L-R Alissa Watson, Mel Marginet
Photo J Senft Photography
MEET ME AT DAWN
Zinnie Harris
directed by Cherissa Richards
If you only had a day with someone you love, how would you say goodbye?
Two women wash up on shore after a traumatic boating accident. Dazed, but thrilled to be alive, they try to find their way home. But where ARE they, exactly?
As they discover this refuge is not what it seems, they must decide whether to face the unknown together.
A modern fable of life, love and grief, Zinnie Harris’ Meet Me At Dawn takes the audience on a fantastical adventure about facing the truth, and letting go.
September 9 through September 19, 2021 at Whittier Park
Cast: Mel Marginet & Alissa Watson
Musician: Ali Khan
Set/Props/Costume Design: Daina Leitold
Stage Manager: Michael Duggan
Assistant Director: Emma Welham
ASL Interpretation:
Saturday Sept. 11th at 7:30pm & Sat Sept. 18th at 2:00pm
Post-show Talks:
Friday, Sept. 17th with Mike Goldberg, Palliative Manitoba
Join a discussion on processing grief & building resilience
Saturday, Sept 11th & 18th at 2 with the artists
Join the conversation with the artists following the matinees
Artist Biographies
Playwright: Zinnie Harris is a playwright, screen-writer and theatre director and is also an Associate Director at the Royal Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh.
CHERISSA RICHARDS began directing after many years as a working actor. She started this journey directing The Power of Harriet T at MTYP in Winnipeg in 2015. Since then, Cherissa has assisted many incredible directors along her directing path at several regional theatres across the country and has pursued directing apprentice programs at Bard on the Beach, the Shaw Festival and the Stratford Festival. Cherissa has directed 2 shows for Sarasvàti Theatre in Winnipeg; New Beginnings and The Game at Fem Fest 2018. She directed a double bill for the Neil Munroe Directing Project at the Shaw Festival; Lynn Nottage’s Poof and The Subjection of Kezia by Edith Ellis. In 2021, Cherissa directed the premier of CBC journalist Ismaila Alfa’s new play, VOICE at Prairie Theatre Exchange. This year Cherissa also completed a directing residency at The National Theatre School of Canada and she is one of the directing fellows in WhyNot Theatre’s This Gen Directing cohort 2021. Cherissa is the proud recipient of the 2021 Crow’s Theatre RBC Rising Star Emerging Director Award.
MEL MARGINET is a co-founder and artistic director of Theatre by the River. She has performed in many film, tv, new media and theatre productions around town. Favourites include: A Man Walks Into A Bar, Cock, Bull, Lungs, Tender Napalm, The Cherry Orchard, Generous, One Good Marriage, Saint Joan, The Bush‐Ladies (TBTR), Break Through (20th Century Fox), The Pinkertons (Buffalo Gal), and Edgar (MANITO MÉDIA). By day, Mel is the Publisher at Great Plains Publications, she’s part of the Sustainable Transportation team at Green Action Centre and you’ll find her on many committees and projects around town because who needs sleep anyway?
WOW. What. A. Year. After the year(s) we've all had, Alissa would like to acknowledge that writing in the third person has never felt more bizarre. Thank you for taking the time to read about some of the accomplishments she made in the time before...ALISSA WATSON is a Winnipeg-born artist and educator whose passions include physical comedy and “clowning around”. She holds a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Education from Brandon University and has studied theatre at The Guildhall School of Music and Drama in England, The Manitoulin Conservatory for Creation and Performance, and is an alumna of the Professional Training Ensemble at Prairie Theatre Exchange (PTE@PTE). She was awarded the 2015 Reg Skene Award for Emerging Theatre Artist and the Brandon University Distinguished Young Alumni Award in 2020. Alissa is a member of Prairie Theatre Exchange’s Emerging Playwrights Unit and plays the washboard in the sweet and cheeky, Fu Fu Chi Chi Choir. We have all experienced this play in our own way – much healing and love to you in the time ahead. Thank you for being here and more than anything, thank you for supporting the arts.
ALI KHAN joins Theatre by the River’s production of Meet Me at Dawn as a live soundscape artist and musical performer. Ali creates deep, immersive soundscapes through full body listening and intuitive performance on custom-programmed digital instruments, all inspired by space, nature, and spiritual processes. Ali is celebrated internationally for his ambient music project, Yoyu, with more than a dozen inspiring album releases since 2014. More info at nomorewords.ca.
DAINA LEITOLD is a theatre maker living and working on Treaty 1 Territory. She creates theatre for humanity (Theatre by the River), theatre for the planet (Green Kids Inc.) and theatre for people who hate theatre (The Talentless Lumps). For TBTR, she has designed the worlds of Edward II, Constellations, Cock, Bull and The Cherry Orchard. Other design credits include: Narrow Bridge – Costumes – upcoming (Winnipeg Jewish Theatre), PLÉ – Set & Props (Manitoba Theatre for Young People and Plé Collective), Awaken – Costumes (Shakespeare In The Ruins / zone41), Hamlet and Timon of Athens – Set, Props & Costumes (Shakespeare in the Ruins), Bar Mitzvah Boy – Costumes (WJT), Stage Frights - Costumes (Fete Jockey / One Trunk). She is very proud of her 2019 Evie Award for her set, props and costume design of Red Earth, a One Trunk Theatre production presented by Theatre Projects Manitoba.
MIKE DUGGAN had the great pleasure of working with Theatre by the River early in his career on Billy Bishop Goes to War, Saint Joan and Habitat and is honoured to be back. Michael is a graduate of the University of Winnipeg and has worked extensively as a stage manager in Winnipeg including The Winter's Tale / Le conte d'hiver (SIR & TCM), Hamlet, Timon of Athens (SIR), The Mountaintop, Vietgone, Hand to God (RMTC), The Color Purple (RMTC & Citadel Theatre), Ghost Light, New Magic Valley Fun Town, Fly Me to the Moon (PTE), Dragonfly, Mary's Wedding (TPM) and Mamma Mia! (Rainbow Stage). It is incredible to be able to put on a show for a live audience again, and a testament to the enormous efforts of healthcare workers and researchers both locally and globally.
EMMA WELHAM is thrilled to be working on this beautiful show with such an incredible team of artists! As an emerging director and actor, her previous credits include- Director: To: Morrow (Sarasvati); Co-Director/Actor: Inhibition Exhibition (The ViC); Actor: House at Pooh Corner (MTYP), To Kill a Lizard (Sarasvati), Love’s Labour’s Lost, Arcadia (University of Winnipeg), and School of Rock (WST). From October 2020 to April 2021, Emma was mentored by Krista Jackson through Creative Manitoba’s Youth Mentorship Program. She would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to Theatre by the River for this incredible opportunity. Thank you to the Winnipeg Arts Council for supporting Emma's work as the Assistant Director.
