Next Stage Theatre Festival History
Thank you to everyone who came out to NSTF2010. The Festival was a HUGE Success!
We are delighted to announce that the 2010 Next Stage Theatre Festival saw growth of 18% from last year. With 6072 in attendance and over $41,000.00 returned to participating artists, a very good time was had by all!
Click on a year to see past festival performances.
2010 Next Stage Theatre Festival (January 6 - 17)
Theatre Awakening presents...
BURIED By Tessa King
Directed by Andrew Lamb / Assistant Directed by Jill Harper
Sound Design by Verne Good / Set and Costume Designer by Lindsay C. Walker
Featuring Christine Brubaker, Ian D. Clark, Rosemary Dunsmore, Fiona Highet
Jean McBride, wife of a legendary trade unionist who has succumbed to Dementia, dies unexpectedly. Her daughter,
Rachel, returns from Australia racked with guilt. Her other daughter, Anne, cracks at the seams as the past returns to
haunt her – a past that their father believes is the present. Tensions surface between the sisters but the real secret
remains buried.
Developed in the 2008 Tarragon Theatre Playwright’s Unit, BURIED is a black comedy about family, death and our greatest fear: becoming our parents.
About Tessa King: “Captivating and compelling... witty, welloberved dialogue.” — Herald Sun, Melbourne
About Theatre Awakening: “Strong, wrenching theatre…” —Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine
“These are artists with great energy.” —Toronto Star
Factory Mainspace / 75 Minutes /
Black Comedy / General Audience
theatreawakening.com
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jsquared.theatre presents...
gas Written and Directed by Jason Maghanoy
Stage Managed by Katherine Chin/ Lighting Design by Alaina Perttula
Featuring Kevin Walker, Andrew Church, Marc Senior, Prince Amponsa, Sabryn Rock
gas is a snapshot of five soldiers whose mission in Iraq is all about gasoline: supplying it, selling it and protecting it
with their lives. What happens when the gas is shit?
Written and directed by National Theatre School Graduate Jason Maghanoy, and featuring some of the best young
actors in the city of Toronto, gas is a brutal, and very powerful look at the young men and women asked to wage a vicious war.
“An achievement.” —Pierre Landry, CBC Montreal
“A universal comment on the nature of war… Do not miss this show.” —Amy Barrett, Montreal Mirror
“Strikes an impeccable balance between intimacy and claustrophobia.” —Brett Hooton, Hour
Factory Studio / 75 Minutes /
Drama / Mature Audience / Language / Violence
jsquaredtheatre.blogspot.com
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Axis Mundi presents...
Icarus Redux Written and Directed by Sean O’Neill
Assistant directed by Bethany Jillard / Set and costume design by Brendon O’Neill / Sound design by John Gzowski
Featuring Jonathan Whittaker and Sean O'Neill
Icarus Redux is a modern explosion of the classic Greek myth about art, loss, and the longing to fly. Combining themes of sexual transgression, familial bonds, and artistic creation with a beautifully austere design, the underground hit of the 2009 Toronto Fringe is revamped and reimagined for Next Stage.
Daedalus is alone, grief-stricken and crying out to ‘non-God’, when his world is invaded by the boy — at once the son he lost and a disturbing reflection challenging his unsteady grip on sanity. Innovative visuals — including puppetry and stage-spanning wings — mix with one of the most talked about scripts of the year to create a theatre experience that is challenging, moving, and unforgettable.
**** “Spectacular… serious potential.” —Eye Weekly cover story
“Tightly directed, stylishly presented… Jonathan Whittaker is terrific. A must see” —TheGate.com
“Challenging, controversial and thought provoking… Highly recommended.” —Xtra
Factory Studio / 75 Minutes
Drama / Mature Audience / Mature themes / Language / Nudity
icarusredux.com
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GIG Productions presents...
Just East of Broadway By Nicholas Hune-Brown and Ben King
Directed by Jordan Merkur / Musical Direction by M. J. Johnson / Choreography by Neesa Kenemy
Stage Managed by Andrew Dollar
Featuring: Cory O'Brien, Ma-Anne Dionisio, Lana Carillo, Sean Baek, Lorna Wright, Stephen Lilly, Darrel Gamotin
In this musical comedy, Hollywood has-been Rex Maverick tries to reviving his failing career by breaking into the “hottest new market” for musical theatre — the People’s Republic of China. Instead of bustling Beijing or Shanghai, Rex finds himself in a tiny farming community directing a cast of enthusiastic amateurs, including a love-struck writer, a censorious Mid-Level Official, and a strong-willed young woman contemptuous of the Hollywood star. Cultures clash, personalities collide, the workers control the means of production, and musical magic is born!
“Brimming with youthful creativity, this irreverent send-up… moves briskly with humour, heart and catchy songs.” (Highly Recommended) —Toronto Star
**** “A total giggle-fest” —Eye Weekly
NNNN “Heart-warming and hilarious” —Now Magazine
Factory Mainspace / 90 Minutes /
Musical / Family Entertainment
myspace.com/justeastofbroadwaymusical
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Chris Gibbs presents...
Like Father Like Son? Sorry. Written and Directed by Chris Gibbs
On June 30th, 2007 a Canadian was born, and British comedian Chris Gibbs stepped into the world of terror that is… fatherhood! / In this remount of the hilarious fringe hit and Patron’s Pick winner, veteran one-man show creator
Chris Gibbs (Antoine Feval, Gibberish, The Power of Ignorance) playfully explores the fears, worries and surprises
of being a new father, and the absolute terror of wanting to be a good one.
***** “Highly recommended!” — Eye Weekly
NNNN “Hilarious” —NOW
***** “A thoroughly entertaining and hilarious show” —CBC
“One of the funniest guys around” —National Post
Factory Mainspace / 75 Minutes /
One-man show / General Audience
chrisgibbs.ca
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eastBOUND theatre presents...
The Making of St. Jerome By Marie Beath Badian
Directed by Nina Lee Aquino / Lighting design by Aaron Kelly / Sound design by Romeo Candido
Set and costume design by Jackie Chau / Choreography by Clare Preuss / Stage Managed by Katherine Chin
Featuring Byron Abalos, Keith Barker, Aura Carcueva, Audrey Dwyer, Christian Feliciano
After Jerome’s violent death, his older brother Jason embarks on a quest to bring the police officer that shot him to justice. Jason’s pursuit uncovers uncomfortable facts and plants a growing seed of doubt about Jerome’s innocence. Inspired by the 2004 fatal shooting of a Filipino-Canadian teenager by a plain-clothes police officer, The Making of St. Jerome is an exploration of guilt, grief, and brotherly love, set against the backdrop of a Coroner’s Inquest into the untimely death of a schoolboy.
Multiple-award winning director Nina Lee Aquino directs this powerful and haunting piece written by fu-GEN Theatre’s 2008-2009 Playwright-in-Residence Marie Beath Badian.
Factory Studio / 75 Minutes /
Drama / General Audience / Strong Language / Gunshots
themakingofstjerome.blogspot.com/
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Seventh Stage Theatre Productions presents...
The Red Queen Effect collectively devised by the Company
Directed by Kelly Straughan
Choreography by Melissa-Jane Shaw & Monica Dottor / Dramaturgy by Rachel Blair
Featuring Aurora Browne, Nicholas Campbell, Monica Dottor, Ted Hallett, Melissa Jane Shaw, Dylan Scott Smith
On one side of the looking glass: Crown Assets Corporate hedge-fund. On the other: an absurd and grotesque
game, where it takes all the running you can do to stay in the same place. Alice wants to get ahead, but what is
she willing to do to get there?
“The crown is here and waiting, sad
It wants a queen to own
Smart girls are good and oh so bad
When fighting for the throne.” —The Red Queen
“What a beautiful sound six women opening their hearts can make!” —Toronto Star, about Whale Music, May 2006
Factory Mainspace / 60 Minutes /
Comedy / General Audience / Language
seventhstageproductions.com
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Screwed & Clued presents...
Quite Frankly By Justin Sage-Passant
Directed by Jonno Katz
Featuring Justin Sage-Passant
A tragicomic solo performance about one socially awkward man and his mother. / A beautifully crafted show by
international fringe veterans Justin Sage-Passant (England) and Jonno Katz (Australia), Quite Frankly tells the story of a tragic hero, of a most unusual kind, facing up to the trials of being a man in today’s world.
As featured on CBC Radio’s ‘Q’
Top Ten Picks —Globe & Mail
PICK OF THE FRINGE —Edmonton Fringe 2009
WINNER: Best Of Fest —Winnipeg Fringe 2008
“A subtle, poignant one-man show, written and performed by the quietly brilliant Justin Sage-Passant. Wincingly funny… expertly drab.” —Edmonton Journal
“A precise, subtle, and bravely understated performance… remarkable!” —CBC
“Superlative fare…Astonishing!” —Edmonton Sun
“Impeccable.” —Vue
Factory Studio / 60 Minutes /
Drama / General Audience
justinsage-passant.blogspot.com
2009 Next Stage Theatre Festival (January 7 - 18)
Convergence Theatre
Yichud/ Seclusion by Julie Tepperman
Directed by Aaron Willis
Starring: Daniel Karasik, Adam Lazarus, Neil Naft, Michael Rubenfeld, Julie Tepperman & Aaron Willis, along with a live Klezmer Band!
Jewish law requires that newly married couples be alone together for a short period of time immediately following the wedding ceremony in a ritual called "Yichud" (Seclusion). With a successful premiere at the 2008 Lab Cab Festival followed by an invitation to perform at the 2008 Ashkenaz Festival, Fringe veterans Julie Tepperman & Aaron Willis join Next Stage with this expanded version of Yichud/Seclusion, a one-act play in three parts that examines intimate moments surrounding the arranged wedding of a young Orthodox Jewish couple, and the impact their union has on their families. Hot off the heels of the Fringe smash-hits AutoShow (Fringe 2006) & The Gladstone Variations (Fringe 2007), real-life married couple Julie & Aaron play the young newlyweds Rachel & Chaim.
"In the hands of Willis and Tepperman, the piece has a true charm and touching immediacy." – Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine.
Fire Up Cooperative
First Hand Woman by Sarah Michelle Brown
Directed by Esther Jun
Starring: Sarah Michelle Brown, Kiran Friesen, Patrice Goodman, Allana Harkin, Nicole Leroux
"one of the best dramas I've seen… gritty authenticity… incredibly entertaining… in-your-face raw emotions and you will laugh with them and cry with them." – Brett Bundale, The Gazette
" I felt so tall and great when I came out. Arrive early: the room fills up quickly." –Sarah Brideau, Midnight Poutine
FIRST HAND WOMAN is an award-winning new stage play set within a woman’s heart and mind. This is a powerful journey through heartache and healing, as told by the boisterous and unapologetic stages of grief. Join the dynamic ensemble cast of Denial, Bargaining, Anger, Depression and Acceptance as they unravel the secrets of a love story gone bad. As the play progresses, layers of this woman’s truth, and the realities of the relationship with her lover and with herself are poignantly and sometimes joyfully peeled away. Thus revealing someone who is seeking the redemption and reconciliation of her fragmented self. CAUTION: Show contains spontaneous simulated Orgasms!
The Steady State Theatre Project
Don’t Look by Daniel Sadavoy and Rebecca Applebaum
Directed by Maya Rabinovitch
Starring: Daniel Sadavoy and Rebecca Applebaum
With parallel narratives, twisted together like a double helix, Don't Look follows a pair of kissin’ cousins as they try to escape ultimate humiliation.
This Toronto Fringe hit follows Daniel and Ariella, Star-of-David-crossed first cousins, whose innocent shiva makeout session forces them down a path of shame and regret. When they are finally pushed to the limits of their defenses, Daniel and Ariella find themselves face to face with everything they've been trying to avoid.
Written and performed by Daniel Sadavoy and Rebecca Applebaum with director/dramaturg Maya Rabinovitch, Don't Look dynamically splices dialogue and narration to create a multilayered play full of delightful tension and unnerving hilarity.
"Don't Look would almost lead you to believe a post-funeral makeout with your cousin is more trouble than it's worth." – eye Weekly
NNNN and Outstanding Production – NOW Magazine
Reesor Productions
Reesor by Erin Brandenburg and Lauren Taylor
Directed by Lauren Taylor
Musical Director: Andrew Penner
Starring: Erin Brandenburg, Andrew Penner, Gold Bolan, Dave McEathron
In 1926, 400 people called Reesor, Ontario home.
