An East Scarborough telling of The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare

Dec 8-18 2011, 793 Pharmacy Ave.

2

Jumblies makes art with, for and about the people and places of Toronto. Our art weaves into and grows out of life’s details and rituals, and our community is open-ended and based on people doing something together. We create an interplay of virtuosity and inclusion, participant and audience, story and history, installation and performance, activism and art, art and life. We say, everyone is welcome, and grapple with the implications – aesthetic and social – of meaning it.

Jumblies has three intertwining strands: Jumblies Projects, creating new works through multi-year residencies, passing through phases of research, creation, production and legacy; the Jumblies Studio, training and mentoring artists and providing opportunities for learning and play; and our Jumblies Offshoots, maintaining relationships with communities, past projects, and emerging arts leaders.

Jumblies Offshoots include:

• Arts4All, now in its 11th year at Davenport Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre and Pelham Park, with Artistic Director Liz Rucker and Artistic Producer Dan Watson,

• MABELLEarts, now in its 7th year in Central Etobicoke, with Artistic Director Leah Houston and General Manager Miriam Ahmed,

• The Community Arts Guild, growing out of our Scarborough residency, under the new Artistic Direction of Beth Helmers, and

• our adopted Offshoot, Making Room at Parkdale Activity & Recreation Centre, with Artistic Director Michael Burtt.

Jumblies Board of Directors: Co-Chairs: Marilyn Tate & Melanie Fernandez Treasurer: Susanne Burkhardt Secretary: Yonah Lewis Members: Paul Bennett, Mara Shaughnessy, Faduma Ahmed Alim

Abou

t Jum

blies

Neema Bickersteth sings Hermione, Photo: Robin Archer

3N

otes

from D

irectors

Welcome to Like A Old Tale, four years and hundreds of relationships in the making, in partnership with the City’s Cultural Services and all our offshoots. I entered into this process, and put forth one of my favourite plays, intending to bring together all the communities Jumblies has ever worked with for the company’s 10th birthday, and believing that this will be the last large-scale community play that I personally will produce - making this an especially all-out and sweet experience. This doesn’t mean that Jumblies and I won’t dream up other adventurous community-engaged projects and creations (stay tuned!), nor that we won’t support others in producing new community plays or permutations.

The form, which I encountered 20 years ago, still has more combined social and aesthetic impact than practically any other. Still, its time to walk into new forms, explorations and phases of life, while providing support and solidarity to the amazing and capable artists whose time it is to step forth, many who have contributed to Like An Old Tale. Our show might prompt all sorts of questions, “Why The Winter’s Tale?” or “Why Scarborough?” and perhaps, “Why does The Winter’s Tale have a Thunderbird in it?” I hope some of these questions will be answered and that more will arise as you read on and enjoy our show.

Ruth Howard Artistic Director of Jumblies Theatre

Although I have known Ruth Howard and Jumblies since 2001, this is my first time being part of a Jumblies residency project from the beginning – and it has been an amazing experience. This production brings the contributions of the past 3 years together, from the 600+ community residents who joined our workshops to explore the themes and images of The Winter’s Tale; the network of social service, health, faith and City organizations that connected us to people and provided us with space to meet with them; and the artists and staff who have shared their skills and passion in ways that make sure everyone is welcomed and what we make together is beautiful. The 12 Realms of Scarborough you will sit at tonight are places where all these people have come together and Like An Old Tale is a thank you to all of them.

Keith McNair, Managing Director of Jumblies Theatre

An old tale is a general name for a story that is taken for granted, easily dismissed and even “hooted at”. It is deemed trivial in comparison to the canon of literature - derided as an “old wives tale” that is naive, simplistic or parochial. As a narrative it chooses to sacrifice the heirloom jewels of complexity for the shared meal of mutual understanding. What is happening here tonight is “like an old tale” because our story is simple. The scope and scale, however and the means of performance are deliberately too much. It is open to impossibility. To tackle this requires that you “do awake your faith” as Paulina requests of the entire room when at the end of our play she begins a process of awakening the Sicilians frozen for 16 years. In working on and witnessing “Like an Old Tale” it has awoken my awareness of my capacity and needs, limits and strengths. But mostly my faith that the result will be bigger than our individual experience and perception, no matter what our role may be. It is this faith in action that is tonight’s event.

Varrick Grimes Director of Like An Old Tale

In The Winter’s Tale, the reunification of childhood friends, a mother and child, lovers, and a husband and wife transcend fear, disaster, distance, time, and even death. At ARTS4ALL, this telling and retelling continues to be a source of joy and revelation, bringing profound pleasure to those that hear and inhabit these stories. They enchant us all with a call to have faith in the possibility of renewal.

And now, it is wonderful that the ARTS4ALL Players, like beloved relatives, can travel to the eastern reaches of Toronto to meet the remarkable people of this project and to rekindle collaborations born 10 years ago, when Jumblies Theatre started our project in Toronto’s West End at Davenport Perth Neighbourhood Centre. Thank you Jumblies Theatre and all the great Scarborough players for welcoming us so generously to create with you. How rich it is to grow in the wake of Jumblies’ magic power to bring those divided together again!!

