2016 Next Stage Theatre Festival (NSTF) Lineup Announced
January 6 – 17, 2016 at Factory Theatre
For immediate release: September 8, 2015
Toronto, ON – Now in its 9th year, the Next Stage Theatre Festival returns with a talented lineup of writers, directors,
actors and choreographers who will warm up the winter stages at Factory Theatre in January 2016.
The 2016 festival will include the exciting world premieres of Mockingbird by Rob Kempson and Agamemnon by Nicolas
Billon, the return of the 2014 Toronto Fringe Festival hit, Three Men in a Boat, and from this year’s Fringe; A Man Walks
into a Bar and All our Yesterdays, a high energy dance piece from BreakinGround, Urban Myth, a new musical from
Nova Scotia, Heart of Steel and the Montreal based company Rabbit in a Hat with Blood Wild.
The Antechamber will feature Rebecca Perry (of Red Headed Coffeshop Girl fame) with From Judy to Bette: The Stars of
Old Hollywood and Natasha Boomer (of Supperfesta fame) will present Stuck featuring a different improviser every
night to perform stories gathered from the audience.
Executive Director Kelly Straughan: “This year features a strong and diverse line-up of top indie artists from Toronto and
beyond. Audiences can catch a Fringe hit, see a world premiere, or have an intimate theatre experience in our
Antechamber. NSTF is a hotbed of activity in the cold month of January and this year will not disappoint. ”
The Toronto Fringe is pleased to announce the full line up of the 2016 Next Stage Theatre Festival below.
Factory Theatre Mainspace:
AGAMEMNON
Presented by Theatreworks Productions & The Agamemnon Collective
Playwright: Nicolas Billon (after the play by Aeschylus)
Director: Sarah Kitz
Assistant Director: Adrian Proszowski
Set & Costume Designer: Joanna Yu
Lighting Designer: Kimberly Purtell
Stage Manager: Kat Chin
Producers: Katherine Rawlinson & Laura Paduch
Co-Producers: Adrian Proszowski & Nicolas Billon
Featuring: Nigel Shawn Williams, Brigit Wilson, Earl Pastko, Susanna Fournier, Ron Kennell, Amy Keating and Ishan Davé.
As one of Toronto’s most innovative indie theatre companies, Theatreworks Productions draws on ancient texts and
reimagines them for today’s audiences, thus inspiring them to gain a deeper understanding of the human condition.
Recent productions include Ned Dickens’ Paulo and Daphne (2014) inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses; Evan
Webber’s Antigone Dead People (2012), produced in association with Small Wooden Shoe, first seen in Toronto and
later in Japan; and The Menaechmus Twins (2009), the basis for Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors.
pg. 1 The Next Stage Theatre Festival 2016
The Agamemnon Collective is a collective started by Nicolas Billon and Sarah Kitz for the creation of Agamemnon at the
2016 Next Stage Theatre Festival.
About the show: After a ten year siege, the city of Troy finally lies in ruin. The Greek army, led by Agamemnon, scatters
and returns home laden with the spoils of war. Meanwhile, Agamemnon's wife, Clytemnestra, awaits with murder in her
heart — bitter still about the loss of her daughter Iphigenia and full of her own political ambitions.
The opening chapter of Aeschylus' Oresteia is reimagined as a visceral, contemporary fable by playwright Nicolas Billon
and director Sarah Kitz.
Nicolas Billon is a recent Governor General Award recipient for his play Fault Lines. His adaptation Rifles was a huge
success at the 2014 Next Stage Theatre Festival as was his show The Sicilian in the 2009 Fringe Festival. He is also a
recipient of a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting award and a Canadian Screen award for Best Adapted Screenplay
for Elephant Song
MOCKINGBIRD
Presented by timeshare
Playwright & Director: Rob Kempson
Producer: Lisa Li
Set and Costume Design: Brandon Kleiman
Lighting Design: Michelle Ramsay
Sound Design: Chris Stanton
Stage Manager: Isabelle Ly
Cast: TBA
timeshare is very specifically an un-company. We are an artist collective, seeking to support one another in the creation,
development, and production of new work. We don’t believe in defining ourselves by the kind of work that we make,
who it is for, or how often it is made. Our work is about discovery and the creation of opportunity.
