“If you are searching for a relief from modern cynicism and despair, look no further than Destiny U.S.A.”
– The UBYSSEY
At the 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival
Written & Performed by Laura Anne Harris
Featuring three Canadian Deaf Actors: Natasha Bacchus, Tamyka Bullen, and Sage Lovell
ASL consultant: Kat Campbell
Directed by: Krystal Osborne
Projection/captioning design: Matthew Koutzun
Sound Design: Alex Eddington
When Laura moves from Toronto to Syracuse, New York, she wasn’t expecting to be residing in Trump’s America.
Gaining her first job as a relay operator for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing causes her to question if she can discover the hidden humanity of the American people.
Destiny, USA weaves together three stories: Laura moving to the US for the first time and working as a relay operator for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, romantically meeting her husband, and dealing with her mother’s illness in Canada while she has to live in America.
All are told through storytelling and poetry. While this is mainly autobiographical, some details have been changed to protect the anonymity of the Deaf callers. The performance integrates closed captioning and features performances from three Canadian Deaf actors: Tamyka Bullen, Natasha Bacchus, and Sage Lovell through ASL video projection.
Laura Anne Harris (Writer/Performer) is a writer/performer/director, born and raised in Victoria, B.C. She is a MFA Candidate in Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. She has toured two award winning solo shows: Pitch Blonde and The Homemaker across North America. Most recently Pitch Blonde was produced at the Ware Centre in Lancaster, PA and the Toronto Centre for the Arts. She premiered her first full length play Red/Rouge at the IF Festival in Bangkok, Thailand. This summer she will be touring her third solo show Destiny, USA to Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton, Victoria, and Vancouver on the Canadian Fringe circuit.
Instagram: @lauranneharris
Twitter: @destinyusatour
Website: www.lauraanneharris.com
Krystal Osborne (Director) is a Performance Artist, Playwright and Director originally from Lowell, MA. She moved to NYC at the age of 18 and pursued her BFA from Adelphi University. From there, she was privileged to study and work with amazing creators. Directing highlights include: Our Lady of 121st St (Adelphi), Chasing Pavement (LGT, NYC), Baby Boom (LGT, NYC), Cinderella (LGT, NY) Resignations (Algonquin, NYC), Molly Maguires, AD (NITF, NYC), and Diviners (BTG, CNY). Awards Include: Achievement in Directing, Best Show of Week (x3), Best Show of Overall Festival (x3), Best Design Elements, and more. She was also a comedic writer for American Like Jesus (PIT, NYC), Smut Show (Comix, NYC) and more. Krystal is currently a Producer, Instructor, and Collaborator with Breadcrumbs Productions and is thrilled to be directing Independence at Wunderbar in June 2019.
Crowsnest Studio
FRI JULY 5th 4:15 PM/ SAT JULY 6th 6:45 PM/ SUN JULY 7th: 5:00 pm/ MON JULY 8th 9:15 PM/ THUR JULY 11th 2:30 PM/ FRI JULY 12th 7:45 pm/ SAT JULY 13th 5:00 PM
Tickets – $11
To purchase: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/destiny-usa
Running Time: 60 minutes