The Ugly One

The Ugly One

A Razor Sharp Black Comedy

August 15 – September 20, 2014
Firehall Theatre

“Your face is unacceptable”

 

 

 

By Marius von Mayenburg
Translated by Maja Zade
Produced in Association with Theatre Smash and Tarragon Theatre
Directed by Ashlie Corcoran

  • Show Advisory: Sexy & Provocative Content

    With mesmerizing speed, Theatre Smash’s award-winning production by one of Germany’s hottest playwrights catapults us into a narcissistic world obsessed with beauty, image and plastic surgery.

    Lette is a successful engineer who is also unspeakably ugly. When a plastic surgeon restructures his face, he emerges from the operation an Adonis. His life changes overnight: women lust after him and men want to be him. But his dream life soon becomes a nightmare when his surgeon begins to offer the same face to anyone who will pay.

    “If you only have one hour to spend in theatre this year, spend it here!”
    - Stage-Door.com

    “Director Ashlie Corcoran creates a production that permeates the entire theatre and fairly crackles with life”4/5 stars
    - Toronto Sun

    “The Ugly One is very attractive theatre, an inventive send-up of a society in which individuality is lost when everyone wants the same thing.”
    - NOW Magazine


  • Firehall Theatre Logo

    Playing at the Firehall Theatre
    from August 15 – September 20, 2014

    Evening Performances: Tuesday through Sunday 8:00pm
    Matinees: Fridays, Saturdays 2:30pm

    Running Time:
 1 hour

    Please plan to arrive 30 minutes before the performance begins. Sorry, we are unable to admit latecomers to performances in the Firehall Theatre.

  • Cast

    Karlmann: Jesse Aaron Dwyre
    Scheffler: Hardee T Lineham
    Fanny: Tracy Michailidis
    Lette: Alex Poch-Goldin

    Creative

    Director: Ashlie Corcoran
    Set & Costume Designer: Camellia Koo
    Sound Designer: John Gzowski
    Lighting Designer: Jason Hand
    Stage Manager: Natasha Bean-Smith
    Apprentice Stage Manager: Dylan On



    NATASHA BEAN-SMITH (Stage Manager)
    For the Playhouse: Salt-Water Moon.

    Elsewhere: As Stage Manager: The Ugly One (Theatre Smash 2011 & Theatre Smash/Tarragon 2014); Richard III, Two Gents(Shakespeare in the Ruff). As ASM: Billy Elliot the Musical (Mirvish Productions); The 39 Steps (Globe Theatre); The Magic Flute, Der Freischütz, Don Giovanni Columbus, Ohio Tour (Opera Atelier); La Tragédie de Carmen (The Banff Centre); Banana Boys (Fu-Gen).
 
    Upcoming: The Bakelite Masterpiece (Tarragon Theatre); Orpheus and Eurydice (Opera Atelier); Durango (Theatre Smash/Fu-Gen Theatre).
    Other: Tour Manager for Opera Atelier’s Versailles Tour of Armide (2012) and Persée (2014). Concert Manager for Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.

    ASHLIE CORCORAN (Director)
    For the Playhouse: Artistic Director since November 1, 2012.  Director for She Loves Me, Driving Miss Daisy, Salt-Water Moon, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Third Floor. 

    Elsewhere: As Director: The Gay Heritage Project (Buddies in Bad Times); The Ugly One (Theatre Smash/Tarragon Theatre); The Magic Flute (Opera Philadelphia); Don Giovanni, Le Lauréat, Three Sisters Who are Not Sisters (The Glenn Gould School, RCM); The Brothers Grimm, Isis and The Seven Scorpions, Cinderella, The Bear (Canadian Opera Company); The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (Western Canada Theatre). As Artistic Producer & Director: Tiny Dynamite, Tijuana Cure, A Boy Called Newfoundland, The Ugly One (Theatre Smash).
    Upcoming: Waiting for The Parade (TIP); The Bremen Town Musicians (COC); Durango (Theatre Smash/fu-GEN Theatre).

    JESSE AARON DWYRE (Karlmann)
    For The Playhouse: Debut.
    Elsewhere: Red (Segal Centre); Tin Drum (UnspunTheatre); Great Expectations, Farther West (SoulPepper); Romeo & Juliet, Love’s Labour’s Lost, Caesar & Cleopatra, Three Sisters, Bartholomew Fair (Stratford Festival); Of the Fields Lately, Counsellor-at-Law (Theatre Calgary); Cherry Orchard (Guild Festival); Euryidce (SummerWorks); Silverwing (MTYP); Get Away (ATP).
    Film/TV: The Archivist (Cannes); Adam’s Wall, Silas & the Tomb Imitation, The Cats, Lakehouse, Beauty & the Beast (CBS); Apocalypse 10.5 (NBC).
    Upcoming: Clementine (ABC).
    Other: Jesse’s Awards include: a Dora Award- Best Independent Production, a Tyrone Guthrie Award from the Stratford Festival, and two My Entertainment Awards for Best Supporting and Best Actor. Jesse grew up in a nearby town (formerly known Furnace Falls), where he honed his drumming at the local Legion and his slap shot in the driveway. He is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, Stratford Festival Conservatory & the Canadian Film Centre. Tweet @JesseDwyre.

