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An End and A Beginning

Well, last night the 11th Annual Hamilton Fringe Festival officially ended and on an incredibly high note as we took home the Best of Venue for all the BYOVs!

But it also means that The Yellow Wallpaper has been put to rest once more. On Saturday we packed up the chairs, the desk, the crib and took apart our glorious wall for the final time. It was an incredibly emotional and humbling experience watching it be stripped and taken down piece by piece, but at the same time it was thrilling.

This Fringe has been so different from my other experiences. There’s something so magical about watching something you lovingly crafted be performed and appreciated on stage. I now more than ever understand the term “it’s my baby”.

I’m extremely proud of the work my cast and crew did. Working with them was amazing, and the people at The Players’ Guild were outstanding. Reading the reviews and chatting with people after the show, watching and hearing about how it affected everyone differently… it was incredible. I can’t begin to be able to try and explain how rewarding that part of this experience was.

I achieved my goal of getting people to go out after the show, share a coffee and talk about it. Achievement unlocked!

Although, if I’m being honest, putting on the production was only 60% of why the Fringe was so phenomenal this year. What truly made this experience special were the people.

I have never felt so inspired and excited about theatre as I did these past few weeks, nor have I ever experienced such warmth and support from a community as I did from the artists and volunteers that made up this crazy festival. It was simply sensational.

Hamilton is such an inspiring place when it comes to the arts and the Fringe created this glorious hub and playground of creativity that bred originality. You were never just a singular until of theatre kids working on a show. You were a community of supportive players. Some days you were on stage but then some you got to spend in the wings watching and beguiling other artists, and the shows this year were on another level of amazing from any other festival I’ve been a part of.

This year I was able to take in: Romeo and Juliet: An Escapist Comedy – An outstanding comedy to be commended for the incredible writing and portrayal of a true-to-form Woody Allen wonder (Laura, Tyler, Sean) Jesters Incognito – Our partner show and one of the most brilliant and touching pieces of theatre I’ve seen in a very long time (Harry) A Language for Dogs – Such a brave and heart wrenching production put on by some of the most inspiring and creative minds I’ve ever encountered (Aaron) Places – This play moved me in a way I haven’t been by a performance in a very long time. Kudos to it’s truth and honesty (Michael) Mommy’s Mask – A wonderfully creepy and original piece by one of the first people to give me shot in the Hamilton theatre community (Peter) On the Rocks – Hilarious, creative and wonderfully choreographed. Who knew villains could be so much fun? (Robert, Jesse) Bell Ringer – Such a beautifully designed piece that was wonderfully acted and so imaginative (Taryn, Jessica, Philip, Danny) Fast Food Love – Always good for a laugh and brought me back to my roots! (Carly, Jason, Jessica, Paddy) Tomes – Improv at it’s finest and most wonderfully ridiculous. I’ll cherish my book forever.

That’s only 9 shows out of 45 and I wish I could have seen more, had time permitted. What I saw though was the heart and soul of Hamilton’s passion for the arts, and let me tell you my friends, it was awe-inspiring. I had no idea how much sheer, raw talent we had within our city. I’m in the best kind of shock.

Getting to know so many of the people involved was outstanding too. I’ve made connections that I hope will last for years to come. I finally got to talk to some of my artistic idols and fan-girled hard on multiple occasions. Only on the final night was able to try and regain some composure around certain people *cough-Woody Hamil-cough*.

So to my cast and crew, Hanah, Michael, Claudia, Sarah, Nick, Rose and Krista, thank you for taking this crazy journey with me and embracing the show with all of your heart and souls. I wouldn’t want to change a thing and I will love you and cherish you forever for making this show the wonder it was.

Thank you Harrison and Celeste for your constant support and congratulations for putting on the most incredible and wonderful show. You are both outstanding.

Thank you to Margaret for constantly being there to support and be the best advice giver a girl could ask for.

To all the artists, you are and continue to be an inspiration and I’ve been so grateful to share the stage and the experience with you.

This has truly been one of the most magical and fulfilling times in my life, an incredibly moving and humbling journey. I am elated and beyond excited at the opportunities I have been given and that await all who participated in the festival. What comes next is uncertain but I know that it will be insane and wonderful and scary and simply fantastic.