Rob Kempson is a writer and director (and occasional actor). He is best known for his Dora-nominated musical The Way
Back To Thursday, for which he also performed the character of Cameron. In addition to his work as a writer and
director, Rob is an educator and community artist, creating work with non-professionals, and creating arts-based
learning opportunities. He is the past Associate Artistic Producer for Theatre Passe Muraille and the past Artistic
Producer of the Paprika Festival. Rob is currently the Associate Artistic Director at the Thousand Islands Playhouse in
Gananoque, Ontario.
About the show: When we first meet the English Department of Finch Park Collegiate, rumours are flying about a
teacher-student relationship. Two days later, Mr. Foster has been removed from the school. And everyone is trying to
make sense of what has happened. Mockingbird is about how power and authority can be upset by an innocent outlook
and an emerging sense of sexuality. This gripping new play, written and directed by Rob Kempson, features an 11-person
star-studded ensemble.
"There’s no doubt that Kempson is an artist to watch." - Xtra Magazine
"...an honestly touching evening that promises much for this author’s future." - The Toronto Star
HEART OF STEEL – A STEEL PLANT MUSICAL COMEDY
Presented by Aim for the Tangent Theatre
Book, Music, and Lyrics: Wesley J. Colford
Director: Luke Brown
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Music Director: Chris Mounteer
Choreographer: Amanda Nuttall
Producer: Wesley J. Colford
In the past five years, Wesley has written eight full-length plays (including three musicals), ten one-acts, eight short plays
for children, and has been produced in three provinces. His most recent success includes, The Wakowski Bros., which
was honored with rave reviews, a sold out run, and inclusion in the 2012 Best of Fringe before being produced
professionally by Talk is Free Theatre. Spending time between Toronto and Sydney, NS he is acting as inaugural Artistic
Director of the new Highland Arts Theatre where Heart of Steel debuted to sold out shows and an extended summer
run. Other plays include: Excuse Me, Would You Like to Buy a Bar? (Toronto Fringe Festival 2011, winner of Tarragon
Theatre’s “Under 20 by Under 20’s Playwriting Competition”), Mature Young Adults, (published in the anthology: Out on
a Limb: Short Plays by New Playwrights, edited by Kit Brennan, Signature Editions, 2011), and My Friend’s Best Friend’s
Boyfriend (New Ideas Festival 2013).
About the show: The year is 1943. The Sydney Steel Plant is in full swing, providing half of Canada's steel for the war
efforts, but WW2 is far from over. The boys are overseas, and it's up to Cape Breton's female force to hold the fort! A
lovable cast of outrageous characters that will put a smile on your face and a tune in your heart. Featuring an original
score that mixes traditional East Coast folk with '40's swing and boogie woogie. Heart of Steel is sure to steal your heart!
"A rambunctious, scrappy, joyously fun musical that celebrates a rarely discussed part of Cape Breton history... It is not to
be missed." - Ken Chisholm, Local Theatre Critic ("What's Goin' On")
"This musical is a feast for the eyes, a feast for the heart!" - Julie Sutherland, Theatre Professor at Cape Breton University
("Doktor Luke's Blog")
For The Wakowski Brothers;
“Believe the buzz... The show is simultaneously ribald, tender and punny like the music hall acts it reveres.” - NOW
Magazine (NNNN, Critic’s Pick, Outstanding Production)
“The jokes come fast and furious, tapping into an incredibly silly place that lurks within everyone… [but] the comedy
eventually takes a backseat to a story of surprising depth.” - The Torontoist (4 ½ stars, “Best of Fest”)
“I loved The Wakowski Brothers, it’s a definite must-see show. If you miss it at the 2012 Toronto Fringe you’ll probably be
able to see it at The Winter Garden after Mirvish picks it up. The tickets will be more expensive though.” - Mooney on
Theatre (Critic’s Pick)
URBAN MYTH
Presented by BreakinGround
Creator: Deanne Kearney
Choreographers: Amadeus "Primal" Marquez, Anthony "Illz" Put, Andrew "Pyro" Chung, Mariano "Glizzi" Abarca,
Caroline "Lady C" Fraser, Caitlin "Caddy" Superville, Deanne "Dee" Kearney
Featuring: Dancers from Footnotes Dance, Northbuck, Lionz of Zion, Ground Illusions, Twisted Ankles, The Waaquettes,
The Toronto B-Girl Movement
BreakinGround is dedicated to promoting and fostering urban arts, with a focus on Urban Dance. We strive to provide
opportunities to showcase incredible artists and styles through varying platforms including productions, events, written
content, educational programs, and more.
