Doubletree

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Written by Amy Lee Lavoie and Omari Newton
Directed by Mike Payette

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You Can’t Get There From Here, Vol. 2

Episode 4: Doubletree

Sydney and Tara are a couple in love, who have recently inherited an apartment in Toronto – in today’s market better than winning the lottery. But was this apartment the start to their happy life together or the path to their destruction? Crime podcaster Dom Maxwell is determined to find out the truth.

A horror story not for the faint of heart. From playwrights Amy Lee Lavoie and Omari Newton, Doubletree brings an unsettling story about a couple’s demise and the death of their love.

About the Playwrights

Amy Lee Lavoie

Amy Lee Lavoie is an award-winning playwright and a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada’s Playwriting Program. Her first play, Rabbit Rabbit, received its premiere production with Infinitheatre, earning Amy Lee two MECCA’s for Best Text and the Revelation Award. Rabbit Rabbit has since been produced across Canada and in the US. Other plays include Me Happy (co-written with Matthew Mackenzie/Summerworks Festival), Stopheart (Factory Theatre), Genetic Drift (Pi Theatre/Boca del Lupo), My Tom (Railtown Lab Series), Scout’s Honour (Radio Play/Imago Theatre) and C’mon, Angie! (Touchstone Theatre/Leroy Street Theatre) which was hailed as “visceral, important, life-changing theatre.”

Amy Lee was also the Head Digital Writer for the CBC drama Strange Empire, which won a Gracie Award (Women’s Alliance Media) for Best Website in recognition of its interactive Storytelling.

Amy Lee is currently co-writing multiple projects with her husband/fellow writer Omari Newton. Some of these projects include: Redbone Coonhound, generously supported by the Canada Council for the Arts and The Arts Club Theatre through their Silver Commission Program, and Black Fly — an adaptation of Titus Andronicus, which was recently awarded a Canada Council for the Arts Digital Now grant.

Omari Newton

Omari Newton (he/him) is an award-winning professional actor, writer, director, and a senior instructor at The Vancouver Film School.

As a writer, his original Hip Hop theatre piece Sal Capone has received critical acclaim and multiple productions, including a recent presentation at Canada’s National Arts Centre. He has been commissioned by Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) in Montreal to write a companion piece to Sal Capone entitled Black & Blue Matters. He often co-writes with his wife, playwright Amy Lee Lavoie, and the duo are currently working on Redbone Coonhound —A Silver Commission from The Arts Club Theatre, and Blackfly — a commission from Montreal’s Repercussion Theatre.

Newton’s work in Speakeasy Theatre’s production of Young Jean Lee’s The Shipment earned him a 2017-2018 Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor, as well as a nomination for Best Direction.

Notable film & TV credits include: Lucas Ingram on Showcase’s Continuum, Larry Summers on Blue Mountain State and lending his voice to the Black Panther in multiple animated projects (Marvel). Most recently, Omari has a recurring role as Nate on Corner Gas (the animated series) and a recurring role as Corvus in Netflix’s hit new animated series The Dragon Prince.

Social Media
Twitter: @OmariAkilNewton
Instagram: @OmariAkilNewton
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/omari.newton

About the Director

Mike Payette

Mike Payette is a director, educator and actor who has appeared at some of Canada’s finest theatres. As an actor, he has worked at The Citadel, Vertigo, Banff Centre, The Grand, Factory Theatre, Neptune, and the National Arts Centre, as well as with great companies in his hometown of Montreal. Directing credits include Harlem Duet (Black Theatre Workshop), Another Home Invasion (Tableau D’Hôte Theatre), Hosanna and Choir Boy (Centaur), Around the World in 80 Days, The Paperbag Princess (Geordie), Venus and Burning Vision (National Theatre School), Sensitivity (Obsidian Theatre/CBC Gem; 21 Black Futures), Héritage – A Raisin in the Sun (Théâtre Duceppe) along with the national tours of The Tashme Project (Tashme Prod/Centaur/Factory/Firehall) and Lorena Gale’s Angélique (BTW/Tableau D’Hôte/NAC/Factory/Obsidian). Mike is a two-time Montreal English Theatre Award (META) recipient and was the co-founding Artistic Director of Tableau D’Hôte Theatre and past Assistant Artistic Director for Black Theatre Workshop. He was also Artistic and Executive Director of Geordie Productions before his appointment as Artistic Director of Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre in 2021.