An United Players of Vancouver production, in association with Touchstone Theatre
WHEN WE WERE SINGING
Written and composed by Dorothy Dittrich
A saga of friends and lovers, career crisis and personal angst. It is a story that switches gears in an instant to get at the heart of what makes people tick. When We Were Singing is an investigation of the friendship between four urban-dwelling lost souls. Work, loves, hopes, dreams, fears, failures – the story is pulled from the same source as our own lives. A musical like few others!
When We Were Singing was first produced by Touchstone Theatre (Vancouver, BC) in 1995.
When We Were Singing is produced by permission of the Playwright and Marquis Literary (Colin Rivers) www.MQlit.ca.
*Image by Copilot Design
DATES:
May 31 – June 23, 2024
WHERE:
Jericho Arts Centre
SHOWTIMES: May 31 – Jun 23, 2024
Dates: May 31 – June 23, 2024
Thurs-Sat evenings at 8:00 pm, Sun matinee at 2:00 pm
Preview: May 30 ($15.00)
Opening: May 31
Talkbacks: Thursday, June 6 & Sunday, June 9
Matinees: All Sundays (June 9, 16, 23, 30)
Vocal Eye Described Performance: United Players is pleased to offer a VocalEye Described Performance for the matinee performance on June 16, 2024.
Talkbacks: Thursday, June@8PM and Sunday, June 9@8PM
Matinées: All Sundays (June 9, 16, 23, 30)
CAST & CREATIVE TEAM
Starring
Abby – Nevada Banks
Jenny – Rachel Kent
Belinda – Viviana Renteria
Les – Michael Brigantiǂ
Pianist – Gordon Roberts
ǂ Appearing by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.
Director
Roy Surette*
Musical Director
Chris King
Set Design
Brian Ball
Costume Design
Sydney Cavanagh & Rosie Aiken
Lighting Design
Brad Trenaman
Sound Design
Chris King
Assistant Director
Laura Di Cicco
* The participation of Roy Surette is arranged by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the provisions of the Dance Opera Theatre Policy (DOT). Appearing by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.
Stage Manager
Emma Graveson
Technical Director
Kelsey John Torok
Head Carpenter
Bruce Suttie
Producer
Nancy Caldwell
Assistant Producer
Susan Mellor
ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
DOROTHY DITTRICH
Dorothy Dittrich is an award winning playwright, composer, sound designer, and musical director. Her most recent play, The Piano Teacher, is the recipient of the Governor General’s award for English-language drama. An Arts Club Theatre Silver Commission, it went on to win the Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Original Script. Other of Dorothy’s plays include The Dissociates, Lesser Demons, Two Part Invention and If the Moon Falls. Her musical When We Were Singing has been produced across Canada from The Belfry, to Buddies in Bad Times, the National Arts Centre, and in the U.S. It was workshopped at the Manhattan Theatre Company in New York City.
Dorothy’s work – including sound design and musical direction – has garnered her a number of Jessie Awards and nominations including two Dora Mavor Moor nominations for When We Were Singing. She is the proud recipient of the Sydney J. Risk Prize for Emerging Playwright.
A graduate of Simon Fraser University, Dorothy has a Master’s Degree in Liberal Studies. Originally a Vancouver resident, Dorothy has recently moved to Vancouver Island where she continues to write and play music.
United Players is a long-established Vancouver community theatre (64 years old!), the resident company of the Jericho Arts Centre. They put on five shows a year, and have a mandate to provide opportunities to talented emerging actors, directors and technicians. They are known for their exciting and demanding repertoire of classical and critically-recognized contemporary plays and are much loved in the Vancouver theatre scene.
