17.18 SEASON SPONSOR
art performed
CELEBRATING
30 SEASONS Theatre as we know it came into being some 2500 years ago. Storytelling, of course, arose much earlier, perhaps in those caves in the south of France with figures drawn on and into the walls, though probably earlier still. We need to tell, to celebrate, to entertain. We always have, we always will.
photo: V. Tony Hauser
This year is Canadian Stage’s 30th anniversary, and in this context, we are very, very young indeed. Embryonic even. But as an urban company in Canada today, as one of the oldest companies in the city, we have truly reached adulthood, truly built our identity as Toronto’s principal contemporary, multi-disciplinary performing arts company.
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“We celebrate with newness, and renewed reminiscences”
We love being very, very young - with the wonderment and discovery, the unfettered imagination and exponential learning that comes with infancy and youth. And we love the maturity of our years, the clarity of purpose, the commitment to our community, our artists, our audiences, the ever-sharper role of social and artistic dialogue that we can provide and provoke. Being 30 is a most invigorating experience indeed! We celebrate with newness, and renewed reminiscences, whiffs of the past that pay homage to Canadian Stage’s
previous incarnations. Yes, Morris Panych’s iconic The Overcoat is coming back, but in a new, even more engaging manner, reconceived as a highly entertaining opera by Morris and composer James Rolfe. And in youthful echo to this, we are delighted to present the work of one of Canada’s most exciting emerging talents in the realm of musical theatre, Britta Johnson’s searingly beautiful Life After. Jordan Tannahill’s ode to life and love Declarations, Simon Stephens’ delightfully life-affirming twohander, Heisenberg, Stephen Karam’s exceptionally moving The Humans, and Caryl Churchill’s voyage into the human and not-so-human heart, Love and Information are all moments of deeply thoughtful, joyously unusual theatre. Tanya Tagaq (in a remarkable new collaboration with Greenlandic mask dancer Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory); Fides Krucker (in a sensuous Canadian songbook accompanied by dancerchoreographers Peggy Baker, Laurence Lemieux and Heidi Strauss), and Italian star Petra Magoni (with her partner in wonderment, double-bassist Ferruccio Spinetti) make up our Voices3 trilogy that will speak to our very souls. Sandra Laronde and her company Red Sky Performance join us as company-in-residence at Berkeley Street, presenting their stunning dance creation Backbone for the first time to Toronto audiences. And upstairs at Berkeley, composer and master performance-
maker Njo Kong Kie begins his residency with the delightfullyplayful Picnic in the Cemetery. Montreal’s circus group Les 7 Doigts de la Main make their Canadian Stage debut with Triptyque, a hauntingly beautiful dance trilogy for circus artists. French choreographer Yoann Bourgeois defies the laws of gravity and even common sense in perhaps the most startling piece of dance I have ever seen, He Who Falls. And yes, it is with immense pleasure that we are bringing back one of the highlights of these past seven or even past thirty years, Crystal Pite and Jonathon Young’s wondrous Betroffenheit. As every year, our season opens under the stars: this year our York University MFA graduate directors, Tanja Jacobs and Alistair Newton will be bringing new insight, playfulness and theatrical wizardry to Twelfth Night and, for the first time in the history of Shakespeare in High Park, King Lear. Wow! A huge nod and thank you to our precious collaborators and coproducers this season, including: the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton, The Musical Stage Company, Tapestry Opera, Vancouver Opera, Yonge Street Theatricals and York University’s AMPD Department. And to you our audiences, thirty times over and for many years to come, a heartfelt thank you for joining in with the celebrations. Vive Canadian Stage!
Matthew Jocelyn ARTISTIC & GENERAL DIRECTOR
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S H A K E S P E A R E I N H I G H PA R K 3 5 T H A N N I V E R S A RY
William Shakespeare
Tanja Jacobs KING LEAR DIRECTED BY Alistair Newton FEATURING Diane D’Aquila
TWELFTH NIGHT DIRECTED BY
Your destination for decidedly untraditional Shakespeare under the stars, all summer long. Canada’s longestrunning outdoor theatre event celebrates its 35th year with bold new takes on two Shakespeare classics. Get transported from the enchanted musical shores of Illyria, setting for the madcap comedy of mistaken identity Twelfth Night, or What You Will, to the divided kingdom of King Lear, one of the most monumental works of English drama - re-imagined from a female perspective, and starring award-winning actor Diane D’Aquila.
