Yearly Archives: 2017

Bad Baby’s Rules Control the Fun – Toronto Fringe 2017 Press Release

From Press Release

Lark & Whimsy Theatre Collective, in partnership with Flat Earth Global announced today that BAD BABY’s first solo show RULES CONTROL THE FUN will receive its world premiere at this summer’s Toronto Fringe Festival.

“I’ve seen a lot of solo shows. And I know all the rules. I know all of them. And I’m gonna follow all the rules, because rules…control the fun.” Toronto-based clown, Bad Baby, will feature in her first solo show Rules Control the Fun, a hilarious new Canadian play about love, relationships, vulnerability, and shame. Self-proclaimed Fringe expert Bad Baby wanted to become an actor so that she could sleep in and kiss boys. But lately she hasn’t gotten to do either of those things. However all of that is about to change. Showcasing exceptional acting skills, unmatched good looks, a huge range of emotional faces, a balloon arch, and not one, but two theatre schools on her résumé, Bad Baby is the best – no scratch that – the ONLY clown to wear rubber boots at the Toronto Fringe this year.

Boasting a total of thirteen Toronto Fringe tent romances under their collective belts, the teams that brought you Almost, Again (Best of Fringe) and Eternal Friendship with a Spotless Smile (Patron’s Pick) are back with an all new Fringe fling.

Performances

  • Friday July 7th, 01:15 pm
  • Saturday July 8th, 09:15 pm
  • Monday July 10th, 04:30 pm
  • Wednesday July 12th, 07:30 pm
  • Thursday July 13th, 12:00 pm
  • Friday July 14th, 11:00 pm
  • Sunday July 16th, 04:00 pm

Details

  • Bad Baby Presents: Rules Control the Fun plays at the Annex Theatre. (736 Bathurst St.)
  • Tickets are $12. The festival also offers a range of money-saving passes for serious Fringers.
  • Tickets can be purchased online, by telephone (416-966-1062), from the Fringe Club at Scadding Court, and — if any remain — from the venue’s box office starting one hour before curtain.
  • Be aware that Fringe performances always start exactly on time, and that latecomers are never admitted.
  • Content Warnings: Audience Participation, Nudity, Mature Language.
  • This venue is wheelchair-accessible through a secondary route which requires a staff escort. Check in at the box office at least 20 minutes prior to showtime.

Photo of Janelle Hanna as Bad Baby by Scott Murdoch – Five by Five Photography.

WILD/WALLED – Toronto Fringe 2017 Press Release

From press release

WILD/WALLED is a highly physical, honest and compelling contemporary dance performance utilizing the performance talents of the members of the vibrant and tenacious collective Half Second Echo and special guests. Featuring the work of notable Choreographers who have wowed Fringe audiences and critics in years past, this rendition investigates timely concepts including, the assemblage and tearing down of walls in society and relationships, and the natural juxtapositions to the wildness, unpredictability and untamed nature of being human. The choreographers, Alison Daley, Miles Gosse, and Tracey Norman, are inspired by each other’s work and creating works that are meant to live together as separate events connected in surprising and curious ways.

All 3 producers have had hit Fringe shows which were well attended, well reviewed in major publications, and went on to be curated and produced by other organizations. Elly’s Emotions (Daley – Toronto Fringe 2014) was picked up by Solar Stage Children’s Theatre following the Fringe run and nominated for Best Production and Best Direction in the Young Audiences category at the Dora Awards 2015. no permanent answers (Norman – Toronto Fringe 2013) was named Outstanding Ensemble (NOW Magazine), and Norman’s work went on to be a curated by DanceWorks Mainstage/Next Steps and performed at Harbourfront Centre Theatre in 2015.

Come tear down the walls this summer and embrace your inner wildness.

Performances

  • Thursday July 6th, 06:30 pm
  • Saturday July 8th, 12:00 pm
  • Sunday July 9th, 05:00 pm
  • Monday July 10th, 01:00 pm
  • Wednesday July 12th, 08:45 pm
  • Friday July 14th, 10:15 pm
  • Saturday July 15th, 08:00 pm

Details

  • WILD/WALLED plays at the Al Green Theatre. (750 Spadina Ave.)
  • Tickets are $12. The festival also offers a range of money-saving passes for serious Fringers.
  • Tickets can be purchased online, by telephone (416-966-1062), from the Fringe Club at Scadding Court, and — if any remain — from the venue’s box office starting one hour before curtain.
  • Be aware that Fringe performances always start exactly on time, and that latecomers are never admitted.
  • This venue is barrier-free. Note that only certain building entrances are wheelchair-accessible. Accessible seating is in front of the front row, and may have poor sightlines for certain productions.

Photo provided by the company

Seeking Refuge – Toronto Fringe 2017 Press Release

From press release

Seeking Refuge, winner of the Paul O’Sullivan Prize for best script for a new musical submitted to the 2017 Toronto Fringe Festival, has its world premiere July 7 at the Randolph Theatre.    In this ground breaking musical tragedy, sisters Mara and Saleet have been left homeless and without family by civil war, and the only thing they have of value is their mother’s jewellery, enough to barter for a passage to freedom – for one.  Set amid struggle and chaos, it is at heart a story of love, devotion, and sacrifice.  This new Canadian musical features a score filled with captivating melodies and relentless rhythms.

