Many PLSers have fond (or not-so-fond) memories of the structure in the parking lot behind the Centre for Medieval Studies. We've used it for storage and building for almost 20 years. Hundreds of volunteers have shivered (or sweated) there as we painted, hammered, and drilled dozens of shows into existence. It wasn't glamourous: there was no insulation, no water, no heat, and only a limited amount of electricity. And the ceiling was falling down. But it was rent-free, convenient, and reasonably capacious.
Alas, those halcyon days are ending. St. Michael's College, which has been our gracious host for all these years, plans to demolish the structure in order to create much-needed parking spaces. Negotiations are underway with the university for alternate storage and work spaces (which probably won't be in the same place anymore). The demolition permits have been issued. They cannot be executed until the asbestos is removed, which can't happen until we move out, which will happen at very short notice as soon as our new home(s) have been found.
Which brings me to the point: PLS will be in urgent need of volunteers to help us to move out when the word finally comes. We expect that the move will take a weekend, but we don't know which one yet.
Volunteer Contact Information
If you can help with our move from the shed, please provide the following information. We'll contact you as soon as we know when we're moving: Name, phone numbers, email address. Indicate whether you're available Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon, Sunday morning, and/or Sunday afternoon
Please wear solid boots; if you own work gloves or a dust mask, bring them. Email information to plspls@chass.utoronto.ca or phone 416-978-5096.
It will probably be within the next month. If you think you may be able to help, please contact us, and we'll call you to confirm as soon as we know when we'll be moving. Every hand (even if only for an hour or two) makes lighter work for the rest of us. Beer and pizza will be supplied. Please contact PLS at (416) 978-5096 or by e-mail<plspls@chass.utoronto.ca>, or Kim Yates at (416) 929-6997 or by e-mail<kimberley.yates@utoronto.ca>; or send the form at the back of this newsletter to us.
Many thanks to all of you, and hats off to the poor old shed, which has served us well.
The Digby Mary Magdalene Postponed Until 2003
The Digby Mary Magdalene is one of the most unusual and challenging of all medieval plays. It requires about five hours for performance, at least 12 separate stages, a cast of around fifty (plus musicians), multiple SFX including a wheeled 'ship' stage which moves around the playing space, a temple which goes up in flames, a statue which falls down, a house which collapses, and assorted explosions, and a lead actor who is nearly always onstage. It is not for the faint-hearted.
We staged it in 1970, in a modified indoor production in a church. Since then, to the best of our knowledge, it has had no further performances in North America. When offered the chance to stage something showy for the Learned Societies in June 2002, we began to plan an amazing spectacle, including a series of guest performances of other saints' plays and a scholarly symposium on the topic. And then the complications came.
Funding which was anticipated failed to materialize. Potential sources of funding dried up one by one as we inquired. Our director and dramaturge withdrew for personal reasons. We lost the shed.The regulars at the PLS office were stretched and exhausted, and it became clear that we lacked the man power, facilities and funds to stage this play successfully in June 2002.
There's a hopeful ending to the story, though. We haven't given up on this amazing text; we've only deferred it until 2003. Stay tuned for further developments...
PLS Season 2001-2002
PLS will stage at least four productions this year; we are still confirming
details, but at this point, here's our upcoming season:
1) Chester Nativity: late November, 2001. Dir. Ingrid Keenan
2) The World and the Child: Fall 2001, spring and summer tour
dates TBA. Dir. Linda Phillips
3) Jonson's The Alchemist: February, 2002. Dir.Sean
Wayne Doyle
4) Stratford Wagon Shows: Summer 2002. The Stratford Festival
has rented our Dolphin Wagon for the summer and is soliciting 30 minute shows
suitable for family viewing. Several possibilities are under consideration,
including the York Creation to the Fifth Day, N-Town Woman Taken
in Adultery, the Brome Abraham and Isaac, and Hans Sachs'
The Wandering Scholar from Paradise. Please contact Linda Phillips
(416) 978-5096 if you are interested in directing a short outdoor wagon show
at Stratford this summer.
New Early Theatre
Early Theatre 4 (2001) will be published shortly and sent out to subscribers.
The table of contents with abstracts is available online at http://earlytheatre.ca.
Articles: