Posts tagged ‘Toronto Theatre’

Aug 29

A Chat with Heather Braaten – Director of Next to Normal at the LOT in Support of CAMH

Interview by Ryan Quinn

RQ: So, I’m here with Heather Braaten, who is directing Next To Normal, running from Thursday August 29th to Sunday September 29th at The Lower Ossington Theatre. Would you like to tell me a bit about the show?

HB: Sure, it’s a completely sung-through rock musical that addresses mental health issues and the families struggling with them. It’s a Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-winning piece. It’s not your typical musical at all. Small cast, very intimate. This is my first time working with the Lower Ossington Theatre, and it’s really interesting, what they’re doing. We’ve got a team of super-talented, professional, upcoming artists that are so fantastic and so ready to explode onto the scene. For me, as a director, I get to see all the amazing work that’s happening in this space at the LOT, and it’s an incredible opportunity for everyone involved. I mean, these huge shows, only a select few will get to do them on a Broadway scale, you don’t often see them happening on an independent level.

RQ: I mean, the logistics of putting up a show like this must be intense.

HB: Exactly! I mean, the rights for the show alone are expensive. I’ve been directing independent theatre for ten to fifteen years now, and I don’t normally get to tackle material like this.

RQ: You mentioned earlier how this was a Pulitzer Prize-winning show that’s won Tony Awards as well. What do you think makes it such a remarkable show?

HB: Well, I think that musicals just don’t approach material like this. Generally, a topic like mental illness isn’t addressed on such a massive scale. I mean, we see films, television shows, and of course books about mental illness, but theatre has a different way of reaching people. The live experience is so different than any other artistic medium. I think one of the reasons this show is so successful is that people are blown away by the honesty of it. This is family life. This is real. I think that’s the main thing about it. It’s very honest and very poignant. It really doesn’t let you off the hook, in terms of material. It doesn’t have a classic Broadway happy ending. It doesn’t resolve everything for everyone. I feel like people took notice because it’s not afraid to tackle this issue, which everyone in some way has been touched by. Before directing this piece, I had never seen it as a production, I had read it and heard it, but I had never seen it in performance. That’s why it’s been amazing to work on, because as it comes together, I start to get hit harder and harder with what it’s trying to do and how honestly it’s doing it. And we’re not going to cut it, we’re going to put the whole thing onstage for a large audience to see and have an experience together. I guess that’s what I’m trying to get at, when people go to see a show, they have a collective experience, and with this piece, that means having a massive dialogue about mental illness all at once.

RQ: So, this show requires a lot of vulnerability. It’s an emotionally, physically, and mentally violent show. How do you approach something like that as a director?

HB: I have done material like this before, but not that often. I relate it to another piece I did about the Dionne quintuplets and their struggle. It’s all about struggle, and understanding the specifics of it. In both cases, of having your family rocked by a bipolar, delusional mother who is trying to live in a separate world. So it’s interesting to approach it for a second time. I think the most important thing is creating a safe place for the actors to work in, and to indulge and experiment with where that lives in their own minds and bodies. They need to be able to experience it, then work back from there. We can’t literally have people breaking down onstage, it has to be a controlled scenario. But it has been really interesting to see these actors experience extreme emotion for what it really is, then pull it back from there to tell the story. I mean, they have a huge vocal task in this piece. You can’t perform this piece without having full control over your instrument, but at the same time, it has to be fully emotionally connected to the material. As a director, how do you make that happen? I’ve learned that early in the process, you allow it to happen in a way where it’s just let go, then you bring it back to the storytelling and the technique. This cast has been amazing to see connect to the material and to each other. It’s one of those pieces that gets more meaningful every time you see or listen to it, and I think that’s why it’s kind of developed a following. Every time you listen to it, it hits you somewhere deeper. There are a lot of layers to it.

RQ: And the LOT is working with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Heath on this piece, correct?

HB: Yes, part of the proceeds are going to CAMH, and they’re helping us get the word out that we’re doing the piece.

RQ: That’s fantastic. Thanks so much for your time, and break a leg on your run!

HB: Thanks!

Next to Normal

At the LOT in support of CAMH

Pulitzer-Prize winning rock musical, with book and lyrics by Brian Yorkey and music by Tom Kitt, explores how one suburban household copes with crisis and mental illness.

Where: Lower Ossington Theatre, 100A Ossington Avenue

When: August 29th – September 29th, 2013

Tickets: http://tickets.ticketwise.ca/event/3772016

For more information, check out the Lower Ossington Website: http://lowerossingtontheatre.com/

Read out more about the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) on their website: http://www.camh.ca/en/hospital/Pages/home.aspx

Aug 8

Artist Profile: We Chat with Dynamic Duo Donna Marie Baratta & Jessica Carmichael on their Upcoming SummerWorks Show with Present Danger Productions girls! girls! girls!

Interview by: Brittany Kay

I sat down with dynamic duo Donna Marie Baratta and Jessica Carmichael to discuss first time co-directing, life in Toronto and of course their upcoming show girls! girls! girls!

BK: Tell me about your show at SummerWorks?

DMB: The play was inspired by the murder of Reena Virk in Victoria in 1997, who was lured by a group of teenagers to a bridge and beaten to death. One girl stood up and said this is enough but two individuals, a girl and a guy went back and ultimately killed her. Both ended up in jail and the girl is still in jail.

JC: It explores themes of isolation, a sense that there is no way out of a small town, friendship, sense of loneliness in family relationships and marginalization. Reoccurrence of these types of stories keep coming up in the news and in society. I can speak to it as a mom as well. My daughter will be a teen one day and there’s no easy solution to these issues.

DMB: It’s not just a message play. It is certainly a play where you hopefully won’t be sedated, but instead explore and ask questions of why there is this banding together amongst the characters? There’s something in this banding together of friends.

