Train Payanam was inspired by a true story from Ragupathy Ratnasabapathy, and also by an interview with Kanagasabai Sinnappu, a former station master on the Sri Lankan national railway for 36 years. Using poetry written for this production by Kamala Ramasurian, with script and story contributions from the entire creative team, and stories and words from people of all ages living in East Scarborough and Toronto.
Artistic Team
Concept Creator and Director: Beth Helmers
Designer: Sonja Rainey*
Composer, Arranger and co-Musical Director: Cathy Nosaty
Song and Story Writer and co-Musical Director: Sharada K. Eswar
Choreographer: Lilia Leon
Costume and Textile Artist: Marianne Alas
Lighting Designer: Jenny Jimenez
Assistant Designer and Puppet Director: Arber Makri
Assistant Choreographer: Julia Hune-Brown**
Assistant Musical Director: Jackie Omstead
Maker: Parker Dirks
Other Staff
Community Arts Guild Artistic Director: Beth Helmers
Project and Outreach Co-ordinator: Hillari Blumfald
Production Manager: Jenny Jimenez
Stage Manager: Dylan Tate-Howarth
Assistant Stage Manager: Eli Howard
Box Office and Front-of-House: Jackie Omstead
Cooks: Peter Jones, Marianne Alas
Drivers: Tim Dollack, Peter Beaumont
Childminders: Adiah Flynn, Fiona Pereira
Photographer: Katherine Fleitas
Graphic Designers: Helah Cooper (poster and illustration), Venetia Butler (program)
* Partly funded by a George Cedric Metcalf Foundation Performing Arts Internship, through Jumblies Theatre.
**The services of Julia Hune-Brown were made possible through Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program, funded by the Ontario Arts Council.
Cast
VENDORS Cindy Rozeboom, Cynthia Walker, Dillon Cox, Earlena Dawson, Teagan Robinson
BUSKERS Komathy Sarah Coomaraswamy (violin), Mangayakarasi Sivasubramaniam (harmonium), Cathy Nosaty (accordion and keyboard, conductor), Sharada K. Eswar (vocal percussion and singing), Seiichiro Yamamori (violin), Kathy Wolfer (vocals)
PASSENGERS Aya, Georgia Beaumont, Julia Hune-Brown (ensemble leader), Kamala Jeyananthan. Lilia Leon (ensemble leader), M. Sarojini Murugatha, Pathma Mahalingam, Parameswary Ponnampalam, Ragupathy Ratnasabapathy, Sara, Sarojini Vamadevan, Violet Archer RAILWAY STAFF Beth Helmers, Christina Demunda, Seiichiro Yamamori, Sulogini Sothynathan
TICKETLESS TRAVELLERS Karis Jones-Pard, Wyatt Robinson
TICKET COLLECTOR John Pyette
RETIRED STATION MASTER Kamala Ramasurian
STATION MASTER (DEPARTURE) Jackie Omstead
FATHER Gehan Kolamba Tantrege
MOTHER Marie Gomez/Olivia Thornton-Nickerson
DAUGHTER Keza Charles
FATHER AS PUPPET Dillon Cox
DAUGHTER AS PUPPET Arber Makri
PUPPETEERS AND PROJECTIONISTS Aya, Adelyn Wang, Ahlam Ebo Elmagd, Afroza Parvin, Bill Livingstone, Brooklyn Wang, Earlena Dawson, Fiona Clarke (projections leader), Hanan Bahr, Jasbir Kaur, John Pyette, Junyee Wang, Kaitlyn Wang, Katie Elphick, Karis Jones-Pard, Keza Charles, Parker Dirks (projections leader), Ragupathy Ratnasabapathy, Sara, Sonja Rainey (chief projectionist), Zariah Charles
STATION MASTER (ARRIVAL) Ragupathy Ratnasabapathy
Other Contributors
Ahmoud Shah, Arika Abedin, Arisha Abedin, Beck Lloyd, Bipin Shah, Christina Fedak, David McNiven, Fadia, Fatima Zein El-A-Den, Hasnat Sanda, Imran Sarder, Jessica Ng, Madeleine Wood, Moodra Shah, Kaitlyn Riordan, Sadi Karabage, Shloak Shah, Simmi Kaur, William Johnson, Yasmeen Safawi; the Arts Adventures kids; Dharshana Jayapathy and the Tamil seniors from the SHCH programs at 50 Tuxedo Court, 65 Greencrest and the East Scarborough Storefront; Ms. Hallam and Ms. Athens’ grade 1/2 classes and Ms. Keep’s grade 4/5 class from Willow Park Jr. P.S.; Family Residence kids and staff.
Originating artists: Andrea Thring, Julia Churchill, Sarah Miller, Sean Frey; “I lost… but I found…” text gathering and poetry concept by Sasha Tate-Howarth
Originating cast members and makers: Annapooranam Gnanassambandar, Beverly Larsen, David Phan, Eunillyne Lazado, Hapbishan Vijayakummar, Jasmine, Jessica Shane, Kaitlynn Rodgers, Kamala Poopal, Lyndon Alvares, Margaret, Melrose McGill, Minnie Choi, Mithila, Munzir Rahman, Nirven Armoogum, Olivia Wallace, Oren, P. Annasundaram, Pushpavany, Saraswathy Kumarakulasingham, Sivayogamalar Sivapatham, Tyler Alvares, Zakariyu, Zarameena, members of the story groups at 65 Greencrest and 4175 Lawrence.