Cast Derkach (October 12, 14, 19, 21)

Leo	Ashton Turner*
Spencer	Jose Arias Encalada*
Alice	Julia Kowalski*
Sheila	Rebecca Spilchak
*In partial fulfillment of BFA (Acting)

Cast Brausen (October 13, 15, 20, 22)

Leo	Liam Johnston*
Spencer	Nik Porelli
Alice	Meeka Fast*
Sheila	Rebecca Spilchak (Oct 13 & 15) Lorena Arias Encalada (Oct 20 & 22)
*In partial fulfillment of BFA (Acting)

Director	Shannon Blanchet
Stage Manager	Xander Scribante
Assistant Stage Manager	Ian Kimpton
Set Design	Carla Orosz
Assistant Set Designer	Abraham Galman
Costume Design	Beverley Kobelsky
Assistant Costume Design	Hannah Fehr
Lighting Design	Ken MacKenzie
Assistant Lighting Designer	Cody Brayshaw
Sound Design	Nicole Kidder

Head of Wardrobe	Beverley Kobelsky
Head of Props	Taegan O'Bertos
Technical Director	Iain Rose
Running Crew	DRAM 113 class: Taylor Brown Grace Craig Abi Dunlop Cole Dutchyn Randy Huang Patrick Lomas Joie Ooie Jonathan Raji Zachariah John Reaney Will Straf Logan Warkenten
Lighting Crew	DRAM 213 class: Hannah Luther Leze Pewapsconias Mavis Pu Lauren Summers Abbie Tomlinson
Dressers	Jessie Bruce Hannah Fehr
Lighting Operator	Leze Pewapsconias
Sound Operator	Nicole Kidder
Box Office Manager	Amy Gerein
Assistant Box Office Manager	Carla Orosz
Box Office Staff	Kaeleigh Folk Ava Johnson James Miller Paulina Salisbury

I suppose you would like to know why you are about to watch this play. Why do I, the director, think it is worthy of your time and attention? Well, in the words of our playwright:

“It’s hard to talk about why you do things when the reason you do them is what they are rather than why they are.”

-Stewart Lemoine

So rather than tell you why you are about to watch The Margin of the Sky, I am going to take this moment to tell you what The Margin of the Sky is.

The Margin of the Sky is a play written by one of Canada’s most prolific playwrights and theatre-makers.

Stewart Lemoine founded the genre-bending independent theatre company Teatro la Quindicina alongside collaborator and dynamo (actress-turned-resident costume designer) Leona Brausen in 1982. At last count, he has written 80 plays, all of which have been produced and shared with audiences in his hometown of Amiskwacîwâskahikan (Edmonton). This tally does not include his minor works. By sheer volume of work, this places him in the company of Sophocles, Shakespeare, and Sir Alan Aykbourn.

The Margin of the Sky is a comedy.

Laughter is good for us. Research shows it facilitates learning and retention, builds feelings of social connection, and improves wellbeing. Laughter is also point of entry. Like theatre, it creates space for us to receive truths to which we might otherwise remain closed. Like music, it empowers us to persevere in the face of uncertainty and challenge. Like visual art, it can open our minds to see the world in new ways. The world needs humans who are open to uncomfortable truths. The world needs humans who persevere through uncertainty. The world needs humans who see things in new ways. The world needs laughter.

The Margin of the Sky is a tribute to the people who taught me to laugh.

I have had the privilege of learning about laughter as a student of the (unaccredited) school of Stewart Lemoine theatre-making since I became an ensemble member of Teatro la Quindicina (recently renamed Teatro Live!) Stewart, Leona, and the community that formed around their playmaking have been my teachers for many years. They have been teaching me to laugh through theatre for 16 years…and counting.

The Margin of the Sky is the beginning of a relationship.

This production marks my first at Greystone Theatre. It is also my first creative handshake with you, the community of students, artists, alumni, and audiences that has formed over decades of playmaking at Greystone Theatre. I’ll be honest: I hope this is a long relationship. It seems fitting for me to be upfront and give you a sense of where I come from, and some of the lessons I carry with me.

The Margin of the Sky is an experiment in collaboration.

The play you were about to watch took hundreds of hours of creative problem solving. Students, faculty, and technical staff worked together to transform images and ideas to materials and action. In theatre, every problem requires a practical solution. At Greystone, students and professionals seek solutions as
collaborators, learning together as we go. In this instance, we have worked with two full casts of actors to (hopefully) ensure the show can go on. In recognition of the history of the play, each cast is names for the actors who originated the roles of Alice and Sheila in the original production. What you are about to see is knowledge co-created through a process of experiential learning. It is the product of new and untested methodology. We are thrilled to continue learning with you, the audience. You are a vital collaborator in this experiment. Without you, there is no conclusion to our paper.

This production is an enthusiastic hello to my new community, and a heartfelt thank you to the community I come from. I am grateful to the cast, crew, and creative team for their openness, grit, and vision. I am grateful to you, the audience, for sharing your time, attention, and energy. I am grateful to my teachers for their generosity. I grateful for everyone’s laughter.

The Margin of the Sky is a comedy about creativity.

What it is and why it is are the same thing: theatre. Theatre is valuable. If it was gone, you’d miss it. Remember that, but also forget about it. Enjoy the show.

Special thank you to DRAM 220 for their assistance painting the set.