For now I’ll say “Until next year” to the Fringe, but I hope to the artists and all those involved I can extend the invitation to enjoy warm beverages together and talk art any time.

It’s been a slice.

#the yellow wallpaper #theatre #hamont #hamontfringe #hamilton #brianna boulton

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Fair warning: This review is long.

This Sunday afternoon, I had the pleasure of donning a Hamilton Fringe ‘backer button’ and heading over to The Players’ Guild of Hamilton, Inc. to watch a performance of Kristi Boulton’s The Yellow Wallpaper - a play adapted from a short story that is beautiful, haunting and exceptionally written.

The play is much of the same.

I had the pleasure of seeing The Yellow Wallpaper in it’s debut in the Honours Performance Series at McMaster, years ago (I can’t remember exactly how long, but bear with me). The play I remembered was absolutely devastating. I honestly cannot think of a better word to describe it. The wall, a towering thing that intimidated, drew attention, moved was the centrepiece, surrounded by magnificent actors who either revered or ignored it - and it tore apart any preconceived notions I had about what theatrecould - no, should- be.

I constantly told people - as recently as a few months ago - that this show was one of the best I had ever seen in Hamilton. It made me feel things that I had never considered, and it made me rethink my opinions on a lot of things - mainly, motherhood and ‘wellness,’ mental or otherwise.

Now, by this point you’re probably intrigued. As you should be. And frankly, the show is moving on a lot of levels. But what is it about?

A new mother, Charlotte (played by Hanah Itner) is taken to a country home by her husband John (Michael Patricelli) and her brother-in-law Henry (Nick Kozij) to try to rid her of her illness - frequently referred to in the show as her nerves. Her nerves are never really defined, as far as I can tell. She’s not feeling motherly (which I think could be something of a precursor to postpartum depression) and she’s a bit skittish. The men - who are also physicians - accuse her of having an over-active imagination (fair, for a woman who is a professional author, according to dialogue, throughout).

The has many scenes with Charlotte writing in a journal that she takes pains to keep hidden. Itner does an excellent job maintaining an air of nervousness (at being caught writing) and makes the audience feel for her almost immediately; she’s being held captive. Her captivity has moments of refrain, thanks to Rachel (Kristi Boulton) who is her sister-in-law and friend.

Rachel is a woman who hides a lot of her pain; there’s an allusion to her not being able to have children herself, and a moment of domestic violence that the audience is privvy to. Personally, I think these moments are too brief; they don’t give the audience enough time to really process why this woman is the way she is. It almost feels, in some sense, that they’re brushed over - something I didn’t feel was as true with the actress I saw in this role, previously - while Boulton had excellent comedic timing in this role, the more serious moments were lacking depth - a shame, because in my opinion they could have added quite a lot to the character.

Regardless, Rachel is an ally to Charlotte, for the majority of the piece - unlike the maid, Jennie (Claudia Spadafora), who seems to be making a feeble attempt for John’s affections. This is another moment that came across as weak, for me. I’ve seen Spadafora in other shows, and felt that she was much more believable. It’s unfortunate, because there are moments where Jennie shines - and moments where it seems she’s making so much of an effort to seem sexy that her cleverness is lost somewhere backstage.

It’s much of the same with Henry - who delivered one of my favourite lines of the show - there are moments when it seemed like he was reading lines instead of acting them. I’m not sure, as of now, whether this is a comment on the directing or the acting - or a combination of both. Kozij had excellent presence, though. His role as a villain is well done - we do hate him by the end. But in the same way that I commented on how there could have been more depth in Rachel’s strugglesome moments, I’d have liked to see more from Henry as the aggressor in their relationship. There should have been more build in silent interactions that led to the intense place that the audience found themselves in.

John, the husband who thinks he’s doing good and soon after realizes he’s hurting his wife, is an odd character. Patricelli does a fine job of making him simultaneously a victim and a villain. In the moments we have of a genuine John - worried about his wife, questioning the scientific method of treatment - Patricelli makes us love him. And then, just as fast, when he says something about not sleeping next to Charlotte because her nerves make him uncomfortable - every person in the audience feels the need to cringe, wondering how someone could be so callous when their significant other begs them to stay.

