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Last Lists of My Mad Mother




Greetings Friends of ICHTHYS Theatre:

We are pleased to announce the date of our Annual General Meeting is Saturday April 21th at 10am. We will meet at Glenhyrst Gardens in the Main House Art Gallery. 2012 memberships will be available at the door and are necessary to vote in the business portion of the meeting.

Our Feature this year will be Josh Bean, Executive Director of the ArtsBlock. He will present the latest developments in the transformation of the old Union Gas building on Colborne Street into the new Brantford Centre for the Arts. The architect's sketches and floor plans of this new facility for community artists and artistic groups are really impressive and exciting. Finally the dream is within reach.

At the end of his presentation, there will be a time for comments, questions and general feedback. Representatives of ICHTHYS have already had a great deal of input into this venture as this facility will become our new home base. By the time of the AGM, all our costumes, props, lights, sound and sets will be housed there.  And the plans call for a small (150 seat) black box theatre, so we will be able to use it for our June and/or August shows.

All interested folks are welcome to the Feature portion of our AGM. Members only may participate in the business portion which will follow about 11:15am. Light refreshments will be available. The main business will involve accepting reports on our activities of 2011, acceptance of the 2012 budget, election of directors to the board and news of our 2012 season activities.

So please feel free to spread the word and we look forward to seeing you on the 20th at Glenhyrst.

Lorna Stratton                Gord Hope
Artistic Director              President

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"Last Lists of My Mad Mother is a hilarious, often touching look at the toll Alzheimer's disease takes on a parent-child relationship. It magnificently reveals the humor within the tragedy, without taking away from the seriousness of the issue." (The Record-Journal) Ma cares about ribbons and bows, intransitive verbs and keeping to her rigid schedule. Dot uses a wicked sense of humor to sort out the tangle of her mother's mind. Together they struggle with Ma's inevitable decline, while Sis phones in her advice from afar. In and out of the sinewy webs of Ma's fleeting awareness, retracing paths they have traveled countless times, Ma and Dot drive toward understanding and arrive with some sense of surprise at the destination of comfort.

Anyone who has experienced the frustration, surprise, dismay, off-colour humour and the many other emotions that caring for an Alzheimer sufferer can bring to the surface, will appreciate this revealing play. Those who have not experienced this challenge will come away with a refreshing preparation for that chapter of life.

To audition for this production, or read the story synopsis and character descriptions, see the auditions page.

What is ICHTHYS?

ICHTHYS Theatre Productions is a Brantford-based community theatre and has been in operation since the Fall of 2000. We are dedicated to offering educational opportunities to audiences, casts and crews.
ICHTHYS' unique signature is contemporary dress, surround theatre productions, where interaction between the audience, actors and the action is key.
The action is played out on a thrust stage and in the wide centre aisle. There is no curtain and the house lights are most often left on in order to enhance the interaction between characters and audience.

Our Mission

ICHTHYS Theatre Productions Mission Statement

ICHTHYS Theatre seeks to increase appreciation of the performing arts and to offer educational opportunities to audiences, casts and crews through participation in productions and workshops.  ICHTHYS presents innovative and thought-provoking theatre focusing on a wide spectrum of life issues relevant to all generations. ICHTHYS’ signature is unique staging, optimizing the interaction between audience, actors and the action. ICHTHYS devotes a sizable portion of its seasonal programming to the presentation of theatre for school audiences.

ICHTHYS Theatre Guiding Principles

ICHTHYS Theatre seeks to be:
*a welcoming, creative outlet for actors, technicians, directors, producers and promoters seeking to learn and apply the skills integral to community theatre
*an opportunity for people of all ages to work together
*a source of positive messages and messages for social change in its choice of productions
*a seeker of community partners with social agencies and other cultural organizations for mutual benefit
*a point of entry and connection to the broader artistic community

An ICHTHYS performance
is not just live television.
At ICHTHYS, we
SURROUND you.

Surround theatre is a style of dramatic presentation that seeks to maximize audience involvement and interaction with the actors and the action. Entrances and exits are made from the rear, sides and front of the auditorium, and much of the action takes place in the wide centre aisle. Centre stage becomes an eight foot diameter circle in the middle of the audience.
The “front row” of the audience moves with the action. Actors can talk to and touch members of the audience and vice versa. This is particularly exciting and involving for children. A thrust stage is also used for when the action calls for a set location and a backdrop. The stage thrusts out into the audience and has several height levels.
There is no curtain to shut the audience out, and thus there is a bare minimum of set pieces or furniture used; the focus is on the characters and their words and actions. Taking a play out of the picture frame of a traditional stage and into the audience creates more excitement and satisfaction for both audience and actors.

ICHTHYS Theatre gratefully acknowledges our partners and the financial support which has made it possible for us to bring innovative theatre experiences to casts, crews, and audiences in Brant County.