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Winnipeg-Saskatoon co-production nominated for theatre awards

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Manitoba’s Shakespeare in the Ruins made a splash one province over on Monday, netting three nominations in the Saskatoon and Area Theatre Awards for The Dark Lady, written by Jessica B. Hill and directed by Rodrigo Beilfuss.

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This article was published 09/01/2024 (972 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba’s Shakespeare in the Ruins made a splash one province over on Monday, netting three nominations in the Saskatoon and Area Theatre Awards for The Dark Lady, written by Jessica B. Hill and directed by Rodrigo Beilfuss.

An original performance co-produced by SiR and Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, The Dark Lady had its world première this past summer at Trappist Monastery Provincial Park, earning raves for its writer-star Hill and her co-star, Eric Blais.

After a successful run here, the production — which explores the story of Emilia Bassano, purported to be the “dark lady” in Shakespeare’s sonnets — moved west to Saskatchewan, where it continued to impress, as evidenced by the SATA nods.

Mike Thiessen / Winnipeg Free Press
                                The Dark Lady, which featured Jessica Hill and Eric Blais, is up for three SATAs.

Mike Thiessen / Winnipeg Free Press

The Dark Lady, which featured Jessica Hill and Eric Blais, is up for three SATAs.

Hill, a Montreal-born actor who made herself known to Winnipeg audiences in the PTE-SiR co-production of Pandora in the 2022-2023 season, is one of six nominees for the individual artistic excellence award and one of two finalists for the excellence in new work award.

The Dark Lady, meanwhile, is one of five shows in the running for the production excellence award.

Other productions familiar to Winnipeg audiences were recognized by the SATAs with nominations, including the Ben Caplan-starring, Hannah Moscovitch-penned Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story, which featured during the Winnipeg Jewish Theatre’s 2022-2023 season. That show, a klezmer musical produced by 2b theatre company and presented by Saskatoon’s Persephone Theatre, is up against The Dark Lady in the race for production excellence.

Makambe K. Simamba, the playwright and star of Our Fathers, Sons, Lovers, and Little Brothers, is nominated alongside Hill for the individual artistic excellence award. Last winter, Simamba brought that Dora-winning production, a solo performance about race and identity, to Prairie Theatre Exchange.

Other Manitoban artists involved in the Saskatchewan leg of The Dark Lady production included guitarist George Bajer-Koulack, set and props designer Daina Leitold, costume designer Brenda McLean, and assistant director Emma Welham.

The award winners will be announced on Jan. 21 in Saskatoon.

ben.waldman@winnipegfreepress.com

Ben Waldman

Ben Waldman
Reporter

Ben Waldman is a National Newspaper Award-nominated reporter on the Arts & Life desk at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Ben completed three internships with the Free Press while earning his degree at Ryerson University’s (now Toronto Metropolitan University’s) School of Journalism before joining the newsroom full-time in 2019. Read more about Ben.

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