    JOHN GZOWSKI (Sound Designer)
    For the Playhouse: Salt-Water Moon.
    Elsewhere: 200 shows or so from Stratford, Shaw, Canstage, Mirvishes, Luminato, Soulpepper.
    Other: 6 Dora awards, 9 more nominations, a couple dozen CD’s, some concert music, lots of live shows and some dance and film work as well. For those gluttons for punishment there are more lists and examples at johngzowki.com. He’s happy to be back here, enjoying the lovely country and town.

    JASON HAND (Lighting Designer)
    For the Playhouse: Third Floor.
    Elsewhere: Arms and the Man (Shaw); The Barber of Seville (Soulpepper); The Arsonists, This, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Winter’s Tale (Canadian Stage); Blue Planet (YPT); The Amorous Adventures of Anatol, The Ugly One (Tarragon); The Trespassers (Stratford); South Pacific (Drayton Entertainment); Macbeth (Minnesota Opera); The Tales of Hoffmann (Edmonton Opera); Pelléas et Mélisande, Figaro’s Wedding, La Bohème, Turn of the Screw (Against the Grain).
    Upcoming: An Enemy of the People, Abyss (Tarragon); Carmen (Vancouver Opera); James and the Giant Peach (YPT); Dear Johnny Deere (Theatre Calgary).
    Other: Protégé recipient of 2012 Siminovitch Prize in Theatre, and three Dora Nominations for Outstanding Lighting Design.

    CAMELLIA KOO (Set & Costume Designer)
    For the Playhouse: Debut.
    Elsewhere: A God in Need of Help, East of Berlin (Tarragon); The Wanderers, The Sheep and the Whale, Bombay Black (Cahoots Theatre Projects); Macbeth (Minnesota Opera); The Tales of Hoffmann (Edmonton Opera); Maria Stuarda (Pacific Opera Victoria); The Lighthouse (Boston Lyric Opera); Turn of the Screw, Pelléas et Mélisande (Against the Grain). As Set Designer: The Sea, Trifles, Peace in Our Time, The Stepmother, Good King Charles’ Golden Days (Shaw Festival).
    Upcoming: Tour Bremen Town Musicians (Canadian Opera Company School).
    Other: Recipient of six Dora Mavor Moore Awards, Sterling Award, Chalmers Award Grant, Siminovitch Protégé Prize, Third Prize team at the 2011 European Opera Directing Prize.

    HARDEE T. LINEHAM (Scheffler)
    For the Playhouse: Debut.
    Elsewhere: For This Moment Alone, Tribes (Theatre Aquarius); The Ugly One (Theatre Smash); Lenin’s Embalmers (Independent); The Overwhelming, Stuff Happens, Black Bird (Studio 180); Dying To be Sick (Pleiades); Crave (Nightwood); Omnium Gatherum, Proof, Richard III (Dora Winner), Henry VI, The Tempest, Spring Awakening, Summerfolk, Proof, Plenty (Can Stage); Streetcar, Macbeth, School for Wives (Playhouse); Scary Stories, Mad Boy Chronicles, Six Degrees (A.T.P); White Biting Dog, The Unseen Hand, Love and Anger, Dads in Bondage (Toronto). Dora Nominations: Crackwalker, Lie of the Mind, True West, Science Fiction.
    Film/TV: Cary (The Jane Show), Santa Baby, Shoemaker (Genie Nomination), Top Of The Food Chain, The Big Hit, The Italian Machine, Puppets Who Kill, Traders, Little Mosque, Murdoch, Warehouse 13, The Ron James Show, Gay Basher (short film, accepted to Cannes, 2014).
    Other: Mr. Lineham trained at the National Theatre School. His performance is dedicated to Les Carlson.