JUNE 29 – SEPTEMBER 3, 2017
BY
H I G H PA R K A M P H IT H E AT R E
king lear + twelfth night
“YOU CAN’T SPEND A SUMMER IN TORONTO WITHOUT STOPPING BY SHAKESPEARE IN HIGH PARK” – 24 HOURS
PAY WHAT YOU CAN | RESERVE ONLINE KING LEAR: Tue, Thu, Sat @ 8 PM TWELFTH NIGHT: Wed, Fri, Sun @ 8 PM A CANADIAN STAGE PRODUCTION IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE IN THE SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, MEDIA, PERFORMANCE & DESIGN AT YORK UNIVERSITY
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A NEW MUSICAL BOOK + MUSIC + LYRICS
Britta Johnson
Robert McQueen MUSIC DIRECTION Reza Jacobs DIRECTED BY
NNNNN “(An) extraordinary musical” – NOW MAGAZINE “The score’s best feature: its capacity to make every song a piece of the action, physical or emotional or both. That’s a Sondheim quality, and we’re in his territory” – THE NATIONAL POST
SEPTEMBER 23 – OCTOBER 22, 2017
Sixteen-year old Alice is left to navigate life after her father, a superstar self-help guru, dies in a car accident. We plunge into Alice’s overactive inner world as she tries to decipher the events that led to that fateful day. An expanded and reworked production of the hit 2016 Toronto Fringe musical, Life After is a funny and frank story of love, loss and vivid imagination from one of the most exciting new voices in Canadian musical theatre.
B E R K E L E Y S T R E E T T H E AT R E
life after
A CANADIAN STAGE, THE MUSICAL STAGE COMPANY & YONGE STREET THEATRICALS PRODUCTION PROUD SPONSOR: 17.18 BERKELEY SEASON
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Photo: Don Lee
NEW! BERKELEY STREET THEATRE COMPANY-IN-RESIDENCE
CONCEIVED + DIRECTED BY
Sandra Laronde
COLLABORATIVE CHOREOGRAPHY
Jera Wolfe + Thomas Fonua WITH Sandra Laronde ORIGINAL MUSIC Rick Sacks In this sumptuously provocative new dance and live music creation, Red Sky Performance explores the ‘spine’ of the continents. Combining Indigenous dance with raw athleticism to express its power, formation and spirit, eight dancers bring to life the electricity and impulses of our rocky mountainous backbone.
B E R K E L E Y S T R E E T T H E AT R E N O V E M B E R 2 - 1 2 , 2 0 1 7
backbone
IN RESIDENCE 17.18/18.19 Internationally renowned, Red Sky is one of Canada's leading companies of contemporary Indigenous performance in dance, theatre and music.
“THE CHOREOGRAPHY... IS RAW, MASCULINE, AND FREQUENTLY FEROCIOUS.” – THE CALGARY HERALD DANCE PROGRAMMING SUPPORTER: HAL JACKMAN FOUNDATION A RED SKY PERFORMANCE PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH CANADIAN STAGE, CO-PRODUCED AND ORIGINALLY COMMISSIONED BY BANFF CENTRE FOR ARTS AND CREATIVITY
PROUD SPONSOR: 17.18 BERKELEY SEASON
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Photo: Alexandre Galliez
A M AG I C A L F U S I O N O F C I R C U S A N D DA N C E BY
Les 7 doigts de la main (The 7 Fingers)
CREATED + DIRECTED BY
Samuel Tétreault
INVITED CHOREOGRAPHERS
Marie Chouinard, Victor Quijada & Marcos Morau
– THE GUARDIAN
A 7 DOIGTS DE LA MAIN PRODUCTION PRESENTED BY CANADIAN STAGE
6 S H O W S O N LY
“CAPTIVATING… VISUALLY ARRESTING”
NOVEMBER 15 - 19, 2017
Québec’s Les 7 doigts de la main (Cuisine & Confessions) are one of the world’s most innovative circus companies. Combining the talents of three internationally acclaimed choreographers, Triptyque fuses defying feats of athleticism, the lyricism of contemporary dance and the poetics of the imagination. Marie Chouinard’s duet Anne et Samuel examines the relationship between gravity and the human body with awe-inspiring effect. Straddling the gap between stillness and movement, Victor Quijada presents the hand-balancing quintet Variations 9.81, while Marcos Morau lures us into the space between wake and sleep with the mesmerizing Nocturnes.
B L U M A A P P E L T H E AT R E
triptyque
DANCE PROGRAMMING SUPPORTER: HAL JACKMAN FOUNDATION
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BY
Simon Stephens Matthew Jocelyn
DIRECTED BY
CANADIAN PREMIERE
Amidst the bustle of a London train station, Georgie spots Alex, a much older man, and plants a kiss on his neck. This chance encounter propels these two strangers on a fascinating and life-changing course in the newest critical hit by Tony Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens (Harper Regan, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time). Peeling away the many layers of everyday relationships with subtle humour and quiet poeticism, Heisenberg brings to poignant theatrical life the uncertain and often comical sparring match that is human connection.
