News

For Immediate Release
Monday, March 11, 2013
News Release

Thorneloe Play to Compete at Northern Ontario Competition

Thorneloe University is pleased to announce that its highly successful winter mainstage production “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot” will be competing at the upcoming QUONTA Festival in North Bay, Ontario.

QUONTA is the Quebec Ontario Theatre Association (the regional community theatre association for northern Ontario), affiliated with Theatre Ontario. Its regional drama festival is held every March with entries from across northern Ontario. The outstanding play of the QUONTA festival moves on to the Theatre Ontario Festival, held in Kingston this year on the Victoria Day Weekend in May. Previous Thorneloe University productions have earned QUONTA awards, including Best Ensemble Cast and Best Director.

Co-produced with Cambrian College’s Technical Theatre Production Program, “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot,” by Stephen Adly Guirgis is directed by Prof. Patricia Tedford of Thorneloe University. The production has enjoyed an excellent run at the Ernie Checkeris Theatre playing to record-breaking houses.

Set in a courtroom in purgatory, the play follows the trial of Judas Iscariot, the betrayer of Jesus. Notable figures are called as witnesses at his trail, including Judas’ mother, Sigmund Freud, Mother Theresa, Caiaphas the High Priest of Judea, and Pontius Pilate. Scenes of Judas’ childhood and the night in question are relived, a few saints offer their unsolicited versions of what happened, and Satan is conjured to testify. With biting humor and sarcasm, as well as powerful moments of compassion, the play explores the universal themes of betrayal and forgiveness.

“This play has had a profound effect on me, and I think on everyone involved in the production,” says director Patricia Tedford. “It tackles big questions of a spiritual nature, it examines the notions of love, and free will, and compassion. It is theatre that challenges us and is loaded with both devastating humor and profound moments.”

“The cast and crew of Judas Iscariot is the most enjoyable, cohesive and supportive group of people I’ve ever worked with,” says student actor Kelsie Bennett, who plays Fabiana Aziza Cunningham. “Everyone came together to create something truly magnificent and I’m proud to be a part of something that can really affect people.”
The play will be presented as the Thorneloe University entry to QUONTA Drama Festival 2013 on Wednesday, March 13 at Widdifield Secondary School, Ski Club Road, North Bay, ON. Curtain is at 7:30 pm.

For more information, please contact the Director of “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot,” Prof. Patricia Tedford, at (705) 822-2709, or at ptedford@laurentian.ca.

Thorneloe University is a partner institution in the Laurentian University Federation in Sudbury, Ontario, providing undergraduate academic programming in the arts, humanities and theology. For more information, visit www.thorneloe.ca.

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Media Contact:
Dr. Robert Derrenbacker, President, Thorneloe University
(705) 673-1730, ext. 101, rderrenbacker@laurentian.ca