Overall, though, all of these characters sort of paled, in comparison to the Woman in the Paper (Sarah Granger) and Charlotte. Itner did such a great job showcasing the decline into her character’s instability - and Granger’s facial expressions were absolutely spot on; she was able to give so much in a quirk of an eyebrow that the silence of her character wasn’t even an issue. But the best thing about either of them as actors was their interaction. It’s obvious that Itner and Granger worked hard on the relationship between their characters. There were moments of frantic interaction, but more notably there were almost mother-daughter moments, where Granger’s yellow woman cradled Itner to her, silently telling her that things would be okay and that she could almost make it all better. It was a joy to watch the two of them interact - and the closing tableau was heart wrenching for a variety of reasons - but I won’t give it away, because the ending is definitely surprising.

Technically, the performance I saw of the show was flawed. The loop of the sound was distracting because it didn’t quite line up. The wall was less impressive in height (versus the first time I saw the show) and I feel that really took away from the effect. The costuming was sensible, for the most part - but unfinished sleeves and shirts that felt like the wrong time period took away from that, too. The furniture was perfect for the run-down cottage home, but should still have looked finished - in the sense that they had a single coat of paint on parts instead of two and then sanded down. Overall, the production seemed technically unfinished, which is of course one of the downsides of a festival like Fringe.

Overall, I thought the show was great. It was different than the version I watched at Robinson Memorial years ago, but It was still great. It made me think, and more importantly it made me want to talk about theatre - and isn’t that the point?

The Yellow Wallpaper has three more performances: Thu July 24th 9PM Fri July 25th 7PM Sat July 26th 2PM

at The Players’ Guild of Hamilton, Inc. 80 Queen Street South, Hamilton, Ontario L8P3R8

#hamilton #hamont #hamontfringe #the yellow wallpaper #theatre

(Reviews by Channah Cohen, Rebecca Costie, Beverly Horton, Allison M. Jones, Tamara Kamermans, Tom Mackan, Rachel More, ...

THE YELLOW WALLPAPER Production Company: A Company of Players (Toronto, ON) In the “Director’s Notes” for her stage adaptation of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s story, Kristi Boulton expresses her desire for her audience to “see the depth of Charlotte’s psychosis” and to see how Charlotte appears to the “rest of the world.” To the latter end, Boulton reworks a character or two, using them as place holders for “the rest of the world.” Henry and Rachel’s heavy–heeled pounding across the stage adds weight and impact to the medical “must not” and social “should be” voices found in Gilman’s original story. The additional character layer also produces a fault line where the partriarchal authority a physician wields abuts the force of spousal devotion. Playing the role of John, Charlotte’s husband, Michael Patricelli negotiates this space with amazing subtlety. But ultimately, the message of social condemnation is the same. Madness is the just reward for the woman who neglects her “natural” role as devoted wife and mother in pursuit of a life of the mind and spirit. So Boulton’s attempt to amplify the sounds and impact of social convention is not this production’s most significant offering to its audience. Instead, it is the interpretation of the wall and the woman in it. The tattooed “Wallpaper Woman” (Sara Granger) has no speaking part, but her angular, sliding movements behind, around, and through the wall are mesmerizing, her presence, impactful. Arguably, Carlotte’s (Hanah Itner’s) most powerful and expansive moments on stage are those shared with Granger: the slow–motion mirroring dance mid–stage, fingers extended through the wall to hold Charlotte in a slightly menacing yet comforting embrace. These beautifully–terrifying moments alone are worth the price of admission. (BH)

#theatre #the yellow wallpaper #hamilton #hamont #hamontfringe

Wallpaper's 4th review!

The Yellow Wallpaper

Though The Yellow Wallpaper is one of the longer shows in the festival, I was enthralled for the entire performance. That being said, condensing minor scenes and interactions would have improved pacing. In this way the piece was not necessarily gripping or thrilling, but still beautiful and interesting. Mise-en-scene elements worked well together to pull the audience down with Charlotte (Hanah Itner) as she slowly loses her mind. For example, the gobo choice signifying night was perfect and the repetitive use of it mimicked the character’s inner turmoil. Every day is truly the same in Charlotte’s isolated room and the only sources of inspiration are the lovely creatures in the wallpaper. Sarah Granger is a mesmerizing force as Wallpaper Woman and makes us wish we could go to her yellow realm. I was constantly craning to spy movement in the patterns of the wallpaper.