“QUIRKY, LOVELY, FUNNY, POWERFUL AND SPECIAL. AS SUMPTUOUS AN EXPERIENCE AS THEATRE GETS” – THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
B E R K E L E Y S T R E E T T H E AT R E N O V E M B E R 2 8 – D E C E M B E R 1 7 , 2 0 1 7
heisenberg
“SOARING…THRILLING. SIMON STEPHENS IS AN UNCANNILY SUBTLE DRAMATIST.” – THE NEW YORK TIMES
A CANADIAN STAGE PRODUCTION
PROUD SPONSOR: 17.18 BERKELEY SEASON
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Photo: Andrew Mayers
WRITTEN + DIRECTED BY
Jordan Tannahill
WO R LD PREMIERE
From acclaimed playwrightdirector Jordan Tannahill (Concord Floral; Botticelli in the Fire and Sunday in Sodom), Declarations is an ode to mortality - that of the playwright’s mother, his own, mankind's - a joyful and moving attempt to capture the objects, sensations, and experiences that make up a life. Through a lyrical text and physical score of choreographed gestures, five performers chronicle a life pulled through time, encountering meteorological phenomena, mythology, political calamity, pop culture, and everyday happenstance along the way. What accumulates is a staggering archive of images, sense memories and voices asserting that here lived, for a time, a woman.
A CANADIAN STAGE PRODUCTION
B E R K E L E Y S T R E E T T H E AT R E J A N U A R Y 2 3 – F E B R U A R Y 1 1 , 2 0 1 8
declarations
PROUD SPONSOR: 17.18 BERKELEY SEASON
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BY
Stephen Karam
DIRECTED BY
CANADIAN PREMIERE
Jackie Maxwell
WINNER - TONY AWARD FOR BEST NEW PLAY (2016)
FEBRUARY 6 - 25, 2018
Breaking with tradition, Erik Blake has brought his family to celebrate Thanksgiving at his daughter’s lower Manhattan apartment. As darkness falls, tensions reach a boiling point, and the unspoken pressures facing the Blake clan simmer to the surface. Winner of four 2016 Tony Awards, including Best New Play, Stephen Karam’s breakthrough comedy-drama is a scorchingly funny and frighteningly timely snapshot of a family caught in the wake of a changing nation.
B L U M A A P P E L T H E AT R E
the humans
“EXTRAORDINARY…FUNNY, POIGNANT, EVEN CHILLING” – THE WASHINGTON POST “DEPICTS THE WAY WE LIVE NOW WITH A PRECISION AND COMPASSION UNMATCHED BY ANY PLAY.” – THE NEW YORK TIMES
A CANADIAN STAGE AND CITADEL THEATRE (EDMONTON) PRODUCTION
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Photo: Géraldine Aresteanu
“GENIUS” – EVENING STANDARD (UK)
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“YOANN BOURGEOIS CREATES PERFORMANCES THAT ARE EXQUISITE, INTENSELY POETIC, AND IMPOSSIBLE TO FORGET” - LE FIGARO
(celui qui tombe)
CONCEIVED, DIRECTED + STAGED BY
Yoann Bourgeois
4 S H O W S O N LY
Six performers appear to defy the laws of gravity as the ground on which they stand whirls, swings and elevates beneath them. Bodies lean, hang, come together and break apart, responding to the imposing, shifting force with paradoxical strength and beauty. Through a striking union of circus and physical theatre, celebrated acrobat Yoann Bourgeois challenges performers to a perilous dance of survival, set to an evocative soundtrack.
MARCH 1 – 4, 2018
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
B L U M A A P P E L T H E AT R E
he who falls
DANCE PROGRAMMING SUPPORTER: HAL JACKMAN FOUNDATION A COMPAGNIE YOANN BOURGEOIS PRODUCTION PRESENTED BY CANADIAN STAGE
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Photo: Angelo Trani
musica nuda
E XCLU S IVE CANAD IAN E N GAG E M E NT
petra magoni + ferruccio spinetti
“OUTRÉ, PUNK, AND ECLECTIC… AUDACIOUS ORIGINALITY” – JAZZTIMES “MUSICA NUDA STRIPS CENTURIES OF SONG NAKED AND CLOTHES THEM IN NEW THREADS” – CHARLESTON CITY PAPER
PRESENTED BY CANADIAN STAGE WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI CULTURA
3 S H O W S O N LY
Their mission is simple as it is bold: to make music with the bare necessities. Vocalist Petra Magoni and double-bassist Ferruccio Spinetti fuse elements of jazz, rock, punk, and classical to create their own boundary-breaking sound. Harnessing the art of silence and the dramatic power of the lyric, the virtuosic Italian duo deconstructs the meaning of every song with infectious humour and raw emotion, tracing music back to its very core. After hundreds of performances across Europe, Musica Nuda makes an exclusive Canadian appearance at the intimate Berkeley Street Theatre.
