The Pearl Company

THE HAMILTON FULL BAWDY COMEDY SHOW! VEGAS! Saturday, May 9. The doors open at 7:15PM, and the event will get underway around 8:00PM. Admission: $20 advance $25 at door. SHE’S BACK! Shelley Marshall, HAMILTON’S OWN world-renowned Comedienne for her One Woman Show “Hold Mommy’s Cigarette” brings us her production of the edgy and irreverent FULL BAWDY COMEDY SHOW with hosts, Erin & Nara. The FBCS is an always-SOLD-OUT vaudevillian variety show that celebrates the diversity of comedy through Music, Burlesque, Stand-up, Circus and more! Featuring original material from the funniest and raciest Stars this country (and beyond) has to offer. The Hamilton Full Bawdy Comedy Show Vegas! line-up includes Shelley Marshall and Robin Benedict and Erin and Nara and Morgan Joy and Andrea Murray and Kitty Litteur. Come with an open mind and you’ll leave with a Full Heart! Adult Content.
Advance tickets will be available on Ticketscene until May 9, 5:59 PM unless the event sells out earlier. See more at: http://www.ticketscene.ca/events/12972/#sthash.enxsjAdR.dpuf  www.shelleymarshall.com   Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=omL9gW9h04g   Email Shelley for advance reservations and seating at: shelley@shelleymarshall.com

Presented by Love Letters Cabaret: CABIN FEVER: Friday, April 17. 8:00pm (Doors 7:30pm) Admission: $25 Advance/ $30 @ Door/ $45 Ringside seat.  It’s cold out and we’re going batty! Enjoy a hysterical evening of nonsense, singing & burlesque! Get over your winter blehs with comedy, dance and music from “Toronto’s edgiest, most sexually charged dance theater company”. This innovative and interactive company is the creation of Artistic Director and Choreographer Pastel Supernova (dubbed by Flare magazine as One of Canada’s most influential women). She is a former international dancer for Nelly Furtado with appearances on the David Letterman Show and more. Pastel packs the stage with beauty and talent, using elements of vaudeville, contemporary dance, and burlesque to tell stories, explore primal instincts. Witness a cast whose collective credits include: the National Ballet, the Canadian Opera Company, Mirvish Productions and Second City Productions just to name a few. You’ve never seen them? Here’s a peek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV3nObw-7wk     www.loveletterscabaret.com   Adult content.

The HamilTEN Festival: April 10, 11, & 12.  $15 / $10 income-challenged.  HamilTEN is a festival of ten-minute plays by playwrights from Hamilton and surrounding areas. With more script submissions than Darren has ever had previously, HamilTEN 2015 promises to be our biggest festival yet! We will be presenting ten 10-minute plays at this year’s festival. A ten-minute play is a streak of theatrical lightning. It doesn’t last long but it should hit its mark! The festival is now in its fourth year (!) and they are back at The Pearl Company with something for everyone: a little drama, some comedy, with a little bit of madness to spice things up. All plays are featured at each performance. Darren Stewart-Jones, Artistic Director, is a theatre producer, director and a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada. He has produced and directed plays in Hamilton, Toronto, and London. He is the proud founder of The HamilTEN. Festival Tickets available at the door (cash only) online at www.ticketscene.ca or www.thepearlcompany.ca and by email at hamiltenfestival@gmail.com  Questions? Email: hamiltenfestival@gmail.com   Check out: http://hamiltenfestival.blogspot.ca https://www.facebook.com/pages/HamilTEN-Festival/
Show times:
Friday, April 10 @ 8pm
Saturday, April 11 @ 8pm
Sunday, April 12 @ 2pm

Our line-up for 2015, in no particular order, is as follows:
The Bridge by Jessica Anderson
Conversations with a Capital “A” by Robin Sadavoy
Tyson by Kevin Somers
Appearances by Katherine Albers
Evinrude Fabio by Colette Kendall
Barbershop Trio by Blending Reality Productions
Pee & Qs by Josh Downing
The Hourglass by Francesa Brugnano
Saint Catherine of Ontario by Bryan Boodhoo
Matter of Negativity by Sean Hurley (more…)

THEY CAME FROM AWAY: One Night Only. Saturday, March 21. 8:00pm. $20/$15 income-challenged (Srs/Stdts/etc.).  A one-man play written and performed by Trevor McKinven. How did a young man from North Hatley, Quebec make a name for himself by writing a one-man play and performing as… a Newfoundlander…? When all air traffic was ordered to land on 9/11, the small town of Gander Newfoundland absorbed and embraced over 6500 stranded passengers. They had the airport facilities to accommodate the influx but not the hotels/restaurants, so the townsfolk took the displaced into their homes giving them a place to rest a weary head, have a good home-cooked meal, and a dose of old fashioned Nfld hospitality. Of the “come-from-aways” who became part of the Gander family during that memorable week, many left as life-long friends with their host families. Join four of these ‘plane people’ as they reunite and reflect on that week long international slumber/kitchen party. Trevor McKinven imagines their reunion as they remember their forced and extended stay in a place they’d never heard of. With heart-warming humour, McKinven’s play takes a close look at the bonds that were formed in the midst of those tragic circumstances. https://www.facebook.com/trevor.mckinven  Wee glimpse:  http://youtu.be/vF8e4IUHx-o

Love Letters Cabaret: SMOKE: Friday, February 13. 8:00pm (Doors 7:30pm) Admission: $25 Advance/ $30 @ Door.  Smoke is a romantic and seductive show; perfect for a couple on Valentines weekend! SMOKE is a glimpse into the fantasies of a woman… Toronto’s edgiest, most sexually charged dance theatre company infiltrates the passionate minds of cigar factory workers in the 50s. Take a peek as each member takes a private moment from their mundane task to daydream about love affairs, secrets and desires.
This innovative and interactive company is the creation of Artistic Director and Choreographer Pastel Supernova (dubbed by Flare magazine as “One of Canada’s most influential women”). She is a former international dancer for Nelly Furtado with appearances on the David Letterman Show and more. Pastel packs the stage with beauty and talent, using elements of vaudeville, contemporary dance, and burlesque to tell stories, explore primal instincts. Witness a cast whose collective credits include: the National Ballet, the Canadian Opera Company, Mirvish Productions and Second City Productions just to name a few. You’ve never seen them? Here’s a peek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV3nObw-7wk    www.loveletterscabaret.com

Jesters Incognito: Shows: Jan 9, 17, 23. Times vary. Tickets: $15.00. Jesters Incognito is an exciting and life-affirming one-man show that tells two unique stories.  For over 20 years, Harrison fills sketchbooks in order to cope with his Bipolar condition.  In it he writes the story of Mr. Meister, a taxi driver who starts an undergournd group of artists and entertainers in a dystopian world where live entertainment is outlawed.
With a creative mash up of cartooning, music, and comedy, you are taken into the imagination of both Harrison and Mr. Meister, wherein they reveal the key to mental wellness, and the cure to the dreaded Doldrums.  Audiences are raving about this underground renaissance of otherworldly jesters; the value of their seemingly silly shenanigans runs deep and leaves most blinded by glee!  Celebrate human resilience and the power of art!
“The Jesters Incognito are kicking off the new year with three performances at Hamilton’s awesome Arts Centre, The PEARL COMPANY!  This space is uniquely jesterly ~ eclectic, indie, and full of surprises.  I’m looking forward to bringing the nincompoops to the Pearl, to continue my support of creativity and mental health. :)”

Best of Erin & Nara: Shows: Jan 10, 15,16, 22, 30, 31. Times vary. Tickets: $15.00. MF Arts Productions presents… Partner’s in love and laughter, Erin and Nara are pleased to announce their BEST OF THE SO FARS, Show! This couple is known for their original song “Sexy Cuz We’re Lesbians” and for being the over-the-top hysterical hosts of Shelley Marshall’s The Full Bawdy Comedy Show. This FuNNy SHoW will be comprised of some of their favourite Comedy Skits, Songs, and Dance and will have you lol-ing and possibly even rofl-ing in the aisles! Erin & Nara are both hilarious (without ever ‘reaching’) and totally adorable! Their comedy is never cruel; raunchy sometimes….but never cruel.

Democracy is Dead: Subtitled “What are we going to do about it?” Runs: Jan 15-17; 22-23; 29-31. Times vary. Tickets: $15.00. Democracy is Dead is a multi-disciplinary, multi-media theatrical work written and directed by Gary Santucci. It is a wake-up call to the generations of the 60?s and 70?s to join the young people of today to begin to repair the damage that we all have caused and allowed to be inflicted on our environment, our institutions and our societies. The work was inspired through and by the cathartic exercise of creating the Pearl Company Arts Centre in Hamilton’s sacrifice zone. CAST: Gary Santucci – Alpha; Jeremy Shand – Beta; JonGordon Odegaard – Gamma; Greek Chorus: Francis X. Rocchi – Jason; Val Kay – Helen; Robert Inness – Homer; Jolanta Bace – Aphrodite; David Minnick – Euclid; Steve Wilson – Orpheus.