Now, all that remains is a pile of stone.
Reesor, a "multi-media gem" combines live music, performance, shadow-puppets, baking and a man in a bear suit to tell the story of a ghost town in Northern Ontario. Seen through the eyes of Anna, a 12 year-old Mennonite girl and some colourful town characters, Reesor takes a theatrical look at a forgotten part of our history and the mysteries of the north.
Featuring live music by Andrew Penner (Sunparlour Players) performed on original handmade instruments by local Toronto artist Iner Souster.
"NNNN – A Fringe discovery, creatively conceived and executed. Full of genuine poetry and heartfelt storytelling." – NOW Magazine
"Reesor has a good story, fine acting, sweet music and charm. ****" – eye Weekly
Best Overall Production, Best Music, Critic’s Pick – NOW Magazine
"Best of the Fringe Series" – Diesel Playhouse
FACTORY MAINSPACE THEATRE (alphabetical by company)
6AM Tango Productions
Humans Anonymous by Kate Hewlett
Directed by Andrew Hachey
Starring: Michelle Giroux, Philip Graeme, Kate Hewlett, Mayko Nguyen and Gregory Prest
One is afraid of loneliness. Two is afraid of happiness. Three is afraid of ignorance. Four is afraid of judgment. Five is afraid of gremlins – even the nice ones. One loves four; three loves one; five loves cats. Can five over-caffeinated humans stumble their way to a fear-free future?
When a businesswoman who prefers lattes to love meets a sexually experimental young genius looking for Ms. Perfect, happiness is only twelve steps away. Kate Hewlett’s Fringe hit returns with new material and a New York run under its belt (Bridge Theatre Company).
From the writer of The Swearing Jar comes a heartbreaking comedy about friendship, fear, love and caffeine.
"***** " – eye Weekly
"Charms galore…made me laugh out loud. " – National Post
"Best of the Fringe " – NOW Magazine
"Critics’ Pick " – Backstage Magazine, New York
Beth Marshall Presents (Orlando, FL/ Austin TX)
L’Ange Avec les Fleurs
Directed by Rocky Hopson
Starring: Cami Alys Yankwitt, Rob Houle, Christopher Lee Gibson, Kate Arpke-Houle, Agustin Frederic, Monica Pasut Gibson, Mike Lane, Christopher McIntyre
"A Must See" – KC STAGE
Winner of Best Production, Acting & Set –Orlando Fringe
"startlingly original" – KC Star
"This charming fable about a famous French clown on an existential quest has everything you could want: literate philosophy, vaudevillian melodrama and a big dancing bear." – Orlando Weekly
Inspired by the writings of Henry Miller. Brought to you by the producer of The Orlando Fringe.
A Junk Melodrama set in 1940’s France. A troupe of vagabond performers, along with their avante garde band, Bric-a-Brac, share this heartfelt tale of one clown’s journey to become a real man through an explosion of song, dance, puppetry, clowning and a BIG FRENCH BEAR! Visit our website at www.myspace.co/laputainaveclesfleurs.
MackenzieRo
The Rake’s Progress: Do You Know Where Tom Rakewell Is? Adapted by Autumn Smith and Cathy Murphy
Directed by Autumn Smith
Starring: Tom Bates, Bruce Beaton, Rob Bird, Terrence Bryant, David Christo, Viv Moore, Cathy Murphy, Chris Stanton, Julie Tepperman and Dana Vranic
Charting the catastrophic downfall into rake-hood and worse of a young heir in the 18th century, a cast of characters including Nick Shadow, the brothel madam Mother Goose, Sellem the Auctioneer, and Baba the Turk goad and rag the audience as it navigates Tom’s progression through the streets of a loutish and debauched London-town.
In the 18th century the original engravings of The Rake’s Progress alarmed and thrilled. In the 20th century the opera’s lustiness astonished the 1953 Edinburgh Festival. We now invite 21st century audiences to wonder at the Rake’s further artistic evolution–come and see the Rake progress. La come bid! La, come buy! Adapted from the opera by Igor Stravinsky and the original engravings by William Hogarth.