Some big themes were aptly presented by the company: gender relations, scepticism versus faith, and ethical medical practice. Director/Writer Kristi Boulton did a great job adapting the original short story (a series of diary entries told in a singular voice) into a captivating plot with well-developed characters.

#the yellow wallpaper #hamilton #hamont #hamontfringe #theatre

The Yellow Wallpaper

By Jen Dawson Published July 25, 2014

Playwright: Kristi Boulton (asst Matthew Bandura and Emiliano Bravin)

Director: Kristi Boulton

Cast: Hanah Itner as Charlotte, Sarah Granger as Wallpaper Woman, Michael Patricelli as John, Claudia Spadafora as Jenny, Nick Kozij as Henry, Kristi Boulton as Rachel, Philip Wonder (Understudy John/Henry)

Show Type: Drama

Audience: General

Warning: Mature Content

Running Time: 75 Minutes

I read Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story The Yellow Wallpaper too many years ago, back in my first year English class at Mac. It was right around the time I was listening to The Beautiful South - I was a particular fan of their macabre song "The Woman in the Wall".

If you know the short story, written in 1892, you'll know women in walls is an important part of the tale. So is psychological violence, misogyny thinly disguised as medicine, and bad décor.

Gilman's story is a first person recounting of a woman's descent into madness at the hands of her doctor-husband and some really ugly yellow wallpaper.

The story would easily lend itself to the one-woman show format - a Fringe classic. Instead, writer, director, producer and designer Kristi Boulton has chosen to mount a more ambitious production, featuring six cast members, a crew of seven and a 75-minute script that intelligently quotes from the story only when the protagonist writes in her journal.

The script hammers home the feminist themes of the story, which are explored from different perspectives by each of the characters Boulton has created. Costumes, the set and makeup are all effective.

But the play really comes alive through creative lighting and distorted sound, which convey the psychological drama and the understated horror of the world Gilman envisioned.

Adaptations of The Yellow Wallpaper, it turns out, are relatively common fare at Fringes around the world. I stumbled across online reviews for versions staged in Edinburgh, Dublin, London and Seattle. Now there's a review for Hamilton's production.

Congratulations to this talented Bring Your Own Venue troupe, who packed 'em into the sticky hot Players Guild theatre until it was standing room only. If you're looking for some hard-hitting feminism with a side of horror this weekend, it's a definite recommend.

#hamilton #hamont #hamontfringe #the yellow wallpaper #theatre

Our second review is out! "The Yellow Wallpaper charts many attempts to constrain Charlotte, whether through a reproductive futurist morality, the rhetoric of self-control, economic dependence, medical institutions, or anaesthetic drugs. Joining with the Wallpaper Woman is a physical and ontological transformation, setting Charlotte free. She doesn’t trade one morality from another, but articulates an ethical transformation, a complete metamorphosis of who she truly is. A new genuine identity is created, and the regimentation of Victorian identity, ideology, and political morality is impotent before the power of a woman who has finally freed herself." Adam Riggio reviews The Yellow Wallpaper from an academic perspective and delves into the psyche of Charlotte and the rest of the cast with persuasion and vigor. Thank you for an excellent review my friend

#the yellow wallpaper #theatre #fringe #hamont #hamontfringe #Adam Riggo

Thanks to Amanda N. Nesbitt for our first review! A beautiful writer with a unique and touching insight on the show. Come by for one of three more opportunities to see the show this week! https://www.facebook.com/events/1441083666162923/

#the yellow wallpaper #theatre #hamont #hamontfringe #fringe #amanda nesbitt

Kristi Boulton wants her audience to have a cup of coffee after seeing The Yellow Wallpaper at the 11th Annual Hamilton Fringe Festival.

She says a high school teacher used to say that theatre should make you want to have a cup of coffee. It should make you want to talk about it.

The writer and director of this chilling production says her favourite part of any show is when the lights go down after the final bow and you begin to hear the buzz.

The Yellow Wallpaper, which is based off of Charlotte Perkins Gilman’s short story of the same title, has many layers. Kristi says there is so much to take away from it from feminism empowerment, mental health, to imagination vs. reality.