Liz Rucker Artistic Director of Arts4All

4Ar

tistic

& P

roduct

ion Credits

SCARBOROUGH RESIDENCY TEAM

Ruth Howard: Artistic Director, Concepts Creator, Script Adaptator Keith McNair: Managing Director & Associate Concept Creator Beth Helmers: Lead Artist & Assistant Script Adaptor Sean Frey: Lead Artist & Assistant Design Concepts Hillari Blumfald: Community Engagement Coordinator

MUSIC TEAM: Juliet Palmer1: Composer & Musical Arranger Rosary Spence: Songwriter Sharada K. Eswar: Carnatic Music Advisor

Music Directors: Erna Van Daele: Musical Director Susan Suchard: Associate Musical Director Julia Churchill2: Community Choir Co-Director & Sounding Facilitator Shifra Cooper: Community Choir Co-Director & Music Stage Manager

Song Credits (in order): ‘Theeratha Vilayattu Pillai’ & ‘Oli Padaitha ‘Kanninay’ by Subramania Bharati ‘Iskwewuk Nkamum’ & ‘Oracle Song’by Rosary Spence ‘Kaatrinile Varum Geetham’ by Kalki Krishnamurthy ‘Kanne En Kanmaniye’ by Papanasam Sivan ‘Meh Meh’ & ‘Nipii’ by Rosary Spence

Solo Singers: Doug MacNaughton*: Baritone Neema Bickersteth*: Soprano Rosary Spence: First Nations Singer Sharada K. Eswar: Traditional Tamil Singer Gehan Kolamba Tantrege: Tenor Theo McGregor: Singer & Hand Drummer Shifra Cooper: Soprano Mika Howard: Alto Larissa Koniuk: Soprano Micah Bakan: Boy Soprano Shalva-Lucas Makharashvill: Boy Soprano

Instrumental Musicians: Adam Campbell: Percussion Adam Scime: Double Bass Alex Kotyk: Double Bass Aleksandar Gajic: Violin Martin van de Ven: Clarinet Sharma Donepudi: Mridangam Stephanie Chua & Christina Faye: Rehearsal Accompanists

Bohemian Chorus: Ahlam Abo Elmad, Cathie Mullin, Cindy Rozeboom, Chelsea Ranger, Diane Lopez, Junyee Wang, Kaitlynn Rodgers, Karina Pelletier, Katherine Joan Wolfer, Leela ChelliahM. Pathma, Melinda Kroone, Nageswary Sribaleswaran, P. Parameswary, Ragad Majid Hammook, Sadi Karabage, Sivamany Sivapatham, Stephanie Kroone, Sulogini Sothynathan, Tiina Leivo, Vathsala Nagasingam, Yogeswary Kumaresapasupathy

Sicilian Singers: Sopranos: Gabrielle Blais-Jones, Jelena Mamic, Larissa Koniuk Shifra Cooper Altos: Alexandra Draghici Shifra Cooper, Laura Quigley Liz Rucker, Mika Howard Nadia Harris Tenors: Alex Samaras, Andrew Hellebust, Gehan Kolamba Tantrege, Jason Lamont, Keira Loughran, Munzir Rahman, Basses: Dennis Zimmer, Frank Nevelo, Lawrie McEwan, Michael White, Sean Curran

* appearing with the permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association1 in part thanks to a Music Commissioning grant from the Ontario Arts Council2 thanks to the George Cedric Metcalf Foundation Performing Arts Internship Program3 thanks to Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program4 thanks toTheatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program, funded by the Ontario Arts Council5 thanks in part to the Saskatchewan Arts Board6 thanks to Employment Ontario and St. Stephen’s Community Centre7 an ISIS Practicum Student8 partly thanks to Service Canada

5Ar

tistic

& P

roduct

ion Credits

DESIGN & MAKING TEAM: Set: Trevor Schwellnus: Co-Set Designer Ruth Howard: Co-Set Designer Keith McNair: Realm ConceptCo-Creator, Sean Frey: Realm Design Assisistant Helah Cooper: Realm Design Assistant Laura Hale: Entrance Installation Designer Ron Remigio: Guild Inn Designer & Maker Rob Matejka: Lawrence Bridge, Morningside Apts. & Stencils Designer & Maker

Lighting: Trevor Schwellnus: Lighting Designer Rebecca Vandevelde4: Asst. Lighting Designer Sean Frey: Projections & Shadow Designer

Costumes: Ruth Howard: Costume Designer Marianne Alas: Head of Costumes & Fabric Arts Helah Cooper: Assistant Costume Designer Zoe Jenkins6: Costume First Hand Angela Thomas: Guest Costume Designer Mary Ford: Cutter Leana Mukhina: Seamstress Other Costume Helpers: Caryl Kroone Christina Fedak, Yo Utano, Michaela Otto Nancy Helmers, Mai Alas, Ahlam Abo Elmad Yasmeen Safawi, Marilyn Tate, Katrina Kilroy

Graphic Images: Helah Cooper: Designer

Puppets, Props & Masks: Laura Hale5: Head of Props, Visual Artist & Designer Sean Frey: Props, Masks, Puppet Designer & Maker Phil Cote: Thunderbird Puppet Designer & Maker Sonja Rainey3: Props & Puppet Designer & Maker Katherine Fleitas: Mask & Props Designer & Maker Anne Powell: Puppetry Consultant Brad Harley: Puppet, Prop, Mask Consultant Rebecca Baird, Nelly Torossian: Thunderbird Assts. Arber Makri: Puppet & Prop-maker2 Keith McNair: Miniature World Designer Emma Manchester: Miniature World Maker Al Levitt: Small Puppet-Maker Boat Builders from Making Room & PARC: Michael Burtt, Alice & John Rogers, Ann Lapena, Michelle Caron, James Smith Arts4All Artists: Madonna Nazneen Islam, Tessa Ryan, Zinaida Garcia Other Prop-Makers: Bill Livingstone, Kristi White, Sarah Miller, Lorenzo Pagnotta, Jessica Carlo, Genevieve Robertson, Rob Howarth, Rosamund Small, Anna Cammilleri, Elizabeth Burt, Emilie DeCaen, Ishelle Macz, Peter Fedak, Ajanntha Arulkumar, Ashley Misir, Bahrawar Yusufi, Maria Arulkumar, Muriel Blagden, Zahra Hammook, Ashtae, Iffra, Jadia, Janaye, Sherina, Yumna & cast members