BK: How did you find the play?

JC: We met Greg MacArthur at UofAlberta when he was doing his residency there. DM and I were completing our MFA in directing. Greg is wild and wonderful and fun. When DM and I were talking about going on a journey together in terms of creating a company, we were saying what do we want to do? What kind of work? We wanted to explore new Canadian work – that’s something which is very important to us. In reality, people don’t return to Canadian work. A new work will be workshopped and then there’s no life after that.

DMB: Greg hasn’t had a work produced in Toronto in ten years – he grew up in Lindsay ON, went to Ryerson theatre school, has been in Montreal for the last fifteen years and Edmonton for two. After reading his plays we were trying to figure out WHY they haven’t been looked at in this city. So many amazing Canadian plays get lost and forgotten.

JC: We approached him. We were in love with this play. It was about complicated female voices and there’s a lack of that in playwrighting. Even when there are strong female playwrights it’s not often a female voice.

DMB: Both of our energies and passion throughout our MFA were focused on looking at female voices. What is that voice and the complications around that, which are so fascinating.

JC: Greg’s story in and of itself is about that female voice that’s disillusioned. Reena, Amada Todd, Rehtaeh Parsons-they were disillusioned by society, they didn’t have the proper kind of help and that’s something that we’re interested in exploring as female directors. Why is that? Why is female violence on the rise and why is it taboo to talk about?

DMB: The play’s issues are inundated right now in the media. There are so many things in the media right now that just said this is the right play to do now. This is the right play to bring out and have more questions asked.

BK: It is so relevant to the younger generation right now. I feel that there will be so much understanding from young audiences. Our lives are so wrapped up with social media and the lack of privacy and empathy.

DMB: The characters are all true victims in this. You are going to side with the perpetrators. They all are marginalized in their lives. They clearly needed someone in their lives to say I love you. I’m here for you. You realize they don’t have that and they only have each other. They’ve created some kind of bond around their own pain. That’s scary.

JC: They have to ‘other’ that pain around someone else.

DMB: They have to numb their pain in various ways, for example, like blasting music in their ears. They numb themselves from what is going on in society.

JC: In every play you ask questions, you get more questions coming back at you.

BK: Your advertising is mysterious and doesn’t really give us any clues as to what the play is about. Can you speak to the ambiguity in your promos?

Promo Video 1 for girls! girls! girls!: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151793347946031&set=o.133383070204277&type=2&theater

DMB: We wanted to create some interest in the world of these teens and their characters. We wanted the audience to see their lives together as friends before the play and the world they inhabit. We wanted to peak their interest making them ask questions. “What is this play about?” “I don’t know Reena Virk but there seems to be much more to it than that”.

JC: We don’t want people to see a message play. It is a play about an issue, but we didn’t want to promote it in that way. We wanted it to feel more like a character piece in which audience can relate to them. You’re dealing with human beings and fully formed creatures. Youtube is an outlet for these characters to speak, and for a lot of teens in this day and age. We wanted to hook into that. That’s their lives and that’s how they promote themselves.

DMB: We wanted an invitation. The video is good way to invite people into their world. The show can be quite heavy and we wanted to show that these are teens and these are their group of friends. See their playful interaction before you are exposed to the dark aspect of the play. You see that it is also about friendship as well, which is important. We all know how important our friends are, which is a big theme throughout the play, the extent of that friendship.

BK: Did filming these videos help the actors with character development?

JC: Yes, of course. The process is so important, not just the product. It was an exploration that we used with the actors so that they could develop their characters.

DMB: They explored their lives outside the rehearsal space. These videos were created during rehearsals in order to create a deeper character life.

Promo Video 2 for girls! girls! girls! https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151793351766031&set=o.133383070204277&type=2&theater

BK: Now about you both. Why the name Present Danger Productions?

DMB: One day I woke up, called Jess and said what about Present Danger? Can we use that? I had this image of traffic signs in my head – “caution” and “tread softly”. We want to be on the edge. We want to be able to push the boundaries in what we can talk about and what we can show and explore.

JC: There’s not a lot of present danger in Canadian theatre. There’s not a lot of risk being taken. We want to be bold in our choices and not be afraid. We want to be present in being dangerous. It’s also a bit cheeky.

BK: So you guys met at the University of Alberta in the MFA program for directing?

JC: It’s funny because we were told on day one that we weren’t going to be friends – “You probably won’t get along, you don’t need to”. It’s intense in that it’s only two people in your year. We didn’t get to interact very often, so it’s very ironic that we in fact did get along so well.

DMB: We feel fortunate to have gone through it together. We have both come from different backgrounds. We see through different lenses.

JC: It’s very complimentary.

DMB: We would talk about our work together, bounce ideas off each other, and now have come together to start a theatre company.

BK: And where are you from originally?

JC: I lived in Toronto 10 years ago. I’m not originally from Edmonton but I grew up in Edmonton. Went to The National Theatre School in Montreal and RADA in London.

DMB: I was born in Thunder Bay, came to Toronto for a while to do a show, went back to Thunder Bay for University and moved back to Toronto in 2005.

BK: Now you’re here in the T.Dot. How do you feel about the theatre community in Toronto?

DMB: People are so friendly and open in the community.

JC: There’s more opportunity. There are so many artists here to collaborate with. The audiences here, especially for SummerWorks, are so much larger and of all different ages and interests. We’re really looking forward to meeting people. That’s the beauty of these festivals in the summer.

BK: Why SummerWorks as the launch for your company?

JC: There are a lot of theatre artists that will come to this, that’s who we wanted to expose our work to. Because it is the beginning for us in Toronto, we wanted to meet other artists and this festival will enable us to do that.

