Sharing Circle: Feather Gardens Play Reading

Feb 26, 2023 - Feb 26, 2023 | Studio

By Jimmy Blais
Director Dean Fleming
Featuring Cary Lawrence, Bruce Dinsmore, Charles Bender and Jimmy Blais
Stage Manager Danielle Laurin
Video Designer Hailey Verbonac
Costume Designer Rachel Quintero

Commissioning Theatre and Premiere Production by Hudson Village Theatre

 

Funny and Thought Provoking
Hudsonite Oscar Manning has uncovered what he believes is a valuable piece of Indigenous history in his backyard. To authenticate and appraise it, he heads to Kanesatake where he meets Tommy Harris and Vern Runningfeather who declare it “could be” a valuable Indigenous artifact. Join us for this hilarious pairing of a sympathetic yet opportunistic ally and a pair of strong-willed jokers where we look at what we value and what we call sacred.

This reading will be followed by a Q&A.

“A HILARIOUS YET PIERCING STORY” – The Eastern Door

Tickets
$15/Regular  $10/Indigenous & Student  $13/Subscriber
Weekend Pass – See it all for 20% off! (Available by phone only)

Dean Patrick Fleming is a director, an actor, a teacher. He has directed close to 70 productions and produced shows that have toured across the U.S. and Canada. Dean has taught at Concordia University and continues to guide different projects at the National Theatre School of Canada. In 2015, he accepted the inaugural Equity, Diversity and Inclusion award on behalf of Geordie Productions where he spent 10 years as Artistic and Executive Director. In 2013 he was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for his contribution to the Arts and in 2019 was awarded the Amyot prize for teaching excellence at the National Theatre School.. He presently freelances and holds the position of Artistic Director of Professional Theatre at Hudson Village Theatre.



Charles has been host for a variety of projects. He's a regular presence at the helm of the Aboriginal Day Live event and is the host of Sans reserve on APTN. We recently saw him as host of the National Truth and Reconciliation live event broadcast on CBC and APTN. He has also worked as host/facilitator for many aboriginal organisations or events across Canada. As an actor, you might have caught him in Sioui-Bacon, Mohawk Girls or, more recently, as Joe Naveau in Eaux Turbulentes or Frère Brière in Pour toi Flora. In 2015, Charles co founded productions Menuentakuan, an indigenous theatre company invested in creating new paths of dialogue amongst indigenous and non-indigenous people in Canada.



What a treat to be able to perform in Feather Gardens once again and to finally step onto the Segal Centre stage. Cary is a Montreal based actor working in all disciplines: theatre, film and television since 1990 in English and French. Since 2010, Cary has been involved in the Documentary Theatre Piece called SEEDS. She was on a US tour of SEEDS in 2020 when the show was cancelled mid-tour because of… you know. Cary’s latest film credit is ‘Peace by Chocolate’Cary holds a BA from Bishop’s University and is a graduate of Ecole Jacques Lecoq in Paris, France. When not treading the floor boards, Cary is a certified yoga instructor teaching both privately and at various studios in Montreal.



Bruce has been an actor long enough to know better. Born in BC where first bitten by the theatre bug, he moved to Montreal in the mid 80’s to attend the NTS and just never made it home. He’s had the good fortune to work in all aspects of the industry, film, tv, theatre, and voice, and in two languages too. He now calls Hudson home where he lives with his family. He jumped at the chance to be involved with Feather Gardens, had a blast doing it at Hudson Village Theatre, and is thrilled to be back with this lovely gang telling Jimmy’s story.

Danielle is a stage manager and theatre artist based in Tiohtià:ke|Montreal. She has a BFA in Design for the Theatre from Concordia University and an MFA in Theatre Arts: Stage Management from Virginia Tech. She apprenticed at the Portland Playhouse in Portland, OR and at the Public Theatre in New York. Dani is grateful to be a part of the Montreal theatre community, where she has worked as a stage manager since 2017. In 2022 she joined the team at Imago Theatre as Managing Producer. She currently serves on the Montreal English Theatre Awards Committee as a jury liaison.



Jimmy is a member of the Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, he is of Plains Cree and French settler heritage. Born and raised on tiohtià:ke, Jimmy is a seasoned stage and film actor and has worked for over 15 years in collaboration with companies like Native Earth Performing Arts, The Stratford Festival, The N.A.C., The Centaur, Geordie Theatre, Porte Parole and La Licorne. He has had roles in television and film for Crave, Discovery Channel, CBC and Space as well as multiple award winning short films. Jimmy's most notable tv role was playing Watio for five seasons in APTN's hit series Mohawk Girls. Jimmy is also a writer and director. His most recent play Feather Gardens won him a META for Outstanding New Text. In October of 2021, Jimmy became the fourth Artistic Director of Geordie Theatre in Montreal.