B E R K E L E Y S T R E E T T H E AT R E F E B R U A R Y 2 2 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 8
voices 3
PROUD SPONSOR: 17.18 BERKELEY SEASON
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Photo: Jeremy Mimnagh
in this body
WO R LD PREMIERE
CONCEIVED + SUNG BY
Fides Krucker CHOREOGRAPHED + DANCED BY
Peggy Baker Laurence Lemieux Heidi Strauss MUSIC ARRANGED + PLAYED BY
Rob Clutton Tania Gill Germaine Liu
“AN EVENING SPENT WITH FIDES KRUCKER IS ALWAYS AN EXTRAORDINARY EVENT” – NOW
5 S H O W S O N LY
The wilderness of a woman’s heart, voiced through Canadian song and danced to the edge. Fides Krucker - one of Canada’s most original vocalists – and her ensemble, are joined by three extraordinary dancers: Peggy Baker, Laurence Lemieux and Heidi Strauss. Together, they brave the landscape of our country’s great songbook – from Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, Alanis Morissette, and k.d. lang, to Lhasa de Sela, Feist, Hawksley Workman, Serena Ryder, and more. An emotional cartographer’s dream.
B E R K E L E Y S T R E E T T H E AT R E M A R C H 1 4 - 1 8 , 2 0 1 8
voices 3
THIS PRODUCTION IS GENEROUSLY UNDERWRITTEN BY AN ANONYMOUS DONOR PRODUCED BY GOOD HAIR PRODUCTIONS, PRESENTED BY CANADIAN STAGE
PROUD SPONSOR: 17.18 BERKELEY SEASON
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tanya tagaq + laakkuluk williamson bathory WO R LD PREMIERE
“TANYA TAGAQ AND FRIEND LAAKKULUK WILLIAMSON BATHORY ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR EXPRESSIVE AND UNABASHEDLY PHYSICAL PERFORMANCES, WHICH OFTEN DELVE INTO THE DARK SIDE OF HUMANITY.” - CBC
PRESENTED BY CANADIAN STAGE
3 S H O W S O N LY
One is a multi award-winning Inuit throat singer, the other a trailblazing Greenlandic mask dancer. Tanya Tagaq and Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory fuse their unique performance styles in this concert event combining tour-de-force vocals, kinetic movement and powerful spoken word. At once exquisite and unnerving, these two largerthan-life artists cast their shared experiences and traditional roots in a contemporary light, opening a path to reconciliation.
B E R K E L E Y S T R E E T T H E AT R E M A R C H 2 2 - 2 4 , 2 0 1 8
voices 3
PROUD SPONSOR: 17.18 BERKELEY SEASON
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Photo: Robert Catto
an opera MUSIC
Morris Panych
James Rolfe
A CO-PRODUCTION WITH TAPESTRY OPERA + VANCOUVER OPERA
If clothes make the man, they can undo him. For Canadian Stage’s 30th, Morris Panych and Wendy Gorling’s theatrical phenomenon returns as a world premiere opera on its 20th anniversary of creation. With a libretto by awardwinning Panych based on Gogol’s classic 19th century novella, and music by James Rolfe, one of Canada’s finest composers, the story follows a lowly office worker whose uneventful life is turned upside down when he’s robbed of his new overcoat. The Overcoat: an Opera sparkles with the trademark wit and intricate choreography that propelled the work to international acclaim.
MARCH 27 – APRIL 14, 2018
LIBRETTO + DIRECTED BY
B L U M A A P P E L T H E AT R E
the overcoat WO R LD PREMIERE
“A WORK THAT GROWS RICHER ON EACH SUBSEQUENT VIEWING, A CREATION THAT COMBINES LAUGHTER WITH PATHOS AND EXHILARATION WITH DESPAIR.” – TORONTO STAR (on 2007’s The Overcoat)
A TAPESTRY OPERA / VANCOUVER OPERA COMMISSION
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G R A D UATI O N S H OWCA S E – YORK UNIVERSITY MFA DIRECTING PROGRAM IN COLLABORATION WITH CANADIAN STAGE
WRITTEN BY
Caryl Churchill
DIRECTED BY
Tanja Jacobs + Alistair Newton
Hailed as one of England’s greatest living playwrights, Caryl Churchill has provoked audiences for over four decades. Told through a theatrically-adventurous medley of short vignettes, Love and Information features an ensemble of actors performing over 100 roles. With an intellectual vigour and dazzling instinct for the absurd, Churchill confronts the data overload that bombards us every day – painting an instantlyrecognizable portrait of modern human connection.