DIRECTING TEAM: Varrick Grimes: Director Beth Helmers3: Assistant Director Lisa Marie DiLiberto: Audience Engagement Director Liz Rucker: Arts4All Artistic DIrector Dan Watson: Arts4All Associate Director Keirsten Tough: Arts4All Assistant Director Esther Maloney4: Arts4All Intern Director Anne Barber & Arber Makri2: Stilt Trainers Sue Miner: Consulting Director Catherine Marrion7: Performance Coach

DANCE TEAM: Penny Couchie: Choreographer Lilia Leon: Assistant Choreographer Cotee Harper: Aboriginal Dance Leader

Dance Ensemble: Penny Couchie, Lilia Leon, Cotee Harper, Animkiikwe Couchie, Chelsea Ranger, Dillon Cox, Estera Musiala, Gehan Kolamba Tantrege, John Pyette, Junyee Wang, Kaitlynn Rodgers, Maria Otyeka, Melinda Kroone, Munzir Rahman, Rave Selvaduri-Fisher, Sadi Karabage, Stephanie Kroone

Courtly Dancers: From SCHC: Dharshana Jayapathy, Esther Persaud, Kamala Poopal, Leela Chelliah Pathma R., M. Pathma, Maria Mariyanayagam Nageswary Sribaleswaran, Radha

Satkunanathan, Sivapackiam Marandu Sivamany Sivapatham, Sulogini Sothynathan From Bailando Forever (DPNCHC): Antonio Logatto, Carmen Talesnik, Edith Aguilar, Gladys Aguirre, Gloria Nunez, Isabel Palacios, Lucia Saldarriaga, Norma Rojas, Teresa Salazar, Rafael Lemus, Rosa Maria Molina

Traditional First Nations Dancers: Shane Cameron: Chicken Dance Faith McGregor: Jingle Dance Nevada Cyr: Jingle Dance Cotee Harper: Fancy Shawl Dance Myranda Spence: Fancy Shawl Dance

6Ar

tistic

& P

roduct

ion Credits

DESIGNERS & MAKERS CONTINUED:

Painters: ALVIN A: Graffiti Artist, Under the Bridge Nigel Martin (KINGCOMIX): Graffiti Assistant Courtney Cathers: Scenic Painter Rob Matejka: Stencil Designer & Painter Alicia Remigio: Scenic Painter

Shadow Puppeteers: Sean Frey, Helah Cooper, Melanie Brennan Sarah Miller, Sonja Rainey, Bill Livingstone

PRODUCTION & STAGE MANAGEMENT TEAM: Caroline Hollway: Production Manager Hillari Blumfald: Stage Manager Sasha Tate-Howarth: Assistant Stage Manager Gehan Kolamba Tantrege: Production Assistant Dillon Cox6: Production Assistant Lorenzo Pagnotta6: Production Assistant

Technical: Peter Eaton: Technical Director Jason Golinski: Back-Stage Assistant John Thomson, James Plouffe, Will Hofstetter, CJ Astronomo, Chris Small, Pip Bradford, Melissa Joakin: Technical Crew Daniel McCubbing: Carpenter Miro Matejka: Carpenter Martin Howard: Nest-Builder

Food: Yo Utano: Production Cook Michelle Pursley: Opening Night Caterer Peter Jones: Cheesecakes for Gala Centre for Local Research into Public Space (CELOS): Bread Miriam Ahmed: MABELLEarts Culinary Artist and other cast members & volunteers

Ushers, Parkers & Backstage Assistants: Lorenzo Pagnotta, Michelle Cameron, CJ Sharpe, Kiana Hurdle, Findlay McNalley, Kai Maister, Arie van de Ven, Rose Muralla, Brendan Marshall & others

Tickets and Box Office: Sarah Miller: Box Office Coordinator Marilyn Tate, Bev Larsen: Box Office Martin Howard: Opening Reception Coordinator

Childcare: Chandra Kalamba Tantrege, Eli Howard, Karis Jones-Pard, Peter Jones, Rosamund Small

Transportation: Tim Dollack: Driver

PUBLICITY: Dominic Mann Bertrand: Publicity Coordinator & Writer Vanessa Denov: Jumblies Website Manager Shifra Cooper: Production Website & Social Media Coordinator Helah Cooper: Production Website & Graphic Image Designer Venetia Butler: Programme, & Ticket Design Glen Newbury, Yonah Lewis, Tariq Sami: Graphic Arts Assistance

DOCUMENTATION: Katherine Fleitas: Project Photographer Jessica Carlo: Youth Photographer Robin Archer: Videographer & Photographer Fabio Migotto: Sound Recording

In My GoodlandI really love Rouge Valley ParkwayFriends and family and dogsBig back yardValue VillageThe co-opsMy senior’s apartment at Greencrest.

