Theatre Ball 2023 Brochure

An evening in support of Canadian Stage and celebrating Creative City Builder Award honoree

Theatre Ball 2023

Evergreen Brick Works

May 30, 2023

Celebrating

and raising funds for Canada’s leading contemporary theatre and artists. Please join Canadian Stage on May 30, 2023, for Theatre Ball ‘23, at Toronto’s most iconic urban greenspace, Evergreen Brick Works.

Evergreen Brick Works

550 Bayview Avenue

Toronto, ON M4W 3X8

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Cocktails: 6:00pm

Dinner: 6:45pm

Dress Code: Spring Cocktail

Canadian Stage can trace its history to over 80 years ago when William Butler Yeats took the Canadian icon, Dora Mavor Moore, to see the Abbey Theatre in Dublin. As she left Ireland’s national theatre, she said: “Canada deserves to have a stage of its own.” Thus began the journey to create Canadian Stage.

Today, Canadian Stage is one of the leading contemporary performing arts organizations in the country. Our programming reflects the dynamism and complexity of Canada and is a vital artistic force locally, nationally, and internationally through a collision of cultures and artistic disciplines.

The Theatre Ball raises essential funds to support the development of new works by Canadian artists and to support the productions on our stages.

Last year, we were delighted to welcome 300 philanthropists and leaders in the city building community to Theatre Ball ‘22. Guests enjoyed a magical evening that featured incredible music by singer-songwriter Martha Wainwright, and the eleven-piece Toronto collective Kune, plus a mesmerizing performance by renowned stage and screen actor Paul Gross.

We invite you to take a leadership position among the Theatre Ball’s guests by becoming a Sponsor, Table Host, Ticket Purchaser, or Event Donor. Do not miss this opportunity to support contemporary theatre while having an unforgettable time with your friends, peers, and colleagues.

Key Event Features

• Exclusive, high-end fundraising event at the iconic Evergreen Brickworks

• Pre Cocktail reception and exquisite three-course dinner for 300 VIP guests

• World class musical and theatrical entertainment

• Mix and mingle with Toronto’s philanthropists, theatre lovers, and leaders in the city building community

Thank You To Last Year’s Gala Supporters

Diane Flacks is an Emmy, Gemini and Dora nominated writer/performer, known for her whip smart, no-holds-barred voice. Straight from performing in the sold-out run of Fall On Your Knees, Diane will be hosting Theatre Ball 2023.

David Andrew Reid who played David Heard in the Canadian Stage production of Choir Boy in 2022 will perform his signature song from the show. Relive the beauty of Choir Boy through David’s gorgeous vocals.

A natural-born vocalist, soul singer & songwriter, Clerel nurtured his taste for melody in his coastal hometown of Douala, Cameroon, where he grew up listening to music from his parents’ record collection, which ranged from church hymns and afrobeat to French chanson.

While he’s spent most of 2020 working on a new collection of songs, Clerel has also appeared on reality TV show La Voix (The Voice Canada), and earlier this summer he took part in the Montreal International Jazz Festival, where he gave a highly acclaimed performance of his original music in front of an audience of over 3,000 spectators. Listeners around the world continue to fall in love with the young musician’s soulful universe.

He’s the discovery of the year in Montreal, [...] If this guy doesn’t explode and become a superstar, I don’t know what’s happening.”

One of Canada’s most renowned and gifted actors and audience favourite at the Stratford & Shaw Festivals, Ben will take the stage at Theatre Ball 2023 performing a monologue from the upcoming 23.24 season.

Floydd Ricketts Composer/Arranger & CoMusical Director of Choir Boy will join David Andrew Reid in a special performance.

- Laurent Saulnier, President, Montreal Jazz Fest, in Montreal Gazette

Diane Flacks Master of Ceremonies

Ben Carlson Performer

Floydd Ricketts Musical Guest

David Andrew Reid Musical Guest

Clerel Musical Guest

Entertainment This year’s Theatre Ball features these extraordinary artists and musicians.

A Round of Applause

communities and city

The Creative City Builders Award

The Creative City Builders Award recognizes and celebrates Toronto leaders and companies who have meaningfully contributed to the creative spaces and communities in our vibrant city. On June 21, 2022, Canadian Stage presented its inaugural Creative City Builders award to Babak and Tooran Mortazavi of TAS for their work and commitment to promote caring and connected neighbourhoods. This year, it is our great honour to recognize the thoughtful and innovative leadership of Diamond Schmitt.

The arts play a foundational, underpinning role in the vitality of our neighbourhoods and urban spaces. More broadly, culture is one of the lynchpins of social sustainability in the contemporary city. Artists and arts organizations cannot do this alone — we need people, businesses and governments to actively make space and create the conditions for creative cities.

Congratulations to Diamond Schmitt

A fundamental goal of architecture is to shelter human activity, but the best architecture inspires new and better ways of living. Environmental, technological, and social forces are changing everything from art to education to commerce to healing and beyond. And great design has the capacity to navigate this change with boldness, invention, and beauty.

Diamond Schmitt is a global architecture firm that designs transformative, purpose-driven, and highly sustainable buildings. Delivering innovative architecture that empowers people, communities, and organizations to harness change for the greater public good, the firm employs a collaborative research process to create architecture that is known for exceptional performance and meticulous craftsmanship. Diamond Schmitt was established in Toronto in 1975, and has expanded to include offices in Vancouver, Calgary and New York.

We design for cities and individuals, institutions and corporations, pragmatists and visionaries.

– Diamond Schmitt

Honouring leaders who make spaces, experiences and opportunities for art in our

Tables, Tickets & Benefits

Various ways to show your support of Canadian stage, contemporary theatre and Canadian artists, and the new City Builder honourees.

Recognition in all gala materials and communications

Full page colour ad in the gala program

Formal acknowledgment from the stage of the gala

Recognition in the annual report and house programs in the 2023.24 season

Premium seating location with an unrivaled view of the evening’s events

Opportunity to host 2 VIP artists at your table

To learn more about how you can support Canadian Stage as a sponsor, table host, ticket purchaser, or event donor please contact: