Join us for Aesop’s Fables- and an ALL AGES Performance!

 CAROUSEL THEATRE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE presents

AESOP’S FABLES

By Mike Kenny

FEBRUARY 17 to FEBRUARY 26, 2012

At the Waterfront Theatre (1412 Cartwright Street on Granville Island)

For Ages 3+ (No Babes in Arms, except for All Ages performance)

VANCOUVER, BC – So long, Yellow Brick Road! In the wake of Carousel Theatre’s smash hit run of THE WIZARD OF OZ, we are ready to welcome four new friends to our stage – and they like to do things their own way.  Carousel Theatre is excited to welcome young audiences to experience our new take on AESOP’S FABLES as you’ve never seen it before!

Meet Wolfie, Syd, Barry, and Harriet, a rag-tag bunch of players who use their magic, shape-shifting wagon, musical instruments and their imaginations to tell stories and teach lessons to our young audiences.  Join us as our four friends take you on a wild ride through AESOP’S FABLES, including fable favorites like The Tortoise and the Hare and The Boy Who Cried Wolf.  Our talented players will dazzle you with storytelling, dance, and original music played live on stage!  These classic fables are brought to quirky new life by British playwright MIKE KENNY’s new adaptation. Through song, storytelling, and plenty of imagination, our four friends will take audiences on a wild journey – and learn important life lessons on the way.

Mike Stack, Mishelle Cuttler and Kayvon Kelly in Aesop's Fables.

Carousel Theatre is happy to welcome two familiar faces and two new friends.  Carousel Theatre audiences will remember MIKE STACK (The Wizard of Oz) and MELISSA OEI (Seussical, Love You Forever… And More Munsch).  We’re excited to introduce KAYVON KELLY (The Graduate, The Merchant of Venice) and MISHELLE CUTTLER (The Good Woman of Setzuan, Wild Honey) to the Carousel Theatre stage.

Fresh from her critically acclaimed new imagining of THE WIZARD OF OZ, Carousel Theatre’s Artistic & Managing Director CAROLE HIGGINS directs AESOP’S FABLES.  Let your imagination soar with the help of DREW FACEY’S set and costumes, lighting design by DARREN BOQUIST, and original music and sound design by CORINA AKESON and JEFF TYMOSCHUK.

Take your imagination for a run – join the AESOP’S FABLES players for our fresh take on age-old lessons about trust, patience, friendship and fun!

Performances  February 17 ‐ 26, 2012

Preview Performances (Reduced Rate Tickets Available) February 17 at 10AM and February 18 at 10AM

All Ages Performance for the WHOLE Family Saturday, February 25 at 4PM

NEW! Families can now attend weekday matinees. Call the box office for more info.

TICKETS Adults $29, Students with ID/Seniors $25, Youths (Ages 3‐17) $15  

Discounts Available for groups of 10+  (Adult $24, Stud/Sen $19, Child $15)

For tickets contact Carousel Theatre Box Office @ 604.669.3410 or purchase online at www.carouseltheatre.ca.

ALL AGES PERFORMANCE-Saturday, February 25 @ 4 pm

At Carousel Theatre, we recognize that it is sometimes difficult for families to find sitters for their youngest children and that some children under 3 years old may be ready for the live theatre experience, so for certain productions we stage one performance that is ALL AGES. For this one performance only, we keep the auditorium lights on at a low level so that little ones are not frightened of the dark, and we stage a slightly softer, gentler version of the production.

We are pleased to announce that on Saturday, February 25 @ 4 pm, we will be staging a special ALL AGES performance of Aesop’s Fables. For this one performance only, families are welcome to bring children under the age of 3 yrs old. Please note that due to fire regulations, tickets must be purchased for all patrons, including infants.

This special performance is not available over the internet;

tickets can be purchased through our box office (604) 685-6217 or in person at Carousel Theatre Monday-Friday 9 am-5 pm.

Tickets for this performance go on sale to the public at 9:00am on Friday, January 27, 2012.

Please note that due to popular demand, we expect that this performance will sell out well in advance.

Produced by special arrangement with Plays for Young Audiences—A Partnership of Seattle Children’s Theatre and Children’s Theatre Company—Minneapolis

Aesop’s Fables – An Interview with Drew Facey

We chased down (the very busy) Set and Costume Designer Drew Facey to ask him about his upcoming designs for Carousel Theatre’s Aesop’s Fables. (Like many professional designers, Drew works on multiple projects at the same time. He is also designing a set for Arts Club Theatre Company for the upcoming Calendar Girls! )

First, a bit about Carousel Theatre’s production of Aesop’s Fables…

Meet Wolfie, Syd, Barry, and Harriet, a rag-tag bunch of players who use their magic, shape-shifting wagon, musical instruments and their imaginations to tell stories and teach lessons to our young audiences. Join us as our four friends take you on a wild ride through Aesop’s Fables, including fable favourites like The Tortoise and the Hare and The Boy Who Cried Wolf. Our talented players will dazzle you with storytelling, dance, and original music played live on stage! These classic fables are brought to quirky new life by British playwright Mike Kenny’s new adaptation. Through song, storytelling, and plenty of imagination, our four friends will take audiences on a wild journey – and learn important life lessons on the way.

On to the man of the hour- Drew Facey!

Designer Drew Facey

How did you become a designer and why?

I was raised in a theatre family and I’ve been working on plays since I was 9 years old. I’ve always loved stage design and it just made sense for me to build a career as a designer. I spent a lot of time training in the visual arts and then combined that with theatre training and started working professionally about 5 years ago.

Costume Rendering for 'Harriet' by Drew Facey

Costume Rendering for 'Wolfie' by Drew Facey

Costume Rendering for 'Syd' by Drew Facey

 What is the biggest show you have ever worked one?

The biggest show I’ve ever worked on was my set design for the Mainstage at Bard on the Beach in 2010. I designed sets for Much Ado About Nothing and Antony & Cleopatra.

Bard on the Beach's Much Ado about Nothing. Photo by David Blue, 2010. Set design by Drew Facey

 How long does it take you from the design meetings to the finish product?

It totally depends on the show but it’s usually about six months from my first design meeting to opening night.

Aesop's Fables Set Design Model by Drew Facey

What are the challenges you face designing this show?

One of the challenges with this play was finding creative ways for people to play animals. I’ve designed head pieces that show the various animals. It’s also tricky to figure out where the play should take place. The director and I have come up with a concept that there is a troupe of performers travelling around in a caravan. This caravan pops open to become a little portable stage.

A mask design for the character 'Hare' in Aesop's Fables. Rendering by Drew Facey

What was your favourite fable as a child?

The Tortoise and the Hare was my favourite. It always made me laugh that the Tortoise snuck in there and grabbed the win from the Hare.

The child version of designer Drew Facey.

Thanks Drew!

Stay tuned here for more information, photos and videos for our upcoming production of Aesop’s Fables.

Drew is a three time Jessie Award winning designer and seven time nominee. Recently Drew designed the sets and costumes for True Love Lies (Touchstone), Hansel & Gretel (Vancouver Opera), and sets for Calendar Girls (Arts Club), 1984 (Virtual Stage), Much Ado About Nothing (Bard on the Beach), The Sound of Music, Steel Magnolias, Brighton Beach Memoirs and Annie (Gateway). Since graduating from Studio 58 four years ago, he’s designed over 70 shows. Visit www.drewfacey.com for more info.