A Wake For Lost Time: Starts at 1pm on the 24th/finishes 1pm on 25th… Tickets: $20.00 (Gives you the right to come and go…or stay all night!) The Elephants Collective is a Toronto-based collective born out of the Theatre Passe Muraille emerging artist collective program! “A Wake For Lost Time.” captures what it is to be human and the effects time has on us all. What starts out as a look at existence within time from that of an outside observer, quickly becomes the story of everyone’s experience in the moment they find within themselves, audience and performers alike. The emotion and struggle of the cast become absolutely heart­wrenching as time progresses. “I can’t imagine a script that captures the nature of this performance, nor can I picture an actor alive that could replicate what Elephants in the Room have accomplished with this powerful show.” Everything on stage is real in the truest sense of the word. An amazing achievement; half theatre, half experiment. While the individual scenes and pieces that made up a full performance cycle are moving, challenging, and entertaining, it is a thrill to watch the performers engage with this material over 24 hours, to see them fight their own exhaustion, to watch the pieces evolve and change, and discover new meaning and life with each repetition.

Santa’s Big Sleep:  Sunday, December 21. Matinee, 1 pm. Tickets – $10 Adults, $8 children, $32 Family. This is the 12th Anniversary of SBS presented by Northern Lights Theatre. Start your Christmas season with this magical story about children’s love for Santa and the true spirit of Christmas!
There is a worldwide mail strike and no letters are coming to the North Pole. Santa falls into a deep sleep and we discover that it is the children’s love contained in the letters that keeps Santa alive. Can the Elves solve the problem and wake Santa before Christmas Eve, or will the Spirit of Christmas be lost forever? They will need your help!  Written by Lee William Fairbanks. Directed by Luis Arrojo. Starring Alyssa Nedich, Liz Buchanan, Sean Emberley, Tyler Brent, Ella Burns, Rachel Sheridan, Kamryn Wood and Savannah Bourque. nltc@bell.net  or www.thepearlcompany.ca
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Santas-Big-Sleep/214424055300155?ref=br_tf

THE NAUGHTY NUTCRACKER! Presented by Love Letters Cabaret: Sunday, December 14. 8:00pm – 9:30pm (Doors 7:30pm) Admission: $20 Advance/ $25 @ Door.  Ever wonder what happened to all the toys too naughty to make it into Santa’s bag? Immerse yourself in Pastel Supernova’s fantasy world, as she invites you into Santa’s naughty toyshop. Witness how unruly toys behave when left to play unattended. Enjoy Burlesque from Toronto’s most edgy, exciting and sexually charged theater dance company! This innovative and interactive company is the creation of Artistic Director and Choreographer Pastel Supernova (dubbed by Flare magazine as “One of Canada’s most influential women”). She is a former international dancer for Nelly Furtado with appearances on the David Letterman Show and more. Pastel packs the stage with beauty and talent using elements of vaudeville, contemporary dance and burlesque to tell stories, explore decadence & primal instincts. Witness a cast whose collective credits include: the National Ballet, the Canadian Opera Company, Mirvish Productions and Second City Productions just to name a few. You’ve never seen them? Here’s a peek: http://youtu.be/1MvSqS1uscY  www.loveletterscabaret.com

You Were My Friend: November 7 through November 22. General Admission: $20. Nortesur Productions and the Pearl Company Arts Centre presents, a new drama by Hamilton-based playwright Adam Riggio, opening November 7. You Were My Friend depicts the financial, personal, and moral strains we experience simply trying to live a dignified life in our harsh world. When 18 year old Vicki (Samantha Nemeth) finds herself unexpectedly homeless and broke, she moves in with a total stranger, the independent and sarcastic Madison (Hannah Ziss). Together, these new best friends become a fortress against the assaults of high costs of living, the drudgery of crap jobs in a sluggish economy, and the hardships of city life. But no fortress can hold out forever, and sometimes the world is too much to bear.
Nortesur Productions is a Burlington-based company dedicated to creating drama that speaks to our time. Nortesur’s previous productions at the Pearl Company include Ariel Dorfman’s Death and the Maiden (2013 Hamilton Fringe), and John Logan’s Red (November 2013). Audience Advisory, Because This Is For Adults: Strong Language, Sexual References, Strobe Lighting, and Smoking. https://www.facebook.com/adamriggiowrites 
SHOWTIMES: At 8:00pm: Fri. Nov. 7/ Sat. Nov. 8/ Sun Nov 9. 2:00/ Thurs. Nov. 13/ Fri. Nov. 14/ Sat. Nov. 15/ Thurs. Nov. 20/ Fri. Nov. 21/ Sat. Nov. 22: All at 8pm:
Sun. Nov. 9 at 2pm

