Brian Friel’s Faith Healer now in previews at The Shaw

“Was it all chance? Or skill? Or illusion? Or delusion? Precisely what power did I possess?”

Media Release #19

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, June 17, 2013 . . . Faith Healer, Brian Friel’s compelling portrait of an artist at odds with his gift and the mysterious paths that memories take, is now in previews at the Shaw Festival’s Royal George Theatre.

Faith Healer is the complexly woven tale of Francis (Frank) Hardy (Jim Mezon) and his wife Grace (Corrine Koslo), and manager, Teddy (Peter Krantz).

Frank is an itinerant, erratic healer of the sick who travels to small towns throughout the British Isles. His ultimate crisis of faith and how it affects those around him is told through a series of intricately woven monologues. All talk of the same events, but the stories are not the same.

The New York Times called Faith Healer “a major work of art”. The Shaw’s production is directed by Craig Hall, designed by Christina Poddubiuk, with lighting design by Bonnie Beecher and original music and sound design by James Smith.

Brian Friel has long been considered Ireland’s contemporary master playwright. Provocative, yet poetic, this work sits perfectly here at The Shaw — which has produced the one-act drama Afterplay in 2003 and his adaptation of Ivan Turgenev’s A Month in the Country in 2007.

About Faith Healer

June 13 – October 6; Opens: July 12

Faith Healer is on stage at the Royal George Theatre (85 Queen Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake).

Faith Healer is presented by special arrangement with Samuel French, Inc.

Cast (in alphabetical order): Corrine Koslo                          Peter Krantz                            Jim Mezon	Grace Teddy Francis (Frank) Hardy
Creative Team: Craig Hall                                Christina Poddubiuk              Bonnie Beecher                      James Smith                           Meredith Macdonald                         Leigh McClymont                   Susanne Lankin	Director Designer Lighting Designer Composer/Sound Designer Stage Manager Assistant Stage Manager Rehearsal Assistant Stage Manager

The Shaw Festival’s 2013 season began April 3, runs until November 3 and features 10 productions presented on the Festival’s four Niagara-on-the-Lake stages. For more information on our 2013 season, performance schedule and ticket information, please visit www.shawfest.com or call 1-800-511-SHAW.

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The Shaw Festival is a theatre company inspired by the work of Bernard Shaw. We produce plays from and about his era and contemporary plays that share Shaw’s provocative exploration of society and celebration of humanity.