DMB: It opens up so many avenues and opportunities. It’s a place where artists go, where you can have discussions about the work being produced. We really want people to talk to us about the play. Whether they love it or hate it, we really want to hear it! Theatre for us is about talking, discussion and opening up the channels for communication.

JC: And we know it’s not going to be perfect. It’s nice to talk to other artists to hear those opinions, to allow us to grow as artists.

Jessica Carmichael and Donna Marie Baratta, Co-directors of girls! girls! girls!

BK: Is there a future for Present Danger?

DMB: Yes, of course! We don’t want to rush what our next production will be. We both have projects we love. We need to sit and discuss what direction we want to go, and also what other avenues that can be produced, that wont cost us an arm and a leg!

JC: And after we’ve gone through this experience, we can have discussions about how we can move forward from what we’ve learned. This is the career. There’s no going back. It’s a love affair.

BK: What do you hope for audiences to gain from girls! girls! girls! ?

DMB: We want them to be asking questions. We are really thrilled with our actors. We hope audiences see how hard they’ve worked. We hope that this is a great platform for them and for their career as they’ve been such a true pleasure to work with. Hopefully audiences don’t want to leave their chair because they want more.

JC: I hope they laugh out loud at the show and are equally disturbed by their laughter. I hope they have an opportunity to reflect on the issues that need to be discussed and not overlooked. We want people to keep talking about the play once they’ve left, be challenged by the piece and be affected by it. We want them to think about it days after.

BK: What is the strongest advice you’ve ever gotten as an artist and how has it affected your work?

JC: You don’t need to be so polite in your work. You need to believe in your work. Don’t pussyfoot around the big issues that you want. Don’t be afraid to be passionate or to be a passionate woman at that!

DMB: Be bold. You can ask for what you want. You can really be bold and brave in the choices you make. Ultimately, be true to yourself. Being a director can be isolating as you are on your own. You’re constantly discovering your voice. Sometimes you need someone to say “yes, that’s okay”, that there is a right or wrong way to direct, that there is a system, but ultimately there is no system. Don’t be too polite and challenge yourself. Give yourself permission to do some crazy things.

JC: Pina Bausch once said “You just have to get crazier,” which is beautiful. You have to constantly ask why? Why this story right now? You have to keep going back to the root of that in rehearsal. That’s not often asked these days. When people just randomly choose the same shows across the country…for what purpose? Why are you choosing this show… because it is going to be a big sale? ? Just to ask yourself that question of ‘why this story’ as an artist, makes the work much more personal.

girls! girls! girls!

by Greg MacArthur, presented by Present Danger Productions as part of the SummerWorks 2013 Festival

Where: The Scotiabank Studio Theatre, Pia Bouman, 6 Noble St. (at Queen and Dufferin)

When: August 8th-17th, 2013

Thursday August 8, 7:00 pm
Saturday August 10, 9:30 pm
Monday August 12, 7:00 pm
Tuesday August 13, 2:00 pm
Wednesday August 14, 4:30 pm
Thursday August 15, 2:00 pm
Saturday August 17, 9:30 pm

Tickets: $15
Book tickets online – http://ticketwise.ca/
By phone: Lower Ossington Box Office at 416-915-6747

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Aug 6

Top Ten Fundraising Tips from Shaina Silver-Baird: Former Marketing Associate for Nightwood Theatre

Shaina Silver-Baird is a Toronto-based actor, singer/songwriter and budding Marketing savant. This past year she had the opportunity to work with Nightwood Theatre as their Marketing Associate, soliciting donations and promoting productions like The Penelopiad and The Lawyer Show.

How does one even begin to ask for money and donations? If people don’t have the money to give, should you bother connecting with them? Why do/should people give at all? Shaina breaks down the scary myth about “the ask” and shares her Top Ten Fundraising Tips thus far.

1. Ask for what you want

I think the most important lesson I learned while working as Marketing Associate for Nightwood Theatre was that the best way to get what you want is to ASK FOR EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT! I know – what a novel idea! But it’s a very scary thing to do. Identify exactly what it is you want: the dollar figure; the donation item or the exchange of services, and ask for it. You actually stand a much better chance of getting it when you know specifically what you want. Most importantly, believe that what you’re raising money for is worth it. You are offering an integral artistic service. People want it. People are fascinated by it. Don’t sell yourself short or approach them as if they are doing you a favour. Talk passionately and show them you’re project is worth the investment, and they will believe you.

2. Know your product

Know the show you’re selling inside and out. Know why this project deserves funding over any other project. Ask yourself: What’s important about it? What issues is it addressing? What exactly will the funds go towards? Who is involved? (Do they add credibility?) What are the donation options?

You will need to answer these questions with the utmost confidence and conviction, so know your answers before you pick up the phone or send an email. People want to feel good about their donation. Show them your passion, your conviction and your knowledge and they will have faith that they are investing in something worthwhile.

3. Know your fundraising market

We’ve all been told to consider who our market is when selling tickets to a show, but who are you targeting in your fundraising efforts? Is your audience and your fundraising pool the same market? They may not be.

Therefore, be honest with yourself. Are you looking for money from friends and family, business execs or local businesses? What would entice that specific pool to donate? For example, my fundraising market when organising the silent auction for Nightwood Theatre’s The Lawyer Show 2013 was… you guessed it… lawyers! So I sought out larger ticket items to auction off that they would be interested in and could afford. This included: a wine and cheese tasting, prime Toronto Maple Leafs tickets, a Caribbean resort getaway etc. It was a very successful endeavor because the lawyers (audience and cast members) were excited about the items and the companies donating were excited about the opportunity to publicise to a market of affluent, legal professionals. However, if I was targeting other artists in their 20s, these items would be out of their realistic price range, and companies would be less inclined to donate items with such a high value. I’d try to create multiple opportunities for lots of people to donate smaller amounts such as: soliciting a higher quantity of smaller items they could realistically bid on; do a 50:50 draw; an indiegogo campaign and/or an event with a cover charge.

