and advocacy. She is a 2019 graduate of the Professional Program at the School of Contemporary Dancers and a multidisciplinary artist with her practice crossing into theatre, devising, choreography, and stage management. Past projects include performing with Odette Heyn-Projects/ Indian City & Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, WCD’s Actualize (Ming Hon) and Calibrations of Flux (Jolene Bailie), Théâtre Cercle Molière Marathon De Crèation (Miguel Fortier), Stephanie Ballard and Dancers, Sarasvati Productions, Theatre New Brunswick/ Confederation Centre for the Arts (PEI), Raven Spirit Dance & Vines Art Festival (Vancouver), Rouge-gorge/ New Dance Horizons (Regina), New Blue Emerging Dance (Toronto), and in Creando Lazos a Través de la Danza (Léon & Guanajuato, México).

It is bittersweet to say farewell to the cast and crew of Ann-Marie MacDonald’s Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet). It was a delight to be back at PTE and to participate in RMTC’s  Master Playwrights Festival.

Thank you to both theatres! We are grateful to live and create in a community that provides opportunities for theatre makers to collaborate and produce great theatre for Manitobans.

The hard work and artistry of the stage managers,  the designers, cast and production crew really hit this show outta the park!

The amazing team lead by director Michelle Boulet were a delight on and off the stage. Thank you Michelle!

Abundant gratitude to Jane Buttner and Quinn Greene. Mad respect for designers  Brian Perchaluk, Maureen Petkau, Scott Henderson, Davis Plett and Heather Lee Brereton! Special kudos to choreographers Rob Borges and Catherine Wreford. Thank God for the production oversight from Steve Vande Vyvere and Evan Wohlgemut– and a tip of the hat to our technician Andrew Sanger. Truly lovely behind the scenes artistry from builders Khaeler  Bautista and Steph Porrier! And finally to the cast RobYn Slade, Tom Keenan, Ryan James Miller, Laura Olafson and Joanne Roberts – who not only brought joy and laugher to our dark winter nights – they also raised almost $700.00 for the AFC (Actors Fund of Canada); a charity that supports Canada’s cultural workers in times of crisis.

What a team. Damn, we are sure proud of this community.

Salon #4

As the Master Playwrights Festival rolls up it’s magic carpet – such an extraordinary history of production – I invite you to focus on a series of magical events happening on stages around town.

Spring in Manitoba this year sees the premiere of four new local plays – a veritable festival of Manitoba plays!

TPM is producing Five Moments by Rick Chafe, premiering April 23rd.

Frances Koncan and her play Women of the Fur Trade, now onstage at RMTC, Sharon Bajer’s fairy tale – The Gingerbread Girl at Prairie Theatre Exchange, and Daniel Thau-Eleff’ s new work Narrow Bridge at Winnipeg Jewish Theatre are all onstage in the next 8 weeks!

This gives us reason to celebrate!

Our fourth Salon on Tuesday March 17th will feature playwright Rick Chafe with special guests from the Winnipeg theatre community!

Join us at the Good Will Social Club at 7:00pm for this spring fling/Chafe Fest, and a special nod (pre-game) to St. Paddy’s Day!

It is sure to be a magical evening! And here are some highlights from our Shakespearean Salon….