Charlie’s Having a Baby – Toronto Fringe 2012 Press Release

From Press Release

Two down-on-their-luck friends invent a harebrained scheme to swindle money from their Nana – which includes a pregnancy and overnight make-over! But their plan quickly snowballs into a hilarious web of lies and deceit as they try desperately to prove that CHARLIE’S HAVING A BABY . Promise Productions presents CHARLIE’S HAVING A BABY by Deon Denton at The Annex Theatre as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival July 5-15, 2012. Tickets are available via www.fringetoronto.com, by telephone at 416-966-1062 (ext.1), or at the door.

Charlie and Toula are best friends with little money, living in the big city, and hoping to turn their childhood dreams into reality…but the two are discovering that achieving fame and success is not as easy as it had once seemed. Toula is still waiting for her “big break” as an actress and Charlie is barely holding it together at her dead-end job.

To make matters worse, Charlie’s grandmother is terminally ill and has decided to make a final visit to her grand-daughter before she dies. She has proclaimed her dying wish to be “the one thing she desires most in the world” –  a great grandchild. Desperate to please dear Nana Harris, the girls devise an ill-fated scheme to get Charlie married and pregnant before Nana’s arrival. But the plan descends into chaos when Nana  turns up earlier than expected and the girls are forced to make hilarious attempts at convincing her that her dying wish is coming true!

CHARLIE’S HAVING A BABY features performances by Patricia McPherson (Degrassi – The Next Generation, Flashpoint, Dan for Mayor) and newcomer Ruth Goodwin (Cellar Hotel, Chicken Coop Theatre/Fringe 2011). CHARLIE’S HAVING A BABY is written and directed by Promise Productions’ Artistic Director Deon Denton (Pieces of Me), who also plays Nana. Stevie Baker (Urban Bard Productions; The Time Traveller’s Wife, New Line Cinema) is the stage manager.

Promise Productions: In 2007, after many successful years on the drama circuit in the church communities of Kingston, Jamaica and the GTA, Deon Denton officially launched Toronto-based Promise Productions. The company and its mandate evolved from her desire to introduce a new level of excellence in the dramatic arts within her faith based community. In 2008 Promise Productions expanded its reach to include mainstream audiences with a production of Denton’s Pieces of Me. The show, about a restless wife trying to return to her secret past, was a hit with audiences and inspired Denton to wade further into the Toronto theatre scene by bringing her new play, CHARLIE’S HAVING A BABY, to the theatregoing public at the 2009 and now 2012 Toronto Fringe Festival.

More information is available via www.promiseproductions.ca.

Venue: 
The Annex Theatre, 736 Bathurst Street, Toronto.

Performances: 
Thursday July 5 – 7:00pm (Opening)
Saturday July 7 – 11:00pm
Monday July 9 – 1:30pm
Wednesday July 11 – 7:30pm
Friday July 13 – 6:15pm
Saturday July 14 – 12:30pm
Sunday July 15 –  3:30pm (Closing)

Tickets:
$10 at the door (cash only)
Or in advance beginning June 15 via www.fringetoronto.com or 416-966-1062 ext. 1