A Note from co-creator Brian Fidler
Atlantis started with the desire to create something ridiculous and entertaining with a group of fun, talented people. This summer I traveled to Japan and for the first week I was up at 4am every day walking the early morning streets of Osaka and hatching the plan for this show. Atlantis is heavily influenced by jetlag, Japanese architecture and those ridiculous Sci-Fi movies of the 1950’s and 60’s.
I have a deep love of cardboard and its versatility and form; you can build anything out of cardboard and it’s free! It was a joy to work with designer Selene Vakaharia as we conceived of the cardboard city of Atlantis and the ridiculous masks that frame this world. Shout out to the crew of artists who threw themselves into the building of the cardboard city and created something truly magical: Michel Gignac, Tara Kolla, LeaAnn McNally, Selene Vakharia and Alaena Warner.
I came into rehearsals with a loose script and a group of performers who I knew would be open to being silly and playful. Special thank you to Allyn Walton and Caleigh Farrow for saying yes to almost every stupid idea we threw at them.
Thank you to the Yukon Arts Centre: Casey, Michele, Martin, Mike and Josh! I am so grateful to bring a new creation to this beautiful stage and to know that the YAC team had our back throughout this process.
Now get in there and make something out of cardboard!
The Ramshackle Collective
Caleigh Farrow, Michel Gignac, Tara Kolla, Calvin Laveck, Marcy Mills, LeaAnn McNally, Greg Murdoch, Alita Powell, Kelvin Smoler, Selene Vakharia, Allyn Walton, Alaena Warner
Choreographer/dramaturg/outside eye– Allyn Walton
Sound Design and Technical Direction– Kelvin Smoler
Stage Manager– Sara German
Contributors– Caleigh Farrow and Anton Solomon
Lighting Design– Martin Nishikawa
Set and Mask Design– Selene Vakharia and Brian Fidler
Mask Designer and Builder– Selene Vakharia
Door Design and Builder– Otto Ziegler
Cardboard Set Builders– Michel Gignac, Tara Kolla, LeaAnn McNally, Selene Vakharia, Alaena Warner
Cast
Citizen A- Alita Powell
Citizen B- Brian Fidler*
Citizen C- Calvin Laveck*
Citizen G- Greg Murdoch
Citizen M- Marcy Mills
* The participation of these Artists are arranged by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the provisions of the Dance•Opera•Theatre Policy.
Thank yous: Velvet Antler Productions, Jill Laveck, Emily Woodruffe, Charlie Fidler, Jacob Fidler, the Ramshackle Board of Directors, Josh Jansen, Martin Nishikawa, Anika Kramer
Selene would like to thank: Millie for quality testing cardboard, Ryder for project managing and Laurie for allowing me to cover everything in cardboard dust and gluegun strings.
Ramshackle Theatre acknowledges the support of the Government of Yukon, the Advanced Artist Award and Lotteries Yukon in the creation of Atlantis.