4. Ask yourself: What makes you different?

With all the companies, artists and organisations out there asking for money, the competition can be daunting. I was lucky to be working for a company that was a registered charity, which was a huge help in pitching to prospective donors. But you can still be successful without that status. Ask yourself: what is different about my project? Who will be genuinely interested in it?

For example, if your play centres around characters of a specific cultural background, sign onto that lovely tool called THE INTERNET and find every organisation, store, restaurant or community centre dedicated to that culture. Draft a donation request letter that’s engaging, professional and honest and send it to all of them. You can ask for money, silent auction donations or the opportunity to buy ad space in your program. Remember, you’re offering them the opportunity to advertise to their target market, assuming your show will draw an audience comprised of that specific cultural group. This can apply to groups with a specific subject of interest as well.

Finally, remember to display postcards in every business or organisation your find that parallels your show’s subject matter. Invite the staff of these businesses and organisations to the first couple shows of your run and hopefully you’ll turn donors into audience members and word-of-mouth promoters.

5. Excel spreadsheets are your best friend

Keep track of every piece of information using excel spreadsheets. Literally. I’m not joking. This includes every single person you’ve contacted; when you contacted them; which channel you used to contact them; who provided you with their contact information; whether they seemed interested and why; what they donated etc. Even if you don’t get a bite from 80% of the people you contact (which you won’t), you’ll build an amazing database for the next time you do a show. And most importantly you’ll stay organised. You’ll know exactly what information you have and what you don’t. This is especially important once you start securing donations, be they cheques or auction items. You don’t want to lose track of those figures. Excel is your partner in crime!

6. Create a database of contacts

This tip follows closely on the heels of # 5! So you’re a new company. You don’t have a lot of contacts or donors. Sweet. Fake it ’til ya make it. All you need is determination and the internet. Highlight who you think will be interested in your company/show, be it businesses or individuals, and collect their contact information. Find emails online or by calling up the company, and make a list serve. And you guessed it: record it in a grand excel document. Then personally address each email when you send out your call for donations. It takes a lot of time but a) people appreciate the personal touch and b) if you’re not willing to put in the few minutes it takes to type their name and kick off with a personal sentence about why you think this donor opportunity is perfect for them… why should they donate?

7. PDF’s are your second best friend

It may seem like a minor detail but send all your official forms and documents as pdf files, not word documents. I like to think most people wouldn’t do this, but word documents allow a second party to change the text of the document when filling it out. PDFs do not.

8. Tap your network

You know more important people than you think and it’s especially easy to get in contact with them using social networking sites. However, I find that doing a mass, impersonal facebook call to action will help you get your mother and your best friend to donate, but not much more. Therefore take the time to message and post to specific people. Many will say no, but the ones who say yes may just do it because they appreciate the personalized effort.

You also know many people with valuable skills. Can you approach them to auction off services or goods? Even better, can you do a trade? For example, what about approaching an emerging photographer to do your show photos in exchange for another service? What about asking your local grocer to donate snacks to your fundraiser instead of donating money? You can offer them an ad in your program in return or the opportunity to display flyers! Be creative!

9. Make sure you have something to offer in return

Businesses are very willing to donate if they think it’ll get them visibility. Therefore, stress the fact that you are getting lots of people in one place, at one time, making your show a prime marketing opportunity! The fact that your show is attracting an audience gives you power and something to offer. Use it to your advantage! It’s a trade: you get money – they get an ad where hundreds of people will see it. You get an item to auction off – they get visibility and the opportunity to get people excited about their product. Again: It’s a trade-off. You’re not begging.

10. Set solid deadlines for yourself… and then be flexible

It’s important to set deadlines for yourself so you know exactly how long you have to raise funds. Always plan for a bit of cushion time after these deadlines, so setting them a week earlier than they actually need to be is a good idea. Everyone is busy and inundated with emails, so getting in touch with people can take a while. Start soliciting months in advance so you can follow up multiple times if people don’t get back to you.

Make sure the due date for receiving donations is clear in your donation requests. Ideally, people will honour that deadline and it’ll force them to get their donations to you in a timely fashion. There will always be people who come through last minute, but a deadline will help you keep the latecomers to a minimum. I was accepting my last auction item for The Lawyer Show the day of the auction, but I would suggest avoiding this if possible – simply for your own sanity.

… 11. Most importantly have fun! And good luck fundraising!

Jul 10

Our Favourite Picks of the Fringe 2013

We’ve made a list, we’ve checked it twice. Check out Our Favourite Picks of the Fringe 2013, in no particular order, to see what performances we’ve particularly dug so far, and think you might too. These were chosen based on general all-around enjoyment, intrigue, the desire to see the piece developed further, as well as notable execution.

Is there are performance that you think we’ve missed? Let us know via Facebook or Twitter and we’ll be sure to check it out! Happy Fringing, Friends!

Radio: 30 

Nuanced, sharp performance that’s easy to watch and love. Definitely a must see for anyone who’s ever dabbled in voice-work, advertising or who has ever listened to a radio commercial or two. Fantastic.

“In Radio:30, a veteran “voice guy” named Ron (Chris Earle) is recording a 30 second radio ad with the help of his faithful recording engineer Mike (Paul Constable). Between takes, Ron shares the tricks of his trade with the audience, inadvertently revealing how the polished dishonesty of his profession has infected his personal life. Haunted by his conscience, Ron’s silver tongue begins to betray him…”

Radio:30, presented by the night kitchen

Written & Performed by: Chris Earle

Directed by: Shari Hollett

When: July 3-14, 2013

Wed July 3 @ 7:00 pm

Fri July 5 @ 1:15 pm

Sun July 7 @ 4:45 pm

Tue July 9 @ 5:15 pm

Thur July 11 @ 9:45 pm

Fri July 12 @ 7:00 pm

Sat July 13 @ 2:15 pm

Where: Tarragon Mainspace, 30 Bridgman Ave

Genesis And Other Stories

A fun, belly-laugh-guaranteed piece with a great cast and free juice boxes! What more could you need? A play-within-a-play-within-a-church.

