Winner – Artists’ Pick of the Fringe, 2014 Edmonton International Fringe Festival
Written by: Maria Colonescu and Nicole Grainger (Deveau)
Directed by: Maria Colonescu and Nicole Grainger (Deveau)
Cast (StageStruck!): Marcia Lynn Anderson, Maria Colonescu, Justin Deveau,
dale Wilson
Cast (Fringe): Maria Colonescu, Justin Deveau, Nicole Grainger (Deveau),
dale Wilson
Sound Design: Darrell Portz
Stage Manager: Anita Bourgeois
Videographer: Tristin Deveau
Video Editor: Maria Colonescu
ABOUT THE SHOW
Grace has run away from home to join the circus. She’s faced with a mysterious fortune teller, a manipulative ring master and menacing clowns. Can you have real relationships in a world of pretend? Can wearing a green wig erase your past?
Grace In Exile is a multi-disciplinary play that uses elements of Japanese Butoh and contemporary dance to highlight traditional dialogue based storytelling. The play is an exploration of what we perceive as reality vs. fantasy and childhood’s journey into adulthood. What will Grace consider acceptable and what will she not?
REVIEWS
Claire Theobald, Edmonton Sun (4/5 suns)
“Graceful sweeping motions give way to writhing staccato as contemporary dance meets Japanese Butoh, elevating the tense emotional interplay.”
“Maria Colonescu breathes life into Grace.”
“Capturing the true essence of circus-noir, clowns blur the lines of reality and fantasy portraying the horrors of life behind the big top for the audience’s amusement.”
“A solid performance for the audience looking for a story with substance.”
Danielle LeBouthillier, A Funny Thing Happened While I Was Away From The Keyboard…
“The acting was excellent, and the choreography was very clear when it came to the play’s Butoh segments. It wasn’t hard to figure out what kind of struggles the dances were trying to convey. The acting was also excellent.”
“One scene will forever be burned into my mind. Two clowns, accompanied by jaunty carnival music, make balloon flowers and fill a wine bottle with castor oil. Then they cheerfully go to visit one of the carnival’s stars, who has fallen pregnant. Gifting her with the flowers, they attempt to give her the bottle as well, which she refuses. The music then stops…as they proceed to force the castor oil down her throat to induce a miscarriage. Then the music starts up and they shake hands like a comedy duo while she’s choking and sobbing on the ground. Holy. Fuck.”
Jasmine Salazar, Vue Weekly
“Grace in Exile offers a refreshing take on a coming-of-age story.”
“The cast is so absorbed in their characters that it makes for one helluva ride.”
GALLERY
Maria Colonescu, Marcia Lynn Anderson – photo by Tristin Deveau 
Maria Colonescu, dale Wilson – photo by S. M. Elliot 
dale Wilson, Justin Deveau, Marcia Lynn Anderson – photo by S. M. Elliot 
Justin Deveau, dale Wilson – photo by S. M. Elliot 
Justin Deveau, Maria Colonescu, dale Wilson – photo by S. M. Elliot 
Marcia Lynn Anderson, Maria Colonescu – photo by Tristin Deveau 
Maria Colonescu, Justin Deveau – photo by Tristin Deveau 
Justin Deveau, Marcia Lynn Anderson – photo by Tristin Deveau 
Maria Colonescu, Justin Deveau – photo by Tristin Deveau 
dale Wilson – photo by Tristin Deveau 
dale Wilson, Maria Colonescu – photo by Tristin Deveau 
Maria Colonescu – photo by Tristin Deveau
