This is the screen reader friendly version of the audio production of The Year of the Cello. Thank you for joining us!

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RE/PLAY

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The Year of the Cello

The Cultch’s RE/PLAY:
Digital Playground and Theatre Passe Muraille Present

A Theatre Passe Muraille and Music Picnic Co-Production

Available from Jan 20, 2023 | Online

We recommend listening with high-quality headphones, in a quiet place,
or maybe even by the water.

Co-Creators
Marjorie Chan
Njo Kong Kie

Writer & Director
Marjorie Chan

Composer, Sound Designer & Musical Director
Njo Kong Kie

Sound Engineer
Ben Ewing

Dramaturg
Matt McGeachy

Additional Dramaturgy
Indrit Kasapi
Karthy Chin

Accessibility Consultants
Vivian Chong & Jess Watkin

Cast
Rong Fu | Wen
Bryan Holt | The Cellist

Original Production Design 
Echo Zhou

Adapted from the world premiere stage production, this audio work has been created with binaural sound to give a surround listening experience of the play. Wen and her friend Li-An are forever changed by their encounter with the Cellist, whose music unlocks all that was left unspoken. Co-created by Marjorie Chan and Njo Kong Kie, The Year of the Cello is told poetically, alongside cello music culminating in a lament for loves lost, and a Hong Kong that once was.

Welcome to the year of the cello. 

This is the first collaboration between composer/pianist Njo Kong Kie, and playwright/librettist Marjorie Chan. While they share a discipline of creating for opera, for The Year of the Cello, they have set out to create in a new way. A play with cello. 

One of the enduring inspirations for this piece is the quote, “Music is love in search of a word.” by poet Sidney Lanier. And this is where we find the two main characters, Wen, and The Cellist, who have never found the way to express the inexpressible, their love for Li-An

The Year of the Cello is set in a dream-like place of stasis where Wen, and The Cellist have to work through their past, their connection and reconcile their relationship. It is not until the music feeds and informs the conversation that the healing can begin. 

We have always envisioned the piece to be sound-led and have been so pleased to work with consultants Vivian Chong and Jess Watkin in creating this audio production. 

Like the characters in the play, the creators too were inspired by the sound of cello, and solo cello, in particular. It is often said that the cello most approximates the human voice. In this work we feature compositions of Kong Kie, but also those of J.S. Bach, the most iconic of composers for solo cello. 

 

In fact, we used the Pablo Casals original gramophone recording of the Prelude from Suite 5 at the beginning of the play! Other historical recordings used include excerpts of the then contemporary Cantonese opera tune “Lotus Picking Song” recorded by Cho Chuk Wen and the early Chinese pop song “Tao Hua Jiang” (Peach Blossom River) by Li Jin Hui, recorded by Wang Ren Mei and Li Li Li.  

Thank you for listening. 
Marjorie Chan & Njo Kong Kie (Co-creators) 

Prelude, Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor  — Composed by J.S. Bach, for unaccompanied cello, 1717 – 1723

Prelude, Cello Suite No. 1 in G major — Composed by J.S. Bach, for unaccompanied cello, 1717 – 1723

Sarabande, Cello Suite No. 5 in C minor — Composed by J.S. Bach, for unaccompanied cello, 1717 – 1723

Rain — Composed by Njo Kong Kie for solo cello, 2015 – 2022

The Year of the Cello  — Composed by Njo Kong Kie for solo cello, 2015 – 2022

The original play was commissioned by Diaspora Dialogues under the title “The Birthday Cadenza”. The creators wish to thank the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for funding various stages of development. Additionally, this work has benefitted from workshops from the Banff Centre for the Arts (Playwrights Lab), Factory Theatre (WIRED), and Cahoots Theatre (Hot House).

Made with the co-operation of ACTRA Toronto and Toronto Musician’s Association

Theatre Passe Muraille means Theatre Beyond Walls. We are a theatre company located in Toronto – currently developing and producing new plays. We Strive to articulate a disting Canadian voice that reflects the compexity of our intercultural society. 

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Why Music Picnic? A picnic, whether casual or formal, is always eclectic, joyful, whimsical, romantic, intimate and tasty, maybe even meditative – as is the musical experience we strive to create.
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Season Sponsors TD Community Engagement Sponsor BMO
Season Sponsor:  TD
Community Engagement Sponsor: BMO


Season Supporters: Funded by the Government of Canada, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Toronto Arts Council, Martin Atkinson Foundation at Toronto Foundation, Ontario Arts Foundation, The Slaight Family Foundation, The Wuchien Michael Than Foundation.

Having troubles accessing the show?

Contact The Cultch Box Office for support:
Live chat: available below
Phone: 604-251-1363
Email: [email protected]

Cast & Company Bios

Marjorie Chan is the Artistic Director of Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto since 2019, where she places access, community, innovation and collaboration at the forefront of the company’s approach. Born in Tkaronto (Toronto) to Hong Kong immigrants, she works variously as writer, director and dramaturge in opera and theatre as well as in the intersection of these forms and roles.

Her work has been seen and performed in the United States, Scotland, Hong Kong, Russia and across Canada. Her full-length works as a playwright include Lady Sunrise, The Madness of the Square, a nanking winter, and Tails From the City, as well as the libretti for the operas, Sanctuary Song, The Lesson of Da Ji, M’dea Undone, The Monkiest King, and upcoming The Nightingale of a Thousand Songs. Some of the companies Marjorie has directed for include: Gateway Theatre, Cahoots Theatre, Native Earth Performing Arts, Theatre Passe Muraille, Obsidian Theatre and Theatre du Pif (Hong Kong). Marjorie has been nominated for nine Dora Awards and is the recipient of four. She has also received the K.M. Hunter Artist’s Award in Theatre, the Entertainment World Award (Best New Work), a Harold Award, the Bra D’Or Award, as well as the George Luscombe Award for Mentorship. Other notable nominations include the Governor General’s Literary Award for her playwriting debut, China Doll, and the Canadian Citizen Award for her work with Crossing Gibraltar while AD at Cahoots Theatre. She has been artist-in-residence with Factory Theatre, Banff Playwrights’ Lab, Tapestry Opera, Cahoots Theatre, Theatre Centre (with 6th Man Collective), Theatre Direct Canada, SUNY (Geneseo, New York) and Theatre du Pif (Hong Kong). Upcoming works: The Year of the Cello, co-created with Njo Kong Kie and the operatic adaptation of Madeleine Thien’s Do Not Say We Have Nothing with composer Tim Brady.

A picnic and ping pong enthusiast, Kong Kie also enjoys composing for dance, opera and theatre. His works include the concert-theatre Picnic in the Cemetery; the song-cycle I swallowed a moon made of iron (set to poetry of Xu Lizhi); comic opera knotty together (with Anna Chatterton); and music theatre Mr. Shi and His Lover (with Wong Teng Chi). Long-serving music director of La La La Human Steps, Kong Kie has collaborated with other choreographers as well as filmmakers to provide soundtrack for their works. www.musicpicnic.com

Rong Fu is a Chinese-Canadian actor based in Toronto, who once carried a goat up a mountain at the tender age of fifteen. Select Theatre: Stage Kiss, The Orchard (After Chekhov) (Shaw Festival), Sherlock Holmes and The Raven’s Curse (Vertigo Theatre), The Crucible, The Royal Comedians (Soulpepper), The Millennial Malcontent (Tarragon Theatre), the marquise of O— (SummerWorks), The Money Tree (Roseneath Theatre, Dora Nomination). Recent Film/TV: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (CBS/Paramount+), Hello, Again (CBC Gem), My Fake Boyfriend (Buzzfeed/Lionsgate), Good Sam (CBS), Pretty Hard Cases (CBC/NBC), SkyMed (CBC/CBS).
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Known for his artistic versatility, Bryan Holt has performed throughout North America and abroad in numerous concert halls and alternative venues. Bryan has appeared with many of the leading ensembles in the Greater Toronto Area including Art of Time Ensemble, Continuum Contemporary Music, Tapestry Opera, Against the Grain Theatre, and more. He has occasionally appeared in the cello sections of the Canadian Opera Company Orchestra, National Ballet of Canada Orchestra, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Esprit Orchestra and more. 

