A Guy Named Joe—Rideau Awards Nominee for Outstanding Costume Design to Jennifer Triemstra & Karen Rodd

A dark comedy about a guy living in precarious circumstances on the fringes of society, coping with an assortment of impediments, and his struggle to make a good life for himself.

“A Guy Named Joe began with the commedia character, Pulcinella, a rogue given to drunkenness, debauchery, disguises, and get rich quick schemes through which he ridicules the rich and powerful. I wondered what would happen if a group of these characters appeared today. Immediately I saw them crowded in a rooming house, staring at an eviction notice. This was a starting point for research into housing conditions, networks of support, and justice systems for the poor.”
—Artistic Director and Playwright Laurie Steven

Joe, a hard working down on his luck aspiring accountant, loses his job as a busboy and is evicted from his rooming house for having his no-good cousin, Frankie Fingers, visiting him. He takes up with Frankie and his cohorts, giving them the idea to rob his cruel landlord, Larry. The fun begins when the robbery turns into a hostage situation and the boys are left to keep up the front of Larry’s property management company.

Reviews:

“[The story line] develops in a most unexpected and very amusing way…a masterpiece of mask work [in which] Pierre-Paul Savoie’s choreography, linked to Laurie Steven’s staging, created the most exciting moments, [and the actors] worked like a perfect acrobatic team… they do almost like a dance with words. It’s all enhanced by Glenn Davidson’s excellent set and lighting, with the terrifying shadows set to the throbbing beats of what sounds like acoustic strings. Everything works together beautifully… It’s a team that works together here with great, great precision.”
—Alvina Ruprecht, CBC Radio

“[A Guy Named Joe is a] resonant comedy…written and directed with a highly focused vision by the company’s artistic director. The masks and stylized movement of Commedia, heightened by Davidson’s lighting, underscore these powerful tensions between Joe’s interior and exterior action, just as they do in other characters.”
—Patrick Langston, The Ottawa Citizen

A GUY NAMED JOE by Laurie Steven
Directed by Laurie Steven
Lighting and Set Designer: Glenn Davidson
Composer and Musical Director: John Armstrong
Costume Designer/Wardrobe Manager: Jennifer Triemstra
Design & Construction of Masks, Special Effects Costumes and Puppets: Karen Rodd
Choreographer: Pierre-Paul Savoie
Fight Choreographer: Mark Huisman
Assistant Dramaturge: Laurie Fyffe
Stage Manager: Wendy Rockburn
Production Assistant and Properties Manager: Lisa L’Heureux
Cast: Nicholas Di Gaetano, Cory Doran, Scott Florence, Mark Huisman, Alex Guard, Scott McCulloch, Thea Nikolic