Actor
Voice Over
Playwright
Joel J. Pettigrew
Joel has penned, and also Directed, many Award Winning Plays that have been performed across Canada.
Below are some of the productions of plays he has written.
In a Cafe,
At a Chappel
"Tell everyone I’ve gone away forever...or I died, whatever no one will miss me anyway...not even on my wedding day..."
In a Cafe, at a Chappel is a collection of two short plays by Joel J. Pettigrew: The Dilemma, a frequently produced play, which you can read about more below, and The Wedding Story.
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The Wedding Story explores what would happen if the "I Object!" trope from Rom-Coms actually happened in real life, and how - far from being a romantic gesture - it would actually be a total disaster! A play about the many loves you have, and how no one ever truly leaves you.
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Left: Karen Scora Right: Joel J. Pettigrew
Left: Lucas James Right: Thomas Sarigiannidis
2022 Merciful Productions
Robert Gill Theatre (Toronto, On)
Directors : Joel J. Pettigrew and Rod McTaggart
Mercury Man
The Last Performance 0f
Orson Welles
"I was never bound by the physical reality, only my imagination."
Hollywood, 1985. Orson Welles is recording his last ever performance: the voice of a cartoon robot planet in, "Transmogrifyers : The Movie." In studio, he meets a young intern, (his "Biggest Fan!") and together, they reminisce about Welles's early career in Film, Theatre, and Radio, and discuss all the sacrifices you have to make to do what you love, make art and tell stories.
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This feature length docudrama is based on a short radio play Joel wrote in 2009. This one is special, so much so, that it has it's own website which you can see here!
Adrian Gorrissen as "Newsreeler."
Left: Cora Matheson as "Georgie." Right: Rod McTaggart as "Orson Welles."
Left to Right: Adrian Gorrissen, Joel J. Pettigrew, Cora Matheson
Adrian Gorrissen as "Newsreeler."
2018, 2019 Dramatic Hat Productions
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The Pearl Company (Hamilton, On)
The Rachel Browne Theatre (Winnipeg, MB)
Mills Hardware Event Venue (Hamilton, On)
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Director : Joel J. Pettigrew
Assistant Director : Shan Fernando
Box
or the Epic Epoch of the
Contemporary Workplace
Two Guards...One Box...No Clue!
Two guards stand alone in a non-descript room guarding a box. They have no idea what's inside. It could be a bomb, the cure for cancer, or even nothing at all. They are getting paid. But is that enough?
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This existential dark comedy examines the nature of work, secrets, and why we do what we do.
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Lucas James as "Dabney."
Lucas James as "Dabney."
Lucas James as "Dabney."
2019 Broken English Theatre
St. Volodymyr Institute (Toronto, On)
Director : Joel J. Pettigrew
The Dilemma
"What if it wasn't so...Hypothetical?"
Harry and Tristan are friends.
They like to play a game.
Present a moral dilemma,
weigh the consequences.
Rinse and repeat.
Harmless.
But what if the stakes were higher?
What if the dilemma - a matter of life
and death - was no longer a game?
Joel's most produced play, which is also being made into a short film, is an intriguing dark comedy which presents a game of cat and mouse that keeps the audience in suspense right up until the very end.
Left: Lucas James as "Harry." Right: Thomas Sarigiannidis as "Tristan."
Left: Thomas Sarigiannidis as "Tristan." Right: Lucas James as "Harry."
Left: Thomas Sarigiannidis as "Tristan." Right: Lucas James as "Harry."
Left: Lucas James as "Harry." Right: Thomas Sarigiannidis as "Tristan."
2022 Broken English Theatre
as part of In a Cafe, At a Chappel.
Robert Gill Theatre
Director : Joel J. Pettigrew
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2019 Nortesur Productions (Tour)
Imperial Backspace (Toronto, On)
West Studio Theatre (Oakville, On)
The Pearl Company (Hamilton, Ontario
Director : Joel J. Pettigrew
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2019 Vanier Productions
Fred Thurry Theatre (Toronto, On)
Director : Joel J. Pettigrew
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2017 New Market National Fest
Pickering Theatre (Newmarket, On)
Director : Tom McHale
Waking
"He is taken from sanctuary and pulled back to reality...a place where everything is new and nothing is ever kept...always and forever."
What if you could never form any new memories? What then, would the last twenty years look like? Welcome to the life of Nigel Barrett, where every moment carries the feeling of just waking up for the very first time.
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Based on the incredible true story of Clive Wearing, the man with seven seconds of memory, Waking explores how we define ourselves through our memories, and how love always finds a way.
Left to Right Upstage: Andrea Cabeza, Lucas James, Emily Powell-Heaton Downstage: Jenny Blair, Matt Landry
Left to Right: Jenny Blair, Matt Landry
Left to Right Upstage: Emily Powell-Heaton, Lucas James, Downstage: Matt Landry, Jenny Blair
Left to Right Upstage: Andrea Cabeza, Lucas James, Emily Powell-Heaton Downstage: Jenny Blair, Matt Landry
2016 Chameleon Productions
Al Green Theatre (Toronto, On)
Director : Joel J. Pettigrew
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2015 Second Strike Productions
Imperial Backspace (Toronto, On)
Director : Joel J. Pettigrew
Assistant Director : Andrea Cabeza
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Life on a Limb
"He didn't have a contingency plan,
always have a contingency plan."
When a man climbs a tree to get some perspective on his life, a community of onlookers gather round to speculate, place bets, and ponder their own lives.
Who is this mysterious man in the tree? And what connection does he have with a woman getting married that same day?
Angry bears, insurance, and cake collide in this existential dark comedy about love, community, and loneliness.
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Left to Right: Devon Shore, Lisa Aikman
Left to Right: Lisa Aikman, Devon Shore
Left to Right: Devon Shore, Lisa Aikman
petti*child productions
Fred Thurry Studio Theatre
Director : Lorne Mandelzys
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In Words Alone
Life Takes You to
Places You Didn't Expect
An accidental poet struggles to find meaning amidst tragedy and heartbreak, in this drama which questions the truth and validity of love and relationships, and the winding paths our lives take, to get us to where we are.
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Left to Right: Cecelia Drummond Gregory Cruikshank
Gina J. Brintnell Cecila Drummond
Left to Right: Gregory Cruikshank,Cecelia Drummond
Left to Right: Cecelia Drummond Gregory Cruikshank
Glendon Festival
Theatre Glendon
Director : Joel J. Pettigrew
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