In My Badland Rats and bugs keep me up Garbage cans overflow The elevator smells stinky The buses always come slow A raccoon died from rabies And when I go downtown they say Oh, you’re from Scarberia.

assembled by Keith McNairfrom Scarborough community text

7

Cast

Credits

HERMIONE: Neema Bickersteth*

LEONTES: Doug MacNaughton*

HERMIONE PUPPET: Beth Helmers (voice) Sasha Tate-Howarth Kaneshamoorthy

LEONTES PUPPET: Keith McNair* (voice) Dillon Cox

POLIXINES PUPPET: Dan Watson (voice) Adam Durham / Tony Lamanna

MAMILIUS PUPPET: Kiran Fisher (voice)John Fisher

PAULINA: Earlena Dawson

ANTIGONUS: Charles Murdoch, David Bishop, Edmond Chano

OLD SHEPHERD: Joey Grimbleby / Keith McNair

YOUNG SHEPHERD: Lisa Marie DiLiberto

AUTOLYCUS: Sid Bobb

POLIXENES: David McNiven

FLORIZEL: Gehan Kolamba Tantrege

PERDITA: Chelsea Ranger

YOUNG PRINCE PUPPETEERS: Al Levitt Rob Remigio Sean Frey Kaitlynn Rodgers

PAGE: Wyatt Robinson

SOLDIERS: Estera Musiala Sadi Karabage

COURT OFFICIAL: Bonnie Couchie

STORYTELLERS: Morningside Apartments: Alexandra Draghici Pat Austin Confederation Drive: Junyee Wang Kaitlyn Wang Brooklyn Wang Lido Motel: Cindy Rozeboom Sulogini Sothynathan Leela Chelliah Wabanong: Diane Lopez P. Parameswary Vathsala Nagasingam Marilyn Tate Cedar Ridge: Esther Maloney4 John Pyette Morningside Library: Janet Monk Dylan Tate-Howarth Sean Frey Lawrence Ave. Bridge: Monica Nunes Pathma R. Lawrence Galloway Apartments: Munzir Rahman Kamala Poopal The Hub: Nadia Harris Maria Otyeka The Guild Inn: Rave Selvadurai-Fisher Robin Archer Morningside Library: Ruth Howard Tim Dollack R. Ragupathy East Scarborough Storefront: Shifra Cooper M. Pathma Rajaledchumy Balasubramaniam Other Storytellers: Radha Satkunanathan Sivamany Sivapatham

COURT LADIES: Ahlam Abo Elmad Chelsea Ranger Cindy Rozeboom Junyee Wang M. Pathma Mara Shaughnessy Melinda Kroone P. Parameswary Ragad Majid Hammook Sivamany Sivapatham Stephanie Kroone Sulogini Sothynathan Yasmeen Safawi

SICILIAN LORDS from Arts4All: Adam Durham Barbara Kennedy Bonnie O’Brien Charles Murdoch Chen Zhao David Bishop Diana Giardino Edilia Trueba Edmond Chano Emmanuel Afful Iole Bianchi Jasmin Bassit Josefina Chaves Khal Baksh Leo David Blanco Mike Smith Rosa Lamanna Sandra MacPhee Tiina Leivo Tony Lamanna Tony Smith

TIME SPEAKERS: Cindy Rozeboom Diane Lopez Grace Walsh John Fisher Mara Shaughnessy Matilda Curran Melinda Kroone Mika Howard Munzir Rahman Sasha Tate-Howarth Stephanie Kroone

HERB STILTERS: Animkiikwe Couchie: Savory Dillon Cox - Mint Estera Musiala - Crown Imperial Kaitlynn Rodgers: Rosemary

Mika Howard: Marjoram Munzir Rahman: Oxlips Sadi Karabage: Lavendar Wyatt Robinson: Rue Sasha Tate-Howarth: Backup Stilter

FLOWERS: Brooklyn Wang: Primrose Kaitlyn Wang: Daffodil Matilda Curran: Daffodil Faith McGregor: Violet Navada Cyr: Violet Selina Fisher: Lily Teagan Robinson: Primrose Sarah MacNaughton: Marigold

BOHEMIAN STILTERS: Jamie MacNaughton From Pelham Park ARTS4YOUTH: Tyrell Logan Shemar Pompey Shanika Thompson Kyle Logan Jahson St. Louis Makeda Palmer Frederick Reese-Moore

MOPSA: Shifra Cooper

DORCAS: Mika Howard

SHEEP: Beth Helmers Sarah Miller Emil Grimes Kaitlyn Wang Brooklyn Wang Keziah Joseph Ouske Couchie-Bobb Tadgh Curran Matilda Curran Teagan Robinson Scarborough Community Children

SHEEP-SHEARERS: Eli Howard Sean Frey

THUNDERBIRD: Phil Cote Fox Julian

8Ab

out T

he Play

The Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare was originally published in 1623. Its main plot comes from ‘Pandosto’ by Robert Greene published in 1588. It is one of Shakespeare’s last plays, often called his “Romances”, and is also sometimes considered one his “problem plays”. This is because of its odd mixture of tragedy and comedy, its main character’s unjustified descent into jealousy, it’s “wide gap” of sixteen years in the middle of the play, and, from a naturalistic point of view, its entirely implausible ending.

Sometimes the “problems” of a play are what makes it intriguing, and, in our case, accessible to an expansive adaptation that includes hundreds of people, and parallel tales and songs. It’s a play that suits Jumblies’ brand of artmaking, with its cycles of seasons and life; its mix of tragedy, comedy and myth; its sweep of time and place; and its iconic motifs found in old tales from many lands.

