The Lehman Trilogy: An extraordinary feat of storytelling comes to Theatre Calgary
Theatre Calgary, in partnership with Arts Commons Presents, are thrilled to bring Calgary audiences the Tony Award-winning drama based on true events with Stefano Massini’s masterpiece The Lehman Trilogy, adapted by Ben Power.
Directed by Arts Commons VP of Programming Sarah Garton Stanley (SGS), The Lehman Trilogy is an American epic telling the story of the dramatic rise and fall of Lehman Brothers Inc., from its immigrant origins in pre-Civil War Alabama to its Wall Street peak and the crash that followed. The Lehman Trilogy is performed by three actors playing the Lehman brothers, their wives, their sons, their grandsons, and all other characters, tracing the 163-year history of a dream destined for collapse.
“High wires and the dreams of people. No one wants to fall off, no one wants the dream to become the nightmare,” says SGS of this drama, which garnered the 2022 Tony Award for Best Play.
““We dream a dream, but the nightmares come. This is a play about the consequences of dreams. And most specifically, the myth of the American Dream.””
For Theatre Calgary’s Artistic Director Stafford Arima, this is an opportunity for Calgary audiences to see one of the great new works of recent years. “I first saw The Lehman Trilogy on Broadway and was immediately taken by its theatricality. This is no run-of-the-mill ‘bio’ play; it is, in my humble opinion, an extraordinary feat of storytelling,” says Arima. “It offers a profound exploration of capitalism, immigration, family dynamics, and collaboration. By chronicling the rise and fall of the Lehman Brothers, The Lehman Trilogy highlights the precarious nature of wealth, the human cost of financial success, and the way in which a family grapples with success and failure.”
It is the storytelling that Arima describes that requires three masterful artists on stage to bring the 50+ characters to life. The Lehman Trilogy features Diane Flacks, Alex Poch-Goldin, and Michael Rubenfeld, all of whom are making their Theatre Calgary debuts. An actor and writer, Flacks (playing Mayer Lehman) returns to Calgary after presenting her solo show Guilt at the One Yellow Rabbit High Performance Rodeo in 2022. Flacks also serves as the cultural consultant on this production. For Poch-Goldin (playing Emanuel Lehman), this is a return to the play but in a different role. Earlier in 2024, he performed as Henry Lehman in a production at the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. Taking on the role of Henry at Theatre Calgary will be Michael Rubenfeld. An actor, writer, director, and producer, Michael returns to Canada from Poland where he recently premiered his new work Poland is not yet lost! in Kraków.
Director SGS has brought together a creative team full of artists who are both past collaborators and new faces. The creative team includes Tracey Erin Smith (Associate Director), Amy Keith (sets & costumes), Sophie Tang (lighting), Ben Caplan (composition), Michael Gesy (sound), Jane MacFarlane (voice & dialect), and directing mentee Jamie Konchak. The stage management team includes Sandy Plunkett (SM), Chandler Ontkean (ASM), and Brianna Diodati (AppSM).
“The late, great Daniel Brooks said that theatre is about friendship,” says SGS. “I am getting to make this show with some very old friends, and am privileged with getting to meet many new friends along the journey. Which includes the Calgary audiences.”
Presented in partnership with Arts Commons Presents, The Lehman Trilogy runs October 15 – November 3 in the Arts Commons Max Bell Theatre. As part of Theatre Calgary’s ‘Theatre For All’ initiative, all main floor tickets are just $44 for regular performances and can be purchased online at theatrecalgary.com.
