Fringe Festival

A collection of everything to do with the Toronto Fringe Festival, including reviews, features, press releases etc.

Radioactive Spyder – Toronto Fringe 2019 Press Release

From Press Release

A NEW musical. Theatre for kids by kids. A political satire at the Toronto Fringe KidsFest…

RADIOACTIVE SPYDER!

Radioactive Spyder was developed this past year by TDSB music teacher Deborah Adelman, in collaboration with her Equinox Holistic Alternative School students, as a reflection on the current contentious political world. This postmodern musical comedy is set to a lively Cuban beat in a swamp filled with colourful animal characters.

Presented by a local cast of talented young Toronto performers ages 10-15 years old. Audiences will discover how these animal friends cope with species extinction, money, media addiction, power, global warming and climate change. Comedy, dance and toe-tapping original music provide a lighthearted backdrop to this entertaining show for the whole family.

Radioactive Spyder is thirsty for power and fame. Determined to become the Master of the Universe. Protozoa, a 14 billion-year-old single-celled being, guides Radioactive Spyder on a quest for political glory. Protozoa shows Radioactive Spyder what the universe has to gain or lose based on Spyder’s actions. Will Radioactive Spyder choose power and fame, or decided to make the swamp a better place for all animals?

Script and lyrics by Deborah Adelrman. Original music by Elizabeth Rodriguez and Magdelys Savigne. Radioactive Spyder features an original song by Sarah Slean dedicated to the next generation — The Day We Saved the World.

Production directed by Rae-Anna Maitland. Musical directors are Kristen Zaza and Carissa Neufeld.

General Admission: $5/child & $10/adult Tickets: www.fringetoronto.com | 416-966-1062 | Theatre Front Door (Cash Only) Please note that there is absolutely no latecomer seating. Theatre: George Ignatia Theatre, 15 Devonshire Pl, Toronto Show Dates: July 4th 2:45 pm, July 6th 4:45 pm, July 8th 11:30 am, July 9th 4:00 pm, July 11th 12:45 pm, July 12th 2:15 pm, July 14th 2:30 pm.

https://www.radioactivespyder.com

Plum Crazy – Toronto Fringe 2019 Press Release

From Press Release
A Canadian Play Debut at Toronto Fringe Festival

Written by Mark Webber Adapted and story edited by Lindsay Ellis
Performed by: Drea Burck, Lindsay Ellis, Alex Franks, Julie Mahendran, Brian Russell, Harold Tausch
Direction and dramaturgy by Joel Haszard Produced by Haven Theatre & Lindsay Ellis Photography by Lindsay Ellis
Haven Theatre is proud to produce its premiere production Plum Crazy at the 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival. Plum Crazy is a new Canadian play by writer Mark Webber. The play was adapted and story edited by Lindsay Ellis who condensed the story so that it would fit into the 60 minute time frame.
Part of the story editing was done after a workshop production in February that garnered audience feedback to ensure that the edits would appeal to the public. Plum Crazy examines the themes of loyalty and betrayal under the setting of the Plum Crazy Fashion Shoppe.
The story is a who-dun-it, with the second act featuring a series of flashbacks before the final reveal in act 3. The play has an ensemble cast of store employees featuring Drea Burck, Lindsay Ellis, Alex Franks, Julie Mahendran, Brian Russell, and Harold Tausch. Everyone is excited to be part of the Toronto Fringe Festival as it is a debut performance at the Fringe for all of the cast, except Alex Franks who had a play in the Toronto Fringe Festival last year.
Lindsay Ellis has a background in comedy and has trained at the Second City, both in Toronto and Chicago, as well as the Atlantic Acting School (part of the NYU Tisch School of Drama) in NYC. This is her first dramatic play that she has adapted and produced. Her career started working with Sherrie Johnson and da da kamera on its finale season of A Beautiful View. Her previous writing credits include the web series Clambake, sketches with the online comedy group Cackle Comedy, and satirical articles published on Robot Butt, Belladonna and McSweeneys.”Taking the words that Mark wrote and honing them to condense the story and make the action move has been a labour of love,” says Lindsay, “I’m so honoured that Joel trusted me with adapting the script.”
Haven Theatre was created by Joel and John Haszard as a father-son project after John experienced health problems that lead to a permanent disability. This is their first production and they are beyond excited to have their premiere production debut at the Toronto Fringe Festival. “We started this company as a fun way to spend time together and as a way to bring together new and experienced performers to bring to life new Canadian works,” explains Joel Haszard, “When our lottery number was picked, we couldn’t believe our luck and have been working tirelessly to make this debut a success.”
Plum Crazy will run July 5-13, 2019 as part of the 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival at the Streetcar Crowsnest Theatre Tickets for Plum Crazy are now on sale on the Fringe website. For more information on the press release contact: Lindsay Ellis email: lellis.p@gmail.com
Dates:
Show times are:
July 5 7:45pm
July 6 10:15pm
July 7 5:00pm
July 8 6:00pm
July 9 4:00pm
July 12 6:45pm
July 13 2:45pm

