Press Release

little black dress theatre

                   
                                                                     Email: littleblackdresstheatre@hotmail.com

Seduction, betrayal, beheadings…

the dead wives of Henry VIII have a few things they’d like to set straight

 in

LADIES-IN-WAITING

Ladies-in-Waiting brings together several generations of women to explore aging, power, regrets, hindsight, and the pain of unrequited love.  As Henry VIII lies dying, his six wives (divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived) convene to throw his welcome to the afterlife party. History has cast these women in the roles of bff’s, frenemies, competitors at work and at love, judges, juries and social executioners but Kate Kudelka and Lise Maher give these queens fresh and dynamic voices, unhindered by the king who bound them all.

Brought together by the inspired work of Anna-Kay Eldridge, Blanche O'Sullivan, Lise Maher, Nadene Schuster, and Norah Smith and Dora nominee Jan Kudelka, and directed by NOW magazine’s “emerging artist to watch” Kate Kudelka, Ladies-in-Waiting will stimulate your brain, tug at your heartstrings, and give you something interesting to talk about at the Fringe tent after the show. 

After two years in development Ladies-in-Waiting is finally ready to make its debut at the Toronto fringe festival this summer. Take a front row seat to watch one of the most dysfunctional families in history have it out once and for all.

             Little Black Dress Theatre

             in association with The Toronto Fringe Festival presents

             Ladies-in-Waiting

             written by Kate Kudelka and Lise Maher

             directed by Kate Kudelka

             starring Norah Smith, Blanche O'Sullivan, Jan Kudelka, Lise Maher, Nadene Schuster, Anna Kay Eldridge, James Baldwin
             lighting design by Debbie Read

             Opens  JULY 4^th, 2012 runs to JULY 14^th, 2012

             Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace, 16 Ryerson Ave (North of Queen st, East of Bathurst)

             Performances:

             Wednesday, July 4^th, 2012- 7:00pm-8:00pm

             Friday , July 6^th, 2012- 1:45pm-2:45pm

             Saturday, July 7^th, 2012- 5:45pm-6:45pm

             Tuesday, July 10^th, 2012- 10:45pm-11:45pm

             Thursday, July 12^th, 2012- 5:15pm-6:15pm

             Friday, July 13^th, 2012- 8:00pm-9:00pm

             Saturday, July 14^th, 2012- 12:00pm-1:00pm

             Media members please note that there is absolutely no latecomer seating.

             Ticket Prices:                                $10 at the door, $11 in advance              

             Tickets:                             Visit www.fringetoronto.com or (416) 966-1062 x 1

First installment of our promo videos for Ladies-in-Waiting "What kind of a man is Henry VIII?"

Kate Kudelka, our super awesome Director's Headshot and Bio

Kate Kudelka received her undergrad from The University of Western Ontario in Vocal Performance, before attending George Brown Theatre School.  Since graduating four years ago, she has taken part in many new Canadian plays and workshops including Yichud (Seclusion) at Theatre Passe Murraille, several fringe productions with outstanding mentions in NOW Magazine’s fringe wrap up, and many workshops and workshop productions by local emerging playwrights.  She was in The Rose Theatre’s production of Romeo and Juliet last summer. Kate was featured in 2008 as a “New Artist to Watch” in Now Magazine’s coverage of the Summerworks Festival where she appeared in the Canadian Premiere of the opera, “Flux.”  Kate works most often in writing collaborations, most notably with the Garbraid Theatre Festival and with Little Black Dress Theatre, of which she is a Co-Founder.  Her directing credits include Twelfth Night, Never Swim Alone and a children’s theatre production of The Tempest.

Anna Kay Eldridge, our strong and silent Katherine Parr's Headshot and Bio

Anna Kay Eldridge first performed at the Theatre Centre at the age of
five in Philip Shepherds multi disciplinary performance piece, Table. Anna Kay has a long history as a child of theatre folk. Appearances include Caravan Farm Theatre's Horseplay, Bull by the Horns, Strange Medicine and in full gallop on horseback as the Valkyrie in The Feathered Cloak. Anna Kay is a recent graduate of the University of
Toronto.

