NEWS RELEASE NEWS RELEASE NEWS
RELEASE For Immediate Release: From the
producers of the Genie nominated film CHOKE, 2006 Best Screenplay at
Canadian Comedy awards for LEO, and the
critically acclaimed productions of This is Our
Youth with Woody Harrelson and Matt & Ben. Exclamation Productions
Inc. and macIDeas are
thrilled to announce their inaugural partnership with The Fringe:Toronto’s Theatre Festival to sponsor The 2007 Fringe New Play
Contest ABSOLUTE DARK HORSE BEATS
OUT PROS TO TAKE TOP PRIZE Winner is first time
playwright and journalist, Alison Broverman, with
her page turner play EXPIRY DATING Toronto, ON- January 15, 2007 Announced last night, Exclamation Productions Inc. and macIDeas
are elated to support the development of new plays through their sponsorship of
the 2007 Fringe New Play Contest. In our commitment to create innovative new storytelling
experiences, we believe a partnership with The Fringe:Toronto’s Theatre
Festival is the perfect place to continue this mandate. This sponsorship
allows the festival to make a five fold increase to the prize money that will
help to mount a meaningful production. The festival itself is a place where
anything can happen, and we are excited to be part of that. But it’s also
assisting to build the amount of non traditional theatre goers that attend
theatre, and we believe our involvement will help an already successful
festival.” In keeping with the Fringe tradition of surprise hits and
winners, it is an honor to congratulate Alison Broverman,
and her play EXPIRY DATING for winning this year’s New Play Contest. This poignant and comedic gem reads so well, and we very much look forward to assisting
Alison and her team to take this story to the next level. Over and above the
financial upside of this win (which is a $2,5000 commitment), we hope to bring innovative creative and producing thinking to the table with the hope that the
production will exceed the potential we see on the page. And that this
experience is something that her team can learn from and apply to future
productions of this play or others. “I have to say that her piece
reminds me of two of my favorite plays over the last few years—Adam
Pettle’s, Therac 25 and Nicole Stamp’s, Ten Things- both of whom I
believe are two of the more exciting young writers of the moment. So Alison is
indeed in good company. With key
memorable lines as, “the key to a
successful relationship is short concise sentences,” I have to say this
play is smart, witty, and worth your time to go see!” macIDeas Artistic
Producer, Marcello Cabezas told the Fringers out for the lottery last
night. Alison Broverman has been a theatre junkie since her parents took her to see
Brigadoon when she was three years old.
She studied theatre at York University, and accidentally ended up as a freelance
arts reporter, writing about other people's work (maybe you've seen her byline
in Eye Weekly, the Globe and Mail, Toronto Life, or the National Post). After
reviewing the Toronto Fringe 4 years in a row (three for Eye Weekly, and one
for the National Post), she finally thought, "hey, I can do that."
So she wrote a play called EXPIRY DATING.
It's the first play she's ever written by herself. “When I got the call today, I was walking to
interview a key creative team member of the Mirvish show, Dirty Dancing. They
said I had won, and I was shocked. I’m not sure how good
the interview was as I was so taken aback with this prize”, Broverman told a packed audience
at the Tranzac Club last night. “I am very excited about this! (When do I wake
up??).” More about the sponsors.
Exclamation Productions Inc’s tour de force is Marc Lavine. Born in Toronto, he now splits his time between here and
Paris, France. In his early years, he cut his teeth at McKinsey & Co.
before moving on as a 'serial entrepreneur'founding Exclamation Inc., a
business generator. At the heart of Exclamation is the desire to create.
Exclamation launched a number of start-ups including, Cyberplex Inc., an IT
solutions firm, Points International, a loyalty-rewards business and The
Chrysalis Capital Group, a firm that uses shell companies to take start-ups
public on the TSXV. Exclamation remains committed to creation in both business
and the arts, and via Exclamation Productions has been active in theatre, theatre
prizes, film and non profit work through its foundation ACT (association
creation theatre).
“We
are extremely supportive of this prize as it addresses the primary need to
assist and empower emerging playwrights – simply, the opportunity to get their play on stage and be seen by the
public. Exclamation currently runs theatre prizes in France and this was a
great opportunity for us to leverage our experience and expertise in order to
make a similar impact in Toronto,” Marc
Lavine said from his office in Paris. The other sponsor, macIDeas (www.macideas.com)
is the vision of Artistic Producer, Marcello Cabezas, championed by Chairman,
Matthew Bassett, and three other loyal
contributors, who include Carolyn Newman, Tyler Levine, and Derrick Chua. It is
indeed a production company that is fundamentally about exploring who we are as
people. macIDeas aims to create and produce innovative, thought provoking
theatre, film, and television that moves, excites and -- more importantly --
gets people talking.
"I am
tendentiously excited on both a personal and professional level to be able
to be in partnership with Marc Lavine and Exclamation Productions Inc. We have been trying to work out an opportunity to work together
for a while, and this will be the beginning of
some exciting news to come in regards to our
two companies. I am a huge fan of the
Fringe Festival as it represents not only a great culmination of artistic talent but an
excellent reflection of the vibrancy of this great city.” macIDeas Chairman, Matthew Bassett said
yesterday from his office in downtown Toronto. Recent collaborations between Exclamation
Productions Inc. and macIDeas have included
the film LEO, 2006 Canadian Comedy Awards
winner for Best Screenplay/ Grand Prize at the 2006 Little Big Films Short
Competition sponsored by Landmark Theatres, the smash hit and remount of
Kenneth Lonergan’s THIS IS OUR YOUTH directed by Woody Harrelson- 2003 & 2004
remount (Berkeley St. Theatre) which set box office records for per
average weekly gross at the Can Stage theatre, and the extended engagement of the production of MATT &
BEN , voted one of the top shows of 2004, National Post (Poor Alex
Theatre). Both companies are also sponsors of the PRESENTING
OUR VISION (POV) FILM PROGRAM, a new venture providing an opportunity for
underprivileged youth to be exposed to the filmmaking process and how it then
may inspire them to be a storyteller in the future, and enrich their lives
forever. www.povfilmcamp.com.
Please visit www.macideas.com for more about this program in
the coming weeks and months. For additional
information and interview requests with writer, please contact: Marcello Cabezas Marc
Lavine Artistic Producer, macIDeas Principal,
Exclamation Productions Inc. 416-294-9239 (Toronto) 416-907-0898 310-560-1760 (Los Angeles) marc@exclamation.com