Please Stand Clear – Toronto Fringe 2019 Press Release

From Press Release
Please Stand Clear – House of Rebels’ Third Premier at the Toronto Fringe
With Please Stand Clear, House of Rebels debuts a dark comedy that is unafraid to address the difficult topic of suicide. More specifically, the reluctance our society has in discussing suicide. The play is offensively honest, and is prepared to shock as well as entertain. With Please Stand Clear, the goal is to normalize communication about difficult topics such as suicide and self-harm through comedy, and make taboo topics more comfortable and acceptable to talk about.
Featuring playwright Ross Hammond and actor/writer Anthony Di Feo returning to share the stage following their performance in 2017’s The Resurrectionists (also a part of the Toronto Fringe Festival). Directed by Raeburn Ferguson – nominated for Best Director at the ACT-CO Awards, and Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre & Education Manager. Lighting and Sound Design provided by Kelly Anderson of Theatre by Committee.
More information about company and play can be found at http://www.rebelstheatre.com/pleasestandclear
House of Rebels Theatre
In association with The Toronto Fringe Festival presents;
Please Stand Clear
Written by Ross Hammond
Directed by Raeburn Ferguson
Starring Anthony Di Feo and Ross Hammond
Lighting and Sound Design by Kelly Anderson
Stage Managed by Madeleine Monteleone
July 4th to July 14th, 2019
July 4th, 7:45pm
July 6th, 1:30pm
July 7th, 6:15pm
July 8th, 5:30pm
July 10th, 3:00pm
July 11th, 6:15pm
July 12th, 10:30pm
July 14th, 2:15pm
Please Note: there is absolutely no latecomer seating.
Tickets available starting June 6th
Theatre Passe Muraille (Backspace), 16 Ryerson Avenue. Toronto, ON.
By Phone: (416) 966-1062
In Person: During the festival at POSTSCRIPT, located in the hockey rink at 275 Bathurst St.

Table 7: A Plays in Cafes Creation – Toronto Fringe 2019 Press Release

From Press Release

Whose Side Are You On?

Table 7 – A Plays in Cafes Creation

 Gentrification or Rejuvenation? Passion or Harassment? That may depend which side of the table you’re sitting on. Set in the ever-changing Regent Park neighbourhood, Table 7 allows you to witness an explosive situation between unlikely neighbours. When each perspective tells a different story, how do you determine who is in the wrong? In this show it’s the audience who must decide.

Shadowpath, a charitable arts organization, was founded in 2002 and prides itself on turning everyday spaces into creative places. Table 7 takes advantage of its true to the story location, taking place in Regent Park at Paintbox Bistro, our 2019 venue partner.

Thanks to funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Shadowpath has been able to develop The Femme Five, a three-year initiative that nurtures leadership in female theatre creatives. Shadowpath’s 5th Toronto Fringe BYOV play is a Femme5 creation, featuring an all-female production team and cast.

Written by Chantal Forde and directed by Mandy Roveda, this team is reunited after their successful 2017 production of GREY (NOW Outstanding New Play & Outstanding Ensemble, Critics’ Pick Award for Outstanding Ensemble). Roveda is also known for her extraordinary direction of BikeFace which garnered the 2018 Fringe Patron’s Pick and Best of Fringe.

