CONSTELLATIONS premiered at the Royal Court Theatre in London in early 2012, and went on to win the BEST PLAY category at the Evening Standard Theatre Awards that year. Then followed a highly successful West End transfer to the Duke of York’s Theatre. It has just been announced that Jake Gyllenhaal will be making his Broadway debut in 2015 starring in CONSTELLATIONS. South African theatre stars Ashley Dowds and Janna Ramos-Violante together with award-winning Director Alan Swerdlow will bring the play to life on our local stages, with the Johannesburg run (8 August to 28 September) followed by a season at The Theatre on the Bay in Cape Town (30 September to 18 October).
One relationship. Infinite possibilities. CONSTELLATIONS is a story of love, honey, and a quantum multiverse. Moment by moment, can everything you’ve ever and never done exist in the same vortex of reality? Elegant and playful yet powerfully moving, CONSTELLATIONS blends the everyday and the ethereal, the actual and the imaginable, revealing that every outcome may only be the first link in a chain of cosmic consequences.
CONSTELLATIONS
Studio Theatre, Montecasino
8 August – 28 September
Performances: Wed – Fri @ 8:15pm, Sat @ 5:15pm & 8:15pm, Sun @ 3:15pm
Tickets cost R150 at Computicket & Theatre Box Office (011) 511 1818
Please find attached pics of Ashley Dowds and Janna Ramos-Violante
Please mail all Media requests to mark@montetheatre.co.za or call Mark (011) 511 1988
Ashley Dowds:
Training: University of Natal, South Africa
Theatre includes: Nic in ‘Soil’ (Theatre on the Square), Detective Trotter in ‘The Mousetrap’(Montecasino/Theatre on the Bay/Lyric Theatre,Hong Kong), Bishop Gray in ‘Princess Emma’ (Grahamstown Festival 2012), Claudius in ‘Hamlet’ (The Framework Co), Zvi in Motti Lerner’s ‘Hard Love’ (Theatre on the square JHB, The Space Theatre, CT), Bruce in ‘Blue Orange’ (Theatre on the square), Bruce Delamitri in ‘Popcorn’ (Civic Theatre), Mortel the tailor in ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ (Playhouse), The Writer in Mike Van Graan’s ‘Dinner Talk’ (Playhouse), Lesley in The Other Side of the Swamp (Montecasino Theatre, Theatre on the Bay), Michael in ‘Japes’ (Montecasino Theatre, Theatre on the Bay).
Film includes: Arthur Goldreich in Mandela’s Gun (Delimanzi/DV8), ‘Director’ in ‘Inside Story’ (Discovery), Cameo in ‘Everyman’s Taxi’ (Ian Roberts films), lead in ‘Flesh’ (Franz Marx films)
TV includes: Tom Siebel in ‘Dead or Alive’ (Nat. Geo.), Roger in ‘Scout’s Safari’ (NBC/Discovery), Terry in ‘Wild at Heart’ (ITV, UK), Malcolm in ‘Home Affairs’ (SABC2), Andrew McBain in ‘Scandal!’ (eTV), Dennis M in ‘Isidingo’ (SABC3), Fr Hooley in ‘Soul Buddies’ (SABC1)
Other credits include: Channel anchor, Home TV; Continuity presenter, SABC3, Travel presenter on ‘Going Nowhere Slowly’; Presenter for ‘Lifestyle Matters’ SABC3, SABC3 Woman of the Year Awards eve live broadcast, Voice artist: Advertising/other clients include: BMW, VW, Liberty, Sasfin, PPS, Investec, Endangered Wildlife Trust, SAPPI, Discovery Channel
Janna Ramos-Violante:
I was born in Durban, South Africa, and graduated from UKZN in 2005 with a B.A in Drama & Performance studies and German translation. I have since been working professionally as an actress, singer, dancer, choreographer, writer and producer in Durban and Johannesburg. Standout roles include Cecile in Dangerous Liaisons (Best Newcomer Durban theatre Awards nomination), Catherine in Boston Marriage (winner of Best Comedy Actress and Best Supporting Actress Durban Theatre Awards), Carol in Oleanna (best actress nomination Durban Theatre Awards), Adelaide in Guys and Dolls (Best Lead Actress in a musical), Emilia in Othello, Suzette in Don’t Dress for Dinner (winner of Best Comedy Actress and Best Actress Durban Theatre Awards) and Vanda in Venus in Fur. In 2005 I formed the theatre company Fett Diva Productions with my friend Josette Eales and produced such works as Agnes of God,
‘Night Mother, The Lover and Sally and Marshsa.
In 2010 I formed my own theatre company Thinskin which debuted with an original penned by myself, Mein Soldat. It premiered at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival where it won an Ovation Award, this provided a spring board for it to be seen at the Hilton Arts festival and the Playhouse New Stages Festival. The play was also nominated for best new South African script, best actress, best actor, best newcomer and best director at the 2010 Durban theatre awards.
In 2011 I co-directed and performed in Neil Coppin’s Abnormal Loads, which premiered on the Main platform at the Grahamstown National Arts Festival and went on to have a run at The Market Theatre in Johannesburg. I also founded the I Heart Durban Theatre
Festival, where my new play, Callum’s Will, was debuted. The festival was for the development of new South African Theatre and created a platform for new scripts
to be staged. Based on its success at I Heart, Callum’s Will went on to be performed on the 2012 Grahamstown Arena Platform and at the 2012 Hilton Arts Festival, it completed a run at the Seabrooke’s Theatre in Durban, returned to the Grahamstown Festival 2013 and is scheduled to be seen in Johannesburg in October this year.
2012 started with the role of Suzette in the comedy, Don’t Dress for Dinner and ended with a move to Johannesburg. It has been a great move and full of new opportunity. Janna spent 2013 touring with Don’t Dress for Dinner and Venus in Fur, working on her new play ‘Phobic’ which debuted at 2013 Hilton Arts Festival. 2014 she directed Sweet Charity for NSA and produced and performed John Patrick Shanley’s, Doubt and is looking forward to hitting the boards with another South African debut of a brilliant, internationally acclaimed play.