In August, 1937, Elizabeth Smart stepped into a London bookstore, opened a book of poems, and fell in love with the author, George Barker. Three years later, they finally met and embarked on the affair that would inspire one of the most brilliant poetic novels of the 20th century, By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept. VideoCabaret Theatre invites you to meet Elizabeth Smart.
In this tour-de-force solo show, Dora award winning actress Nicky Guadagni (Hooked), explores the extraordinary story of a woman who left behind her privileged Ottawa upbringing to find her way as a gifted writer, and to pursue her lifelong, tumultuous relationship with Barker.
Fiercely independent and deeply passionate, Smart raised four of Barker's children while working as a copy editor in London to support her family. In 1945, By Grand Central Station was published to little fanfare; it would take decades before the novel was rediscovered and recognized as a masterpiece.
Drawn from Elizabeth Smarts’ own writing as well as Rosemary Sullivan's celebrated biography By Heart and Ardent, Carolyn Smart's poetic portrait of Smart.Created and Performed by Nicky Guadagni
Directed and Dramaturged by Sandra Balcovske
Original Dramaturgy and Direction by Edmund Stapleton
Music and Sound by Greg Morrison
Lighting and Stage Management by Andrew Dollar
Produced by Janet Burke
Special Thanks To: Robin Benger, Tess Benger, Lisa Bunting, Beatrice Campbell, Derrick Chua, Chris Clifford, Markus Dougherty, Shari Hollett, Marni Jackson, Astrid Janson, Brian D. Johnson, Kate Lynch, Arkady Spivak, John Turner, Lynn Woodman and Tarragon Theatre for OAC Recommender Grant
Run time approximately 60 mins
Nicky Guadagni
Originally from Montreal, Nicky Guadagni majored in drama at Dawson College and went on to train at RADA in London. Her first role after graduation was playing Miranda, with Paul Scofield as Prospero, in a production of The Tempest in London’s West End.
She has spent the last 50 years raising three children and a husband. Her theatre work in Toronto includes George Walker's Zastrozzi and Criminal Genius at Factory Theatre and Passe Muraille's OD on Paradise and In the Wings (which she adapted for the stage from the Carole Corbeil novel).
She has performed her one woman show Hooked in more than forty homes and her run of Hooked at Passe Muraille earned her the Dora that year for best actress.
Nominated for five Gemini awards for her work on television, Nicky received the award in 1998 and 2004. TV: Blue Murder, Major Crime, A Nero Wolfe Mystery, Revival Film: Cube, Ready or Not. Her career as a voiceover artist includes dozens of CBC radio dramas and documentary narration.
She has taught both acting students and corporate executives. Nicky likes dancing a lot and runs a zoom dance for women where everyone dances however they want. www.nickyguadagni.com
Sandra Balcovske
Sandra spent two years in the University of Alberta Drama Department studying improvisational production, and became a founding member of The Catalyst Theatre.
Sandra’s career with The Second City started as an actor in Edmonton, and moved to Toronto, where she directed eight Mainstage shows and served as Creative Advisor for three years.
Sandra has been director and dramaturge on a number of original works, including Linda Griffith's The Game of Inches and Alien Creature, as well as Karen Hines’ Pochsy’s Lips, Oh Baby, and Citizen Pochsy.
Sandra directed The Drowsy Chaperone at Theatre Passe Muraille, and Dan Redican and Scott White’s musical, It’s Always You, picked as a hit of the Toronto Fringe Festival. She has been nominated for a Canadian Comedy award and three Dora Mavor Moore directing awards.
Greg Morrison
Greg is best known for his work on the musical, The Drowsy Chaperone, productions from the Toronto Fringe Festival to Broadway. Other selected theatre credits include musical collaboration and musical direction for Karen Hines’ early Pochsy Plays. Score and sound design for Canadian Horror Clowns, Mump and Smoot.
Scores for short films: Hines’ Pochsy: An Industrial Film and A Tax on Pochsy, and Audrey Webb’s, New Shoes. Songs for the feature, Treading Water (Rhombus Media). Songs for television: Slings and Arrows and Sensitive Skin (Rhombus Media). Getting Along Famously, Michael: Everyday and The Joe Blow Show (CBC).
Recently produced and curated, A Glimpse into the Creative Process of Rob Gonsalves. A multi-media art and music installation exploring the creative process of the late great Canadian artist, Rob Gonsalves.
Andrew Dollar
Andrew has been a longstanding member of VideoCabaret. Andrew’s recent Stage Management credits include: Dear robert and special delivery, cliff Cardinal's Cbc special, FAOC's Beige Christmas with VideoCabaret, Dissonant Species with Theatre Gargantua, Every Brilliant Thing with the Orillia Opera House, Unwritten – The improv Show with Yonge People’s Theatre, Metamorphose with Theatre Smith Gilmore at Crows Theatre, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, and 15 Dogs with Crows Theatre.
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VideoCabaret thanks our government funding partners below for their ongoing support as well as our loyal donors and sponsors from over the years.