Lise Maher, our mysterious Anne Boleyn's Headshot and Bio

Lise Maher is a lyric soprano, actor, and playwright from Toronto, Ontario.  Since graduating from George Brown Theatre School, in 2007, Lise has spent the last 5 seasons working with Toronto Operetta Theatre and Opera in Concert, under the direction of Guillermo Silva-Marin, while continuing to study opera privately with Yoriko Tanno. Lise has been involved in many collective creations of new Canadian works with the Gairbraid Theatre Company in Goderich, Ontario as well as “Pippi and Mum’s Extravaganza”, with Little Black Dress Theatre, of which she is Co-Founder.  Favourite roles include: Juliet in Romeo & Juliet (Gairbraid Theatre Company), Edith in Pirates of Penzance (Toronto Operetta Theatre), and Lady Helena in The Gut Girls (George Brown Theatre School). Lise is looking forward to playing Anne Boleyn, in “Ladies in Waiting”, Little Black Dress Theatre’s upcoming summer production, premiering at the Toronto Fringe Festival, which she co-wrote with Kate Kudelka.

Nadene Schuster, our beautiful Anne of Cleve's Headshot and Bio

Nadene Schuster is delighted to be performing the role of Anne of Cleves in Little Black Dress Theatre’s Production of Ladies-in-Waiting. Before landing in T dot, Nadene was a prairie girl from Calgary, Alberta. She completed her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary and performed Rosie in SIMPATICO, Marie-Lou in FOREVER YOURS, MARIE-LOU and Comtesse de Saint-Fond in MADAME DE SADE. Her thirst for knowledge drove her on to George Brown College and was part of the 2002 graduating class. Her favorite roles at George Brown included Katharine in Love’s Labour’s Lost, Carol in Road, Mother in The Machinal and Mrs. Sullen in The Beaux Stratagem. Upon graduation Nadene has performed roles at Stage West and the Hatch New Play Festival. After an extended hiatus she is looking forward to once again returning to the stage and re-entering the world of corsets and complicated characters. Nadene would like to thank everyone who has supported her latest leap of faith!

Jan Kudelka, our wonderful Katherine of Aragon's Headshot and Bio

 

Jan Kudelka created and produced the Canadian Classic Circus Gothic and the non-biographical exploration of Janis Joplin, Janis Janus, both one woman shows with bands.  An alumni of Stratford Festival for two seasons in principal roles with Maggie Smith and Jessica Tandy, Jan was also an original cast member of HAIR at the Royal Alexander Theatre.  She spent 10 seasons as an actor at The Caravan Farm Theatre in Armstrong, BC, where she wrote the musical Rogues.  Jan was nominated for a DORA as creator of the musical play about rock and roll, American Demon, at Theatre Passe Muraille.

Blanche O'Sullivan, our charming Jane Seymour's Headshot and Bio

 

Blanche O’Sullivan(Jane Seymour)

Norah Smith, our lovely Catherine Howard's Headshot and Bio

Norah Smith has worked for Luminato, Canadian Stage, Soulpepper, V-Day, Shakespeare In Action, Peace Theatre, De-Railed/Beyond 3:30, Convergence Theatre, Single Thread Theatre and Acting Up Stage.  She recently directed Little Shop of Horrors for Youthdale Treatment Centres and mounted a production at Theatre Passe Muraille with the drama club from Lawrence Heights Middle School.  Favourite roles include Vivie Warren (Mrs. Warren's Profession), Bianca (Women Beware Women), Lori (The Whores), and The Wicked Witch (The Wizard of Oz).  Norah is a graduate of George Brown Theatre School and will be heading to the University of Toronto in the fall to complete their Co-op Arts Management Program.