About the show: Urban Myth presents urban dance in a new light. Showcasing Canada's top urban dancers and
choreographers taking on stories, and showcasing their urban dance vocabularies that can sound completely impossible
if not seen with your own eyes, like many myths. It’s a rollercoaster ride of high energy movement to touching stories.
pg. 3 The Next Stage Theatre Festival 2016
With Canada's Top B-Boy - Anthony "Illz" Put, top Krumper - Amadeus "Primal" Marquez and members of Canada's
Premier krump crew - Northbuck.
Featuring Dora Award Winner - Caroline "Lady C" Fraser for outstanding female performance.
“By far the most entertaining dance piece I've seen so far”- My Entertainment World (A rating)
Factory Theatre Studio
A MAN WALKS INTO A BAR
Presented by Circle Circle
Playwright: Rachel Blair
Director: David Matheson
Producer: Rachel Blair
Dramaturg: Andrew Cheng
Lighting Designer: Siobhán Sleath
Stage Manager: Ashlyn Kusch
Featuring: Blue Bigwood-Mallin and Rachel Blair
Rachel Blair’s first play Wake won the Fringe New Play Contest in 2008. At NSTF she’s acted as script coordinator for
Seventh Stage Theatre Production’s Red Queen Effect and co-director for Tilthaus’ Polar Opposites. She was recently a
member of Tarragon’s Playwrights Unit. Her play The Comfort Women was shortlisted for Tarragon Theatre’s RBC
Emerging Playwright competition and developed through the Banff Playwrights Colony.
About the show: A woman, with the help of a man, tells a joke: A man walks into a bar and meets a waitress. As lines
between the performers and the characters blur, a tense and funny standoff about gender, power, and selling sex
emerges. Playwright Rachel Blair has created a sharp meta-theatrical two- hander that skewers the dialogue surrounding
men, women, and feminism. Influenced by modern movements #YesAllWomen and #NotAllMen, A Man Walks Into a
Bar is an argument with itself.
Awarded Best of Fringe and Patron’s Pick in the 2015 Toronto Fringe Festival
“In all of Fringe, this is the play that’s stirred up the most in me. Anchored by two of the most layered and involving
performances I’ve seen in a very long time. See it.” - My Entertainment World
“A cunning trojan horse of a show.” - Post City
“Beautiful, smart and biting commentary…darkly funny.”- TWISI Theatre Blog
“Blair has written a true to life, well-paced, feminist show. [She’s] a terrific actor. She has great timing and delivery and
can switch from a comedic mode to a more dramatic mode without missing a beat.” -Mooney on Theatre
“Mansplaining doesn’t get much uglier than in playwright-actress Rachel Blair’s unsettling new comedy.” - Torontoist
****
All OUR YESTERDAYS
Presented by AnOther Theatre Company
Playwright & Director: Chloé Hung
Producers: Chloé Hung & Elizabeth Wilson
Featuring: Chiamaka Umeh & Amanda Weise
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AnOther Theatre Company creates new works that challenge mainstream perceptions of race, gender, and “diversity.”
We want to engage our audiences in a discourse on uncomfortable but necessary topics. We want to give a voice to
people and stories that have been forgotten or ignored. Under the artistic direction of Chloé Hung and the general
management of Elizabeth Wilson, we are thrilled to remount All Our Yesterdays at the Next Stage Theatre Festival.
About the show: When eighteen-year-old Ladi and her younger sister, Hasana, are kidnapped from their school by Boko
Haram, they must work together to survive. While Hasana’s Asperger’s colours her understanding differently from her
sister’s, Ladi must face her own demons including the burden of responsibility and the folly of her selfishness. All Our
Yesterdays is a memory play that moves from their time spent in captivity and the events leading up to their kidnapping.
