THE WONDERFUL
We are thrilled to premiere The Wonderful, a hot new take on the holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life by celebrated slam poet and playwright Luke Reece. You can meet Luke and his work here!
The Wonderful tells the story of Georgia Brathwaite, a young Black woman living in a small town in rural BC, who, on a midwinter’s night embarks on a journey to discover just how much her life matters to her community.
Now in our 34th year, the Winter Sleigh Ride Show is a beloved winter Okanagan holiday tradition. Horse drawn sleighs transport you over field and forest from scene to scene, in a music and magic filled story about family, race, and belonging in rural Canada. Join our cast, crew, teamsters and horses as we embark on a spectacular theatrical journey, together.
LUKE REECE Playwright & Director
Luke Reece is a theatre producer, playwright, spoken word poet, and arts educator. He is the Associate Artistic Director at Soulpepper Theatre in Toronto, and prior to this was the Producer for Canada’s leading culturally specific theatre company, Obsidian Theatre, and a Member of the Toronto Poetry Project. Through his work as an artistic leader within the national arts community, he advocates for engaging and nuanced storytelling that challenges Canadian audiences. Luke is one of Toronto’s most decorated slam poets, becoming the Toronto Poetry Slam (TPS) Grand Champion in 2017, winning the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word as the captain of the TPS team and then again in 2018 as the team coach. In 2018 he placed 2nd at the Canadian Individual Poetry Slam which earned him a spot representing the country at the 2019 World Cup of Poetry Slam in Paris France where he placed 4th.
www.lukereece.com
KHADIJAH SALAWU & DAVID ARIZA Music & Sound Design
Khadijah Salawu is a Toronto-based interdisciplinary artist, producer, writer, designer and community organizer. She works as Head of Development at Emancipation Arts an award-winning multi-platform production company committed to bringing grassroots stories to the world stage. Khadijah is also the Artistic Director of FreeUp!, a festival of arts and activism led by young people to celebrate Emancipation Day – you can stream last year’s annual Emancipation Day event “FreeUp!” on CBC Gem. Her eclectic body of work includes writings about memories, nostalgia, and the elements; scores for theatre and your commute; and URL and IRL multi-sensory and immersive installations. She holds a HBA in Drama, Theatre and Performance from the University of Toronto, a Graduate Certificate in Creative Book Publishing from Humber, two Certificates in DJ and Beatmaking and in Graphic Design and Web Development at UforChange and is an Arts Educator at Soulpepper Theatre and St. James Town Community Arts.
khadijahsalawu.com
JACKIE CHAU Set Design
Jackie has worked as a set and costume designer for over 200 productions and her work can been seen across Canada and internationally. In addition, she is a production designer and art director for film and television. Jackie was named in NOW magazine’s Top 10 Theatre Artists of 2009, nominated for the Virginia and Myrtle Cooper Award in Costume Design, nominated for a Saskatoon Area Theatre (SAT) award, Winnipeg Theatre Award, 2 Broadway World awards and has received 9 Dora nominations for outstanding set and costume design. She is also teaching Theatrical Design at the University of Toronto. Upcoming: The Waltz (Factory Theatre) The First Stone (New Harlem/Buddies in Bad Times), Serving Elizabeth (Theatre Aquarius), Martyr (ARC Theatre)
JAY HAVENS – Costume Design
Jay Havens (he/him/they) is a multi-media 2Spirit artist, educator, and collaborator of Kanien’keha’ka and Scottish Canadian ancestry. Havens was born on Haudenosaunee Territory know as the Haldimand Tract and raised on Unceded Sto:lo and Musqueam lands close to Vancouver, Canada. Over their 18year career project highlights include projection mapping animations on Stratford City Hall, a floating artwork in the Toronto harbour called The Peacemaker’s Canoe and a mural on the windows of the Vancouver Opera house. Several of Jays sculptural weavings can be found in the collections at the New York State Museum and most recently he and a team were shortlisted to propose two public artworks to Waterfront Toronto on the West Don Lands.
www.jayhavens.me
JILLIAN WHITE Lighting Designer
Jillian White [she/her] is an artist of light and shadow born on the stolen land of the Okanagan peoples, now residing in Coast Salish territory – colonially known as Vernon and Vancouver, respectively. She is the lighting designer in residence at the Caravan Farm Theatre, having designed every summer, winter, and Halloween show on the farm since Weedy Peetstraw in 2017. She has additionally worked backstage on every show since The Orphan’s Dream in 2016. Jill is a three time Jessie Richardson Award nominated designer, an alumnus of Capilano University, and a member of IATSE Local ADC659.
www.jillianwhite.com
HELEN BELAY* Playing the Role of Georgia
Helen Belay (she/her) is an Ethiopian-Canadian actor and storyteller who’s been playing with words and obsessed with all things beautiful since she was a wee babe in Bedford, England. A graduate of the UofA’s BFA Acting with distinction. Previous Credits Include: Queen Goneril, King Lear (Soulpepper Theatre); : ren & the wake (Catch the Keys Productions); Jane Eyre, The Fiancee, Heaven (Citadel Theatre); Here There Be Night (WWPT); The Blue Hour (SkirtsAFire Festival); The Society of the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonious (Theatre Network); Cinderella (Globe Theatre); Lost Lemoine Part 1&2, Vidalia (Teatro La Quindicina); Lenin’s Embalmers, All for Love (Studio Theatre).