Writer/composer Rick Jones was moved to write his script by recent world events, by images of refugees trudging across whole continents, of destroyed cities, of children in shock or dying.  “I felt helpless, yet I also felt I needed to do something”, admits Jones.  “If I can bring their stories to life, allow others to find some insight into their struggle to find safety and freedom, then I can count the play a success.”

“This is a universal story told on a personal level” adds veteran Fringe director Barbara Larose.  “The themes of sacrifice and survival against tremendous odds are as old as mankind.  We have a diverse cast ready to take up the challenge.”

Previous Toronto Fringe productions by Thick and Thin Theatre are Life in the Raw (2012) and Millennium Madness Sale (1999), both of which received critical acclaim for the husband and wife team.

The young cast of Liana Bdewi, Trisha Talreja, Nabil Ayoub, Noah Beemer, Milton Dover and Jennifer Walls all studied at Canadian performing arts schools Randolph Academy, Sheridan College, or Canadian College for Performing Arts, and bring a wealth of talent and enthusiasm to the production.

Joining the artistic leadership are music director Robert Graham, choreographer Jennifer Johnson, and assistant director Ellen Green, with lighting design by Melissa Joakim and stage management by Margot Devlin.

Performances

  • Friday July 7th, 03:30 pm
  • Saturday July 8th, 09:15 pm
  • Sunday July 9th, 03:00 pm
  • Tuesday July 11th, 09:00 pm
  • Thursday July 13th, 07:00 pm
  • Friday July 14th, 04:00 pm
  • Sunday July 16th, 05:15 pm

Details

  • Seeking Refuge plays at the Randolph Theatre. (736 Bathurst St.)
  • Tickets are $12. The festival also offers a range of money-saving passes for serious Fringers.
  • Tickets can be purchased online, by telephone (416-966-1062), from the Fringe Club at Scadding Court, and — if any remain — from the venue’s box office starting one hour before curtain.
  • Be aware that Fringe performances always start exactly on time, and that latecomers are never admitted.
  • Content Warnings: Gunshots, Sexual Content.
  • This venue is wheelchair-accessible through a secondary route. We recommend checking in with the venue box office at least 20 minutes before showtime.

Photo of Trisha Talreja, Jennifer Walls, and Liana Bdewi by Dahlia Katz

Perfect Couples – Toronto Fringe 2017 Press Release

From press release

On July 5th 2017,  a cast and crew of young artists will open Perfect Couples, a new Canadian play that explores the lives of four couples, mainly focusing on one lesbian couple, as they navigate their lives in Toronto while coping with various mental illnesses.

This riveting, relevant, and witty piece is by Ryerson Theatre School graduate Mitchell Janiak and it will be produced by Pencil Kit Productions. It will play at the Helen Gardner Playhouse from July 5th- – 15th, and the the Hamilton Fringe from July 18th – 30th.

“The script was exciting for me because of its emphasis on queer female narratives,” says Claren Grosz, the director and Artistic Director of Pencil Kit Productions, “It was also refreshing that it’s a play centred on millennial experiences without reducing them to only twitter references and cellphones”.

Founded by Grosz in 2016, Pencil Kit Productions has sought to give young and upcoming artists the chance to create new and original work, as well as to present fresh takes on classic work. Their debut show Persephone, a feminist take on the classic Greek myth, premiered at the Toronto Fringe last year with rave reviews from Now Magazine and Mooney on Theatre.

Mitchell Janiak and Claren Grosz met as classmates in Ryerson’s acting program. They bonded over their frustration of the lack of authentic younger characters in theatre. When Janiak began writing the script 3 years ago, Grosz knew the piece would be relevant to younger audiences.

“Over half the audition submissions we received included a personal statement of how mental illness have affected the applicant’s life.” Grosz adds, “As classmates who have been though and witnessed the dark times of attending University in the big lonely city while growing into adulthood, this felt like an important project for us to work on together”.

Performances

  • Wednesday July 5th, 06:30 pm
  • Friday July 7th, 11:00 pm
  • Sunday July 9th, 01:00 pm
  • Tuesday July 11th, 04:15 pm
  • Wednesday July 12th, 07:00 pm
  • Thursday July 13th, 02:15 pm
  • Saturday July 15th, 09:15 pm

Details

  • Perfect Couples plays at the Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse. (79 St. George St.)
  • Tickets are $12. The festival also offers a range of money-saving passes for serious Fringers.
  • Tickets can be purchased online, by telephone (416-966-1062), from the Fringe Club at Scadding Court, and — if any remain — from the venue’s box office starting one hour before curtain.
  • Be aware that Fringe performances always start exactly on time, and that latecomers are never admitted.
  • Content Warnings: Unsuitable for Minors, Sexual Content, Mature Language.
  • This venue is wheelchair-accessible.

Photo of Arun Varma, Claire Keating, Belinda Corpuz, Hannah Whitmore, Ariana Marquis, Kaleb Horn, Meara Khanna, Felix Beauchamp by Ryan Dillon