Awarded Patron's Pick in the 2015 Toronto Fringe Festival
"A surprise Fringe treasure" NNNNN (5/5) from NOW Magazine:
"Hung’s play fearlessly confronts and provokes questions about race and gender, about who we value and why" MyEntertainmentWorld (A rating)
"This is a drama that is both an artistic success and important for the world." Mooney on Theatre:
BLOOD WILD
Presented by Rabbit in a Hat Productions
Playwright, Director & Producer: Paul Van Dyck
Featuring: David Baby, Eric Davis, Karl Graboshas, Arielle Palik, Patricia Summersett, and Alex Weiner
Rabbit in a Hat Productions is a Montreal based theatre company that began in 2001. Founded by Paul Van Dyck with a
mandate to produce new Canadian Independent Theatre, Rabbit in a Hat Productions has premiered many acclaimed
and award winning productions, most of which have been picked up for multiple productions by other companies. Based
on his work with Rabbit in a Productions, Paul Van Dyck has been awarded the Montreal English Critics Circle’s
Revelation Award, been named one of Montreal’s top emerging artists by Nightlife Magazine, and participated in the
Neil Munro Intern Directors Project at the Shaw Festival.
About the show: Hiding out in a town with no name, the Jackson gang has just pulled off the ultimate holdup. But when
the money goes missing along with their leader, these outlaws are about to discover just how wild the West can get.
While the structure of Blood Wild takes a page from the Murder Mystery genre, it is ultimately an homage to the Classic
Western; that being a study of the human condition at its most degraded, yet still heroic. But most of all, Blood Wild is a
fast, fun, bloody ride that has audiences transported and enrapture to the bitter end.
First produced by Rabbit in a Hat Productions at the 2014 Montreal Fringe Festival, Blood Wild was an unprecedented
success, receiving a sold out run in which extra seats were added every night. The production went on to win the Le Prix
Fred Barry for Best Productions Design, while the script was a 2014 Toronto Fringe Festival New Play Contest winner.
Blood Wild was ranked as one of the top independent productions of 2014 by the Montreal Gazette.
“Van Dyck’s experiment with the Spaghetti Western genre is authentically written, smoothly directed, well-acted and
very, very funny….” Pat Donnelly – The Montreal Gazette
“Blood Wild delivers suspense, comedy and drama in one striking performance.” Tasha – Bloody Underrated
“The top-notch six-strong cast, each playing a familiar Western type, deliver it straight from the hip and with maximum
conviction… expertly performed and beautifully designed – Blood Wild’s aim is true.” Jim Burke – Theatre Funhouse
“Paul Van Dyck delivered a truly fabulous and dystopian example of my favourite genre. Van Dyck’s direction is delightful
and of course the script is just perfect.” Anna Fuerstenberg – Rover
“Playwright/director/performer Paul Van Dyck is an unparalleled artist and one of Montreal’s greatest treasures.” –
Bloody Underrated
“Blood Wild is a daring, hilarious homage to classic westerns” Bill Brownstein – The Montreal Gazette
pg. 5 The Next Stage Theatre Festival 2016
THREE MEN IN A BOAT
Presented by Pea Green Theatre Group
Based on the story by: Jerome K. Jerome
Adapted for the stage by: Mark Brownell
Director: Sue Miner
Producer: Pea Green Theatre Group
Featuring: Matt Pilipiak, Victor Pokinko and Scott Garland
Established in 1988 by Mark Brownell and Sue Miner, Pea Green Theatre Group is committed to bringing a wide variety
of stories and characters to appreciative audiences across Canada. Featuring a highly stylized physical language, Pea
Green shows have a reputation for being at once thought provoking and highly entertaining.
About the show: Join our three intrepid bachelors Jay, George, and Harris as they spend a disastrous weekend punting
up the river Thames. Share their pain as they encounter many nautical hardships. Laugh along with their whisky fueled
antics. Gaze in terror as they reach their inevitable tipping point!