“After his father’s death, Christopher, a theology student, leads a misfit cast of amateur actors in a production of his late father’s play: a hyper-sexed version of Adam and Eve set in 1960’s USA. Slapstick, satire, and meta-theatre frame a surprisingly complex story about lonely people trying to fill roles on and offstage which don’t match who they truly are.”

Genesis & Other Stories presented by Aim for the Tangent Theatre

Written by: Rosamund Small

Directed by: Vivien Endicott-Douglas

Creative Consultation by: Rob Kempson

When: July 3rd, to July 14th, 2013 Performances at 9pm except for Sundays at 8pm

Where: At Trinity St. Paul’s United Church, 427 Bloor St. West

Much Ado About Nothing

Shakespeare BASH’d does it again. Great performances, strong direction, and you can enjoy a nice cold beverage while watching Shakespeare. What’s not to love? Selling out every show so far, with limited seating (line up 2 hours in advance) there is definitely much ado about SOMETHING.

“Shakespeare BASH’d prepares to celebrate victory at the Victory Café with Much Ado About Nothing.
The creative team that brought you the 2012 Best of Fringe Winner The Taming of the Shrew is at it again, bringing Shakespeare’s uproarious, clever, and at times dark comedy Much Ado About Nothing to the Victory Café! The show centres on a battle of wits between Benedick (James Wallis) and Beatrice (Amelia Sargisson). Hilarity ensues as the couple succumbs to the gossip, rumors and “notings” of their families.”

Much Ado About Nothing, presented by Shakespeare BASH’d

Directed by: Eric Double

When: July 4-14th 7pm, except Sunday at 5pm

Where: Victory Café Upstairs, at 581 Markham Street, just west of Bathurst, south of Bloor.

Love is a Poverty You Can Sell 2: Kisses for a Pfennig

Fantastic performances, stellar live band, delicious food and drink, charming characters. Soup Can Theatre has created the full experience.

“Step into the world of a 1920’s Berlin Cabaret for an evening of song, story, and sin! Soup Can Theatre is proud to present a bold and colourful new production that merges musical and comedy cabaret with immersive theatre. Following in the footsteps of the 2010 Fringe smash hit Love is a Poverty You Can Sell – which was also presented as part of the Best of Fringe program and the 2012 Next Stage Festival – Love is a Poverty You Can Sell 2: Kisses for a Pfennig (German for penny) aims to recreate the mood and atmosphere of an authentic Berlin cabaret in Bite, a warm and scenic bar/music venue in the heart of downtown Toronto, and to seduce audiences with a tantalizing stage show rife with song and spectacle.”

Love is a Poverty You Can Sell 2: Kisses for a Pfennig, presented by Soup Can Theatre

Director and Choreographer: Sarah Thorpe

Emcee Segment Writer and Co-Director: Justin Haigh

Music Director: Pratik Gandhi

Where: Bite – 423 College Street, just east of College and Bathurst.

When: July 3rd to 14th at 7pm (no show July 8th). 90 minute run time.

Death Married My Daughter

Go see this for high caliber of performance; hilarious buffon/clown and woman power! A great two hander buffon and clown based piece. They play Ophelia and Desdemona returned from the dead to exact their revenge.

“What would happen if Shakespeare’s Ophelia and Desdemona entered the theatre together before our very eyes? What would happen if Ophelia and Desdemona came back from the swamps of death where they have endured the longest exile? Resurrected by their desire to expose the “abusers” and “murderers”, they would revel in denouncing “Man”; they would destroy, with delight, the established values of a Man’s society. This is the story of Death Married My Daughter a biting, Bouffon-inspired satire that puts “Man” on trial.”

Death Married My Daughter, presented by Play It Again Productions

Written by Nina Gilmour, Danya Buonastella, Michele Smith & Dean Gilmour

Directed by Michele Smith & Dean Gilmour

When: Friday July 5th – Sunday July 14th

Friday July 5, 8:45 PM

Saturday July 6, 7:30 PM

Monday July 8, 1:00 PM

Wednesday July 10, 5:45 PM

Thursday July 11, 11:30PM

Friday July 12, 11:00 PM

Sunday July 14th, 3:30PM

Where: Tarragon Main Space, 30 Bridgman Ave. Toronto, ON M5R 1X3

Bremen Rock City 

Favourite Fringe Kids. Great music, comedy and it’s been sold out almost every show with kids and adults alike. Go early.

“Loosely based on the Brothers Grimm fairy tale “The Brementown Musicians, Bremen Rock City, with its infectious pop score, follows the story of Jack, a guitar-shredding donkey, who escapes from his boring life on the farm to pursue his dream of becoming a rock star.”

Bremen Rock City, presented by Song Trolley Productions, initially developed as part of Theatre20’s Composium program.

A new musical by Colleen Dauncey (music), Sara Farb (book), and Akiva Romer-Segal (lyrics)

Directed by Esther Jun

When: Opens July 4, 2013 – July 14, 2013

Thursday July 4 @ 12:45pm

Saturday July 6 @ 7:15pm

Sunday July 7 @ 4:00pm

Monday July 8 @ 11:30am

Wednesday July 10 @ 7:30pm

Thursday July 11 @ 12:30pm

Friday July 12 @ 2:45pm

Sunday July 14 @ 5:00pm

Where: Palmerston Theatre ~ 560 Palmerston Avenue, Toronto

Tickets: Prices: $10 Adults, $5 Kids (under 12 years)

We are the Bomb

Kat Sandler & Theatre Brouhaha are on top of their game. We are the Bomb is a fast-paced, physical show filled with political satire that this stellar cast executes like a fine-tuned machine. Line-up early as space is limited and it’s had a sold-out run!