Acting For Non-Actors with Paula Grove MFA: Five Saturdays: November 15^th – December 13^th. 1pm – 4pm. $90 for all 5 classes.
This course is based on a class Paula taught at York University that was very successful. “During the time I taught there it was amazing to watch people transform as they learned theatre games, improv skills, etc.”

Explore – Grow – Play In a Safe Atmosphere!
This class is for you if you want to:
* Learn the basics
* Step outside your comfort zone in a non-threatening class
* Develop confidence and presence
* Become a better presenter and speaker

Call: 289-684-3218 to book with Paula.

Curtains: Saturday, November 1: 8:00pm. Tickets: $15.00/ Students/Artists/Seniors $10.00. “Curtains” is a 1983 Canadian cult horror film directed by Richard Ciupka, and starring John Vernon, Samantha Eggar, Lesleh Donaldson, Linda Thorson and Lynne Griffin.  And! Lynne Griffin will be in attendance! The plot tells the story of a group of actresses targeted by a masked killer at a prestigious director’s remote mansion where they are auditioning for a role in a movie. “Curtains” didn’t create much of a stir in 1983, yet has built a passionate cult following in the years since. There are several reasons why, “Curtains” has a stellar, entirely adult cast and a layered narrative that embraces its eccentricities. The central goal is not to merely slice through the ensemble—though this does happen—but to explore the seedier cutthroat politics of moviemaking and the desperation that often comes when reality does not match up to one’s aspirations. Beyond that, the film features a truly disconcerting killer cloaked in an old hag’s mask, and a round-up of outstanding horror set pieces. The climactic chase through a backstage prop shed, the darkness of the space lit by a large “applause” sign in the background, cooks up crafty tension and a quirky visual spark. The closer one peers into the weird and macabre pleasures of “Curtains,” the more its technical mastery and subtextual implications reveal themselves. Here’s a trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOp7HbnUKic  Check out the recently and beautifully painted new poster by Juan José Saldarriaga!

TAINTED: A cross-Ontario reading of this powerful play about the blood crisis. October 21: 7:30. NO CHARGE. A family fights to stay intact when the unimaginable happens. Set against the backdrop of the tainted blood crisis, Tainted is a story about, love, loss, justice, and the enduring power of forgiveness.
Tainted is an original work and premiered in Toronto in 2013, sparking a debate on the current issues facing our public blood system today. Inspired by the true stories of families who endured the worst public health disaster in our history, Tainted is a harrowing, unforgettable story.
This one night event is a special presentation of the play as a rehearsed reading. A short panel discussion and Q&A will follow. Come and share this night with us!
Written by: Kat Lanteigne, Directed by: Vikki Anderson, SM: AJ Laflamme
Cast: Beryl Bain, Dmitry Chepovetsky, Dillan Chiblow, Neil Foster, Alex Furber, Kat Lanteigne, & Maria Vacratsis
http://gromkat.com/tainted/  

Democracy is Dead: Subtitled “What are we going to do about it?” Preview: Oct 14. Runs: Oct 15 – 18. 8:00 pm. Tickets: $15.00/ Students/Artists/Seniors $10.00 or Pay What You Can. Democracy is Dead is a new multi-disciplinary, multi- media theatrical work written and directed by Gary Santucci. It is a wake-up call to the generations of the 60’s and 70’s to join the young people of today to begin to repair the damage that we all have caused and allowed to be inflicted on our environment, our institutions and our societies. The work was inspired through and by the cathartic exercise of creating the Pearl Company Arts Centre in Hamilton’s sacrifice zone. We have made this show affordable for all because we want to see you and hear from you! Info & tickets 905 524 0606

CAST: Gary Santucci – Alpha; Rod Mctaggart – Beta; JonGordon Odegaard – Gamma; Greek Chorus: Francis X. Rocchi – Jason; Val Kay – Helen; Robert Inness – Homer; Jolanta Bace – Aphrodite; David Minnick – Euclid; Steve Wilson – Orpheus.

