Press Release/Media Call
For Immediate Release – February 8^th 2013

Calgary, AB – Lunchbox Theatre is proud to present a new production of Scarlet Woman by Matthew Wells, directed by Calgary murder mystery mainstay Mark Bellamy – former Artistic Director of Vertigo Theatre. The original production of Scarlet Woman debuted to critical acclaim in New York and has been receiving awards and accolades on both sides of the border. It claimed the coveted ‘Best of Fest’ award at both the 2011 Edmonton and Winnipeg International Fringe Festivals and is now set to wow Calgary audiences. Scarlet Woman opens on March 4^th and runs until March 23^rd featuring Calgary-based actors Julie Orton and Myla Southward.

“After the Edmonton fringe production of Scarlet Woman a number of people contacted me to say it would be perfect for Lunchbox,” says Lunchbox Theatre Artistic Director, Pamela Halstead. “I couldn’t agree more and Mark Bellamy is the perfect director to pull off this mysterious, highly stylized show.”

Scarlet Woman features two actresses playing twelve different characters and more dead bodies than the last scene of Hamlet - all in 55 minutes. This film-noir mystery is witty and full of twists that are accentuated with sharp timing, smoke and mirrors, and choreographed movement. This colourful homage to all the dangerous Delilahs of noir will carry the audience to realms of intrigue!

Scarlet Woman Team:
Scarlet Woman features Julie Orton as Velma and Myla Southward as Carmen. The production team includes director Mark Bellamy, assistant director Valmai Goggin, sound designer Aaron Collier, set and lighting designer Terry Gunvordahl, costume designer Deneen McArthur, stage manager Ruby Dawn Eustaquio and apprentice stage manager Melissa van der Kuil. Scarlet Woman runs March 4^th to 23^rd, 2013, Monday to Saturday at 12:10 pm, Fridays at 6:10 pm and Saturdays at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at the Lunchbox Theatre box office, by phone at 403-265-4292 x 0 or at tickets.lunchboxtheatre.com.

Media Opportunities:
Interviews with the cast and production team by phone or in person are available prior to the opening of the production. Phone interviews with playwright Matthew Wells can also be arranged. Tickets to the production are available for reviews or giveaways upon request.

Media are also invited to a Media Call on Monday, March 4^th at 1:15 pm.

1:15 pm – B-Roll of Scarlet Woman (2 minute scene) for photos or video
1:30 pm – Interviews as requested with actors Julie Orton and Myla Southward, Scarlet Woman director Mark Bellamy, or Lunchbox Theatre Artistic Director, Pamela Halstead.

About Lunchbox Theatre:
The world’s longest running lunchtime theatre, Lunchbox Theatre is a professional company that caters to downtown office workers over the noon-hour by producing eight plays per season, as well as the Suncor Energy Stage One Festival and the RBC Emerging Director Program. Lunchbox Theatre is located at the base of the Calgary Tower.

www.lunchboxtheatre.com

Media Contact:
For more information, to RSVP for the Media Call, for media tickets or to request an interview:
Kathryn Blair, Marketing and Communications
Lunchbox Theatre
403 265 4292 x 229
kathryn.blair@lunchboxtheatre.com

Media Release / Call
For Immediate Release June 2, 2012

Calgary, AB – Lunchbox continues its legacy of developing new one act plays this June! Nine new plays will be workshopped and receive public readings on Fridays and Saturdays from June 8th to 23rd as part of the 24^th annual Suncor Energy Stage One Festival of New Work.

The Festival is one of the mainstays of Lunchbox’s yearly programming. Lunchbox receives submissions from across the country and selects nine plays to be workshopped. The Suncor Energy Stage One Festival’s long history has made it the most prolific developer of one act plays in Canada. Each playwright benefits from dramaturgical support, the input of a professional director and actors, and a public reading allowing the playwright to get feedback directly from the audience assisting them in progressing to the next stage of play development. After the public readings at the end of the festival, each play is considered for production in an upcoming Lunchbox Theatre season.

“Lunchbox Theatre is very proud of the role of the Suncor Energy Stage One Festival in new play development in Canada,” says Pamela Halstead, Artistic Director. “Close to 200 new plays have been developed since the Festival’s inception in 1988, with many gracing the stage not only at Lunchbox Theatre, but across the country.”

Media are invited to a Media Call on Friday, June 8 at 5:45 pm.

5:45 pm – Interviews as requested with: Stage One playwrights Ken Cameron, Brieanna Blizzard and Glenda Stirling, director Ron Jenkins and Lunchbox Theatre Artistic Director Pamela Halstead.
6:10 pm – Opportunity to film or photograph portion of public reading

For 2012, the Suncor Energy Stage One Festival features:

Friday June 8, 12:10 pm – Homecoming King Book by Dave Deveau, Music by James Coomber

In the wake of a car accident, two women are notified that their husbands are in critical condition. As they wait in emergency for information, they discover they are married to the same man. If his life was not in danger before, it certainly is now …

Friday, June 8, 6:10 pm – Star Kiss by Ken Cameron

It is 1968 and an interracial kiss has been written into an episode of a popular sci-fi show. The Captain always gets the girl, regardless of her race or alien affiliations … But will it make it to prime time?

Saturday, June 9, 12:10 pm – The Surrogate by Brieanna Blizzard

Dreading that family dinner or holiday? Wish you could say what you really think of your sister’s boyfriend or be honest about your new job? Hire a surrogate to go in your place!

Friday, June 15 – 12:10 pm – Christmas Suite by James Hutchison

‘Tis the night before Christmas and all is not well. A sad, lonely man has rented the Christmas Suite to avoid being home alone for Christmas. Could an unexpected brush with romance be the Christmas miracle he’d hoped for?

Friday, June 15, 1:30 pm – Special Event: Magnetic North Theatre Festival Playwright’s Panel

Hosted by Lunchbox Theatre Artistic Director, Pamela Halstead and featuring Sharon Pollock, Robert Chafe, and Stage One Playwrights Glenda Stirling and Neil Fleming.

Friday, June 15, 6:10 pm – The After Party by Neil Fleming

It’s everyone’s favourite night, the office Christmas party … and maybe, just maybe, that cute guy in IT has been harbouring a crush on you as well …

Saturday, June 16, 12:10 pm – Shopaholic Wedding Bells by Glenda Stirling

Everyone’s favourite Shopaholic is back and this time Abby has found the “perfect” guy and is planning the “perfect” wedding. There’s bliss in her future … or is there…?

Friday, June 22, 12:10 pm – Bingo Ladies by Grant Tilly

Bingo is serious business where rituals, good luck charms and superstitions abound. How far are you willing to go to win?

Friday, June 22, 6:10 pm & Saturday, June 23, 12:10 pm – Anethesia’s Antique Road Show #1 & #2 by Dirty Laundry

Anethesia is getting on and trying to remember the significant moments of her life. With the help of artifacts provided by the audience she recounts the memories that surround each of the items and “relives” her memories with the help of a crack improv team. The audience is encouraged to bring a significant item to include in the show. Not all items will be chosen. Show changes daily.

- # # # -

The world’s longest running lunchtime theatre. Lunchbox Theatre is a professional company that caters to downtown office workers primarily over the noon-hour by producing eight plays per season, as well as the RBC Emerging Director Showcase and the Suncor Energy Stage One Festival. Lunchbox Theatre is located at the base of the Calgary Tower.

www.lunchboxtheatre.com

For more information, to request an interview, or to visit a rehearsal:
Kathryn Blair
Marketing and Communications
Lunchbox Theatre
403 265 4292 x 229
kathryn.blair@lunchboxtheatre.com

Press Release/Media Call
For Immediate Release – December 14^th, 2012

Calgary, AB – Ranked in the top 20 shows of 2011 by the Huffington Post after its off-Broadway run, Blanche: The Bittersweet Life of a Wild Prairie Dame opens on January 14^th and runs until January 26^th, 2013. Calgarian theatre artist and musician, Onalea Gilberston, is bringing her grandmother’s life story to the Lunchbox Theatre stage as part of the 2013 High Performance Rodeo. This dynamic theatrical song cycle is a distinctively prairie tale that is touching and wonderfully poignant. It features creator/performer Onalea Gilbertson, Jeff Gladstone on guitar and back-up vocals, Jonathan Lewis on violin and clarinet and Brian Sanders on cello, with direction by Rachel Avery.

“Blanche is the perfect mixture of theatre, history and music – it combines folk, torch, jazz and chamber music traditions with innovative storytelling set against the backdrop of historic Alberta,” says Lunchbox Theatre Artistic Director, Pamela Halstead. “It is the perfect choice for Lunchbox Theatre’s second collaboration with One Yellow Rabbit as part of the High Performance Rodeo.”

“We are delighted to partner with Lunchbox Theatre to co-present Onalea in a magical performance that is deeply personal and truly Albertan. This is a festival must-see!” says One Yellow Rabbit’s Executive Director, Erin O’Connor.

Blanche: the Bittersweet Life of a Wild Prairie Dame is a dynamic production intermingling beautiful original songs with audio from Gilbertson’s grandmother, Blanche, recollecting her long life in Alberta and her loves along the way.

Blanche: Bittersweet Life of a Wild Prairie Dame features Onalea Gilbertson (playwright and composer) on vocals and piano, Jeff Gladstone (guitar arrangements) on guitar and backup vocals, Jonathan Lewis (co-composer) on violin and clarinet, and Brian Sanders on cello. The production team features director Rachel Avery, lighting designer Joey Walls, stage manager Michael Howard and co-composer Morag Northey. Blanche runs January 14^th to 26^th, Monday to Saturday at 12:10 pm, Fridays at 6:10 pm and Saturdays at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at the Lunchbox Theatre box office, by phone at 403-265-4292 x 0 or at tickets.lunchboxtheatre.com.

The world’s longest running lunchtime theatre, Lunchbox Theatre is a professional company that caters to downtown office workers over the noon-hour by producing eight plays per season, as well as the Suncor Energy Stage One Festival and the RBC Emerging Director Program. Lunchbox Theatre is located at the base of the Calgary Tower.

Blanche is presented in conjunction with One Yellow Rabbit High Performance Rodeo. Now in its 27th year, the High Performance Rodeo is an annual festival featuring theatre, dance, comedy, music and multimedia presentations. Curated by Artistic Director Michael Green, and produced by Erin O’Connor and the One Yellow Rabbit team, it is dedicated to entertaining as wide an audience as imaginable, while remaining fertile ground for the progressive and wild. The High Performance Rodeo is the largest festival of its kind in Western Canada.

Media are invited to a Media Call on Monday, January 14^th at 1:15 pm.

1:15 pm – B-Roll of Blanche: The Bittersweet Life of a Wild Prairie Dame (2 minute scene)
1:30 pm – Interviews as requested with creator and performer Onalea Gilbertson and musicians Jeff Gladstone, Jonathan Lewis and Brian Sanders, director Rachel Avery or Lunchbox Theatre Associate Artistic Director, Glenda Stirling.

www.lunchboxtheatre.com

For more information, to RSVP, or to request an interview:
Kathryn Blair, Marketing and Communications, Lunchbox Theatre
403 265 4292 x 229
kathryn.blair@lunchboxtheatre.com

Press Release/Media Call
For Immediate Release – October 15^th 2012

Calgary, AB – Lunchbox Theatre is taking to the skies this November for the world premiere of Aviatrix: An Unreal Story of Amelia Earhart, a drama that fictionalizes Amelia Earhart’s ill-fated final journey and the speculation surrounding her disappearance. Aviatrix is written by Canadian playwright Matthew Heiti and was developed in the 2010 Suncor Energy Stage One Festival. Aviatrix opens November 5^th and runs to November 24^th, 2012 and features Chantal Perron as the famous aviatrix and Tyler Rive as her navigator Fred Noonan, with direction by Lunchbox Artistic Director, Pamela Halstead.

“Like so many people, I have always had a fascination with Amelia Earhart. Her courage and desire to stretch the boundaries for women captured my imagination at an early age,” says Halstead. “Matthew’s play mixes known facts with fiction and challenges us all to dare to dream.”

Aviatrix: An Unreal Story of Amelia Earhart takes the audience on an imagined journey through Amelia Earhart’s desires and ambitions through her trip preparations and final days. This exciting look at her life and loss commemorates the 75^th anniversary of Amelia’s final voyage and investigates her longing for the unknown and what it means both to follow your dreams and to leave a legacy that lives on after death.

Aviatrix features Chantal Perron and Ty Rive. The production team includes director Pamela Halstead, assistant director and production designer Anton de Groot and stage manager Jennifer Shaw. Aviatrix: An Unreal Story of Amelia Earhart runs November 5^th to 24^th, Monday to Saturday at 12:10 pm, Fridays at 6:10 pm and Saturdays at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at the Lunchbox Theatre box office, by phone at 403-265-4292 x 0 or at tickets.lunchboxtheatre.com.

The world’s longest running lunchtime theatre, Lunchbox Theatre is a professional company that caters to downtown office workers over the noon-hour by producing eight plays per season on the TransCanada Stage, as well as the Suncor Energy Stage One Festival and the RBC Emerging Director Program. Lunchbox Theatre is located at the base of the Calgary Tower.

Media are invited to a Media Call on Monday, November 5^th at 1:15 pm.

1:15 pm – B-Roll of Aviatrix: An Unreal Story of Amelia Earhart (2 minute scene)
1:30 pm – Interviews as requested with actors Chantal Perron and Tyler Rive, designer Anton de Groot or Aviatrix director Pamela Halstead.

www.lunchboxtheatre.com

For more information, to RSVP, or to request an interview:
Kathryn Blair
Marketing and Communications
Lunchbox Theatre
403 265 4292 x 229
kathryn.blair@lunchboxtheatre.com

Press Release/Media Call
For Immediate Release – September 19^th 2012

Calgary, AB – Lunchbox Theatre presents the world premiere of Caroline Russell-King’s Second Chance, First Love. Workshopped at the 2011 Suncor Energy Stage One Festive, Second Chance, First Love opens the door on love later in life and explores what it means to return to first loves and first passions after living a little. It opens at 12:10 pm on October 8^th and runs until Octber 27^th, 2012 and features Wes Tritter, Valerie Pearson and Adam Beauchesne with direction by Gail Hanrahan.

“Second Chance, First Love is the second play by Caroline Russell-King that is set in the Palliser Hotel, and like 2010’s Mr. Fix It, it explores a love that hasn’t always been perfect or rosy,” says Lunchbox Theatre Artistic Director, Pamela Halstead.  “One of the things I like about Second Chance, First Love is that the main characters aren’t 20-year-old star-crossed lovers – they’re people who have made mistakes in love, including with each other. And now, we get to see their insecure, poignantly sweet, and funny interactions as they come back together many years later.”

Second Chance, First Love is the story of two former lovers, Zelda and Stanley, who shared a passionate romance in their hay day in New Your City while performing a variety show together. Reunited years later in Calgary, they acknowledge the very different paths their lives have taken. As their romance threatens to rekindle, they reflect on their lives and question what it means to reawaken a past with one common thread: a love for the stage.

Second Chance, First Love features Wes Tritter as Stanley and Valerie Pearson as Zelda with Adam Beauchesne as Jason. The production team includes director Gail Hanrahan with RBC Emerging Director Valmai Goggin assisting, lighting designer Sandi Somers, set and costume designer Julia Wasilewski, sound designer Joshua Hellawell, and stage manager Michael Howard. Second Chance, First Love runs October 8^th to 27^th, Monday to Saturday at 12:10 pm, Fridays at 6:10 pm and Saturdays at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at the Lunchbox Theatre box office, by phone at 403-265-4292 x 0 or at tickets.lunchboxtheatre.com.

The world’s longest running lunchtime theatre, Lunchbox Theatre is a professional company that caters to downtown office workers over the noon-hour by producing seven or more plays per season, as well as the Suncor Energy Stage One Festival and the Emerging Director Program. Lunchbox Theatre is located at the base of the Calgary Tower.

Media are invited to a Media Call on Tuesday, October 9^th at 11:00 am.

11:00 am – B-Roll of Second Chance, First Love (2 minute scene)
11:15 am – Interviews as requested with actors Wes Tritter, Val Pearson and Adam Beauchesne, playwright Caroline Russell-King or Lunchbox Theatre Artistic Director, Pamela Halstead.
12:10 pm – Opening Performance of Second Chance, First Love.

www.lunchboxtheatre.com

For more information, to RSVP, or to request an interview:
Kathryn Blair
Marketing and Communications
Lunchbox Theatre
403 265 4292 x 229
kathryn.blair@lunchboxtheatre.com

Press Release/Media Call
For Immediate Release – August 10^th 2012

Calgary, AB – Lunchbox Theatre presents the world premiere of David Sealy’s The Bob Shivery Show. Workshopped at the 2010 and 2012 Suncor Energy Stage One Festivals, The Bob Shivery Show is the Lunchbox directorial debut from Michael Kennard, of the award-winning clown duo Mump & Smoot. The Bob Shivery Show is a grandiose tale about having the courage to fight for who you love even when everything is against you. It opens on September 10^th and runs to September 29^th, 2012 and features Trevor Rueger, Esther Purves-Smith, David LeReaney and Karen Johnson Diamond.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Michael Kennard to direct The Bob Shivery Show to open our 2012-13 season at Lunchbox Theatre with a bang,” says Lunchbox Artistic Director, Pamela Halstead. “His experience and style matches the delightful quirkiness of Dave Sealy’s script and really brings this lonely postman’s epic, fantastical journey to life.”

The Bob Shivery Show is the story of a postmaster who has never had the guts to tell the girl of his dreams how he feels about her. When she leaves Saskatchewan to pursue a relationship with a Calgary oil man, Bob decides to travel to Calgary to win her back fair and square. However, Bob gets more than he bargained for on his journey and must work up the courage to overcome the magic and danger that continuously tries to thwart him from fulfilling his destiny to capture the heart of the girl he loves.

The Bob Shivery Show features Trevor Rueger as Bob, Esther Purves-Smith as Germaine, David LeReaney as Frank, and Karen Johnson Diamond as Corporal Blunt. The production team includes director Michael Kennard, assistant director Valmai Goggin, set & lighting designer Scott Reid, costume designer Julia Wasilewski, sound designer Dewi Wood, stage manager Donna Sharpe and assistant stage manager Megan Gurnsey. The Bob Shivery Show runs September 10^th to 29^th, Monday to Saturday at 12:10 pm, Fridays at 6:10 pm and Saturdays at 7:30 pm. Tickets are available at the Lunchbox Theatre box office, by phone at 403-265-4292 x 0 or at tickets.lunchboxtheatre.com.

The world’s longest running lunchtime theatre, Lunchbox Theatre is a professional company that caters to downtown office workers over the noon-hour by producing eight plays per season, plus a special presentation as part of the 2013 High Performance Rodeo, the RBC Emerging Director Program, and the Suncor Energy Stage One Festival. Lunchbox Theatre is located at the base of the Calgary Tower.

Media are invited to a Media Call on Monday, September 10^th at 1:15 pm.

1:15 pm – B-Roll of The Bob Shivery Show (2 minute scene)
1:30 pm – Interviews as requested with actors Trevor Rueger, Esther Purves-Smith, David LeReaney and Karen Johnson Diamond, playwright David Sealy, director Michael Kennard or Lunchbox Theatre’s Artistic Director, Pamela Halstead.

www.lunchboxtheatre.com

For more information, to RSVP, or to request an interview:
Kathryn Blair, Marketing and Communications Manager
Lunchbox Theatre
403 265-4292 x 229
kathryn.blair@lunchboxtheatre.com

Press Release/Media Call
For Immediate Release – May 9, 2012

Calgary, AB – Alice Nelson, the 2011/2012 RBC Emerging Director at Lunchbox Theatre, who has assistant directed this season with a number directors on several productions including Peril in Paris, Last Christmas, Super 8 and The Whimsy State or the Principality of Outer Baldonia, will now get to have her moment in the spotlight. The culmination of her time as the RBC Emerging Director is the direction of a professional production of Trevor Schmidt’s Mockingbird Close which will run from May 31^st to June 2^nd. The production will feature Julie Orton and Braden Griffiths, with set and costume design by Deitra Kalyn, lighting design by David Smith, sound design by Dewi Wood and is stage managed by Emma Brager.

“The Emerging Director Program is an incredible opportunity for an up and coming director to participate in the process of a number of professional directors and then apply those skills in their own production,” says Pamela Halstead, Artistic Director of Lunchbox Theatre and one of the directors who mentored Nelson during the season. “Alice has worked with myself, Kelly Reay of Sage Theatre and Eric Rose of Ghost River Theatre and these diverse experiences will serve her well on her upcoming showcase production of Mockingbird Close.”

Mockingbird Close is the poetic story of a suburban couple who discover their son is missing and go on a journey to find him that reveals the mysteries hidden in their cul-de-sac. Mockingbird Close runs Thursday, May 31^st at 12:10pm, Friday June 1^st at 12:10pm and 6:10pm, and Saturday, June 2nd at 12:10pm and 7:30pm.  Tickets are available at www.lunchboxtheatre.com or 403-265-4292 x 0 and are $10.

This year, Lunchbox Theatre’s Emerging Director Program is supported by a generous donation from the RBC Foundation.

The world’s longest running lunchtime theatre, Lunchbox Theatre is a professional company that caters to downtown office workers primarily over the noon-hour by producing eight plays per season, as well as the RBC Emerging Director Showcase and the Suncor Energy Stage One Festival. Lunchbox Theatre is located at the base of the Calgary Tower.

Media are invited to a Media Call on Thursday, May 31 at 1:15 pm.

1:15 pm – B-Roll of Mockingbird Close (2 minute scene)
1:30 pm – Interviews as requested with: actors Julie Orton and Braden Griffiths, director Alice Nelson or Lunchbox Theatre’s Artistic Director, Pamela Halstead.

www.lunchboxtheatre.com

For more information, to RSVP, or to request an interview:
Kathryn Blair
Marketing and Communications
Lunchbox Theatre
403 265 4292 x 229
kathryn.blair@lunchboxtheatre.com

Press Release/Media Call
For Immediate Release – August 19^th 2011

Calgary, AB – This May, Lunchbox Theatre showcases classical music, and how that music can help heal old wounds, in Dad’s Piano by Dave Kelly. Dad’s Piano runs April 30^th to May 19^th and features actor Christopher Hunt and pianist Jeff Neufeld with direction by Rob Kelly and produced in conjunction with Kelly Brothers Productions. Through monologues interspersed with selections from Bach, we learn of a man whose just lost his father, and how he comes to terms with their turbulent relationship.

“Dad’s Piano was performed at Motel in the EPCOR CENTRE in  2010, and since then I’ve been providing dramaturgical support. It’s been expanded from its original format, but stays true to the purity of its form  – monologues and music,” says Lunchbox Theatre Artistic Director, Pamela Halstead. “Irene Besse Keyboards has graciously sponsored the show and is donating a fabulous grand piano, so Jeff Neufeld will have an instrument worthy of his talent!”

Dad’s Paino features Christopher Hunt with Jeff Neufeld. The production team features director Rob Kelly, set designer Martine Evans and lighting designer Dave Smith. Dad’s Piano runs April 30^th to May 19^th, Monday to Saturday at 12:10 pm, Fridays at 6:10pm and Saturdays at 7:30 pm at Lunchbox Theatre, 160 – 115 9^th Avenue SE. Tickets can be purchased at the theatre, online at www.lunchboxtheatre.com, or by phone at 403-265-4292 x 0.

The world’s longest running lunchtime theatre, Lunchbox Theatre is a professional company that caters to downtown office workers over the noon-hour by producing seven plays per season, as well as the Suncor Energy Stage One Festival and the Emerging Director Program. Lunchbox Theatre is located at the base of the Calgary Tower.

Media are invited to a Media Call on Monday, April 30 at 1:15 pm.

1:15 pm – B-Roll of Dad’s Piano  (2 minute scene)
1:30 pm – Interviews as requested with actor Christopher Hunt, pianist Jeff Neufeld, playwright Dave Kelly, director Rob Kelly, or Lunchbox Theatre’s Artistic Director Pamela Halstead.

www.lunchboxtheatre.com

For more information, to RSVP, or to request an interview:
Kathryn Blair
Marketing and Communications
Lunchbox Theatre
403 265 4292 x 229
kathryn.blair@lunchboxtheatre.com

Press Release/Media Call
For Immediate Release – August 19^th 2011

Calgary, AB – Lunchbox brings the East to the West with The Whimsy State or the Principality of Outer Baldonia, by AJ Demers this April! The Whimsy State runs April 2^nd to 21^st and features Graham Percy as Russ Arundel, David LeReaney as Elson / Miguel, Sheldon Davis as Ron and Karen Johnson-Diamond as Anna / Flo.  The play is based on a true story – of a Washington lawyer and two Nova Scotian fishermen who buy a small island off the coast of Nova Scotia and declare it a sovereign nation, but run into trouble when they declare war on the Soviet Union.

“When I read AJ Demer’s play, I knew it had to be in Stage One,” says Pamela Halstead, who directs They Whimsy State and is Artistic Director of Lunchbox Theatre. “AJ did a lot of research into the history, going to Nova Scotia and spending a lot of time in the archives for the area, and the part of the story that’s fictionalized is the love interest. When it was a hit at Stage One in 2010, I knew this fabulous and hilarious true story about freedom taking to ridiculous lengths had to be a part of our season.”

The Whimsy State or the Principality of Outer Baldonia features Sheldon Davis as Ron, Karen Johnson-Diamond as Anna / Flo, David LeReaney as Elson / Miguel and Graham Percy as Russ Arundel. The production team features director Pamela Halstead, costume designer Deitra Kalyn, set and lighting designer Scott Reid and stage manager Patti Neice. The Whimsy State or the Principality of Outer Baldonia runs April 2^nd to 21^st, Monday to Saturday at 12:10 pm, Fridays at 6:10pm and Saturdays at 7:30 pm.

The world’s longest running lunchtime theatre, Lunchbox Theatre is a professional company that caters to downtown office workers over the noon-hour by producing seven plays per season, as well as the Suncor Energy Stage One Festival and the Emerging Director Program. Lunchbox Theatre is located at the base of the Calgary Tower.

Media are invited to a Media Call on Monday, April 2 at 1:15 pm.

1:15 pm – B-Roll of The Whimsy State or the Principality of Outer Baldonia (2 minute scene)
1:30 pm – Interviews as requested with actors Sheldon Davis, Karen Johnson-Diamond, David LeReaney and Graham Percy, playwright AJ Demers, or drector and Lunchbox Theatre’s Artistic Director, Pamela Halstead.

www.lunchboxtheatre.com

For more information, to RSVP, or to request an interview:
Kathryn Blair
Marketing and Communications
Lunchbox Theatre
403 265 4292 x 229
kathryn.blair@lunchboxtheatre.com

Press Release/Media Call
For Immediate Release – February 10^th 2012

Calgary, AB – In March, Lunchbox presents the Western Premiere of the touching musical revue Fascinating Ladies, by Catherine O’Brien and conceived by Catherine O’Brien and Julain Molnar. Fascinating Ladies runs March 5^th to 24^th, and features Elizabeth Stepkowski Tarhan, Esther Purves-Smith and Katherine Fadum, and is directed by Jan Alexandra Smith with musical direction by Joe Slabe. It tells the story of three cousins who uncover some long hidden secrets about their grandmother while preparing for her 100^th birthday party, leading them to confess some of their own along the way. It all takes place against the back drop of the songs that shaped their grandmother and the century that she has lived.

“Fascinating Ladies was a hit on Prince Edward Island last year and it seemed a perfect match for Lunchbox”, says Pamela Halstead, Lunchbox Theatre’s Artistic Director. “It’s a heartwarming story about the bonds between women in a family and all that fabulous music, which spans many decades and styles, cinched it for me.”

Fascinating Ladies features Elizabeth Stepkowski Tarhan as Louise, Esther Purves-Smith as Francine and Katherine Fadum as Patty. The production team features director Jan Alexandra Smith and musical director Joe Slabe, set designer Becky Solly, costume designer Rebecca Toon, lighting designer Jason Schwarz and stage manager Kelsey ter Kuile. Fascinating Ladies runs March 5^th to March 24^th, Monday to Saturday at 12:10 pm, Fridays at 6:10pm and Saturdays at 7:30 pm.

The world’s longest running lunchtime theatre, Lunchbox Theatre is a professional company that caters to downtown office workers over the noon-hour by producing seven plays per season on the TransCanada Stage, as well as the Suncor Energy Stage One Festival and the RBC Emerging Director Program. Lunchbox Theatre is located at the base of the Calgary Tower.

Media are invited to a Media Call on Monday, March 5 at 1:15 pm.

1:15 pm – B-Roll of Fascinating Ladies (2 minute scene)
1:30 pm – Interviews as requested with actors Elizabeth Stepkowski Tarhan, Esther Purves-Smith and Katherine Fadum, director Jan Alexander Smith, musical director Joe Slabe, or Lunchbox Theatre’s Artistic Director Pamela Halstead.

www.lunchboxtheatre.com

For more information, to RSVP, or to request an interview:
Kathryn Blair
Marketing and Communications
Lunchbox Theatre
403 265 4292 x 229
kathryn.blair@lunchboxtheatre.com