Bryan is one half of VC2 Cello Duo alongside his long-time colleague Amahl Arulanandam and they have been hailed by CBC Radio as “a tight unit, with excellent intonation and expression.” The duo will release their second album in February 2023.

Bryan completed his Doctorate of Music at the University of Toronto and also holds a Masters Degree from McGill University. He maintains a private studio in downtown Toronto while also visiting several schools as a guest coach.

 

Matt McGeachy (Dramaturg) For Theatre Passe Muraille: debut. Matt spent ten seasons as dramaturg at Factory Theatre, and has also worked with playwrights at the Guthrie Theater, the Kennedy Center, Canadian Stage, York University, SummerWorks, and Banff Centre, among others. Upcoming: The Waltz, Vierge, and Armadillos (Factory Theatre); and First Metis Man of Odesa (national tour). Matt is a member of LMDA, and treasurer and interim president of LMDA Canada. 

Born in Albania, Indrit has made Tkarón:to his home since 2000. He is the Founding Artistic Producer for lemonTree creations and Artistic Producer for Theatre Passe Muraille. lemonTree creations focuses on queer works, and Indrit has produced, acted in, choreographed and directed several critically acclaimed and award winning productions.

As the Artistic Producer of Canada’s original alternative theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Indrit continues to develop exciting new theatrical voices while also focusing on national and international touring for the company. He’s an Acting graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, a 2018 Harold Award Winner and a 2020 Dora Nominated performer.

Karthy Chin is a producer, theatre director, and writer. As a theatre artist, she has worked with a variety of companies including Stratford, Cahoots, Factory, Driftwood, and Tarragon. She is a former participant of the Paprika Directors’ Lab and the Factory Foremen, and a graduate of Generator’s Artist Producer Training program. As a producer, she has worked for Shakespeare in the Ruff, SummerWorks, Luminato and Toronto Fringe Festival. As the Dramaturgy and Accessibility Intern at TPM, she is interested in how accessibility can be embedded in the creative process.

Dr. Jess Watkin finished her PhD at the University of Toronto’s Centre for Drama, Theatre, and Performance Studies. She is a Blind artist-scholar focusing on Disability Dramturgy, care, support, and softness in creative ways. She edited the first collection of Disability plays in Canada, Interdependent Magic, which is available through Playwrights Canada Press.

Vivian Chong is an accessibility  consultant for theatre, art and graphic novel and film. Vivian was nominated for Dora Award Most Outstanding performer in her leading role in Dancing With The Universe in 2022. Her graphic novel Dancing After TEN was short listed for The Toronto Book Award in 2020.  Besides creating theatre and art, Vivian also races in triathlons in the summer.  She was the recipient of the athlete of the year by Achilles Canada, a track club for people with disabilities. Vivian is the founder of accessible yoga program and currently teaching yoga to yogis living with vision lost like herself. Vivian is the recipient of The Ontario Service Award  for her volunteer work in blind summer camp helping young children adapting to blindness.

Bryan Holt’s instrument is an antique German cello from ca.1890 (maker unknown). He plays with bows made by Ottawa-based maker Bernard Walke, one of which has been nicknamed “Excalibur II”. 

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Cultch acknowledges that it is on unceded territories belonging to the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

To play audio production, press play icon in video screen below.

The Year of the Cello Audio Performance.
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