“On the eve of modern prohibition in Canada, a group of would-be revolutionaries declare their favorite bar to be a sovereign nation. Things quickly go awry and a couple on a first date find themselves caught in the middle. As the new nation self implodes, the situation rapidly escalates leaving a trail of destruction. Fringe audiences will sit amongst the chaos and observe as this would-be revolution unfolds.”

We are the Bomb, presented by Theatre Brouhaha

Writen & Directed by: Kat Sandler

Where: The Paddock Tavern, 178 Bathurst Street, south of Queen

When: Running time: 60 minutes

Wednesday, July 3, 2013 -‐ 7:30pm

Thursday, July 4, 2013 -‐ 7:30pm

Friday, July 5, 2013 -‐ 7:30pm

Saturday, July 6, 2013 -‐ 7:30pm

Sunday, July 7, 2013 -‐ 2:00pm

Tuesday, July 9, 2013 -‐ 7:30pm

Wednesday, July 10, 2013 -‐ 7:30pm

Thursday, July 11, 2013 -‐ 7:30pm

Friday, July 12, 2013 -‐ 7:30pm

Saturday, July 13, 2013 -‐ 7:30pm

Sunday, July 14, 2013 -‐ 2:00pm

Spoon

A thought-provoking, relevant piece challenging the notion of gender roles in our relationships. Spoon is definitely a conversation starter and we are very interested to see this piece developed even further.

“Spoon is a campy, queer and postmodern site-‐specific explosion of gender failure. Andrew (played by Owen Fawcett) and Charles (played by Spencer Charles Smith) have just moved into their new Yonge Street apartment when Charles’ obsession with performing the role of the woman – the little spoon – in their gay relationship begins to tear the couple apart.”

Spoon, presented by Straight Camp, with Owen Fawcett, Spencer Charles Smith, Katie Sly

Written by: Spencer Charles Smith

Directed by: Sky Gilbert

Dramaturged by: Alistair Newton

When: July 3^rd – 14^th, 8pm

Where: Site-Specific venue – The 3^rd floor space above GLAD DAY BOOKSHOP, 598 Younge Street (just North of Wellesley subway station)  

MSM [men seeking men]

This is a stellar company performance, filled with intricate movement/dance pieces, seamless dj-ed soundscape, and a fascinating exploration of the online dating world.

“MSM [men seeking men] is a dance theatre piece inspired by transcripts of online conversations between men who seek other men. Set inside a world of electronic beats where music is the omnipotent power, lemonTree’s Artistic Producer, Indrit Kasapi directs a piece inspired by his own online encounters. He invites DJ Scooter (of New York & Toronto Cub Camp party fame) to spin live at each performance. Through movement, the piece deconstructs online male personas and their personal exchanges with other men.”

MSM [men seeking men] presented by lemonTree creations

Concept/Direction by: Indrit Kasapi

Choreography by: COMPANY

Dramaturgy by: Jonathan Seinen

When: Thursday, July 4: 7pm

Friday, July 5: 1:45pm

Sunday, July 7: 5:15pm

Tuesday, July 9: 5pm

Thursday, July 11: 12pm

Friday, July 12: 9:15pm

Saturday, July 13: 2:15pm

Where: Randolph Theatre – 736 Bathurst Street

2 for Tea

Engaging (you may be one of those invited to the tea party), intimate, witty, physical comedy, and entirely enjoyable! BYOTC (Bring your own tea cup).

“England’s well-loved surreal physical comedy duo – James & Jamesy – push the conventions of theatre off the stage as they lure you into their “delightfully bizarre” world with their innocence and “endearing chemistry”.”

2 for Tea, presented by Life & Depth

Writers/Performers: Aaron Malkin & Alastair Knowles

Ringmaster: David MacMurray Smith

Where: Venue #4, The Randolph Theatre, 736 Bathurst St.

When: July 4th – July 13th

Thursday, July 4, 2013 – 11:00pm

Saturday, July 6, 2013 – 9:15pm

Monday, July 8, 2013 – 6:30pm

Tuesday, July 9, 2013 – 10:45pm

Wednesday, July 10, 2013 – 7:30pm

Friday, July 12, 2013 – 12:00pm

Saturday, July 13, 2013 – 4:00pm

Kill Sister Kill

This show has solid writing and song composition with a very interesting concept. We’d love to see it fleshed out as a full scale musical.

“What happens when a gentle nun witnesses the brutal rape and murder of her kid sister at the hands of two depraved punks in a New York alleyway? She gets revenge, and sings about it! Lily transforms from a woman of God into a weapon of hellbent vengeance on the mean streets of late-’70s New York City in Kill, Sister, Kill, a dark musical at the Toronto Fringe Festival”

Kill, Sister, Kill, presented by Kid Switchblade Productions

Written by: Andrew “Drac” and Jamieson Child

Original score and music direction by: Tamara Saringer.

Lyrics by: the Child bros, Tamara Saringer and Stefne Mercedes.

Directed by: Jamieson Child,

When: July 5^th – July 14^th

Friday, July 5, 7 p.m.

Saturday, July 6, 12 p.m.

Monday, July 8, 6:45 p.m.

Wednesday, July 10, 3:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 11, 4 p.m.

Saturday, July 13, 2:15 p.m.

Sunday, July 14, 1:45 p.m.

Where: The Factory Theatre Mainspace, 125 Bathurst St., Toronto.

