New ebooks From Canadian Indies
Description
The Drowning Girls
Bessie, Alice, and Margaret have two things in common: they are married to George Joseph Smith, and they are dead. Surfacing from the bathtubs they were drowned in, the three breathless brides gather evidence against their womanizing, murderous husband by reliving the shocking events leading up to their deaths. Reflecting on the misconceptions of love, married life, and the not-so-happily ever after, The Drowning Girls is both a breathtaking fantasia and a social critique, full of rich images, a myriad of characters, and lyrical language.
Comrades
Bartolomeo Vanzetti and Nicola Sacco dreamt of the land of the free. Leaving their small Italian villages, they embarked on a long voyage to the United States, only to encounter a world they never could have imagined. Controversially imprisoned for murder, both men must fight for their lives amidst discrimination and public humiliation. Based on actual events, Comrades bring to life Sacco and Vanzetti's seven-year imprisonment and explores the struggles and agonies of two men, tried not for what they did, but for who they were.
About the Authors
Beth Graham was born in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and grew up in Cochrane, Alberta. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting from the University of Alberta. It was at university where she met Daniela Vlaskalic and Charlie Tomlinson. Their first collaboration was The Drowning Girls in 1999 for the Edmonton Fringe Festival. Other collaborations include Comrades, The Last Train, and Mules. Beth lives in Edmonton with her husband Patrick and their goldfish Mr. Sparkleboots.
Charlie Tomlinson is a teacher/director/actor who lives in St John's, Newfoundland. He is the former artistic director of c2c theatre. He has worked at theatres from Newfoundland to the Yukon and has taught in Ontario, Alberta, and Newfoundland.
Daniela Vlaskalic is an actor and playwright who lives and works in Canada. Since graduating from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting, she has worked in numerous theatres across the country. Daniela began collaborating with Beth Graham and Charlie Tomlinson in 1999 with The Drowning Girls and continued collaborating with Beth on several plays, including Comrades, The Last Train (winner of the 2003 Alberta Playwrights Network Playwriting Competition), and Mules. They also shared the role of artist-in-residence at Catalyst Theatre in 2006. Daniela currently lives in Toronto.
Liz Nicholls is a theatre writer, traveller, and appreciator of all matters theatrical.
Awards
- Winner, Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding New Play
- Winner, Gwen Pharis Ringwood Award for Best New Play at the Alberta Literary Awards
- Short-listed, Canadian Authors Association Carol Bolt Award
Editorial Reviews
If the job of political theatre is to inspire or warn, to ignite new ideas or incinerate old ones with the heat of emotion, Comrades has more than punched in.
— Edmonton Journal
The imaginative depth of The Drowning Girls is enough to take your breath away.
— Calgary Herald