Our production has turned out to be a fairly straightforward telling of the Winter’s Tale story, retaining (often set to music) some of its most compelling poetry. It also draws on our community arts explorations of the plays themes and imagery through storytelling, movement, puppetry, dance, music, video, costume design, masks and a giant story board. To open doors in and out of the play, we created a distilled telling of the story, and a chronology of twenty-four parallel motifs. We explored the land that is barren or locked in everlasting winter and how it gets brought back to life – sometimes imagining that Scarborough itself was the land waiting to be revitalized. We created through visual arts, poetry dance the Goodlands, Badlands and Dreamlands of Scarborough.

As an audience member at Like An Old Tale, you are sitting in one of the “12 Realms of Scarborough”: representations of places where Jumblies has met and created art with people over the past 4 years: places where project participants gather, travel through and live.

East Scarborough is home to Toronto’s largest Aboriginal community. I invited visual artist Phil Cote to design an image for our

set that would represent and invite the First Nations community. He suggested, designed and build the image of the Thunderbird, and here is the story he has offered to explain this choice:

The Story of the Thunderbird:

In the beginning of creation many wonderful creatures were put on the Earth. None were more beautiful than giant Red Hawk whose wingspan was two lodges long. All the creatures of the land admired this beautiful bird. The Creator looked down and, like all the other beings, he thought that the Thunderbird was magnificent. The Creator decided that he would endow the Red Hawk with special powers to create. The one stipulation of the gift was that he would have to set up a giant lodge in which he would honour this gift from the Creator once a year and invite all his closet friends: the Eagle, the Great Heron, the Blue Jay and many others. Even though the Red Hawk received these gifts to create new life he began to feel he did not need the Creator. So he decided he did not need to perform this honouring ceremony any more. The Creator saw this and knew the Red Hawk had to be taught a lesson, but the Creator did not want to be the one to punish the Red Hawk, so the Creator decided the retribution would be left up to the Thunder Beings. Never would the Red Hawk’s beauty be shown in whole, only his head, wing or tail would be seen. The Red Hawk, now under the care of Thunder Beings became known as the Thunder Bird and continues to do the bidding of the Thunder Beings to this day by having the power of creation.

I like to tell this story to young people, as I believe they have the power to create the kind of life they want. They have many gifts waiting to be discovered and one way to find success is to push their fear aside and try something new. But always remember where you come from and who helped you get to where you are.

Philip Cote Nodgmohaadnini Healing Man

Penny Couchie imagines that the Thunderbird in our show embodies the “powerful spirit” invoked in Shakespeare’s text, representing both the spirit guide watching over the child Perdita, protecting her from danger and finally bringing her safely home and also the promise of a better future. “We rarely get to have see our world view represented in a mixed cultural context. To have the opportunity to see these powerful spirits as part of this play is really exciting.”

About the Play: by Ruth Howard

9S

tory

Synopsi

s

Once there were two lands divided by an ocean: Sicilia, famous for its magnificent cities, and Bohemia, renowned for its natural beauty. The princes of these two kingdoms, Leontes of Sicilia and Polixenes of Bohemia, were raised together and became the best of friends. When they grew up, they parted ways to rule their own kingdoms.

Years later, Polixenes visited his old friend Leontes. After nine months, Polixenes said he had to return to his own kingdom, and rebuffed Leontes’ attempts to persuade him to stay longer. Finally, it was Queen Hermione, Leontes’ wife, whose playful entreaties convinced the visitor to stay.

Suddenly Leontes became suspicious of his friend and his wife. His jealousy grew until he burst into his pregnant wife’s chambers, separated her from their young son, Mamillius, and sent her to prison. Warned that he might also be in danger, Polixenes escaped by ship back to Bohemia.

In prison, Hermione gave birth prematurely to a baby girl. Her friend, the Lady Paulina, took the baby to the king, certain that he would come to his senses when he saw his new child. However, Leontes, still gripped by his jealousy, ordered Paulina’s husband, Antigonus, to bear it to some barren and distant shore and there leave it.

Hermione was brought to public trial. She pleaded not guilty to the charges, but Leontes would not listen. He sent messengers to Apollo’s Oracle to discover the truth, and at Hermione’s request, the Oracle was read:

Hermione is chaste, Polixenes blameless, Leontes a jealous tyrant, His innocent babe truly begotten, And the king shall live without an heir if that which is lost be not found.

Leontes declared the Oracle to be false and ordered Hermione to be put to death. At that moment, a page boy appeared with the sad news that Prince Mamillius had died. Hermione fainted and the king was struck with regret. Paulina announced that the queen too had died. Paulina told Leontes that he would never be able to atone for

what he had done and a frozen sadness fell over the land.

Meanwhile, Antigonus, sailed across the sea with the outcast baby. Queen Hermione appeared to him in a dream and told him to name the baby Perdita and to leave her in Bohemia. As he laid the baby on the rocky shore, a sudden storm arose and destroyed the ship, and Antigonus was pursued and devoured by a bear. Two Bohemian shepherds, out in the storm looking for their sheep, found the baby and took her home to raise her as their own.

SIXTEEN YEARS PASSED. Perdita had grown to be a beautiful young shepherdess, loved by none other than the Prince Florizel, the son of King Polixenes. Florizel and Perdita attended her family’s sheep shearing festival. They welcomed guests, ate, distributed flowers and danced.

However, King Polixenes heard rumours of his son’s affection and came in disguise to the festival. Florizel asked the old shepherd to marry him and his beloved. King Polixenes threw off his disguise and forbade the marriage. Florizel and Perdita eloped by ship. King Polixenes learned of their flight and followed close behind. The two shepherds followed him, anxious to prove that they were not Perdita’s true kin and to save themselves from punishment. And so they all boarded ships and sailed back to that sad land of Sicilia.