B E R K E L E Y S T R E E T T H E AT R E A P R I L 1 0 – 2 9 , 2 0 1 8
love and information
THOUGHT CHURNING… DEEPLY POIGNANT” – THE NEW YORK TIMES
THIS PRODUCTION IS GENEROUSLY UNDERWRITTEN BY SYLVIA SOYKA A CANADIAN STAGE PRODUCTION IN COLLABORATION WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF THEATRE IN THE SCHOOL OF THE ARTS, MEDIA, PERFORMANCE & DESIGN AT YORK UNIVERSITY
PROUD SPONSOR: 17.18 BERKELEY SEASON
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Photo: Michael Slobodian
WRITTEN BY
Jonathon Young
RETURN E N G AG E M E N T
B L U M A A P P E L T H E AT R E
betroffenheit CHOREOGRAPHED + DIRECTED BY
★★★★ OUT OF 4 “DEVASTATING AND POWERFUL” - THE GLOBE AND MAIL
★★★★★ OUT OF 5 “RAW…RIVETING DRAMA…VIRTUOSIC DANCE” - THE GUARDIAN
4 S H O W S O N LY
Some questions are impossible to answer and some experiences too personal to express. Choreographer Crystal Pite and actor/ playwright Jonathon Young join forces to examine, with unflinching honesty, what happens to the individual in the wake of a trauma. A rare fusion of comedy and drama, poetry and movement, Betroffenheit has enraptured critics and audiences worldwide. After two sold-out runs, this landmark dance-theatre collaboration, co-commissioned by Canadian Stage, returns as part of a major international tour.
APRIL 19 – 22, 2018
Crystal Pite
DANCE PROGRAMMING SUPPORTER: HAL JACKMAN FOUNDATION A KIDD PIVOT & ELECTRIC COMPANY THEATRE PRODUCTION PRESENTED BY CANADIAN STAGE CO-PRODUCED BY PANAMANIA PRESENTED BY CIBC, THE ARTS AND CULTURE PROGRAM OF THE TORONTO 2015 PAN AM / PARAPAN AM GAMES, SADLER’S WELLS (LONDON UK), THE BANFF CENTRE AS PART OF THE 2015 PERFORMING ARTS RESIDENCY PROGRAM THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF THE STOLLERY FAMILY AND ANDREA BRUSSA, ON THE BOARDS AND THE SEATTLE THEATRE GROUP THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF GLENN KAWASAKI, NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE (OTTAWA), THE CANDANCE NETWORK, CANADIAN STAGE (TORONTO), L’AGORA DE LA DANSE (MONTREAL), BRIAN WEBB DANCE COMPANY (EDMONTON), AND DANCE VICTORIA (VICTORIA).
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Photo: Luisa Ferreira
CREATED BY
NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE
Njo Kong Kie In this hybrid musical performance, Njo Kong Kie, long-serving music director of Montreal’s La La La Human Steps, introduces the Macau-based Folga Gaang Project in their Toronto debut. Picnic in the Cemetery juxtaposes the macabre with the whimsical in an abstract expression of our collective journey through the passage of time. Quirky and evocative, this concert-theatre featuring original compositions for violin, cello and piano is an invitation to muse about dying, but more importantly to reflect on living.
B E R K E L E Y S T R E E T T H E AT R E A P R I L 2 6 – M A Y 6 , 2 0 1 8
picnic in the cemetery
NEW! BE RKE LEY STRE ET THEATRE CO M PA N Y- I N - R E S I D E N C E
★★★★★ “EUPHORIC ASSAULT ON THE SENSES… MUST EXPERIENCE” - BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE IN RESIDENCE 17.18/18.19 Njo Kong Kie is a Toronto composer of dance, opera and theatre. His compositions have been featured by Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Singapore Dance Theatre and Ballet BC. His latest works include Infinity and Mr. Shi and His Lover.
