Hamilton Fringe, “New Talent”: August 16 – 24
Brian Morton’s original play “New Talent” to premiere at the 2008 Hamilton Fringe Festival
The first day of Hamilton’s Plastimet Recycling Plant fire in July 1997, a young woman makes a choice that will haunt her for the rest of her life…
NEW TALENT is a powerful drama taking its audience on an authentic journey into the sordid underbelly of a Hamilton, Ontario that few of us will ever see or know about. The world premiere of Brian Morton’s newest play is a vivid exploration of the all too real netherworld of prostitution, and addiction that sadly really does exist in our city. In the end, the play is also a voyage of self-discovery that ultimately offers a message of hope, forgiveness and redemption…
The play, which is set entirely in Hamilton, features Ian Rayburn (as Mike), Brad Young (as Gary), and Caroline Concordia (as Christine) in its cast. NEW TALENT is directed by Playwright Brian Morton; and will be stage-managed by Valerie Vanlandshoot.
NEW TALENT is one of 21 productions featured in the 2008 Hamilton Fringe Festival. The main venue for the Fringe this year is the Downtown Arts Centre, which is located at 28 Rebecca Street in Hamilton’s central core, and is a key component in the revitalization of the centre of the city.
Performances of NEW TALENT are in Fringe Venue One (the DAC gym). The schedule is:
Saturday August 16 @ 4:30 pm
Sunday August 17 @ 6:00 pm
Monday August 18 @ 7:30 pm
Wednesday August 20 @ 9:00 pm
Thursday August 21 @ 10:30 pm
Saturday August 23 @ 10:30 pm
Sunday August 24 @ 1:30 pm
Tickets for the show are $9.00; audience members will be required to purchase a $2.00 “Fringe backer” button in order to purchase a ticket. For ticket information please call 905-548-0111.
NEW TALENT contains subject matter that is not recommended for Children: including sexual situations. Audience Discretion is strongly advised.
Incorporated in 1991 as a non-profit charitable foundation; Theatre Erebus is the brainchild of Artistic Director Brian Morton. Returning to his native Hamilton after two years working overseas in British professional theatre; Morton felt a need here at home for a company that entertains, but also provokes thought, explores contemporary Canadian realities, and is unafraid to challenge its audience’s perceptions.
In 1988, Brian Morton was also the founder and first Artistic Director of Theatre Terra Nova, and in 1990 he was a partner in the Evelyn Group which reopened the historic Tivoli Theatre as a venue for live performance with a production of Douglas Rodger’s play HOW COULD YOU, MRS DICK? His plays include his stage adaptation of Sylvia Fraser’s MY FATHER’S HOUSE, which has had four productions to date and was most recently done as a staged reading at the Grand Theatre in London this past December. Other works include THE ADELE KOMOROWSKI PROJECT (McMaster University 2006), MCCRAE: FLANDERS 1915, and DREAMER WITHIN A DREAM, which won several awards at the Sears Drama Festival in 1986.
Theatre Erebus’ past projects have included productions of David Demchuk’s SUMMER OFFENSIVE (Hamilton Fringe 2007), FUGUE by Rona Munro (Downtown Arts Centre in May 2007), KRAPP’S LAST TAPE by Samuel Beckett (2006 Hamilton Fringe Festival), ODD JOBS by Frank Moher (Waterdown Memorial Hall Theatre), ETTA JENKS by Marlene Meyer (Hamilton Place Studio Theatre & Tarragon Mainstage Toronto), MY FATHER’S HOUSE by Sylvia Fraser (Dundas Centre For The Arts/ North York Performing Arts Centre).
Also Theatre Erebus produced a Festival of Canadian Plays at the 1990 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the plays included the British premieres of: IF BETTY SHOULD RISE by David Demchuk, SCIENTIFIC AMERICANS by John Mighton, THE OCCUPATION OF HEATHER ROSE by Wendy Lill and THE WORKINGMAN by Tom
Walmsley.
Erebus’ website is at www.theatre-erebus.ca, it contains a wealth of information about the theatre
company’s past work; photos from the play NEW TALENT can be found at www.bmorton.artshamilton.ca. The Hamilton Fringe Festival’s website is www.hamiltonfringe.ca.
