The Lion in Winter

by James Goldman
October 21-30
Directed by Anne Harper

by permission of Samuel French (Canada) Ltd.

Survivor, England: 1183. At Christmas, King Henry II of England has taken his estranged wife Eleanor of Aquitaine out of the prison he put her in to join their three sons, Richard (The Lionheart), Geoffrey and (Prince) John, all of whom want his throne. Throw in young Alais, Henry’s mistress and would-be wife as a bargaining chip, and a merrier Christmas can hardly be imagined! “What shall we hang – the holly or each other?” The play, which was filmed with Katharine Hepburn and Peter O’Toole, has comedy, drama, backstabbing and that staple of every Christmas: competition for your parents’ love.

Cast: Mike Hiller, David Borwick, Derek Genova, Christopher Douglas, Malorie Mandolidis, Amy le Blanc, and Kyl Chhatwal

Barefoot in the Park

By Neil Simon
January 27-February 5
Directed by Jessica Beaulieu

by permission of Samuel French (Canada) Ltd.

Mad Men Lite: It’s 1965, and Corey Bratter is a pre-feminist free spirit newly married to buttoned-down lawyer Paul Bratter. She’s trying to make a home for them in their New York walk-up (walk waaaay up!) apartment while expanding horizons Paul wants to keep tightly closed. Her straight-laced widowed mother and their exotic bachelor neighbour are drawn into the fray. One of Neil Simon’s most popular plays still seems fresh when we look back at a young couple’s discovery that marriage can be as much of an endurance test as the climb to their 6th floor apartment.

Cast: Sophia Fabiilli, Ryan Fisher, Maureen Lukie, Greg Nowlan, and Michael Sherman

Having Hope at Home

by David S. Craig
April 7-16
Directed by Maureen Lukie

by permission of the Playwrights Guild of Canada

Love, Canadian style: This charming Canadian comedy has been a hit across the country. Carolyn, expecting a baby with her partner, Michel, has invited her parents to their farmhouse (under renovation) for dinner for the first time ever. A fiercely independent young woman, when Carolyn goes into labour, she does everything she can to keep her domineering obstetrician father from finding out and taking over!

Cast: Jenn Worsnop-Sellers, Kingsley Owen, Stephan Ermel, James Lukie, Janice Hansen, and Tina McCulloch