A MUSIC PICNIC & POINT VIEW ART PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH CANADIAN STAGE
PROUD SPONSOR: 17.18 BERKELEY SEASON
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this is next LAYING THE FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE ARTISTIC INNOVATORS, TODAY. NEW! TERRITORIAL TALES NARRATIVES OF DISPLACEMENT AND THE RECAPTURING OF SPIRIT On Canada’s 150th anniversary, Canadian Stage presents Territorial Tales, a new initiative focused on telling stories of Indigenous and newcomer youth. In partnership with the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC), Sketch and Kids Up Front, Canadian Stage will provide a platform for young creators from across the GTA to share their experiences of arrival and settlement in Canada through the development of new stage works to be performed at Shakespeare in High Park in the summer of 2017. WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF
CANADIAN STAGE WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE ARE SITUATED ON THE TRADITIONAL TERRITORIES OF THE ANISHINABEK NATION, MISSISSAUGAS OF THE NEW CREDIT FIRST NATIONS, THE HAUDENOSAUNEE CONFEDERACY,
Photos: Nathan Kelly
WENDAT, AND MÉTIS NATIONS. WE RECOGNIZE THE ENDURING PRESENCE OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE ON AND OF THIS LAND.
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CANADIAN STAGE + YORK UNIVERSITY Unique Collaborative Artist Mentorship Launched in 2011 as a bridge between emerging and established theatre artists, the landmark collaboration between Canadian Stage and York University’s School of the Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD) supports the development of next-generation talent. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT S H A K E S P E A R E I N H I G H PA R K Each year, a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate York theatre students share their talents on stage, backstage and on the creative teams for Shakespeare in High Park, working alongside leading professionals in performance, design, production and stage management. YORK U N IVE RSIT Y M FA IN TH E ATRE – STAGE DIRECTION IN COLLABORATION WITH CANADIAN STAGE The capstone in the partnership between Canadian Stage and AMPD is this twoyear graduate program, offering highly specialized, advanced training in large-scale theatre directing that integrates studio work in York's academic setting with creative projects at Canadian Stage. York's awardwinning faculty and Canadian Stage's dynamic artistic leadership join forces to teach and mentor the MFA candidates, whose studies culminate in directing projects for Canadian Stage’s annual season at the Berkeley Street Theatre and Shakespeare in High Park. Recent partner productions include the Dora Award-winning world premiere of Botticelli in the Fire and Sunday in Sodom, directed by 2015 graduates Estelle Shook and Matjash Mrozewski.
2 0 1 7 G R A D UAT I N G M FA D I R E C T O R S TANJA JACOBS, actress, director, creator and teacher. Directing: Twelfth Night, Love and Information
ALISTAIR NEWTON, director, playwright, artistic director (Ecce Homo Theatre) Directing: King Lear, Love and Information
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EDUCATION Our carefully-curated educational programs award students and educators the opportunity to expand their knowledge and curiosity by engaging them viscerally in our contemporary vision. WO R K S H O P S Pre or post-show workshops are available at your school or at the theatre and are uniquely tailored to enhance your group’s live experience. E D U C AT O R R E S O U R C E S Educators have the opportunity to take part in free programs including free Educator Preview Nights and hands-on professional exploration workshops. STUDENT TICKETS We offer special student rates to all performances at any venue. Tickets are $25 (taxes and fees included) when booking for groups 10 or more.
ACCESSIBILITY Canadian Stage is committed to providing accessible programs and services for patrons of all abilities. Please visit canadianstage.com for a full list of the supports we offer in each of our theatres.
Photos: Becca Lemire
RELA XED PERFORMANCES Relaxed performances are designed to welcome audience members who will benefit from a more relaxed sensory experience and casual working environment, including (but not limited to) audience members with an Autism Spectrum Condition, a sensory processing disorder, a learning disability or parents with infants and toddlers.
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EDUCATION PROGRAM OUTREACH SPONSOR
CANADIAN STAGE RBC EMERGING ARTIST PROGRAM Canadian Stage continues to offer vital mentorship, developmental support, networking opportunities and professional resources to support the career development of our city’s emerging artists. 2 01 7 D I R E C TO R D E V E LO P M E N T R E S I D E N CY PA R T I C I PA N T S RYAN CUNNINGHAM
MIKAELA DAVIES
JONATHAN SEINEN
Actor, Producer, Director
Actor, Director
Exploring canonical texts with an Indigenous perspective. “I want to look at casting classical texts with aboriginal actors in ways that end up adapting the work – not from any changes we’ve done to the text, but through the lens of our audiences when they see those actors in those roles.”
In development on Facebook Anonymous, a verbatim solo show. “The work is based on the true story of finding my half brother on Facebook and travelling to England to meet him. That got me examining how we present curated versions of ourselves online and, how we present ourselves to the world.”
Director, Actor, Playwright, Producer
In development on The Blood Cycle a new piece by Indrit Kasapi. “I’m pursuing a theatre/dance exploration of Albanian blood feuds: a fascinating cultural practice that feels ancient but still happens today. We’re curious about telling this story through movement and dance.”
photo: Nathan Kelly
WITH THE GENEROUS SUPPORT OF
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CANADIAN STAGE IS TURNING 30
Concord Floral, written by Jordan Tannahill (16.17) photo: Erin Brubacher
Your support can shape the voice of contemporary performance.
