[e-drive][TICKETS: EQUITY DISCOUNT, MONTREAL]

[Kaethe Yanovsky]

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Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts and Laurentian Bank of Canada present  Agatha Christie's  The Mousetrap

THE AUDIENCE IS SWORN TO SECRECY!

MONTREAL, October 2002 -The Saidye Bronfman Centre for the Arts and the Laurentian Bank of Canada are proud to present Agatha Christie's enduring mystery, The Mousetrap, playing at the Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre from November 11 until December 1, 2002. The play will preview for three performances, Nov. 11 to 13, with the Opening Night to be held November 14, 2002. 

Steven Schipper, Artistic Director of the Manitoba Theatre Centre for the fourteenth season, will be returning to the SBC Theatre to direct the famous whodunit. When last at the Saidye, Mr. Schipper directed the well received The Last Night of Ballyhoo, written by Alfred Uhry of Driving Miss Daisy fame. Trained at McGill and Bishop's Universities as well as at the National Theatre School of Canada, Steven is excited to return to Montreal to direct the longest running play in history. November 25, 2002 marks the 50th anniversary of the play in London, where the Queen shall be in attendance to commemorate the occasion. 

Steven has assembled a team of highly accomplished actors and designers from across Canada. They include: Evelyne Anderson, who has been featured in several Manitoba Theatre Centre productions; Ryan Hollyman, last seen at the SBC with the Montreal Young Company; Robert Latimer, who has performed in Europe, the United States and is well known to Canadians through his extensive theatre and television roles; Stephanie McNamara of the Centaur production of Oliver!, and Lubomir Mykytiuk, who was last seen at the SBC in Ballyhoo but was also in movie houses this past summer in K - 19 and Sum of All Fears. He is well recognized for his Gemini award-winning role on CBC's North of 60. A fine young actor and now director of his own Toronto-based theatre company, Mike Nadajewski, is also in the cast as well as Irene Poole who has performed several of the classics across Canada and Gordon Tanner who is a member of Winnipeg's famed Liechtenstein Theatre Company.

The set designer, Michael Eagan, worked with Schipper creating the set for Ballyhoo and is a master of 'period' sets, having worked for the Stratford and Shaw Festivals as well as most of the other leading Canadian theatres. Jan Cogley created the costumes with lighting design by the incomparable Luc Prairie, who just finished the last SBC production of the hauntingly beautiful The Glass Menagerie. Rob Denton is the Sound Designer with Jennifer Jensen rounding out the team as the Stage Manager. 

The play is about seven strangers who are stranded in an English inn during a snowstorm and one of them is a murderer. No sooner does an eighth character arrive on the scene, a policeman on skis, than a second murder takes place! Everyone is a suspect and in trying to find the culprit, the copper rattles more than a few skeletons.

Agatha Christie was born Agatha May Clarissa Miller in Devon, England in 1890. In 1920, the thirty-year-old Christie wrote her first mystery novel and the eccentric Belgian with the "little grey cells" was born. In all, Agatha Christie wrote more than 30 novels featuring Hercule Poirot. Ten years later, another famous Christie character was introduced: Miss Marple. In all, she wrote over 66 novels, numerous short stories and essays and a series of romantic novels under the pen name Mary Westmacott. Several of her works have made successful feature films, such as Murder on the Orient Express. In 1971, the 'Queen of the Golden Age of Literature' was awarded the honour of Dame of the British Empire. She is the single most popular mystery writer of all time, whose books are outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Agatha Christie died five years later on January 17, 1976. 

The SBC Theatre is proud to have the support of the following corporate and media sponsors: Via Rail, Le Cantlie Suites Hotel, CBC Television, The Gazette, CJAD 800 and Mix 96 with the opening night reception hosted by Absolut Vodka and Hydro Quebec as the season sponsor. Heritage Canada, Quebec Culture and Communications, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, the Conseil des arts de Montréal and the Ville de Montréal also generously contributed to this production. 

Sunday- at -the-Saidye
The Sunday- at -the-Saidye (S at TS) will be held at 11:00 AM on Sunday, November 10, 2002 at the Saidye Bronfman Centre located at 5170 Cote St. Catherine Road. As usual, the admission is free and all are welcome to attend. Each S at TS event delivers informative artistic background to the upcoming production. A question and answer period will follow as well as refreshments in the lobby. No reservations are necessary. For more information, call (514) 739-2301. 

Monday Night Talkbacks 
This year, the SBC Theatre has added another feature to enhance the theatre-going experience. Every Monday night following the play, some of the actors and/or designers will remain on stage to take questions from the audience. This is an opportunity for the audience to get up close and personal with the people that make it all happen. Combined with the new lower rates for this evening, Monday night performances have become an outstanding package that true theatre buffs cannot resist.

Tickets
Tickets prices range from $24.00 to $38.00, with a special student rate of $16.00. Tickets can be purchased through the SBC Box Office, open from noon every day except Saturday at (514) 739-7944 or visit the new SBC web site at www.saidyebronfman.org. Tickets are also available through Admission at (514) 790-1245 or go to www.admission.com. 

CAEA, QDF: rush seats 50% off ticket price (same day)

Schedule
Mon. Nov. 11 & 25: 2:00 PM
Mon. Nov. 18: 8:00 PM 
Tues. - Thurs: 8:00 PM
Friday: CLOSED
Saturday: 8:30 PM
Sunday: 7:00 PM
Wed. & Sun. Matinées: 2:00 PM
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Please direct all responses and inquiries directly to the theatre or association listed in the e-drive notice.