Press for MacKenzieRo:
"Complex, gut-wrenching, in your face" – NOW, NNNNN
"Too volatile to forget" –eye
"Heart achingly palpable" – Blog TO
"Hold onto your seats" – NOW
Solid State Breakdance (Montreal, QC)
Take it Back Choreographed by JoDee Allen and Helen Simard
Starring: JoDee "Feisty" Allen, Christian "Sancho" Garmatter, Milan "Milz" Panet-Gigon, Helen "Cheeco" Simard
With Take it Back, Solid State asks the question, "Why don’t we dance in couples anymore?" Is it because someone must lead and another must follow? The soloing format of street dances has created an environment where we dance how we want, when we want. Everyone is a leader. Who is willing to follow? In an attempt to create a partner dance for our generation, JoDee Allen and Helen Simard have combined the high physicality of B-boying (Breakdance) with the partnering structures of Lindy Hop (Swing) and the aesthetics of Contemporary Dance. The result is a humourous yet profound look at our societal issues with trust, and the shift in our perception of gender roles.
****** "A remarkably clever mix of dazzling breakdance and swing dance… you’ll have a hard time finding a show more solid than Solid State’s" – Joff Schmidt, cbc.ca
"Sly…delightful…should not be missed" – Paula Citron, Globe and Mail
**** –eye Weekly
2008 Next Stage Theatre Festival
A Quiet Place
by Brendan Gall
In a very small room lit by a single bulb, two men face each other. David is tied to a chair. Henry is not. Some games aren't fair.
An Inconvenient Musical
by The Rumoli Bros. and Waylen Miki
A musical satire on our current climate crisis. It goes beyond being just a musical retelling of Al Gore’s film, and looks at the causes of global warming and what we can do to offset it in our daily lives. In the most entertaining possible way, An Inconvenient Musical strives to motivate audiences to take action.
Bash'd!
by Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow
BASH'd is a story told by two gay hip hop artists who chronicle the tale of a pair of lovers; one of whom is bashed, prompting the other to take revenge. Fuelled by the recent streak of gay bashings that happened during Premier Ralph Klein's refusal to legalize gay marriage in Alberta, one of the lovers decides to reverse the "discrimination" and go out and bash innocent heterosexuals .
Don't Wake Me
by UnSpun Theatre
Don’t Wake Me, collectively created as part of the 2006 SummerWorks festival, follows a man who is suddenly blinded and subsequently retreats from this brutal reality in favour of delving into the strange world of his dreams, where he believes he can solve the "mystery" of his accident. Don’t Wake Me garnered a Best Ensemble mention in NOW Magazine's SummerWorks Wrap-Up.
Jesus Christ: The Lost Years
by Ryan Gladstone, Katherine Sanders & Bruce Horak
In the bible, there is a plot-hole. We see Jesus at age 12 teaching in the synagogue, then we know nothing of him until he is 30, wandering in the desert getting baptized by John the Baptist. No one knows what happened to Jesus during these ‘Lost Years’ …until now!
Moving Day
by Cathy Elliott
It’s moving day, July 20, 1969: man lands on moon, housewife packs it in, Godzilla saves the day. An unusual musical piece dealing with a frustrated, alcoholic housewife who is once again packing up the family’s belongings to follow her husband to another job (and another promotion). He and the children have gone ahead, leaving her behind to take care of the move. It is the night of the Apollo 11 moon landing… and they have the TV in the car.
Random Acts of Love
by Bruce Gooch
Victoria Daniels, a minor soap star, and Russell Thomas, a classical actor, come together fifteen years after an intense affair. Their lives have continued but they haven’t moved on from each other. During the chaotic and comic rehearsal of the play within the play they are doing; a two hander evening of Shakespeare called The Seven Ages of Love, they are offered and create an opportunity to face their pasts.
The Corner
by Jason Maghanoy
The Corner is loosely based on the story of Jeffrey Reodica, a Filipino teenager who was shot by the police following an altercation between his friends, and a group of white teenagers. Many people in the Filipino Community believe the shooting to be an example of the systemic racism found within the Toronto police department.
