Roseneath Theatre is thrilled to welcome two new playwrights-in-residence this season: Toronto based Beatriz Pizano and Edmonton based Chris Craddock.
“Roseneath Theatre has built an outstanding repertoire of Canadian plays for young audiences,” notes Artistic Director Andrew Lamb, “and we're excited to continue our strong commitment to new play development with these two incredibly talented theatre professionals”.
Beatriz Pizano will be developing a play about a young Colombian refugee. La Maleta (The Suitcase) is the story of Roca, a ten-year old refugee who escapes her native Colombia with her mother. Their future is uncertain. Roca doesn’t know if they will be able to stay in Canada and whether they will reunite with her father. Through her friendship with Paz, Roca finds hope and the strength to adapt to her new home.
“I’m honoured to develop my first play for young audiences at Roseneath. They produce some of the best theatre in this genre by taking risks that create great art,” says Beatriz. “Most of all, I am grateful that they support a project that deals with the struggles of young refugees, and especially from a little known magical country like Colombia”.
Roseneath would like to thank the Ontario Arts Council for their support of Beatriz's residency.
Chris Craddock returns to Roseneath after our successful productions of his plays Wrecked and The Incredible Speediness of Jamie Cavanaugh. This latest script Grenade examines anger, violence, hopelessness and positive solutions through the eyes of Sandi, a relentless youth worker and the young people she befriends.
"Right now I am meeting with youth workers and inner city kids, hearing their stories. I am really proud of their trust, and I am excited to bring their honesty to the stage for highschool audiences,” says Chris. “Roseneath has been my Theatre for Young Audiences home for the last decade, and I am so excited to work on this new project with them!"
Beatriz Pizano is a playwright, director, actor and Artistic Director of Aluna Theatre, a company that creates innovative, original plays that deal with pressing issues and inspire social change. Her trilogy about women and war in Colombia received a total of four Dora awards and three nominations in the category of Outstanding New Play.
Chris Craddock is an Edmonton based Actor/Producer/Writer, proud to be associated with Roseneath Theatre. Chris's theatre work in Canada covers a range from TYA to alt-musicals. His musicals BASH’d (co-written and performed with Nathan Cuckow) and BoyGroove were produced commercially in Toronto and NYC and the latter received a 2007 GLAAD media award.