“Actors Matt Pilipiak, Victor Pokinko and Scott Garland go beyond the eccentricities of the period to define their
individual characters amidst squabbles, anxieties and parochial viewpoints. All theatrical elements come together
beautifully under Sue Miner's superb direction.” Debbie Fein-Goldbach NOW Magazine (NNNNN Best Production, Best
Ensemble, Best Direction and Best Design)
"This is the most charming show to come out of the Fringe this year”. Toronto Star – “Highly Recommended”
“This show will sell out. Buy your tickets early. You have been warned. Spectacular” – Mooney on Theatre
“The humour is impeccably timed and the occasional burst of song perfectly polished throughout the play.”- Torontoist –
5 ***** Stars
“Three Men in a Boat was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. It’s clever and well-executed. The only shame is that it
couldn’t last longer!” Maja Stefanovska, Capital Critics Circle (Ottawa)
“I dare you to not enjoy this show! Good silly fun, flawlessly executed.” CBC Winnipeg – 5 ***** Stars
Factory Theatre Antechamber
STUCK
Presented by Take Your Mark Productions
Created by: Natasha Boomer and guests
Director: Paloma Nunez
Producers: Natasha Boomer and Paloma Nunez
Take your Mark Productions is dedicated to the integration of Improv and Theatre. Natasha Boomer and Paloma
Nunez have collectively been doing improv in Toronto for over 20 years. Under their leadership and passion for the
form they have been an integral part in laying the foundations to allow the improv community to grow and flourish.
About the show: In this improvised two hander, characters write a play in 30 minutes based on the audience suggestion
of where they are stuck. Each night a new professional Toronto based comedian joins Natasha Boomer to improvise a
one act play right before your eyes.
Former Second City instructor Natasha Boomer is a gleefully alive improviser, as good a writer as she is an actor, and
equally strong in comedy or drama... one of the city's most underrated artists. – Glen Sumi, Now Magazine
FROM JUDY TO BETTE: THE STARS OF OLD HOLLYWOOD
pg. 6 The Next Stage Theatre Festival 2016
Presented by Rebecca Perry Productions
Playwright & Creator: Rebecca Perry
Arrangements: Quinton Naughton
Dramaturge: David Kingsmill
Director: Michael Rubinstein
Featuring: Rebecca Perry, accompanied by Quinton Naughton
Rebecca is an actor, singer and writer based in Toronto. She starred in the Brain Power Studios movie Forest Fairies (to
be released Spring 2016 on Netflix). Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl (★★★★★ – CBC Canada) a solo show
she created & stars in (alongside Musical Director & cabaret partner Quinton Naughton on keys) garnered multiple
awards, critical acclaim, a profile on Global TV, a live taping in front of a studio audience for Bell TV’s Onstage On
Demand and opened the 2015 summer season at the Rose Theatre, Brampton, ON. Adventures of a Redheaded
Coffeeshop Girl, premièred at the 2015 Toronto Fringe Festival. In August, Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl
went to The Edinburgh Festival Fringe where it garnered 5 star reviews, a sold out run, was shortlisted for the Brighton
Fringe Award for Artistic Excellence and has already been offered a return spot to the world's largest fringe.
About the show: Judy Garland, Bette Davis, Lucille Ball and Betty Buckley: four MGM stars whose work will continue to
burn bright for the rest of time. Join Rebecca Perry as she pays homage to the stars of Old Hollywood and the songs that
made them and their movies famous beyond compare. A show that celebrates the unique talents, personalities and
newsworthy private lives of the femme fatales from the golden age of movie making. Ladies: wear that cocktail
dress! Gents: get dapper as we take a trip together down memory lane!
On Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl;
“Perry is animated and engaging performer… Impeccable comic timing and faultless delivery”★★★★★- The Nouse UK
“Perry has a gorgeous jazz voice, capable of Cole Porter-esque perkiness and soulful richness” - Broadway Baby
“The best solo show I’ve seen this Fringe, nothing short of stunning” ★★★★★ - Fringe Guru
“Clever, amusing and wonderfully executed… I would highly recommend you see it” - Arts Award Voice
General Festival Information
The 2016 Next Stage Theatre Festival runs from January 6-17, 2016 at the accessible Factory
Theatre, 125 Bathurst Street.
Tickets: Advance tickets and passes will be available at noon on Monday November 16, 2015:
- Online at www.fringetoronto.com
- By phone at 416-966-1062
Tickets are $15 for Mainspace and Studio shows and $10 for Antechamber shows. (Plus a $2 per order fee for online and
phone sales)
Schedule:
The 2016 Next Stage Festival Schedule will be available starting November 9, 2015. For more information visit
www.fringetoronto.com
Twitter: @Toronto_Fringe
Facebook: The Toronto Fringe
-30Please contact Fringe Communications Manager with all media inquiries
communications@fringetoronto.com / 416-966-1062 x 8
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