“And that’s just grazing the surface”

Not only did the 25-year-old McMaster graduate co-write and direct the show, she is also acting in the production this time around. Kristi is playing Rachel, wife to Henry and sister-in-law to John and the main character, Charlotte.

Rachel is a completely original character that isn’t seen in the short story. Kristi says that her and her original writing team, Matt Bandura and Emiliano Bravin, decided to write this character in so that another character could befriend Charlotte as well as provide an internal conflict.

Rachel sees so much of herself in Charlotte and longs to have the creativity and flair she possessed before moving to the house, but Rachel is also barren which creates a jealous struggle when Charlotte does not want her own child.

When asked about how she has managed her many roles, Kristi says she credits Rose Usenica – her stage manager and assistant director. Rose directs Kristi when she is on stage and tracks Kristi’s mental notes to the other actors.

“I’d be a little out of control if I had to direct myself.”

With the help of her side-kick and cast, Kristi can’t wait to head to the Fringe.

“The vibe of working together and experiencing everything as a unit and going to see other shows can expand your own experience,” says the third time Fringer, who has been in Purple and Bridezilla vs. the Apocalypse in previous years.

“Even though I have the title of director, writer, producer, actor; this truly been such a collaborative process I almost feel guilty taking on that title.”

Prepare to have coffee after The Yellow Wallpaper – it plays at The Player’s Guild from July 17th to July 27th.

#kristi boulton #the yellow wallpaper #theatre #hamont #hamontfringe

Director's Notes: Thoughts on Opening Night

*Breath* Okay. It’s opening. *Breath* You’ve done everything you could possibly do to prepare for this. *Breath* Everything is now out of your hands and in your stage manager’s…*Breath, breath, breath* You are no longer in control. *Breath, breath, breath, breath* No more notes. No more blocking tips. No more coaching. *Breath, breath, breath, breath, breath* ALL YOU CAN DO IS WATCH AND PRAY. *Hyperventalates and falls over*

That’s about all that’s going through my mind presently as I sit here, watching the hands on the clock in my office tick by at the pace of a particularly slow snail.

Oh wait. That’s not slow at all. What? It’s now 3 hours until opening?! WHAT IS THIS BLACK SAGE MAGIC?! Honestly, the feelings you have before a show can range from excitement to terrified and back to excitement so fast that it makes you dizzy.

Imagine riding a rollercoaster and you’re in that standstill moment at the top. That moment where you know you’re about to drop off the 180ft high rise and you can feel the anticipation right down in your belly. That special spot where fear, suspense, joy and nausea all become one beautiful, unified emotion. And then you wait. Wait for the drop… That’s what every moment is like opening night until you step on stage. It’s both incredible and exhausting.

It’s especially worse today too because not only is the show I have wirtten, directed and produced, but I’m acting as well.

Why do this you ask? Why put yourself through so much stress you say?

Because I love it and I can’t imagine living my life any other way. Time to ride the coaster.

#the yellow wallpaper #theatre #hamont #hamontfringe #brianna boulton

Rose Usenica has been busy since she completed her combined degree in Theatre & Film and Linguistics two years ago.

Since then, she has stage managed and directed many local theatre productions. Not only that but she is also the Founder and Artistic Director of the newly formed youth theatre charity organization called Treble Threat.

“The goal is to get kids involved in theatre while raising money for charity,” she says proudly.

The company has already produced a musical and a Canadian written play as well as raised over $2000 for the Canadian Cancer Society and MS.

Amongst all of this, Rose Usenica is back at the 11th Annual Hamilton Fringe Festival as the Stage Manager, Assistant Director and all around sidekick to Director Kristi Boulton for their production of The Yellow Wallpaper.

Since seeing the show in its inception during the McMaster Honours Performance Series, Rose has always found the show really intriguing because it deals with both feminist issues and mental health.

Being in a multi-level role with The Yellow Wallpaper has been really beneficial for Rose as she really loves directing.

When asked about managing her own roles, she says that Kristi is really receptive to input and that the cast is really enjoyable.

This will be Rose’s second time participating in the Hamilton Fringe; she has previously stage managed for the 2012 show The Girl in the Window by fellow McMaster grad, Samuel Chang.