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As a leading force in Canadian and international contemporary performance, Canadian Stage is building a platform for multidisciplinary innovation and discovery. On our 30th anniversary season, we invite you to help us lay the foundation of live artistry in Canada as we continue to push its boundaries. With the generous support of our community of donors, we will:
+ Provide artistic innovators of today and tomorrow
with the resources they need to reach new heights
+ Nurture essential stories that reflect the Canadian and global landscape
+ Spark conversations between artists, art forms and audiences
+ Inspire the next generation of theatre-goers by supporting subsidized ticket initiatives and community engagement activities
Together we can shape the voice of contemporary performance, today and tomorrow. Make a donation today. Visit canadianstage.com to discover our many levels of support and customized donor benefits. Canadian Stage is a registered charity and offers tax receipts for all donations of $10 or more.
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SHAKESPEARE IN HIGH PARK: Free backstage tours - Tue/Wed @ 6:15pm
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30 31 C-Stage 1 NOVEMBER 2 3 4 5 UNDER 30? Get P BACKBONE 8 O BACKBONE 7 BACKBONE 8 BACKBONE 1 tickets for $22 +HST
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6 P HUMANS 8 DECLAR 8 13 HUMANS 8
7 P HUMANS 8 DECLAR 1 / 8 14 HUMANS 1 / 8
8 O HUMANS 8 DECLAR 8 15 HUMANS 8
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21 22 23 O MUSICA 8 MUSICA 7 HUMANS 1 / 8 HUMANS 8 HUMANS 7 28 1 MARCH 2 O WHO FALLS 8 WHO FALLS 7
24 MUSICA 8 HUMANS 1 / 8 3 WHO FALLS 8
HUMANS 1 4 WHO FALLS 1
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AND SAVE BIG Book a group of 10 10% on tickets.
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purchased the day of the performance.
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14 15 16 17 18 O THIS BODY 8 THIS BODY 8 THIS BODY 7 THIS BODY 8 THIS BODY 1
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LEAR - King Lear 12TH NIGHT - Twelfth Night LIFE AFTER - Life After BACKBONE - Backbone TRIPTYQUE - Triptyque HEISEN - Heisenberg
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DECLAR - Declarations HUMANS - The Humans MUSICA - Musica Nuda WHO FALLS - He Who Falls (Celui qui tombe) THIS BODY - In This Body TANYA - Tanya Tagaq + Laakkuluk
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Join us before and after the show for free talks. 26 27 28 Visit our website for details and dates.
DECEMBER
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WEDNESDAY
13 HEISEN 1 / 8
P E R FO R M A N C E S C H E D U L E
MONDAY
11 DECEMBER 12 HEISEN 8
OVERCOAT - The Overcoat: an Opera BETROFFEN - Betroffenheit LOVE&INFO - Love and Information PICNIC - Picnic in the Cemetery P - Preview performance O - Opening performance 41
SINGLE TICKET PRICING
SINGLE TICKET PRICING BLUMA APPEL THEATRE TRIPTYQUE, THE HUMANS, HE WHO FALLS, THE OVERCOAT: AN OPERA, BETROFFENHEIT
A
B
C
EVENINGS TUES - SAT
$99
$69
$39
(+HST)
PREVIEWS / MATINEES
$79
$59
$39
(+HST)
BERKELEY STREET THEATRE LIFE AFTER, BACKBONE, HEISENBERG, DECLARATIONS, MUSICA NUDA, IN THIS BODY, TANYA TAGAQ + LAAKKULUK WILLIAMSON BATHORY, LOVE AND INFORMATION, PICNIC IN THE CEMETERY
A
B
C
EVENINGS TUES - SAT
$69
$59
$39
(+HST)
PREVIEWS / MATINEES
$59
$54
$39
(+HST)
SHAKESPEARE IN HIGH PARK KING LEAR, TWELFTH NIGHT
PREMIUM RESERVED SPOT
$25 donation††
WAYS TO SAVE NEW! RUSH30 Enjoy $30† rush tickets for all our 30th anniversary shows. On sale in person at the Box Office the day of the performance, one hour prior to show time. Subject to availability. C-STAGE Patrons 29 or under, artists and arts administrators can access Canadian Stage tickets for only $22†, subject to availability. Must show valid proof of age, or arts work identification.
GROUP TICKETS Groups of 10 or more are eligible for a 10% discount on tickets for all performances.
