Timothy Findley’s The Wars

Timothy Findley’s The Wars
Directed by MFA Directing Alumnus
Lois Anderson

Timothy Findley’s The Wars adapted by Dennis Garnhum, a touchingly beautiful tale of connection through the eyes of a soldier.

Adapted for the stage in 2007 by Dennis Garnhum (MFA Directing, 1993), Timothy Findley’s The Wars, his 1977 novel that won the Governor General’s Award for English Language Fiction, retains its poignantly poetic storytelling.

When Robert Ross, a tender-hearted idealist who shares a strong bond with his wheelchair-bound sister, trades his comfortable Canadian life for the harsh world of trench warfare in World War I, we watch his slow unravelling. This story takes us deep inside the mind of a soldier and catapults us into the mud, smoke, and chlorine gas of the front line in France during World War I. Ultimately life-affirming, in the hands of director and alumna, Lois Anderson (Bard on the Beach), this piece, staged by the graduate class of 2020, at an age similar to that of the characters, directly links to our world in 2019 showing that human connection is all.

Timothy Findley’s The Wars adapted by Dennis Garnhum was originally co-produced by Theatre Calgary and the Playhouse Theatre Company of Vancouver in the fall of 2007.

Robert Ross David Volpov; Mr. Ross Hayden Davies; Mrs. Ross Laura Reynolds; Private Purchas Nicco Graham; Captain Taffler/Soldier 2 Guard Drew Ogle; Sergeant MacDonald Ishan Sandhu; Private Levitt/ Soldier 6 Aidan LeBlanc; Captain Leather/ Coyote Caleb Pleasure; Private Harris/Lorenzo Tesler-Mabe; Private Regis/ Soldier 1/3 Liam McCulley; Private Cote/Soldier 4 Connor Riopel; Sergeant Rodwell/ Soldier 5 Karthik Kadam; Station Master/Major Mickle/Horse 1/Rose Monica Bowman; Eve/Lady Barbara d’Orsey/Horse Ava Maria Safai; Maria/Flemish Woman/Marian/Horse Pamela Martinez; Rowena/Ella/Jackie/Horse Hana Cripton-Inglis

Director Lois Anderson; Scenic Design Cecilia Vadala; Costume Design Erica Sterry; Lighting Design Matthew Piton; Sound Design Zachary Levis; Stage Manager Emily Chen

About Lois Anderson

Director, Timothy Findley’s The Wars

Lois Anderson has a BA (English Literature), a BFA (Acting) and an MFA (Directing) all from UBC. For UBC: Medea, Pride and Prejudice.

For Bard on the Beach: On the Beach, Pericles, Lysistrata.

For The Arts Club: Fun Home, My Granny the Goldfish, The Graduate, The Unplugging, It’s Snowing on Saltspring.

Lois was an original member of The Leaky Heaven Circus, Cirque Poule and Flying Blind.

About Timothy Findley

Timothy Findley

Timothy Findley, in full Timothy Irving Frederick Findley, (born October 30, 1930, Toronto, Ontario, Canada—died June 20, 2002, France), Canadian author known for his intelligent writing and storytelling. His subject matter is often the lives of troubled individuals.

Poor health caused Findley to abandon formal education after the ninth grade. At age 17 he began a 15-year acting career that led to roles in several television dramas and Shakespeare productions; a protégé of British actor Alec Guinness, he appeared on the English and American stage. He also began writing short stories during the 1950s. His first two novels are set in southern California, where he lived for a time. The Last of the Crazy People (1967) is about a despairing, obsessive boy whose attempts to cope with his dysfunctional family lead to murder and madness, while The Butterfly Plague (1969) presents a late-1930s Hollywood family whose members embody the world’s ills.

In the early 1970s Findley wrote radio and television scripts and a play, Can You See Me Yet? (produced 1976), then followed with his two most acclaimed novels. The Wars (1977) features the dilemmas of soldier Robert Ross as he attempts to cope with an officer and 130 doomed horses in the midst of World War I. Famous Last Words (1981) is narrated by Ezra Pound’s character Hugh Selwyn Mauberley and features noted real (as well as fictional) characters trying to manipulate the catastrophes of World War II for their personal ends. Not Wanted on the Voyage (1984) is the story of Noah’s ark, told from the viewpoints of its animal passengers. The Telling of Lies (1986) is a mystery story. Dinner Along the Amazon (1984), Stones (1988), and Any Time at All and Other Stories (1993) are collections of Findley’s short stories. He also wrote Inside Memory: Pages from a Writer’s Notebook (1990) and the novels Headhunter (1993) and The Piano Man’s Daughter (1995). His autobiography, From Stone Orchard, was published in 1998.

About Denis Garnhum

Dennis Garnhum

Dennis Garnhum has been the Artistic Director of the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario since the fall of 2016. Since arriving in London, he has directed CABARET, TIMOTHY FINDLEY’S THE WARS, CHARIOTS OF FIRE and A CHRISTMAS CAROL for the Grand Theatre.

Dennis has worked across North America directing plays, musicals and operas at a number of companies, including Vancouver Opera, National Arts Centre, Shaw Festival, Stratford Festival, Tarragon Theatre, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, Florida Grand Opera, American Conservancy Theatre (A.C.T.), Bard on the Beach, Pacific Opera Victoria, Belfry Theatre, and Neptune Theatre. His co-adaptation (with author Cathy Ostlere) of Lost – A Memoir was nominated for a 2012 Governor General’s Literary Award. Prior to the Grand, Dennis was Artistic Director of Theatre Calgary from 2005 to 2016. His final production there was the world premiere of the musical adaptation of The Little Prince.

Dennis is a recipient of a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee and a Calgary Award for Community Achievement in Arts.

The Cast & Creative Team

The Cast

The Creative Team

Director Lois Anderson; Scenic Design Cecilia Vadala; Costume Design Erica Sterry; Lighting Design Matthew Piton; Sound Design Zachary Levis; Stage Manager Emily Chen