By: Michael Melski
October 22nd - November 7th, 2009

Featuring: Antony Holland and Vince Metcalfe
Director: Mario Crudo
Set Designer: Doug Robinson
Lighting Designer: Kirsten Watt
Costume Coordinator: Mervi Agombar
Stage Manager: Gillian Jones
 

Magnus Theatre is pleased to announce its second show of the 2009-10 Main Stage Season. THE FLY FISHER'S COMPANION by Michael Melski. A heartfelt and oftentimes hilarious journey concerning the lives of two elderly men on a fishing trip at near the cabin they built in their younger days. Don and Wes have survived war, marriages, and each other for over half a century. The play is a trip through the decades, into memory and imagination, that explores the pushes and pulls of a life-long friendship.

This play features two familiar faces to Magnus Theatre, with Antony Holland playing the role of Wes and Vince Metcalfe as Don. Mr. Holland was last seen at Magnus as Morrie in the 2007-09 season’s TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE. Mr. Metcalfe has been in numerous productions at Magnus including IVANKA TAKES A GAMBLE, I LOVE YOU YOU'RE PERFECT NOW CHANGE, WAITING FOR GODOT, and EINSTEIN'S GIFT.

ANTONY HOLLAND - The winner of the 2006/2007 Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role, Antony Holland has been a professional actor on stage, in film, and on television for 64 years. Holland last appeared at Magnus Theatre as Morrie in the 2007/08 season's highly successful TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE. Other roles include the title role of KING LEAR, Adam in AS YOU LIKE IT, and Grand-pa in YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU in Vancouver. In 1965 he founded a Theatre Arts Program at Vancouver Community College. The theatre school moved to Langara College, which is now known as Studio 58. He was instrumental in shaping the direction and growth of the program for 20 years. Now managed by Kathryn Shaw, it remains one of Canada's best schools for actors. He is the recepient of four separate Lifetime Achievement Awards, the latest being elected to the BC Entertainment Hall of Fame.

VINCE METCALFE - Vince is no stranger to Magnus Theatre, having appeared in well over half a dozen previous plays in Thunder Bay. He was seen at Magnus in 2005/06 season's DRACULA, a summer production of IVANKA TAKES A GAMBLE, and the 2004/2005 productions of I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE, and WAITING FOR GODOT.  Before that he has played Dick in IVANKA TAKES A GAMBLE (Premiere – 2004), Robert in PROOF, Jacob Mercer in OF THE FIELDS, LATELY, Count Orsini-Rosenberg in AMADEUS, Dad in TRAFFORD TANZI, Einstein in EINSTEIN'S GIFT and Dr. Rivera in DEATH AND THE MAIDEN. Vince has a busy career that has taken him throughout Canada, the USA and Europe working in television, film and on the stage.  He is a graduate of Studio 58 Theatre School.

MICHAEL MELSKI - MELSKI is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter, and filmmaker whose work has been staged and screened across Canada and the U.S.  A past playwright-in-residence at the Shaw Festival, Michael's Merritt and Dora-nominated HOCKEY MOM, HOCKEY DAD was a smash hit at Toronto's Factory Theatre in 2004, and named one of the Top Ten Plays of The Year by the Toronto Star. HMHD has had over forty professional stage productions, as well as a national tour. Since his residency at Norman Jewison's Canadian Film Centre, Michael has written extensively for film and television, including writing and story-editing the celebrated youth drama STRAIGHT UP (Best TV Series of 1997- Globe and Mail), the cop series BLUE MURDER (Gemini-Nominated for Best Dramatic Series), as well as the acclaimed CBC satire SNAKES AND LADDERS. Michael's first feature film as screenwriter, the Vancouver-produced MILE ZERO (Anagram Films) has screened at festivals worldwide, winning multiple awards for Best First Feature (Victoria, Houston, Moondance).

MARIO CRUDO, Director - Mario is the Artistic Director of Magnus Theatre. He studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) in England, and has over 35 years experience in theatre with a proven record as a critically acclaimed director across Canada. Before study at LAMDA, Mario attended the Theatre Arts Program at Vancouver Community College for a time, taught by Antony Holland. For many years he worked as an Associate Director at the Arts Club Theatre of Vancouver.