    TRACY MICHAILIDIS (Fanny)
    For the Playhouse: Suds, The Marvelous Wonderettes.
    Elsewhere: Ethel Sings (Beckett Theatre); Guys and Dolls (Segal Centre); Angels in America (WJT); Parade (Acting Up Stage/Theatre 180); The Light in the Piazza (Acting Up Stage); Into the Woods, Three Sisters (Atlantic Theatre Festival); The Fellini Radio Plays, Fiddler on the Roof (Stratford Festival); The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Peter Pan (Shaw Festival); Emily, Anne of Green Gables (Charlottetown Festival); The Princess and the Handmaiden (YPT); Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad (Theatre Northwest); Anything That Moves (Belfry); Unity (1812) (Theatre Passe-Muraille); Disney’s Beauty and The Beast (Broadway, U.S. National Tour).
    Other: Tracy is a proud graduate of Queen’s University. Thanks to Ashlie, and thanks to Dad.  www.tracymichailidis.com

    DYLAN ON (Apprentice Stage Manager)
    For the Playhouse: As Stage Manager/Ensemble: Bird Brain. As Sound Designer: Peg and the Yeti.
    Elsewhere: As Actor: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Spring Awakening, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, City of Angels (Queen’s Musical Theatre); Play On!, Teapest in a Tempot (Barefoot Players); Blood Relations (Queen’s University Drama); Sweet Charity (Blue Canoe Productions). As Director: Assassins (QMT); Catherine Anne Jane Anne Catherine Catherine (Vogt Studio Series). As Assistant Director: Red (Theatre Kingston). As Sound Designer: Macbeth (Vagabond Theatre); Wait Until Dark (5th Company Lane).
    Other: Dylan is thrilled to be joining the team of The Ugly One. A recent graduate of Queen’s University Drama, Dylan will be heading to Toronto this fall to study at York University’s MA program in Theatre & Performance Studies. Thanks to Ashlie, Charlotte and Natasha for this wonderful opportunity, and to his friends and family for their love and support.

    ALEX POCH-GOLDIN (Lette)
    For the Playhouse: Debut.
    Elsewhere: Possible Worlds (Munich, TIFT); Great Expectations (Magnus Theatre); Our Class (Studio 18 - Dora Nomination); Intimate Apparel (Citadel/Canadian Stage); Scorched (Tarragon/Centaur/Citadel/MTC); Remnants (Tarragon); Belle (Factory/ National Arts Centre); Bully (Theatre Centre - Dora Nomination); King Lear, Quills (MTC); Wit (Canadian Stage/Vancouver Playhouse - Jessie Nomination); Angels in America, The Tempest, Comedy of Errors (Canadian Stage).
    Film/TV: The Calling, Defiance, Good God, The Kennedy's, Flashpoint, The Untitled Word of Paul Shepard, Murdoch Mysteries, Covert Affairs.
    Upcoming: Vigil, Prince of Homberg (TIFT); Life of Jude to be published by Scirocco Press. Bad Luck Bank Robbers at 4th Line Theatre, 2015.
    Other: Playwriting: The Life of Jude; From The House of Mirth (with James Kudelka); The Right Road To Pontypool; Cringeworthy/This Hotel - Dora Nomination -Outstanding New Play Yahrzeit (German tour); The Shadow (Opera libretto, Tapestry). Finally: Chloe Babette is seven years old and the song I sing every day.

  • [nggallery id=5]

    Jesse Aaron Dwyre, Hardee T. Lineham, Tracy Michailidis, Alex Poch-Goldin. Photos by Jay Kopinski.

    Ashlie's Inside Story

    [embed width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50q3AcxUkdk&theme=light&color=white&rel=0[/embed]

    Audience Reactions

    [embed width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLisYjI2-yw&theme=light&color=white&rel=0[/embed]

  • Reviews

    Review: The Ugly One - Tightly choreographed. Admirable theatre!
    Capital Critic's Circle. Aug 23, 2014
    German playwright Marius von Mayenburg has written an angry little Hegelian parable which is tightly staged, highly stylized, prone to split second reactions that ... Read More

    4 2/3 STARS Review: The Ugly One at the Thousand Islands Playhouse
    North Country Public Radio. Aug 22, 2014
    "The Ugly One" by a prominent young German playwright, Marius von Mayenburg, harkens back to what I expect in the Firehall. It's new, dark, funny, and edgy. Read More

    Review: The Ugly One Cuts Deep at the Firehall Theatre 
    A Fresh News Start. Aug 18, 2014
    With a sickening crunch of breaking cartilage, metamorphosis begins and life will never be the same. In a twisted world where personal appearance is more ... Read More

    Preview Articles

    Ugly is in the eye of the beholder - EMC Daytripper

    Dark Comedy's Cutting Edge - A Fresh News Start

    Interview with Director Ashlie Corcoran - North Country Public Radio

    Videos

    Behind the Scenes preview and interview - Eastern Ontario Network

  • Production Sponsor

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