MARCH 30 Subscription renewal deadline MARCH 31 New subscriptions on sale A P R I L 2 5 Single tickets on sale ABOUT YOUR TICKETS † Ticket prices include all facility fees and service charges. Ticket prices do not include HST. All pricing is current at the time of printing and is subject to change. Artists and programming subject to change. †† Shakespeare in High Park premium tickets are by donation and include all taxes and fees. PAYMENT We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover Debit or Cash (in-person only) 42
Bold performances, the best seats in the house and exclusive savings. Start your adventure with Canadian Stage today, discover the benefits of being a subscriber: • Exclusive advance access to tickets • Up to 25% off regular ticket prices • Extra tickets at your special subscriber discount • Ticket exchanges at no charge* • Savings at partner restaurants • Flexible payment plan – one payment or three monthly installments **
SEASON SUBSCRIPTION SAVE 25% Choose 6 or more shows*** (min. 2 at the Bluma Appel Theatre) Book by March 30 and receive a bonus 2 Preview tickets as our gift to you!
EVENINGS TUES - SAT FULL-PRICED TICKETS (2 Bluma, 4 Berkeley) SUBSCRIPTION starting from
PREVIEWS / MATINEES FULL-PRICED TICKETS (2 Bluma, 4 Berkeley) SUBSCRIPTION starting from
A
B
C
$474
$374
$234
SUBSCRIPTIONS + PRICING
17.18 SUBSCRIPTIONS
(+HST)
$355.50 $280.50 $175.50 (+HST)
A
B
C
$394
$334
$234
(+HST)
$295.50 $250.50 $175.50 (+HST)
BUILD YOUR OWN SUBSCRIPTION SAVE 20% Choose 4 or more shows*** and curate your own season! Book by March 30 and receive one (1) bonus Preview ticket as our gift to you!
EVENINGS TUES - SAT FULL-PRICED TICKETS (4 Berkeley) SUBSCRIPTION starting from
PREVIEWS / MATINEES FULL-PRICED TICKETS (4 Berkeley) SUBSCRIPTION starting from
A
B
C
$276
$236
$156
(+HST)
$220.80 $188.80 124.80 (+HST)
A
B
C
$236
$216
$156
(+HST)
$188.80 $172.80 $124.80 (+HST)
* Exchanges may only be made to another performance of the same production with 24 hours notice, based on availability. Upgrade charges may apply. ** Subscription must be fully paid prior to the first performance. *** Shakespeare in High Park not included in Subscription show minimum purchase. 43
WHERE WE LIVE
Inhabiting three historic locations across Toronto.
BERKELEY STREET THEATRE 26 Berkeley St. Houses two wonderfully intimate performance spaces and is the hive of our artistic and administrative activity.
BLUMA APPEL THEATRE 27 Front St. E . Canadian Stage’s home for over 25 years in the heart of downtown Toronto.
Berkeley Street Theatre
HIGH PARK AMPHITHEATRE 1873 Bloor St. W. Tucked away in the picturesque High Park, the Amphitheatre is Canadian Stage’s summer outdoor destination for our popular Shakespeare in High Park. (Site only accessible during performances)
Bluma Appel Theatre
NEIGHBOURHOOD EATS Did you know Canadian Stage subscribers and ticket holders enjoy exclusive savings with over 15 participating restaurant partners? Visit canadianstage. com/online/loyalty to discover our many pre or post-show dining options around our three theatres. *Present your subscriber loyalty card or any of your show tickets (subscribers only) before ordering. Some restrictions apply. 44
High Park Amphitheatre
D OW N S TA I R S T H E AT R E
26 Berkeley Street
U P S TA I R S T H E AT R E STAGE
S E AT I N G P L A N S
BERKELEY STREET THEATRE
STAGE ORCHESTRA
Please note: The Berkeley Street Theatre - Upstairs does not have accessible seating.
STAGE BALCONY
A
BLUMA APPEL THEATRE
STAGE STAGE A
CC
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accessible seating
27 Front Street East
STAGE
BB
CC
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A B
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ORCHESTRA
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BOX 1
ORCHESTRA
BOX 5
BOX 2
BOX 6
BOX 3
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photo: Matthew Jocelyn
LET’S
CONNECT ONLINE
canadianstage.com BY P H O N E
416.368.3110 IN PERSON
Berkeley Street Theatre Box Office 26 Berkeley St., Toronto M5A 2W3 B OX O F F I C E H O U R S
Mon - Sat: 10 am - 6 pm or until showtime (Sat 12pm - 5pm off-season) Sun & Stat holidays: open 3 hours prior to showtime on performance days only
LET’S
CONVERSE @canadianstage
canadianstage.com 26 Berkeley Street, Toronto, ON M5A 2W3
5614945
3O
seasons
canadianstage.com
416.368.3110 CANADIAN STAGE IS SUPPORTED BY
cover: Laakkuluk Williamson Bathory