In Sicilia, Leontes was still mourning his lost son and wife. Court gossips exchanged their news: the shepherds had presented the treasures that they had found with the baby and it had been revealed that Perdita was the lost princess. The Oracle was fulfilled and everyone hugged and wept, just like an old tale.

But that’s not the end of the story: Paulina announced that she had commissioned a statue of Queen Hermione. She brought everyone to the statue, which was so realistic, that it could almost have been the real Hermione, but a bit more wrinkled. While all gazed at the craftsmanship, Paulina announced that she could perform more marvels. Music began to play and the kingdom and Hermione came back to life.

synopsis written by Shifra Cooper

LIKE AN OLD TALEAdapted from the Winter’s Tale by William Shakespeare

10M

usic

& Cho

reograp

hy

JULIET PALMER: Like an Old Tale has drawn me into a world in which hundreds of people from all over the world retell an old story through sound, text, movement and image. How can music help or hinder our understanding of each other? Over the last year and a half we’ve worked together to create a musical world which makes room for different cultural traditions and skills. Some moments are soundscapes, while others are clearly operatic and driven by the vocal line. There have been break-through moments: the Bohemian chorus’ gutsy embrace of the call and response of the Daffodil song; Sharada singing Katrinile Varum Geetham while the Sicilian Choir sing a lament; Rosary and Sharada spinning a double lullaby together over the musical bed of the ensemble; mridangam drummer Sarma joining the groove in Rosary’s Water Song. When we read through the outline of the piece in the summer, I was struck by the compelling voices of children and seniors speaking passages from Shakespeare’s text: these extraordinary words are the bedrock of our collaboration. I am indebted to the generous contributions of Sharada Eswar and Rosary Spence, whose songs weave their way through the piece, and to the band (Adam, Adam, Aleksander, Alex and Martin) whose improvisations summon the Badlands and Bohemia. Thanks to everyone for giving voice to this new world!

ROSARY SPENCE: Women’s Room, “Iskwewuk Nikamun”: translated from Cree as the Women’s Song. Created for the women of the world, to honour the life giver’s, the strength of our communities, and to offer blessings.

The Oracle: This song has no title, but when I sing it, I emote from a place of mystery and wonder. I imagine myself as a woman whom is approached for guidance.

The Lullaby. “Meh meh”: Meh meh is a comforting expression I heard growing up, and one I’ve used for my children. Eg. “Meh meh’s time now”. It is often sung in repetition in a lullaby “meh meh meh...” to a soft melody. “Meh meh” has no literal translation, but can be recieved as “sleep” or “sleep time”.

I custom-made this slow, soft melody to go with Sharada’s Lullaby, it’s not the same melody, but a compliment to the sounds in her song, and also has a similar feeling to a traditional lullaby my late grandfather, Frederik Spence, would sing to us.

The Water Song, “Nipii”: translated from Cree as Water. This song is in honour of Water. Water is sacred. Without water, life would cease to exist. Also, without water, a ship cannot travel. The sounds in this song mimmick the movement of water, fast paced, always moving. Sounds I imagine the waters of the Ocean would make.

The Courtly Dancers. Photo: Robin Archer

11

SHARADA K. ESWAR: All the Tamil songs in Like An Old Tale are sung in the Carnatic style of Indian classical music associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent. In contrast to North India’s Hindustani music, the main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music. The basic elements of sruti (relative pitch), swara (the sound of a single note), raga (mode or melodic formula), and tala (rhythmic cycles) form the foundation of improvisation and composition in both Carnatic and Hindustani music. Although improvisation plays an important role, Carnatic music is mainly sung through compositions, especially the kriti (or kirtanam), a form developed between the 16th and 20th centuries by composers.

Carnatic music is usually performed by a small ensemble of musicians, consisting of a principal performer (usually a vocalist), a melodic accompaniment (usually a violin), a rhythm accompaniment (usually a mridangam) and a tambura drone.

The compositions in the show were chosen for their resonance with the Tamil seniors, with whom I have been working for the last two years, and their connection to the themes of The Winter’s Tale.

Theeratha Villayattu Pillai: An ode to Lord Krishna, visualized by the poet as a small, mischievous boy who grows up to be a flirtatious lover.

Oli Padaitha Kanninay: A clarion call for the citizens to awaken and rejuvenate the land.

Kaatrinile Varum Geetham: Written for M S Subbalakshmi, the queen of Carnatic classical music, the song is a tribute to the divine love that Krishna evokes.

Kanne En Kanmaniye: A haunting lullaby

sung by Yasoda to the infant Krishna.

PENNY COUCHIE: Over the past three years I’ve had the pleasure and honour of working with an exceptional team of artists, exploring and investigating themes, images and diverging thoughts and ideology and continuing that investigation further with the community members of Scarborough, downtown Toronto and Nipissing First Nation. Through dance and movement we have investigated themes within and around The Winters Tale, such as coming to life: what would make a person freeze and, conversely, what would initiate their thawing - tracking the pathways through the body in that journey. We also explored the theme of jealousy from different ages and cultural perspectives and the idea of when we choose to stand up to authority or remain one of the bystanders and how that affects the body and the surrounding environment. The choreography has developed out of these conversations with the community members, with a diversity of people of different cultures and ages and with different physical abilities. I’ve learned a great deal from the other Jumblies artists and community members and am truly grateful for their generosity.

