Hudson Village Theatre’s (HVT) 2019 professional theatre season pays tribute to the power of storytelling with a trio of humorous and compelling productions that are proven audience-pleasers.  Artistic Director Dean Fleming’s inaugural season features timeless pieces of Canadian theatre that have delighted sold-out audiences around the world.

Dean comes to Hudson Village Theatre after a successful tenure at Geordie Productions, where he championed bringing live theatre to schools in Montreal, Northern communities and across Canada. He’s also an actor, and teaches at the National Theatre School – so bringing his multi-faceted theatrical experience to HVT is a bonus for the charming theater in Hudson.

The professional season opens in July with Michael Healey’s award-winning play The Drawer Boy. This beautifully written, funny, and heartwarming play examines the effect a young actor has on two farmers when he shows up on their farm one day asking for room, board and their stories in exchange for free labour. Starring Michel Perron, Brian Dooley and Curtis Legault, HVT’s production of The Drawer Boy will delight audiences with this captivating tale about the joys of friendship, storytelling and memory.

“The Drawer Boy is sheer magic…a moving tribute to art’s healing power…the crowd stormed to its feet, cheering with an enthusiasm usually found only at rock concerts.”

… John Bemrose, Maclean’s

In August, the humorous, poignant and lyrical Marion Bridge by Daniel MacIvor will take centre stage at HVT. Three estranged sisters reunite at their childhood home in Cape Breton to care for their mother. Played by Leni Parker, Kathryn Kirkpatrick and Stefanie Buxton the sisters hold a bitterly comic vigil and learn to live with each other after so many years apart, discovering the meaning of family, hope and the possibility that their lives can be different from what they expected and what they have come to accept. Nominated for a Governor General’s Award in 1999, this life affirming story and its universal theme of family relationships will connect with audiences.

Billy Bishop Goes to War, the iconic two-man musical that has captivated audiences for decades will be at HVT in October. Four decades after its premiere in Vancouver, the enduring story of irreverent hero and Canadian WWI flying ace Billy Bishop remains one of the most critically-acclaimed and widely produced plays in Canadian theatre. Written by John Gray and Eric Peterson, it’s a tour de force performance that will see Bruce Dinsmore bring over 17 characters to life in this imaginative, funny and amazing tale of the unlikely hero from Owen Sound. The play has been staged on and off-Broadway, at the Edinburgh Festival, London’s West End and Los Angeles, among other locations, and has been translated into several languages, including French, Danish and German.

The Hudson Village Theatre professional season includes: Drawer Boy by Michael Healey – July 3 to 21; Marion Bridge by Daniel MacIvor – August 7 to 25; Billy Bishop Goes To War by John Gray and Eric Peterson – October 24 to November 3.

Tickets & Showtimes: $35 plus tax and service charge. 2pm Matinées (Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays). 8pm evenings (Thurs, Fri, & Sat). Group rates are available; please contact the HVT Box Office 450-458-5361 or online: www.villagetheatre.ca (Mondays Closed).