Creditors opens Artword's Fall Season with a Bang!

Artword Theatre is kicking off its fall season with a major theatrical event. Under the artistic leadership of internationally renowned actor and director John Neville, a company of distinguished Canadian actors is bringing a modern classic to the stage. The play is Creditors, by August Strindberg, directed by John Neville and featuring Brenda Bazinet, Alan Jordan and Chuck Shamata. The production runs at the new Artword Theatre on Portland Street, near Bathurst and King, from September 30 through October 17. Tuesdays to Fridays at 8 pm,. Saturdays at 5 pm and 8 pm, Sundays at 2 pm Adults $20; seniors, students and unemployed $15; Equity/ACTRA $12; pay-what-you-can Sundays; two-for-one Tuesdays.

Strindberg is best known today for Miss Julie, a lacerating study of power relationships played out in the sexual sphere. Creditors was written at the same time (1888), when Strindberg was enjoying enormous professional success while his personal life was going to pieces. Strindberg wrote to a friend, "In Miss Julie and Creditors, I feel I have written my stage masterpieces." Strangely, Miss Julie is performed everywhere, but its companion piece is rarely seen.
John Neville has a special interest in Strindberg, and is known for his interpretations of his work. "When I heard that they wanted to do Creditors, I couldn't turn it down", Mr. Neville said. "It's about sex and power and manipulation and betrayal. Strindberg considered Creditors his best play, and so do I. When Strindberg first wrote Creditors, it was presented as a double bill with Miss Julie - now there was an evening of theatre!"
This is the first full production by the Actors Repertory Company (ARC), a group of like-minded theatre professionals who have been meeting informally over a period of 18 months to explore lesser-known plays from the great world repertoire.
"We want to uncover and explore some of the undiscovered and neglected gems that we don't usually get a chance to work on." says Chuck Shamata, one of the founders of the company.
The inspiration for the company came when Chuck ran into actor friend Alan Jordan after seeing the film Vanya on 42 Street. "The idea that those actors would work for two years exploring all the intricate details of a script seemed so appealing and wonderful. We wondered how we could do something like that here."
Miriam Laurence joined them soon after, and they began examining scripts. They organized free monthly readings, and other well-known actors joined in, including Brenda Bazinet, Christopher Clattenburg, Keith Dinicol, Shirley Douglas, Angela Fusco, Linda Goranson, Tedde Moore, Gary Reineke and Robin Ward. What began as a loose association started to evolve toward a company.
From the beginning, they opted for gradual, organic growth. "The primary purpose is to expand our professional understanding of important works of theatre, and to present the results of our explorations," Alan Jordan says.
"The company has found a home at Artword Theatre, with its 150-seat theatre, art gallery, and rehearsal-workshop studio space. "Artword is just what we were looking for," John Neville said. "Comfortable, intimate, well-cared-for. And the people running it share our commitment to doing very good theatre."
Creditors will be the first major offering in Artword's fall season. Actors Repertory Company is also planning to hold its ongoing reading series at Artword, and is already thinking about future productions.