Perhaps what has been most exciting about this project for me is that it has provided an opportunity to bring people back into the room that may otherwise be left out and reflect more fairly the diversity of our societies including the diversity of bodies, cultural ideology and sociopolitical perspectives and bring all that into the work. It represents a more fair and just form of storytelling and offers an opportunity to bring art back into the heart of our communities and everyday lives.

Mus

ic &

Choreo

graphy

Musicians, Photo: SN Bianca Al Levitt, Kaitlynn & Ron Remigio & puppets, Photo: Robin Archer

12

Cotee Harper dancing. Photo: Robin ArcherThe Oracle. Photo: Robin Archer

Upcom

ing

CANADIAN COMMUNITY PLAY SYMPOSIUM: Community Arts - from Plays to Playgrounds

Co-produced by Jumblies Theatre & MABELLEarts

Sunday December 11th to Wednesday December 14th 2011

Timed to coincide with our production, the symposium brings together community members and key figures in Canadian community arts to share their experiences. The symposium includes presentations, discussions, social gatherings, site visits, opportunities to mingle across communities, and attendance at our show.

National delegates include:

from Vancouver Moving Theatre: Terry Hunter, Rosemary Georgeson, Priscillia Tait, Teresa Vandertuin, Rosanne Gervais

others from BC: Paula Jardine, Will Weigler Carmen Rosen, Cathy Stubington

from Montreal: Rachael Van Fossen, Edward Little

from Nipissing First Nation: Penny Couchie, Sid Bobb, Animikii Couchie, Bonnie Couchie, Carol Guppy, Sherry Guppy, Gabe Guppy, Perry, Laurie, Angel McLeod-Shabogeesic.

For more information or to register, go to: symposium.mabellearts.ca

The symposium received specific funding from Citizenship & Immigration Canada, the Ontario Trillium Foundation & through travel grants from the Canada Council for the Arts.

Food: by Miriam Ahmed & the Mabelle Woman’s Cooking Circle

ARTS FOR ALL ESSENTIALS:

Offered for the 7th time in Toronto: Feb. 20-26, 2012, with an early start option to take part in MABELLEarts Winter Festival, Feb. 18

An intensive 6-day workshop on the principals, practices and underpinnings of art that engages with and creates community,

For information or to register, e-mail info@jumbliestheatre.org.

Other seminars and workshops also coming up in 2012. Check our website!

What Next at Jumblies & Offshoots?

Arts4All is producing a radio drama and multi-media performance, I Was a Brave Child, to be presented in Fall 2012.

MABELLEarts is producing its second annual Winter Parade on February 18th and continuing to transform Mabelle indoor and outdoor space.

Making Room continues at Parkdale Activity Recreation Centre, building a giant raft to parade to and float on Lake Ontario.

The Community Arts Guild will continue to offer arts activities in Scarborough, with a new project, Lost and Found Triptych, expressing stories by Tamil seniors with people of all ages and backgrounds.

Our friends at Aanmitaagzi will produce their own community performance: Dances of Resistance.

And Jumblies the mothership? Well, we’ll continue to support and collaborate with all of these, and sail on into new adventures in Toronto and beyond. Stay!

13

PROJECT DEVELOPMENT: Artists involved in early project phases: Composers: Martin van de Ven, Eric Schwindt, Adam Scime, Patrick Murray: Arts4All Artists: Lynn Simmons, Jane Wells Adam Paolazzo: Theatre Artist Amy Connely: Theatre Artist Amy Wong: Visual Artist Coleen MacPherson: Theatre Artist Diana Tso: Theatre Artist Faten Toubasi: Visual Artists Helen Kotsonis: Interdisciplinary Artist Kerry Segal: Theatre Artist Kevin Barrett: Musician Kevin Ormsby: Dancer Marika Schwandt: Dancer Mary Ruth Logue: Administrator3 Myia Davaf: Community Artist Meredith Thompson: Choreographer Priscilla Groom: Visual Artist Veronica Johnny: Singer & Hand Drummer

Contributing Community Groups: Tamil Seniors from Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities Willow Park & Eastview Students Family Residence youth, children & families Newcomer Services for Youth (TDSB) Thunderbirds Native Youth Dance Troupe Native Child & Family Services Cedar Ridge Artists & Crafters MABELLEarts participants The Parkdale Singers Making Room Participants from Parkdale Activity & Recreation Centre

From Arts4All: Pelham Arts4Youth Pelham Seniors Social DPNCHC Literacy Program DPNCHC Seniors’ Services

Community Story Research: Beth Helmers & Sean Frey: Lead Storytellers & Gatherers Sharada K. Eswar: Tamil Translator & Story Collector Juila Churchill2: Community Story Librarian Sasha Tate-Howarth8: Community Story Editor & Poet Sid Bobb: Storyteller

Monica Nunes & R. Pathma Photos: Robin Archer Dillon Cox & Leontes

Proje

ct De

velopment

Cotee Harper dancing. Photo: Robin Archer

BadlandsHeavy winter, rainy days,I worry about The bad people And, I don’t like to be a boyI worryAnd,I don’t know his nameBut he makes a bad face at my dad.

DreamlandI would like to see The birds in the sky, the stars in the nighttime I would like to smell the ocean In big backyards full of singing children And stories to read and tell Stories I remember I remember my grandma holding my hand.

assembled by Sasha Tate-Howarth from community text

14Th

anks

to...

