Vinci, Canadian playwright Maureen Hunter's fanciful tale of the origins of Leonardo da Vinci, begins its Toronto premiere run by CanStage Jan. 13 toward a Jan. 16 opening night.
Dennis Garnhum directs the play that was originally co produced in January 2002 by the National Arts Centre (Ottawa) and the Manitoba Theatre Centre. Playwright Hunter is one of Canada’s most successful playwrights and has been nominated for two Governor General's Awards and two Dora Mavor Moore Awards (Outstanding New Play). Her play, Transit of Venus, premiered in 1992 and was produced across Canada and became the first Canadian play ever staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her other plays include Atlantis, The Queen of Queen Street, Beautiful Lake Winnipeg, Footprints on the Moon and I Met a Bully on the Hill.
Vinci, at CanStage's Bluma Appel Theatre, is set in 14th century Tuscany. According to production notes, "The Vinci family is torn apart by an embroiled, heart wrenching struggle for the illegitimate love child born to Piero, a young, wealthy lawyer and Caterina, a servant girl. In this sweeping tale Maureen Hunter imagines the humble beginnings of Leonardo da Vinci."
Saskatchewan native Hunter's plays Atlantis and Transit of Venus were staged by CanStage.
The cast includes Gordon Rand, Craig Erickson, Patricia Fagan, Dylan Trowbridge, Robert Benson and Fiona Byrne. Designers are John Jenkins (set and costumes), John Munro (lighting). Greg Coffin composed original music for the work.
Tickets range $20-$75. The Bluma Appel is at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Performing Arts, 27 Front Street East, in Toronto. For information, call (416) 368-3110 or visit www.canstage.com.
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On CanStage's Berkeley Street Theatre stage is the world premiere of Adam Pettle's Sunday Father, billed as a "humorous and moving play which delves into the lives of two thirty-something brothers, Jed and Alan, whose senses of family, faith and friendship fight to remain constant in a world changing around them." The cast include the playwright's brother, Jordan Pettle as Jed, Ari Cohen as Alan and Liisa Repo-Martell as Amy. David Storch directs.