Polly Polly

Excellent use of the one-woman show format. Jessica Moss is alive in her work, which is both witty, sharp and poignant. Her work constantly holds up to must-see standards!

“Polly is an ordinary girl with a call–centre job and a sense that there could be more. One day, a voice in her head begins narrating her thoughts and actions: as if she was worthy of an audience. Then, on a routine call, she phones someone with a beautiful alto voice and an uncanny knowledge of Polly’s own soul. ‘I’m Polly Eschfield’, the voice says, ‘I’m you. Find me’. Polly is thrown on a journey of self-discovery and realization as she is tormented with questions of who she really is. Polly Polly is a theatrical romp into a screwball movie, a mystery with only one suspect, one victim, and one performer, and a farce of an identity crisis, all presented live in Theatr-O-Scope Vision.”

Polly Polly, presented by Theatre Mischief

Written and Performed by: Jessica Moss

When: July 4^th-13^th

Thursday, July 4 – 7:45 pm

Friday, July 5 – 1:15 pm

Sunday, July 7 – 9:45 pm

Monday, July 8 – 4:00 pm

Tuesday, July 9 – 10:15 pm

Thursday, July 11 – 6:15 pm

Friday, July 12 – 5:15 pm

Saturday, July 13 – 8:00 pm

Where: At Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace, Fringe Venue 11

16 Ryerson Avenue (North of Queen Street, East of Bathurst)

Morro and Jasp: Go Bake Yourself

Charming, delightful, a sure-fire good time! If you haven’t made it a priority to see what these ladies are up to, put Morro and Jasp at the top of your list for the end of Fringe 2013.

“Morro and Jasp have decided to host a cooking show, but they both have very different ideas of what that entails. Morro wants a battle in the kitchen, while Jasp is trying to host a classy show and cook her way into an unknowing audience member’s heart. Full of muchies, mess, and mayhem, Morro and Jasp: Go Bake Yourself is a culinary masterpiece you won’t soon forget.”

Morro and Jasp: Go Bake Yourself, presented by Up your Nose and In your Toes (U.N.I.T.) Productions

By: Heather Marie Annis, Byron Laviolette & Amy Lee

Where: 918 Bathurst Street

When: July 3^rd – 14^th

Wed, July 3: 8pm

Sun, July 7: 4pm

Mon, July 8: 8pm

Tues, July 9: 8pm

Wed, July 10: 8pm

Thu, July 11: 8pm

Fri, July 12: 4pm & 8pm

Sat, July 13: 4pm & 8pm

Sun, July 14: 4pm

Peter n’ Chris Explore Their Bodies

Sketch comedy, extremely physical and narrative driven, Peter n’ Chris Explore Their Bodies goes beyond funny.

“Chris is a hypochondriac, and when Peter n’ Chris attempt to get to the bottom of the problem by entering Chris’ body, the result is a Lord of the Rings style Epic adventure.Peter n’ Chris are a 2012 Canadian Comedy Award Nominated sketch duo from Vancouver BC. They were a featured act in the 2013 Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. In 2012 they won the Just For Laughs – Best Comedy Award in Montreal for their play “Peter n’ Chris Explore their Bodies”, and earned the “Audience Choice” award at the 2011 Toronto SketchFest.”

Peter n’ Chris Explore their Bodies, presented by Peter n’ Chris

Directed by: Peter Carlone and Chris Wilson

When: July 5^th – 13^th

Fri, July 5: 5:15pm

Sat, July 6: 9:15pm

Sun, July 7: 4:45pm

Tues, July 9: 1:15pm

Wed, July 10: 11pm

Fri, July 12: 7pm

Sat, July 13: 8pm

Where: George Ignatieff Theatre

Stalled

Well crafted, Mr. Bean-style slapstick.

“A physical comedy that uses elements of Farce and Commedia dell’Arte, Stalled tells the story of Guy: a man who becomes hopelessly trapped in a bathroom stall at the Toronto Bus Terminal due to a tirade of wacky characters and situations.”

Stalled, presented by Natural Progression Theatre

Written by: Phillip Psutka

Directed by: Lindsay Bellaire

When: July 5th – July 13th

July 5, 9:15pm

July 6, 4:00pm

July 7, 7:30pm

July 9, 1:00pm

July 10, 11:15pm

July 12, 4:30pm

July 13, 3:30pm

Where: Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace, 16 Ryerson Avenue

Don’t Splash Shelley Rae

(Image unfortunately not available. Mermaids are rare to catch on camera.)

An Alley Play to put on your list. This 30-minute shed-show was both charming and fun.

“Come see a glimpse of Shelley Rae! Discovered in shark-infested Cuban waters, this mermaid is like nothing you’ve ever seen. Just remember: DO NOT water her, DO NOT feed her, and certainly DO NOT indulge her- unless you’re parched with curiosity. She may be a mermaid, but she is not your maid by any means.”

Don’t Splash Shelley Rae, presented by Vertebrae, Undone

Written by: Jaime Hernandez Lujan

Directed by: Nicholas Potter

When: July 3rd – July 14th

Wed, July 3: 8:30pm

Fri, July 5: 8:30pm

Sat, July 6: 2pm

Sun, July 7: 8:30pm

Mon, July 8: 6:30pm

Tues, July 9: 3pm

Wed, July 10: 6:30pm

Thurs, July 11: 8:30pm

Fri, July 12: 6:30pm

Sat, July 13: 2pm

Jul 9

Michael Wheeler & Aislinn Rose of Praxis Theatre on Co-Curating HATCH2014 at the Harbourfront Center

Interview by Ryan Quinn

R: I’m here with Michael Wheeler and Aislinn Rose of Praxis Theatre who are co-curating the HATCH program at the Harbourfront Center in 2014. Can you tell me a bit about the HATCH program?

