Gailey Road 2011 Fall Update and Women Writing Letters Event

Gailey Road Fall Update

The public work-in-progress reading of Ana's Shadow. directed by Jocelyn Wickett and stage managed by Gillian Lewis went very well and was attended by about 70 people. The discussion following the reading was lively and informative with audience members saying how happy they were to hear the original cast from Harriet's House reprise their roles in Ana's Shadow.

September finds me back at the University of Toronto teaching two undergraduate courses: one on Equity, Activism and Education for third and fourth year Equity Studies students and one on Sexualities and Schooling for Bachelor of Education students at OISE. I am using several of my research-informed plays in my classes, including Snakes and Ladders, Harriet's House, and Ana's Shadow (which is still a work-in-progress).

Tomorrow, Saturday September 24, 2011, I am doing a reading of Zero Tolerance with BEd students at OISE's Safe Schools Conference.

Harriet's House, Snakes and Ladders and Zero Tolerance are all available on T-space, the University of Toronto's Research Repository, which can be accessed on web with the following address: https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/

September finds Jocelyn Wickett teaching English and drama at Jarvis Collegiate and writing up her MA thesis study on her social justice drama education practice. Gillian Lewis is busy as the production manager for Melissa Major's show Infinitum, a stage piece that mixes poetry, dance, and aerial silks.

Infinitum is a great production which runs Sept. 29-Oct. 16, 2011 at the Annex Theatre, 740 Bathurst Street in Toronto.

Women Writing Letters

This fall, Gailey Road is beginning a new set of events called "Women Writing Letters", which has been inspired by an event that is popular in Australia called “Women of Letters".

At each event, four or five established or up-and-coming women artists (one of whom has worked with Gailey Road Productions in the last five years) will be part of a panel who have written a letter based on a theme.

The panelists will each read their letters aloud, we’ll take a short break and then the audience will either ask questions of the panelists or share their own letters on the theme.

The first Women Writing Letters event will take place on

Sunday October 30, 2011
2:30-4:00
MAJORspace at the Artscape Triangle Lofts on Queen West (2 streets west of Dovercourt).

We have room for 35 audience members and reservations are highly recommended. Reserve at gaileyroad@gmail.com

The theme of the first event will be:

A Letter To The Night I'd Rather Forget

Confirmed panelists include:

Marcia Johnson (actor/playwright, author of Say Gingerale)
Holly Luning (novelist, author of Quiver)
Melissa Majors (actor/playwright/director, director of Infinitum)


The second Women Writing Letters event will be held on Sunday January 22, 2012 and will be followed by a celebration of Gailey Road’s fifth birthday.

And the third WWL event will be on Sunday April 22, 2012.

We hope to see you there!

All the best,

Tara