Theatre Calgary announces Beyond Eden

Beyond Eden

Theatre Calgary and the Playhouse Theatre Company announce world premiere co-production of new musicalTheatre Calgary and the Playhouse Theatre Company of Vancouver are once again making Canadian theatre history. Today, Artistic Directors Dennis Garnhum (Calgary) and Max Reimer (Vancouver) are proud to announce that they will present the world premiere production of Beyond Eden, written and composed by Bruce Ruddell, during their 2009-10 seasons, and that the show will be featured as part of the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad.

Beyond Eden is an account of the 1957 expedition that saw a group of anthropologists and archaeologists travel to a cluster of remote islands in the North Pacific Ocean known as Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) to remove the last remaining ancient Totem Poles from the deserted Haida village known as Ninstints. It is a story of struggle, love, loss, redemption and transformation all triggered by the harsh clash of European cultures and the ancient arts and culture of the Haida Nation. The universal and timeless themes of the story will resonate with people around the planet.

Beyond Eden’s theatrical form is a full-scale musical theatre work. The show will feature a cast of 14, which is headlined by renowned Canadian musician John Mann of the band Spirit of the West.Comment:  For more on the subject, see Native Plays and Other Stage Shows.