The incredible cast includes Julia Beaulieu (nominated for a 2019 Dora for her ensemble work with Solar Stage), Tea Nguyen (part of the 2017 Fringe hit NASTY), and Fringe newcomers Violet Mount, Kaila Hunte, and Alexandrine M’Banga.

Judgements are passed quickly. Biases filter our world view. And sometimes we just don’t like a person. How will you come to your decision of what really happened at Table 7?

Shadowpath Theatre in association with The Toronto Fringe Festival presents

Table 7 – A Plays in Cafes Creation

Producers: Alex Karolyi, Alene Degian, Maissa Bessada, Tea Nguyen

Written by: Chantal Forde

Directed by: Mandy Roveda

Starring: Julia Beaulieu, Kaila Hunte, Alexandrine M’Banga, Violet Mount, and Tea Nguyen

Co-stage managed by: Alene Degian and Chantal Forde

Opens July 4th to July 13th 

Paintbox Bistro, 555 Dundas St E, Toronto, ON

Performances:

Thursday July 4th, 4pm

Friday July 5th, 7pm

Saturday July 6th, 2pm

Wednesday July 10th, 1pm

Thursday July 11th, 4pm

Friday July 12th, 7pm

Saturday July 13th, 2pm

 

Please note that there is absolutely no latecomer seating.

Tickets:

Paintbox Bistro, 555 Dundas St. E, Toronto ON

Tickets go on sale June 6, 2019, $13 advanced tickets

Purchase online: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/table-7-plays-cafes-creation

By Phone: 416-966-1062

In Person: During the festival at POSTSCRIPT, the patio at the Toronto Fringe. Located in the Hockey Rink at 275 Bathurst Street (Dundas + Bathurst).

Palabra Flamenco: Fox Woman – Toronto Fringe 2019 Press Release

From Press Release

PALABRA FLAMENCO presents

Fox Woman

In association with the Toronto Fringe Festival

Palabra Flamenco presents Fox Woman, a 45-minute depth-charge of flamenco dance and music combined with oral storytelling. When a mysterious and powerful fox woman appears unexpectedly in his hut, a lonely hunter is forced to choose between the wild and the tamed.

Their relationship grows. How to accommodate one another? What do we risk when we accommodate too much? And if violence emerges, do we recognize it? Do we leave? Before the West cultivated hatred of the wild, before today’s ecological crisis, there was a love affair. Flamenco dancer and storyteller Denise Yeo retells this Siberian myth accompanied by her husband, accomplished flamenco guitarist Gareth Owen. With an array of evocative, traditional flamenco dances, Yeo embodies Fox Woman and
the Hunter through hypnotic and improvised movement and rhythm, drenched with the darkest impulses.

Flamenco has its origins around the hearth fire. Known for its contrast of incendiary emotion and control, percussive rhythms, and expansive representations of womanhood that include strength, resiliency, playfulness, mockery, empowerment, and pride, it is uniquely equipped for this story. This is joy tall as the
flame, joy with ash in its teeth.

VENUE Streetcar Crowsnest Studio (345 Carlaw Avenue).

PERFORMANCES
July 3 (6:45pm), July 5 (9:30pm), July 6 (8:30pm), July 7 (3:15pm), July 9 (4:30pm), July 11 (6:00pm), July 13 (1:30pm).

“There’s virtuosity to burn… Let it wash over you.” — The Georgia Straight
“Passionate and desolate … A gift to behold!” — Showbill Canada
“Denise Yeo is a spitfire…” — Janis La Couvée, theatre reviewer
“Gareth Owen plays like he has a hundred fingers…” — The Georgia Straight

TICKETS Tickets are $11. Purchase them online at  fringetoronto.com, by telephone 416-966-1062, or in person at the Fringe Box Office at 275 Bathurst Street (in the Hockey Rink south of Scadding Court) or at the venue one hour prior to performances. Please note there is absolutely no latecomer seating.

Website: https://www.palabraflamenco.ca/foxwoman
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PalabraFlamenco/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PalabraFlamenco
Instagram: http://instagram.com/palabraflamenco