The Kitchen

This play originally premiered in London in 1957. There are many versions of The Kitchen over the years and around the world. Here, served up for you, is a Vancouver version. 

To update it specifically for this cast, I have changed genders and languages, but as much as possible kept Wesker’s original dialogue intact.  

At the end of Act One, the stage directions read “The author would prefer there to be no interval at this point but recognizes the wish of theatre bars to make some money.” So we are going to perform without an intermission, as per the author’s wishes.  

We are often told, at speeches at the Academy Awards and the like, to keep dreaming and that dreams can come true. For most of us, this is not always the case. This is like survivors telling war stories - it can give an inaccurate portrayal of what the experience is like for most people. Most soldiers don’t fare so well.  

I keep telling the students how lucky we all are to be working together on such a large play like this. Due to financial constraints, it rarely (if ever?) gets performed in Canada. Now I say the same thing to you, our audience, as we welcome you to experience life inside Wesker’s kitchen. Enjoy this special thing - 33 actors in a big bold play, full of life. 

Amiel Gladstone is a West Coast based writer and director. He has directed plays by many Canadian playwrights including Meg Braem, TJ Dawe, Daniel Danis, Sean Dixon, Melissa James Gibson, Michael Green, Linda Griffiths, Kevin Kerr, Daniel MacIvor, Hannah Moscovitch, Janet Munsil, Susinn McFarlen, Morris Panych, Tetsuro Shigematsu, George F. Walker and Maiko Bae Yamamoto.  He was the leader of The Playhouse Youth Playwrights and regularly mentors at the Vancouver East Cultural Centre and Place des Arts. His productions have been both site specific in unusual venues and in traditional theatres, with companies such as Alberta Theatre Projects, Arts Club, Acting Up Stage, Belfry, Caravan Farm Theatre, Citadel Theatre, Factory Theatre, Firehall, the Guild in Whitehorse, National Arts Centre, Pacific Opera Victoria, Vancouver Opera, Theatre Replacement, Theatre Conspiracy, Theatre SKAM, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre, Vancouver Playhouse and the PuSh Festival.

Amanda Testini (she/her) is an Italian-Canadian performer, choreographer and director based on the unceded and ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. She is very glad to be back at her alma mater for The Kitchen! Amanda has worked with Arts Club Theatre Company, Bard on the Beach, the Cultch, Theatre Replacement, Firehall Arts Centre, Belfry Theatre, Opera Kelowna, Gateway Theatre, Savage Society, Theatre Under the Stars, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre, Carousel Theatre for Young People, shameless hussy productions, Neworld Theatre, Speakeasy Theatre, Electric Company, Vancouver Opera and Axis Theatre. She is a graduate of Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts Triple Threat Program, is a Jessie Award nominee, was the Yulanda M. Faris Young Artist Stage Director at Vancouver Opera for the 19/20 and 21/22 seasons and is a graduate of Studio 58. For more info check out www.amandatestini.com or www.stratagemartists.com/amanda-testini.

Rachel E. Ross is a stage manager, theatre technician and classically trained musician. They have worked with such companies as Bard on the Beach, Arts Club Theatre Company, Arts Umbrella and re:Naissance Opera. They are passionate about all forms of music and theatre and have a keen interest in stage managing operas, where they are quickly breaking into the niche world of modern opera. Rachel is a recent graduate of Studio 58’s Production program and is thrilled to be invited back to work on The Kitchen.

Select stage management credits include: Apprentice SM for Forgiveness (Arts Club), SM for Angel’s Bone (Sound the Alarm/re:Naissance/Loose Tea Music Theatre), SM for Blue Stockings (Studio 58), SM for The Rocky Horror Show (Studio 58) and ASM for Everybody (Studio 58). Rachel recognizes that they live and work as a settler on the stolen land of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.

Sophie Tang is an award-winning lighting and set designer working in theatre, opera and dance. She has worked with companies including Stratford Festival, PuSH Festival, Electric Company Theatre, Vancouver Opera, Arts Club Theatre, Bard on the Beach, Citadel Theatre, Canadian Stage, Theatre Replacement and so on. Recent credits: Undeveloped Sound (Electric Company Theatre), Choir Boy (Canadian Stage and Arts Club), The Pearl Fishers (Vancouver Opera), Romeo and Juliet (Bard on the Beach), 9 to 5 (Citadel Theatre), S’effondrent Les Videoclubs (Théâtre la Seizième), Do You Mind if I Sit Here (Theatre Replacement), Being Here (Belfry Theatre), Rez Sisters (Stratford Festival), At the Statue of Venus (City Opera). Portfolio website: sophieyufeitang.com

Melissa is a theatre artist based on the traditional, ancestral and unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples (Vancouver), with a focus on Costume Design and Stage Management.