OLIVER DENNIS* Playing the Role of Danny
Oliver has been a long time member of Soulpepper Theatre Company in Toronto having performed in close to 100 productions since the first season back in 1998. There he has played Shakespeare and Moliere, Chekhov, Miller and Williams and Albee. Beckett, Ionesco, Orton. Simon. Sarah Ruhl and Suzan-Lori Parks and Tracey Letts. David French and Morris Panych/Brenda Robins and Mike Ross/Sarah Wilson and Lee MacDougall and Vern Thiessen and Michael Shamata. Shaffer, Storey, Stoppard, Frayn and Aykbourn. To name some. Other theatres include: Theatre New Brunswick, Grand Theatre London, CanStage, Factory, Tarragon, Passe Muraille, Crow’s Theatre, Theatre Columbus.
DOUGLAS ENNENBERG – Playing the Role of Patrick
Douglas is delighted to return to Caravan after his farm debut in Blackhorse this summer. Douglas received a Jessie Nomination for his role as The Boy in The Events (Pi Theatre). Other favourite roles include: Simon in Tiny Replicas (Rumble Theatre), Gibson in Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play (Little Mountain Lion Theatre), Chad/Ajax in Gemini (Speakeasy Theatre/Pull Festival), Woodnut in The Nether (RedCurrant Collective), and Dave in Miranda & Dave Begin Again (Gender Rubble Collective). Douglas is a graduate of National Theatre School of Canada, and Vancouver College of Massage Therapy. He is currently offering services at Creekside Dynamic Health in Vernon.
MARCIA JOHNSON* Playing the Role of Jasmine
Marcia Johnson is a Toronto-based actor, playwright, dramaturg and librettist. She has written theatre for young audiences, radio dramas and a zoom play. SERVING ELIZABETH has had six productions since February 2020. As an actor, she has worked at Blyth Festival, Drayton, Magnus Theatre and Factory Theatre to name a few. She also does audiobooks both as an actor (THE WAITING HOURS, WHAT’S PAST IS PROLOGUE) and director (NO BOOTSTRAPS WHEN YOU’RE BAREFOOT, LEAR’S SHADOW).
KANO MAC WILKINSON Playing the Role of Terence “The Stranger”
Kano Mac is a vibrant screenwriter, playwright and actor from Scarborough, Ontario. A graduate from York University’s theatre program, Kano is an adventurer, spending the last 3 years living abroad in the United Kingdom and Asia. Currently, Kano spends his days working as a carpenter, building and renovating houses in Downtown Toronto.
SARAH MAY REDMOND* Playing the Role of Alice
Sarah May Redmond is very happy to be back working on her twelfth production here at the Caravan Farm Theatre. She was last here for The Night’s Mare back in 2015, and was last in the neighbourhood in with Runaway Moon Theatre, touring Farmers’ Markets and a couple art galleries with The Miraculous Life of San Isidro this past summer. She makes her home in Vancouver on the unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.
LEIGH MCCLYMONT* Stage Manager
Selected stage management credits: Fairground and Shawground, Shaw Festival; A Huron County Christmas Carol, Blyth Festival; The Little Prince, Peter Pan, Yellow Door Theatre; The Gifts of the Magi, Chemainus Theatre Festival; Oh My Irma, Theatre Passe Muraille, East of Berlin, Léo, Tarragon Theatre. Leigh has been an assistant stage manager with the Shaw Festival for 13 seasons and has also worked with Why Not Theatre, The Globe Theatre Regina, Crow’s Theatre, Manitoba Opera and more.
* The participation of this Artist is arranged by permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the provisions of the Dance•Opera•Theatre Policy.
What if it Rains?
We will perform in a light drizzle/wet snow conditions, so please dress accordingly. In cases of severe rain, we will perform the show in our Timber Barn, and depending on conditions, offer a sleigh ride after the performance. Weather conditions are changeable, so we don’t make a decision until the evening of the event.
What if it is too cold?
We will perform in temperatures up to 20 below. If it should reach those temperatures, we will perform in our timber barn with heat lamps and fires.
Is the Winter Sleigh Ride Show accessible?
Yes, we can lift chairs onto the sleigh decks, and provide vehicle access to get closer to the load-up area. Please call ahead to discuss.
Are Pets Allowed?
With the exception of accredited service animals, no pets are allowed, due to the involvement of horses.