OUR FUNDERS:

Canada Council for the Arts

Ontario Arts Council

Toronto Arts Council

Government of Canada’s Sector Council Program

Government of Canada’s Social Development and Partnerships Program

Human Resources & Skills Development Canada

New Horizons For Seniors

Canada Summer Jobs

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Canadian Heritage

Ontario Trillium Foundation

Theatre Ontario

City of Toronto Cultural Services

Toronto Community Housing Social Investment Fund

George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation

Toronto Community Foundation

TELUS Community Investment

J.P. Bickell Foundation

Herbal Magic

Alterna Savings and other donors

ARTS PARTNERS: Arts4All: Like An Old Tale Associate Producers MABELLEarts: Symposium Co-Producers Aanmitaagzi: Project Collaborators Making Room: Boat Builders Vancouver Moving Theatre: Symposium Partners

COMMUNITY PARTNERS: Cedar Ridge Creative Centre, City of Toronto Cultural Services, Toronto Community Housing, Family Residence, Scarborough Centre for Healthy Communities, East Scarborough Storefront, Davenport Perth Neighbourhood & Community Health Centre, Toronto District School Board, Vasanthan Tamil Seniors Wellness Centre.

AND ALSO TO: Andrea Raymond, Susan Kohler, Tina Harper, Deanne Sue-A-Quan of City of Toronto Cultural Services, for being great partners,

Anne Gloger and the Kingston Galloway/Orton Park Neighbourhood Action Partnership, for connecting us with the people of East Scarborough,

Barbara Klunder for creating the Community Arts Guild logo,

Bickford Centre for desks,

Camp Naivelt and Barbara Blaser for furniture,

Chris Clifford for blocks and a plank,

Chris Martin, Toronto Parks and Recreation for picnic tables,

Christie Lites for illumination,

Esther Reiter for fabric & bed,

Fixt Point Theatre for props and technical items,

Gretta Vosper and Donna Lockhart of West Hill United

Janice Simmons and the Boys and Girls Club of East Scarborough for use of their bus,

Joy Hughes of Cedar Ridge Creative Centre, for being a wonderful host,

Julian Sleath for lending tools,

Karen Lefave for fabric,

Luminato Festival of Arts and Creativity for equipment,

Martin Howard for help with media promotion,

Mike O’Hara, Toronto Forestry, for logs,

Modern Times for saris,

Morningside Library for the library cart,

Pastor Tim Pickard, Bernard Manzano and the First United Pentecostal Church for housing this production in Studio B,

Raucous Caucus - Jumblies, Shadowland, Clay & Paper, Puppetmongers – a network of companies, all of which made some contribution to this project,

Scott Dutrisac, Technical Director, L. L. Browne Theatre, University of Toronto Scarborough for use of their carpentry shop,

Sheila McGregor, Toronto Community Housing, for rehearsal and storage space,

Sony Centre for the Performing Arts for music stands, benches, lights and chairs,

Steve Cooper for much support,

Theatre Passe Muraille for lighting dimmers.

Arts4All dedicates their performance to the memory of Julian Diaz-MacArthur.

Sharada K. Eswar dedicates her performance to her father, Krishnamoorthi and

All of us at Jumblies send our best wishes to Julia Churchill who contributed so much to this project.

15M

essa

ges f

rom pol

iticiansOn behalf of the Mayor and Toronto City Council, I am pleased to offer my congratulations to Jumblies Theatre for this collaborative community production of Like An Old Tale. This unique and inventive production is the culmination of a three-year partnership and community arts residency at a Toronto Cultural Services facility - Cedar Ridge Creative Centre and a one year partnership through Cultural Services’ Live Arts: Innovation, Opportunity and Prosperity Program.

Both of these initiatives exemplify what can be achieved through dynamic and creative ways of collaboration. Hundreds of people living in southeast Scarborough have taken part in arts activities including drama, dance, choir, pottery, painting, and drawing. Residents of Kingston-Galloway/Orton Park and beyond have shared in art-making, in meals and in community celebrations. Participants formed new relationships, developed a strong sense of belonging and community; gained first-hand knowledge of theatrical production processes; and learned new skills ranging from production design to lighting and sound, documenting to food catering and more.

Like An Old Tale is an interpretation of Shakespeare’s The Winter’s Tale, butmore than that, it is the story of a community, and of the residents of Scarborough who have engaged with each other and with Jumblies through the arts, and who, together, have created something beautiful.

I would like to welcome you all to today’s performance and to thank you for supporting community arts in this city.

Michelle Berardinetti, City Councillor Ward 35

Dear Friends and Supporters of Jumblies Theatre,

As Member of Parliament for Scarborough-Guildwood, it gives me great pleasure to congratulate you on the opening of your latest production, Like An Old Tale.

The play represents the culmination of a productive and successful four-year residency in Scarborough. The arts can play an important role in promoting and strengthening Canada’s diversity while also building connections between communities. Like An Old Tale is an excellent example of this principle in action.

Thank you to all of those who contribute to this important organization. I hope that you have a wonderful time at the opening.

Sincerely, Hon. John McKay P.C., M.P.

On behalf of the Government of Ontario and myself, I would like to congratulate Jumblies Theatre on your four-year community arts initiative in East Scarborough. Your unique ability to connect art and society by working with community agencies has given individuals of all ages, abilities and backgrounds the opportunity to experience art, and to become more enriched by harnessing and sharing their talents with others. Our diverse community is richer because of your presence.

Once again, congratulations and thank you for your work and commitment.

Margarett Best, M.P.P., Scarborough-Guildwood

Like An Old Tale Dress Rehearsal, Photo: Robin Archer

BICKELL Foundation