Avast, ye swabs! Therrrrrrrre be pirrrrrates and plunder at the Georrrrrrge Ignatieff Theatrrrrrrrre!

From press release:
The buzz is growing for “Pirates Don’t Babysit!” At the Toronto FringeKids Festival. With one performance already sold out, it is sure to be a FringeKids audience favourite. Tickets are available now, so don’t miss out.

“Pirates Don’t Babysit!” tells the story of 9 year old Jenny and a band of Pirates who show up at her door, looking for buried treasure. She agrees to help them if they help take care of her baby sister. Of course the bumbling Pirates mess everything up, but finally manage to succeed in making the baby happy. In fact, in the end, the baby helps them and their treasure! This hilarious, rollicking show is fun for the whole family.

The rowdy band of Pirates will be played by Carl Bauer, Jamie Johnson, Jesse Perreault and Hilary Wilson. The Mom will be played by Carina Cojeen, and the part of the “baby” will be played by Jaclyn Nobrega. Cristina Hernandez is the stage manager and Jenny will be played by actual 9 year old Olivia Harms!

Playwright Barb Scheffler and director Michael Harms have written and produced several shows together including “Road to Muskoka” at the Toronto Fringe, “Marjorie’s Wedding” an interactive musical comedy, and most recently “Chelsea Moor Castle (or the Contract to Marry)” – a new Gilbert and Sullivan operetta with an original book and new lyrics created for the North Toronto Players 50th anniversary. With “Pirates Don’t Babysit!” they get to indulge their life-long love of all things Pirate!

Details

• Pirates Don’t Babysit! plays at the George Ignatieff Theatre. (15 Devonshire Pl)
• Tickets for FringeKids shows are $5 for kids (age 12 and younger); adults pay $10 at the door or $12 in advance.
• Tickets can be purchased online, by telephone (416-966-1062), from the Fringe Club at Honest Ed’s Alley, and — if any remain — from the venue’s box office starting one hour before curtain.
• The George Ignatieff Theatre is wheelchair-accessible, and has wide aisles for easy mid-show exits.
• Don’t miss the FringeKids club located on the lawn adjacent to the venue! Free activities for children (3-12) and caregivers run every day of the festival: see website for details.
• Be aware that Fringe performances always start exactly on time, and that latecomers are never admitted.

Performances

• Wednesday June 29th, 02:30 pm
• Friday July 1st, 03:15 pm
• Sunday July 3rd, 10:00 am
• Tuesday July 5th, 11:30 am
• Wednesday July 6th, 04:15 pm
• Saturday July 9th, 01:30 pm
• Sunday July 10th, 02:30 pm

Production photograph provided by the company.

4.48 Psychosis Captures a State of Mind, Now Playing in Toronto

NSK Theatre is mounting a short run of Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis in Toronto’s Storefront Theatre. 4.48 is a harrowing portrayal of depression and suicidal ideation, and the last work Kane produced before taking her own life in 1999.

I’ve heard 4.48 described as a very long suicide note being performed onstage. The play is not written with characters, just lines that could be divvied up between any number of actors. For this reason, any production of 4.48 will necessarily have a healthy dose of dramaturgy. So if the subject matter isn’t enough to make this a complex piece, this is a show that often forays into abstraction. Continue reading Review: 4.48 Psychosis (NSK Theatre) →

“Curious Contagious is a darkly comedic modern fairy tale genetically spliced with a surreal science film.”

From press release:

Mind of a Snail Puppet Co, creators of last year’s Patron’s Pick Caws & Effect are back in Toronto with a brand new shadow theatre spectacle! Curious Contagious is a darkly comedic modern fairy tale genetically spliced with a surreal science film.

A stressed-out Unicorn falls ill while building a giant donut shop. Meanwhile, a pair of quirky viruses search for the perfect place to replicate. The story is told using layers of shadow puppetry techniques, physical comedy, music, overhead projectors and a large number of detailed cutouts.

“it’s stunning and hilarious to witness the wizardry these two artists spin with such simple elements”  -Vue Weekly Edmonton

Mind of a Snail is a shadow puppetry duo currently based out of Vancouver BC. Since 2003, Chloé Ziner and Jessica Gabriel have been developing a multilayered style of visual storytelling using overhead projectors as their main light source. Their performances play at the intersection of visual arts, clowning & music. They are interested in stories that reveal what is usually hidden, and creating magical immersive experiences for their audiences. In the past year, Mind of a Snail’s show Caws & Effect won awards in London, Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton and Vancouver Fringe. Their show Against Gravity was in the National Series at Summerworks 2014.

Show times:

• Friday July 1st, 03:00 pm
• Saturday July 2nd, 09:15 pm
• Tuesday July 5th, 01:15 pm
• Wednesday July 6th, 07:30 pm
• Thursday July 7th, 05:15 pm
• Friday July 8th, 12:00 pm
• Saturday July 9th, 04:00 pm

Venue:   Factory Theatre Mainspace. (125 Bathurst St)

Details:

• Tickets for all Fringe productions are $10, $12 in advance. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone (416-966-1062, business hours only), in-person from the festival box office located in the parking lot behind Honest Ed’s, (581 Bloor West), or — if any remain — from the venue box office (cash-only), starting one hour before showtime.
• The festival offers a range of money-saving passes for committed Fringers; see website for details.
• Be advised that Fringe shows always start exactly on time, and latecomers are never admitted.

Pictured: Jessica Gabriel. Photo by: Chloe Ziner

“After 20 years of children’s TV, Mr. Flowers’ show is being cancelled. “

From press release:

Coyote Collective, comprised of the trio of Susannah Mackay, Eric Welch, and Blue Bigwood-Mallin, is making their Toronto Fringe debut with their flagship production “Like A Generation.” Originally staged at TPM in the winter of 2013, the show has continued to evolve through workshops and revision over a three year period. It was remounted in the fall of 2015 at Dancemakers in the Distillery District and has been reinvented for the 2016 Toronto Fringe. What started as a collective creation based heavily on metaphysical ideas and a non-linear narrative, has evolved into an intimate, character driven, three-handed comedy that explores coming of age in the 21st Century.

Synopsis:

After 20 years of children’s TV, Mr. Flowers’ show is being cancelled. He now has one hour, with the help of two lifelong fans, to prove that his message still matters. But things go awry when childhood ideals and bitter reality collide. A lively, carnivalesque take on coming of age in the 21st century.

Show times:

• Friday July 1st, 04:30 pm
• Saturday July 2nd, 05:30 pm
• Tuesday July 5th, 06:15 pm
• Wednesday July 6th, 12:15 pm
• Thursday July 7th, 07:45 pm
• Friday July 8th, 04:00 pm
• Saturday July 9th, 11:00 pm

Venue:  Tarragon Theatre Extraspace. (30 Bridgman Ave)

Details:

• Tickets for all Fringe productions are $10, $12 in advance. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone (416-966-1062, business hours only), in-person from the festival box office located in the parking lot behind Honest Ed’s, (581 Bloor West), or — if any remain — from the venue box office (cash-only), starting one hour before showtime.
• The festival offers a range of money-saving passes for committed Fringers; see website for details.
• Be advised that Fringe shows always start exactly on time, and latecomers are never admitted.

Photo by Jordan Laffrenier.