A: The HATCH program is through the Harbourfront Center. We took part in it in 2010, and it was a really transformative period for Praxis theatre because it was really our first foray into integrating our online activities with our artmaking activities. That’s why we’re looking at projects for this year’s submissions that are going to be working on some of the same things: incorporating social media into either the communication about the project, integration into the actual creation of the project, or use of social media in the performance of the work. So, essentially what the program is, is an opportunity for a company, or a collective, or an artist to work on a particular aspect of a project that requires a space to experiment in. You get a week’s residency in the Harbourfront’s studio theatre. You really do have the use of that space for the whole week to work on something you couldn’t do in a rehearsal room, or someone’s back yard, or your own apartment. So, for our project, we worked on a piece called Section 98.

M: That was very concise. The only thing I would add to that as to core elements of the residency is that your one week of residency at the Harbourfront studio theatre has to end with some sort of public presentation. However, I think we’re adamant that it’s not about presenting a final work. Hopefully, people are experimenting throughout the week, then that presentation is more a revelation of what that week’s experiment was rather than “here’s our play”. A couple other things that come along with the residency are, firstly, a lot of support from the Harbourfront center that you wouldn’t necessarily get if you were producing your own show, you get marketing support, mentorship, publicity. So, a lot of things that if you were producing yourself, you’d have to come up with the cash for.

A: In terms of producing, the focus of HATCH is on the process rather than the product. So, we’re not looking for companies that basically need a week of rehearsal time in a space before they put on a show. We’re really looking at projects that are in some form of development or really need an aspect to be developed. The other thing we found since we started talking about co-curating this program is that there is the perception out there that HATCH is for emerging artists only, and that really isn’t the case. We’re looking at applications from emerging artists as well as established companies, collectives and artists. But, from those established artists, we’re looking for something new that they want to experiment with. We’re not looking at applications from artists doing what they always do. We really want to see them experimenting with something quite different, and in this case it may be the social media aspect of the work. That’s something that studio space can provide them an opportunity to work on. We’ve also gotten a lot of questions from people asking how immediately integrated the social media needs to be into their applications, and that’s a great question to talk about because, as Mike pointed out, part of the week’s process includes mentorship. That’s mentorship from both the Harbourfront center and the curators. So, if social media is something you want to experiment with, but you have no idea how to do that, that’s a part of the project we can mentor you on.

R: How does the process of curating work for you two?

M: Well, applications are due Friday, July 12th. The curators will come in and we’ll go through the applications. Harbourfront center has a specific system they ask their curators to use. Out of that, there will be a certain number of projects that will be chosen for interviews, which will take place in August, and companies should know if they’re participating by the time September rolls around.

A: I guess the other thing that we’ve been doing in the lead-up as part of our curation process is getting excited to hear from artists we don’t know about. We’re excited to see the submissions that surprise us. We’ve also been speaking with artists of all levels of experience to say “Your work is of interest to us. You should consider applying”. The other part of that is we’re not just speaking with theatre artists. We’re speaking with artists across disciplines, whether it’s someone working in music, dance, et cetera. So, if you’re not a theatre artist, that is not an obstacle to you applying.

R: All the resources for applying are on the Harbourfront website?

A: Yes, I think if you go to “submissions”, there is a section with all of the criteria as well as the form you can use to apply.

R: So artists of any discipline should really get on filling out their applications now.

A: Yes, I would totally agree.

M: Yes, I think the Harbourfront center, through their World Stage, has a very multidisciplinary approach to how things are curated there anyhow. So, if you look at a World Stage season, and imagine an indie/experimental version of that, with some social media integrated into it, that’s probably around what it will end up looking like.

A: And speaking of World Stage, I think it’s important to note that projects that have been involved in HATCH have actually gone on to present at World Stage. The project LEAR by Philip McKee actually started as a HATCH project and ended up in this past season at World Stage. That’s one of the amazing things that Harbourfront is really great at is investing in Toronto artists.

M: No small irony that World Stage finds the resources to invest in local artists!

A: Other projects from World Stage then go on to find their world stage outside of Canada, which is incredibly important for the ecosystem of Toronto and Canadian theatre!

M: Something else I might add is that there have been a couple of articles in the Globe and Mail and other mainstream sources about online integration and if you read the comments afterwards, which maybe you should never do, but if you do, there’s a lot of reticents to embrace any of these tools with performance. I think it’s because there’s a sense that there’s a “pure art form” and by bringing these tools in, the art form is being polluted in some way. So, part of our work is to reveal and assist people who’ve found ways to use those tools to deepen and broaden the work. It’s not a gimmick, it’s not a marketing play, it’s about finding new ways to express things that couldn’t be explored before. Obviously, a lot of things have changed in the last ten years for every industry, and there are perils and opportunities there. The thing I always say to people who are adamantly against this is “I’m sure a lot of people thought electricity ruined the theatre when people had to start lighting it with lamps and not candles”. But technology changes, society changes, and the art we use to express our world and our lives changes with it.

A: There are a lot of opportunities for the art form if we can become a little less precious about it.

R: When we treat formalism as sacred, I suppose that’s when people see it as dusty.

M: I don’t think it comes as a surprise to anyone who pays even a cursory attention to theatre that we have a bit of a museum problem, and that quickly turns into “eating your vegetables”, and that turns quickly into not going. So, hopefully this is more like dessert.

R: Amazing. Thank you very much!

M: Thanks!

To apply for HATCH2014 at the Harbourfront Center, read more here: http://www.harbourfrontcentre.com/whoweare/submissions/hatch.cfm

DEADLINE: Friday July 12, 2013

For more on Michael Wheeler, Aislinn Rose & Praxis Theatre, check out their website.

We highly recommend it!: http://praxistheatre.com/