2007 SEASON    

THE COMPANY - 2007 YORK SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL

YOU FANCY YOURSELF
August 21, 2007

By Maja Ardal

Directed by Mary Francis Moore
Starring Maja Ardal
 

Maya Ardal - as Elsa

Maja Ardal Recipient of the 2002 George Luscombe Award for Mentorship in the Theatre.

As Interim Artistic Director, Nightwood Theatre, Toronto, Maja will direct The Age of Arousal by Linda Griffiths this season to be performed at Factory Theatre, Toronto.

Maja’s play, You Fancy Yourself, has been invited to Winnipeg (April 2007), Southampton, Peterborough, (Showplace Theatre, Oct 2007), Theatre Aquarius, Hamilton (Feb 2008), and Talk is Free Theatre, Barrie (April 2008). It will appear in Toronto in 2008. Maja is a director, playwright, actor, theatre instructor, and former Artistic Director of Young People’s Theatre (Now Lorraine Kimsa Theatre). She began her career as an actor in the acclaimed Toronto Workshop Productions, under the inspired guidance of the late George Luscombe, whom she regards as her theatre mentor.

An Iceland-born Canadian, Maja was schooled in Scotland. She returned to Iceland in 2001 to direct her play Midnight Sun, which was also co-produced by Tarragon Theatre, Toronto, and the National Arts Centre, Ottawa, as well as Gloucester Playhouse, Massachusetts. Maja wrote the book for the musical JOY, (music by Joey Miller), produced by Workman Theatre, Toronto, 2002. She has directed at The Shaw Festival, The Grand Theatre, London, Alberta Theatre Projects, and The Great Canadian Theatre Company, among others. Her production of Whale at YPT received the Dora Award for Outstanding Production, and later toured to Washington DC. Maja’s appearances as an actor include KILT, by Jonathan Wilson, at Tarragon Theatre, (Nominated for Dora Award for outstanding performance) and JOAN at the Caravan Farm Theatre. In the 2004 season Maja directed Stones in his Pockets, by Marie Jones at the Alberta Theatre Projects, Calgary, (Betty Award nomination for outstanding direction) and The Foursome at The Grand Theatre, London, ON. In March, 2006, she directed Stones in his Pockets (Grand Theatre), and Brecht and Weil’s Threepenny Opera (Humber College). In 2007 she dircted her adaptation of Inben’s Peer Gynt (Humber College). Maja teaches playwriting, Laban, approach to Shakespeare, and "acting for the empty space". She has taught at the University of Toronto, The National Theatre School, Humber College, Fanshawe College, Tarragon Theatre, and she continues to offer various workshops for youth and teachers.

Mary Francis Moore - Director

Mary Francis Moore is a writer, actor and director. She has worked at such theatres as Tarragon, Factory, Theatre Passe Muraille, Nightwood, Buddies In Bad Times and Can Stage. Favourite credits include Dora nominated Russell Hill (Tarragon), One Good Marriage (Theatre Passe Muraille), Top Gun! The Musical (Factory and Toronto Fringe), and A Midsummer Night's Dream. Along with Annabel Griffiths and Alison Lawrence, Mary Francis co-wrote and co-starred in the much produced hit bittergirl which has played to sold out runs in Toronto and toured to both London’s West End and New York . Their book Bittergirl: Getting Over Getting Dumped is published in both Canada and the United States by Penguin. The bittergirls are currently in a musical theatre development workshop with the Mirvishes.

2007 SEASON