For Immediate Release: January 23, 2017 • Please include in your listings/announcements
One Little Goat Theatre Company presents
SMYTH / WILLIAMS
A Documentary Staging Directed by Adam Seelig
Starring Deborah Drakeford and Kim Nelson
Live Drum Accompaniment by Lynette Gillis
March 3 - 12, 2017 • Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace
“Toronto's enterprising One Little Goat Theatre Company” (New York Times) presents the world premiere of SMYTH / WILLIAMS, an unconventional staging of the police interview of sado-sexual serial killer Russell Williams, directed by Adam Seelig and featuring the all-female cast of Deborah Drakeford and Kim Nelson.
On February 7, 2010, Detective Sergeant Jim Smyth of the Ontario Provincial Police interviewed Colonel Russell Williams about multiple crimes, including two rape-murders, that had occurred in locations close to the lakeside cottage Williams shared with his wife near Belleville.
At the time, Williams commanded the Canadian Forces Base at Trenton, the busiest air base in Canada. Employing his military expertise, Williams waged his own private war against women and girls of his own citizenry. Once Williams was called in for questioning, Smyth’s carefully crafted 4.5 hour interrogation led to a confession, with Williams describing his crimes in matter-of-fact detail for another five hours.
Now legendary, the entire session was filmed and transcribed by the O.P.P., heavily redacted, and finally posted and published. "It was an excellent piece of police work," said Smyth’s superior, "a smart man being outsmarted by a smarter man."
Verbatim-like SMYTH / WILLIAMS confronts the attitudes and norms that enable violence against women, while also challenging the conditions that support war.
Founded in New York in 2002, and based in Toronto since 2005, One Little Goat Theatre Company is acclaimed for its highly interpretive, provocative approach to contemporary poetic theatre. Director Adam Seelig is a poet, playwright, stage director, author of Every Day in the Morning (slow) and the founder and artistic director of One Little Goat. Deborah Drakeford, one of NOW Magazines Top 10 Theatre Artists of 2016, can regularly be seen on stages across the country including performances with Actors Repertory Company, Young People’s Theatre and Soulpepper. Quadrilingual stage, screen and videogame actor Kim Nelson received rave reviews for her recent performance in Coal Mine Theatre’s Breathing Corpses. Drummer Lynette Gillis has been making music with her sister Carla for the better part of two decades. Their current band, Overnight, recently released their debut album Carry Me Home, a passionate tribute to classic rock and their late older sister, Darlene.
One Little Goat Theatre Company presents
SMYTH / WILLIAMS
Based on the transcript of O.P.P Detective Jim Smyth’s interview of Colonel Russell Williams
Directed by Adam Seelig
Starring Deborah Drakeford and Kim Nelson
Live Drums performed by Lynette Gillis
Sets and Costume Design by Jackie Chau
Sound Design by Tyler Emond
Lighting Design by Laird MacDonald
World Premiere | March 3 - 12, 2017
Opening Night: Friday, March 3, 2017 @ 7:30pm
Wednesday – Saturday @ 7:30pm | Sunday matinee @ 2pm
Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace, 16 Ryerson Avenue, Toronto
All Regular Tickets $25 | Sunday Matinee $15 | Student/Senior/Arts Workers $20
For more information and to purchase tickets visit http://onelittlegoat.org
Media Contact: FLIP PUBLICITY, Carrie Sager, carrie@flip-publicity.com