G.D. Productions

... is a company within Fantasy Theatre for Children, which aims to produce quality entertainment for general and mature audiences.

G.D. Productions features performers from Fantasy Theatre for Children's mainstage, The Theatre School's adult classes, and the greater Winnipeg performing arts community. The company is committed to giving FTC's actors and students alike the opportunity to participate in productions mounted on the adult stage.

(Please note that with its primary focus on "adult" theatre, G.D.'s productions are usually not geared specifically toward children, and may not always be suitable for young audiences.)

A Brief G.D. History (1992 - 2002)

The name G.D. (or 'Great Drama') Productions is one periodically heard in the Winnipeg theatre scene, and has existed for almost two decades. Over the years, it has been afforded to a variety of directors by FTC Artistic Director Tony Frost.

Kicking off the '90s with the comedic Winnipeg Fringe Festival hit "Love, Sex, and Innuendo at Noon" (1992, Tony Frost), the company continued to stage adult comedy through "Pasta Nite for the Arts" cabarets, which Mr Frost mounted regularly inside the old Mother Tucker's Restaurant. The 1990s also saw several major productions, including William Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing" (1996, Eric Violago) and Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" (1997, Steven D. Stiller).

After a dormancy of several years, G.D. Productions returned in the new millennium with the one-act comedy "Over the Teacups" (2001, Tony Frost). Continuing into 2002 on a more serious note, a double-feature was staged of the recognition scene from "Anastasia" (Tony Frost) and a one-act play based on events from Les Misérables entitled "The Bishop's Candlesticks" (John Chase).

G.D. Productions

Receiving acclaim from both patrons and performers in response to the company's 2001/02 revival, it was decidedly time to remedy the absence of the "Pasta Nite" comedy shows.

In February of 2003, Tony Frost and John Chase served as Producer and Director (respectively) of "An Abbott & Costello Dinner Theatre for the Arts" at a new venue: the King's Head Pub. Playing to a sold-out house, Chase's cabaret was an evening of dinner, drinks, and sketch comedy presented in the old burlesque style: featuring many of FTC's foremost talents, and hosted by Chase & Hamill – Winnipeg's own "Bud Abbott and Lou Costello"!

FTC's adult cast has retained a strong comedy repertoire ever since, having presented regular sketch comedy shows at various cabarets in downtown Winnipeg, a special performance in Brandon, Manitoba, and classics such as Anton Chekhov's one-act Russian comedy "The Boor" (2008, Tony Frost).

Watch this space for more information about upcoming G.D. Productions events!