Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre Production

The MBA has a long history of community involvement including our award-winning association with the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, which stages a professional production each year as a fundraiser, featuring cast members from the CBA. Since its inception in 1990, the annual Lawyers Play has been a very important fundraising event for the Royal Manitoba Theater Centre and the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival, raising over $1 million to date.  

Other community groups have also benefitted from the efforts of MBA volunteers including the Winnipeg Boys and Girls Clubs and Habitat for Humanity. The MBA is equally proud of its members who, on their own initiative, volunteer their time and skills to countless charities and community organizations throughout the province. 

Check back for more information on the 2021MBA/RMTC  Lawyers Play.

Our 2019 production:

Mama Mia

Photo taken by Randy Zyla Harder.

Once again we have reason to celebrate a fantastic partnership that has evolved between the Manitoba Bar Association and the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre.  Each year, a cast made up entirely of volunteer lawyers, law students, judges, and other member of the legal community devote their time and energy to put their dramatic skills on display in a spectacular show.  This year’s production, Mamma Mia! was the 27th co-production between the RMTC and the MBA.

All of us that had the opportunity to see Mamma Mia! knew we were in for a highly entertaining evening.  Most of us, if we were honest, would acknowledge that ABBA counts as one of our guilty pleasures.  The audience members had to show tremendous restraint in order to avoid singing along with the cast members.  The production was great, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed an evening where we could escape to a utopian Greek Island where everyone spends all their free time singing ABBA tunes.

On behalf of the Manitoba Bar Association, I would like to thank the cast and crew for their tremendous contribution toward the success of this partnership.  To date, the MBA has raised over $1,000,000 for the Royal MTC through these plays.  I would also like to thank Steven Schipper and Teri-Lynn Friesen who directed the play, and Chuck McEwen, the staff of the Royal MTC and the Lawyers Play Committee members, whose efforts have made this show possible.  I would also like to thank the play and reception sponsors.  Finally, I would like to thank all of those who purchased tickets and attended the production to support both the MBA and the RMTC.

Mark Toews
President, Manitoba Bar Association

THE CAST:
Gail Asper, Donna
Andrea Bellhouse, Ensemble
Jennifer Bird, Ensemble
Paul Cooper, Sam
Laura Diamond, Ensemble
Tashia Dreger, Ensemble
Caleigh Glawson, Lisa
Blair Graham, Ensemble
Benji Greenberg, Ensemble
Melissa Hazelton, Ensemble
Kate Henley, Ensemble
Reannah Hocken, Ensemble
Joan Holmstrom, Ensemble
Chaobo Jiang, Ensemble
Jamie Jurczak, Ensemble
Ryan Krahn, Sky
David Kroft, Ensemble
Melanie Labossiere, Ali
Hayley Main, Sophie
Jim McLandress, Bill
Louis Mendelson, Ensemble
Anastasiia Movchan, Ensemble
Jeff Palamar, Eddie
Leo Palay, Ensemble
Myron Pawlowsky, Father Alexandrios
Sandi Phillips, Ensemble
Nalini Reddy, Tanya
Margaret Redmond, Rosie
Pamela Reilly, Ensemble
Evan Roitenberg, Harry
Jaime Rosin, Ensemble
Steve Scarfone, Pepper
Darcia Senft, Ensemble
Kyla Wills, Ensemble

For a summary of past Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre charity productions featuring MBA members, please select a year below.