Orchidelirium a hothouse hybrid of fact and fiction, scent and seduction World premiere to launch Pea Green/Theatre Voce collaboration
TORONTO, ON (January 27, 2002) - This winter, Torontonians can escape from the cold into the tropical greenhouse world of Dave Carley’s Orchidelirium, thanks to Pea Green Productions and Theatre Voce. The two independent companies have joined forces to present this world premiere production at the Factory Theatre Studio from February 20th to March 9th, 2003.
Orchidelirium is the story of a professor who learns of an orchid with incredible medical potential. Her plan to retrieve and study the plant, and make it available to the public, is thwarted by a giant pharmaceutical manufacturer, which happens to be the largest donor to the professor’s university. Woven into this modern-day battle is a love story featuring the professor’s great great aunt, a lively Victorian heiress who is smitten both by orchids, and the lusty cads who harvest them.
Anne Page, Theatre Voce’s Co-Artistic Producer, explained the play’s relevance, saying “this very funny story of sensual obsession also offers a sobering perspective on the problematic relationship between funded researchers and the transnational corporations which hold their purse-strings. At a time when the corporate sector increasingly leverages university donations to dictate research agendas and lay claim to intellectual property, Orchidelirium provides a thought-provoking glimpse behind the scenes at some of our most trusted institutions.”
Dave Carley’s plays routinely attract Canada’s finest talent, and Orchidelirium will be no exception. Tanja Jacobs and Patrick Galligan (last seen together in Elisa’s Skin) will join Anne Page and Joel Hechter in the cast, under Sue Miner’s direction. The equally remarkable design team will include Brenda Guldenstein (set), Nina Okens (costume), Michael Kruse (lighting), and Darren Copeland (sound).
Pea Green Productions and Theatre Voce have been primary developers of Orchidelirium; further assistance has been provided by Barrington Stage in Massachusetts and the Festival of New Works in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Toronto Arts Council, The Ontario Arts Council, and The Canada Council for the Arts have each contributed to this production.
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