Tickets available online at: http://www.ticketscene.ca/ (At The door subject to availability) Or from the Ticket Tab at www.thepearlcompany.ca

Parents Night: A New Play by George F. Walker: September 25 – October 12. $25 at the door. Discounts for teachers/students/groups. Directed by Wes Berger. Parents Night is a one-act, three-character comedy/dramedy set in a Grade Three classroom. The action takes place in real-time, starring Sarah Murphy-Dyson as concerned and unhinged teacher Nicole, sitting down for a serious discussion with the parents of two of her most troublesome students. John (Matthew Olver) a wealthy and neurotic businessman whose wife has recently walked out on him and Rosie (Dana Puddicombe) a brassy and strong-willed working class woman with a drug-addicted husband, each star as delightfully defensive parents, loyally and valiantly advocating for their children against Nicole, one another and society itself. John’s son and Rosie’s daughter may be having their problems in Nicole’s class – mostly with each other – but when these parents go to school for a Parent/Teacher interview, their own problems soon bubble over and take over the classroom.
A funny, touching and truthful play for anyone who’s ever been a teacher. Or had a teacher. Or had a parent. Or wanted another kind of parent. https://parents-night.squarespace.com   https://www.facebook.com/events/614927911955658/
Read Review from Gary Smith at The Spec:  http://bit.ly/1qVi7AN
October 9-11: 8PM:
October 12 MATINEE: 2PM

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The Pearl Company Canadian Summer Theatre Festival: August 8 – 23. $15 per show. Three brilliant world-class performers bring their career-topping works to The Pearl Company this year for 3 weekends of captivating, enchanting, intense, thrilling, mesmerizing, challenging and flat-out exciting entertainment. All 3 will perform on each date, so catch ‘em all. Festival opens Aug 8 at 7 pm. All shows $15 each.

Check out a great review of all three plays under  “Read More” below!

We are thrilled to present:

Sean Sullivan: Baby Redboots’ Revenge:  “A virtual Nijinsky of performance art” – New York Times. “Sullivan, with the range of a Chaplin or Keaton, with a touch of Baryshnikov and Danny Kaye, is one in a million” – Performing Arts Review, New York City. “Baby Redboots’ Revenge keeps us on the edge of our seats for 65 breathless minutes.” -NYtheatre.com, 2012.  A “Best of the New York Fringe” play.
Fri. Aug. 8, 7:00; Sat. 9, 9:30; Thu.14, 8:15; Fri. 15, 7:00; Sat.16, 9:30; Thu. 21, 8:15; Fri. 22, 7:00; Sat. 23, 9:30.

The Naked Ballerina: Sarah Murphy-Dyson “Discover the darkness behind the curtain, as the former Royal Winnipeg Ballet first soloist & Gemini Award winner brings you backstage into her world of blood, sweat and secrets. Illusions of perfection onstage and off are shattered as she seeks the courage to expose her truth to herself and the world.” Glenn Sumi, Now Magazine.
Fri. Aug. 8, 9:30; Sat. 9, 8:15; Thu.14, 7:00; Fri. 15, 9:30; Sat.16, 8:15; Thu. 21, 7:00; Fri. 22, 9:30; Sat. 23, 8:15.

Resurrection: Learie McNicolls: – Classical Dancer, actor, director and Two-Time Dora Award Winner Learie McNicolls performs his spoken word and movement magnum opus about Redemption and the Resurrection of one’s Soul. A semi-autobiographical story woven through the experience of a young boy and complex family relationships, expressed through the lexicon of the music of the 50’s and 60’s.
Fri. Aug. 8, 8:15; Sat. 9, 7:00;  Thu.14, 9:30; Fri.15, 8:15; Sat.16, 7:00; Thu. 21, 9:30; Fri. 22, 8:15; Sat. 23, 7:00.

The Pearl Company Canadian Theatre Festival Schedule: Summer 2014 

Tickets available online at www.thepearlcompany.ca Tickets: $15 for EACH show.

For more information: info@thepearlcompany.ca;  905.524.0606 or nltc@bell.net

Link to the Festival Facebook Site: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Pearl-Company-Canadian-Theatre-Festival/149388245141853

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