When asked about the Fringe experience, Rose says: “I absolutely love the fact that you become immersed in theatre and other artists for two weeks.” “To completely dive into that community is amazing.”

Catch all of the cast and crew’s hard work in The Yellow Wallpaper starting July 17th at The Player`s Guild.

Sarah Granger has thought about the meaning behind the Wallpaper Woman three times over.

“In some other reality, the wallpaper woman was some other part of Charlotte. She has real world ties but is also a nightmare – a dream,” says the McMaster Alumni.

“It’s up to the audience to decide how much they want to discover,” she says about the stage adaptation of The Yellow Wallpaper.

Sarah, who has been doing theatre since she was eight, has mastered the movements of the Wallpaper Woman. This will be her third time playing the woman behind the paper; she’s the only original cast member and the show will hit the stage again at the 11th annual Hamilton Fringe Festival on July 17th.

Although her character has no lines, she is just as significant and because she has been in the show since the start, she has been able to craft and design the role.

“It’s my baby.”

Sarah says it’s been interesting to follow the three different casts. With each time, it’s been a nice challenge and she has found something different to help change up her character.

“A new energy comes to it and new versions of the characters are found each time.”

In turn, being able to mould her character around the other characters, in particular the character of Charlotte – this has been the unique part.

Although Sarah has seen many Fringe shows in the past, this is her first time as a show member.

“Time is limited at the Fringe. Since I’m a movement character, it will be interesting.”

Sarah hopes to still get Kristi Boulton’s vision across while still keeping within the restricting constraints of the festival.

She is excited to embrace the nature of the Fringe and leave the audience with a big unknown that they have to grapple with and digest.

Come behind the wallpaper with Sarah starting this Thursday evening at 7pm at The Players Guild!

Adam Riggo, local blogger and all around awesome dude wrote a blog after a conversation he and I had about the piece. It's an excellent read and only continues to make my excitement for this production grow!

#the yellow wallpaper #hamont #hamontfringe #Adam Riggo

Nick Kozij feels lucky to be back at the Hamilton Fringe Festival for the third time and is looking forward to getting The Yellow Wallpaper on the stage and in front of an audience.

The McMaster student, who plays Henry in the stage adaptation of Charlotte Perkins Gillman’s short story, first appeared at the London and Hamilton Fringe Festivals in the 2007 play, In The Kitchen.

Last year, he was featured in Jamie’s Gone which won Best of Fringe 2013.

“I’m looking forward to hopefully producing a similar success with The Yellow Wallpaper,” says Nick who grew in his beard for the show.

“It’s a really creepy yet poignant show and I’m looking forward to people’s reactions and what they take away from it.”

Nicks says his character Henry is the villain of the show as he is cold, calculated and controlling.

But he thinks that the audience will eventually agree that Henry is the only one that sees what is fully happening.

“He is struggling with his standing as a medical professional,” says Nick.

To prepare for the role, he read about sanatoriums in the early 1900s.

“My sister is also a doctor, so I have talked to her about medical accuracy.”

When asked about how this show could help break barriers for mental health, Nick says, “Hopefully through this show, it can open a window to view mental health with a bit more empathy. Through looking at this show and its narrative, we can see how ridiculous some of the techniques they previously used were. Although we’ve come so far, there is still so much more to do as a community in terms of the way we look at it.”

#the yellow wallpaper #hamont #hamontfringe #fringe #nick kozij

When Hanah Itner, a 5th year Mcmaster student, read the short story The Yellow Wallpaper in high school, she thought if she ever got to play Charlotte it would be the perfect role.

Now Hanah will hit the stage at the 11th annual Hamilton Fringe Festival, kicking off July 17th, as the leading character of the theatrical adaptation ofThe Yellow Wallpaper.

When asked about her character Charlotte, Hanah says the role takes a little bit of her because she has to put so much into it.

“For Charlotte herself, her world is falling apart and she has to create a new one,” she says of developing her character.

“With any role, you have to find some familiarity and in this case, anyone can relate to feeling alone,” Hanah continues.

Charlotte is a women suffering postpartum depression in a time period that knew little about this mental state. As Charlotte begins to feel more and more isolated, she begins to imagine the women behind her wallpaper.

“All she wants is someone to understand her,” says Hanah.

