TORONTO, February 24, 2009 -- Alan Dilworth directs Theatre @ York‘s production of The Bundle by visionary English playwright Edward Bond, opening March 10 at York University. Set in the last era of feudal China, this epic theatrical journey asks if real change is possible in an unjust world.
In The Bundle, the protagonists – and the spectators – are faced with a series of ethical dilemmas and their aftermath. The poet Basho chooses his quest for personal enlightenment over saving a baby, left to die by its destitute parents. The baby, rescued by an impoverished ferryman, grows up to be the revolutionary fighter Wang. The drama that follows eventually pits Basho and Wang against one another. The salvation of a desperate community repeatedly devastated by flood and famine hangs in the balance.
In an interesting twist, Dilworth casts a female in the role of Wang rather than the male actor the play calls for. Bond has “personally endorsed the experiment and looks forward to hearing the result”, Dilworth said.
In preparation for the production, the director visited Bond last summer at his home near Cambridge, England.
“Bond explained in detail his vision of society, politics, drama and a few key ideas I should consider when directing his plays,” Dilworth said. “I was struck by his complete commitment to his dramatic vision.
“I find him both terrifying and inspiring in his relentless demand for meaningful drama,” said Dilworth. “In person, he proved to be the most generous of souls.”
From Dilworth’s first encounter with a Bond play (Lear), he was amazed both by the playwright’s brutality and his humanity. “Bond’s work is infamous for its violence, and yet, ultimately it has one central theme: the human need for justice in an inhuman society,” Dilworth said.
“Bond speaks in a raw, direct voice that challenges us to look at difficult questions and to contemplate intense social and moral choices. Theatre is the ideal vehicle to explore the ethical questions inherent within the timeless dilemmas of Basho’s and Wang’s world, and our society today.”
Dilworth, who is currently completing an MFA in directing in York’s Theatre Department, has a long list of professional credits to his name. He is the artistic co-director of Belltower Theatre, an associate artist of Convergence Theatre and founder of Zero Hour. As a director, his credits include: The Unforgetting (SummerWorks Jury Prize) with Belltower Theatre, The Gladstone Variations -The Card Trick (Top Ten Shows of 2007 - NOW Magazine), Autoshow-Prodigy (Top Ten Shows of 2006 - NOW Magazine) with Convergence Theatre; and If We Were Birds (SummerWorks Jury Prize) with groundwater productions. He was short-listed for the John Hirsch Director’s Award, named the Best Emerging Male Director in NOW Magazine’s Best of Toronto Guide for 2008, and was the recipient of the prestigious Urjo Kareda Emerging Artist Residency at Tarragon Theatre.
Working with Dilworth on The Bundle is an ensemble of 11 graduate acting students performing 27 characters and a talented creative team of undergraduates handling all aspects of the production design and execution. Set design is by Caitlin Fysh, lighting by David Goldstein and costumes by Alina Lapteva.
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Theatre @ York, the production company of York University's Theatre Department, has been entertaining audiences for almost 40 years. Each year, the company mounts a challenging season of plays drawn from the contemporary and classical repertoire, featuring some of Canada's most promising stage talent.
York’s theatre program has long been a springboard for some of Canada’s finest theatre artists. Alumni include screen and stage actors Rachel McAdams, Tamara Bernier, Thom Marriott, Patrick Galligan, Tara Rosling and Jennifer Gould; directors Weyni Mengesha, Richard Rose, Jim Millan and Soheil Parsa; playwrights Djanet Sears, Diane Flacks and Sally Clark; and stage designers Charlotte Dean, Renée Brode and Deeter Schurig.
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What: Theatre @ York presents The Bundle directed by Alan Dilworth
When: March 8-14, opening Tues. March 10
Previews March 8 & 9 at 7:30pm; Opens March 10 and runs to March 14 at 7:30pm nightly, plus matinees March 11 & 13 at 1pm.
Where: Joseph G. Green Studio Theatre, Centre for Film and Theatre, York University, 4700 Keele St.
Admission: $15 | students & seniors $10. March 8 preview PWYC | March 9 preview $5
Box Office: 416.736.5888 | www.yorku.ca/perform/boxoffice
Media contact:
Amy Stewart, Communications, Faculty of Fine Arts, York U | 416.650.8469 | amy.stewart@yorku.ca