She has had the pleasure of working with a number of incredible companies including After Party Theatre, Bard on the Beach, Caravan Farm Theatre, Carousel Theatre for Young People, Green Thumb Theatre, ITSAZOO Productions, Presentation House Theatre, Ruby Slippers Theatre, Studio 58, The Elbow Theatre, Theatre Replacement, Théâtre la Seizième and Touchstone Theatre

Recent and upcoming credits include: Costume Designer for The Code and CRANKED: The Remix with Green Thumb Theatre and Assistant Head of Wardrobe/Head of Backstage Wardrobe with Bard on the Beach for their 2023 Season.

Melissa is a graduate of Queen's University and Studio 58.

Sarah Sosick is a costumer based in Vancouver, BC. Costume design: Maps of Utopia (the frank theatre co.). Assistant costume design: Starwalker (Urban Ink), Six of One: New Play Festival, FourPlay (Studio 58). Sarah also frequently works as a stitcher and dresser for companies such as: Theatre Replacement, Arts Club, Vancouver Opera and Bard on the Beach. For film, Sarah has worked on productions such as Fakes season one (Netflix) and Creepshow season four (Shudder). She holds a BFA from the University of Lethbridge in Dramatic Arts - Technical/Design. 

Marcus Vaillant is a Lower Mainland-based set, props and costume designer. He is happy to be back working at Studio 58 since having graduated in 2018. Marcus is the Director of Production and co-founder of Promethean Theatre, a Vancouver-based company that works to showcase emerging artists and new works. Along with that, he has worked with many local companies in varying capacities, including Bard on the Beach, Pacific Theatre, Boca del Lupo and Place des Arts. Marcus is privileged to live and work on the unceded land of the Coast Salish peoples which includes the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ (Tsleil-Waututh) and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nations.

Riley Hardwick (he/him), originally from Ontario, now calls Vancouver home and is grateful to be working on the unceded territories of the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh and Musqueam Nations. His design for Mary’s Wedding (Firehall Arts Centre) was awarded the 2021-2022 Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Sound Design and Composition. Other recent design credits include For Now (Green Thumb), 4 Cardinal Directions (Rumble Theatre), Courage Now (VACT), Stage Write (Globe Theatre), Six of One: New Play Festival (Studio 58), as well as assisting on White Noise (Savage Society). He graduated from Studio 58’s acting program and is a current cast member at The Improv Centre on Granville Island. Thanks to Studio 58 for welcoming him back and on to this piece, he, Riley Hardwick, says.

In alphabetical order of character name.

Ally – Brynna Drummond (she/her)
Anne – Cassidy Hergott (she/her)
Bertha – Marielle Ortinez (she/her)
Betty – Danica Kobayashi (she/her)
Chef – Daniel Tompkins (he/him)
Cynthia – Marianna Zouzoulas (she/her)
Daphne – Hailey Conner (she/her)
Dimitri – Samuel Walmsley-Byrne (he/him)
Frank – Ben Brown (he/him)
Gaston – Brandon Pringle (he/him)
Gwen – Emma Abbott (she/her)
Hans – Terrence Zhou (he/him)
Harriet – Kate Berg (she/they)
Hettie – Serena Hatch (she/her)
Jackie – Jillian Burke (they/she)
Keeva – Janavi Chawla (she/they)
Magi – Caylen Braun (he/him)
Mangolis – L Danger (she/her)
Marango – Damion LeClair (they/them)
Max – Kahlila Ball (she/her)
May – Trinity Richardson (she/her)/Zoë Autumn (she/her) 
Michaela – Samantha Kerr (she/her)
Molly – Jenna Leigh Morgan (she/her)
Monique – Trinity Richardson (she/her)/Zoë Autumn (she/her)
Nicky – Yana Vitkovic (she/her)
Peter – Brian Martinez (he/him)
Polly – Kat Stevens (she/her)/Emma Soothill (she/her)
Poor Person – Ethan DeHoog (he/him)
Porters/Bussers – Sebastian Ley (he/him), Ethan DeHoog (he/him)
Ray – Hikari Terasawa (she/her)
Sophie – Kat Stevens (she/her)/Emma Soothill (she/her)
Violet – Olivia Manojlovic (she/her)
Winnie – Alyson Vance (she/her)

Artistic Director: Courtenay Dobbie
Associate Director: David Hudgins
Technical Director: Kevin MacDonald
Production Manager: Ruth Bruhn
Communications and Marketing Manager: Halla Bertrand
Voice Coach: Brad Gibson

A big thank you to the following people, organizations and companies for supporting The Kitchen.

• Angus Yam
• Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival
• The Arts Club
• Keagan Elrick, Key Lighting
• Sarah Fett
• Ace Martens
• Michael Gall