To really embody the character, Hanah finds that closing herself in a room with dim light and meditating helps her rediscover what it’s like to be completely alone.

She approaches each character she is going to play as if she is getting to know someone.

In this case, Hanah sees the wallpaper women as being a part of her; the parts of herself that are a creative awakening.

When it comes to being a first time Fringer with The Yellow Wallpaper, Hanah says she is specifically awaiting the audience’s response.

“There are a lot of moments with the wallpaper women where something will be happening downstage but then a handprint from the wallpaper women may appear,” says Hanah. “It’s about catching those small moments.”

With live theatre, you’re experiencing the story with the characters and you have to be really paying attention because it plays with your perception.

Catch Hanah in her dream role as Charlotte in The Yellow Wallpaper debuting Thursday, July 17th at The Player’s Guild.

“I just love theatre and I’ll keep doing it forever and ever,” says Michael Patricelli.

Any chance Michael can get involved in a project that intrigues him - he’s in. When director Kristi Boulton asked him to play John in a McMaster multimedia film adaptation of the short story The Yellow Wallpaper, he enthusiastically jumped on board.

Now The Yellow Wallpaper is back on stage for the second time and opens July 17th at the 11th Annual Hamilton Fringe Festival.

When asked about jumping from the screen to the stage, Patricelli say he found the film version had the cast and crew jumping around a lot. The short film was created out of succession and he found this fun but disorienting at times. But with the film, he says, it was nice to experiment and do scenes over again.

Michael is not new to the stage or the Hamilton Fringe, he has done a few shows at the festival in the past, has been preforming since high school, and is a graduate of the McMaster Theatre & Film program.

He says it’s always great to explore different venues in Hamilton and see how they have been maintained over the years. He’s glad that Hamilton and its art crowd are very inviting.

The Yellow Wallpaper will be featured at the Player’s Guild, the oldest theatre in Hamilton. Patricelli, playing Charlotte’s husband John in the show for the second time, says it will be fun to explore the space as it’s very fitting for the production’s time period.

Although the show is sombre and darker than most shows, Michael says he can relate to both his character John and the lead, Charlotte.

J: It's called a rest cure darling, not a "going downstairs" cure. C: How right you are. J: You'd better stay in bed this time or someone's going to lose her sitting up in bed privileges! C: I'm sorry. J: Little Goose. http://the-toast.net/2013/08/07/texts-from-the-yellow-wallpaper/

#the yellow wallpaper #michael patricelli #hamont #hamontfringe

Margaret Lintott, a friend a Public Relations Specialist, interviews the cast of The Yellow Wallpaper. As soon as Claudia Spadofora came to study at McMaster, she noticed the theatre community was so welcoming.

“I knew I just had to go for it,” she recalls.

When she first heard about the production of The Yellow Wallpaper, Claudia gushed over the show having read the short story. Originally brought on as an assistant stage manager, another cast member had to drop out of the show and Claudia was asked to fill in for the role of Jenny. She was thrilled.

Jenny is a nanny for affluent, high society families including the main character of Charlotte and her husband John.

Through working with the character, Claudia says they discovered that Jenny was previously an orphan and has worked her way up the ladder very quickly. Jenny is proud of this.

Although Claudia says she can’t relate to this particular experience, she does aspire to be just as determined and as much of a go-getter as her character Jenny.

As a first time Fringer, Claudia is excited to see many of the other shows and what they have to offer.

A lot of Claudia’s previous experience has been with musicals. There are often so many people working on these large productions and Claudia has welcomed the intimacy that comes with The Yellow Wallpaper.

“It’s nice to get to know each of the cast members on a deeper level,” she says.

Catch the Ancaster native in The Yellow Wallpaper starting July 17th at The Player’s Guild.

#the yellow wallpaper #claudia spadofora #hamont #hamontfringe

It's finally here!

'The Yellow Wallpaper' will be premiering in just over a week in it's Fringe debut at the Player's Guild theatre at 80 Queen St. S in Hamilton! So much blood, sweat and tears has gone into the preparation of this production and there are so many people to thank and show appreciation to!

Over the next few days blogs will be posted introducing you to the cast and crew along with thoughts from director Kristi Boulton on the show and it's progression from it's first production back in 2010.

So stay tuned and see what this amazing show has to offer!

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