INTRODUCING OUR 2024 PLAYS!
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29TH
Beauty Beyond the Norms by Nicole Obiodiaka (NG/NL)
Synopsis:
Beauty Behind the Norms is an evocative drama set in West Africa, vividly portraying the clash between traditional cultural norms and the burgeoning desire for change. The play centers on Ada, a young woman who becomes a symbol of resistance and transformation in a society bound by strict expectations for women. Thrust into a polygamous marriage, Ada's journey is marked by her struggle for self-determination against the backdrop of a community deeply rooted in customary practices. Her quest for education and personal freedom challenges the patriarchal norms, sparking a wider conversation about women's roles and rights in a traditional society. Through Ada's eyes, the audience witnesses the emotional and social complexities faced by women navigating these rigid societal structures. Her resilience and courage illuminate the path for others, underscoring the transformative power of education and the importance of individual agency. This play is a powerful exploration of identity, empowerment, and the relentless pursuit of one's aspirations amidst societal constraints, offering a poignant commentary on the universal themes of freedom, equality, and the enduring spirit of change.
Synopsis:
Beauty Behind the Norms is an evocative drama set in West Africa, vividly portraying the clash between traditional cultural norms and the burgeoning desire for change. The play centers on Ada, a young woman who becomes a symbol of resistance and transformation in a society bound by strict expectations for women. Thrust into a polygamous marriage, Ada's journey is marked by her struggle for self-determination against the backdrop of a community deeply rooted in customary practices. Her quest for education and personal freedom challenges the patriarchal norms, sparking a wider conversation about women's roles and rights in a traditional society. Through Ada's eyes, the audience witnesses the emotional and social complexities faced by women navigating these rigid societal structures. Her resilience and courage illuminate the path for others, underscoring the transformative power of education and the importance of individual agency. This play is a powerful exploration of identity, empowerment, and the relentless pursuit of one's aspirations amidst societal constraints, offering a poignant commentary on the universal themes of freedom, equality, and the enduring spirit of change.
FRIDAY, MARCH 1ST
Goldstar Girlfriend by Susan Kelsey (NL) and Waiting for Her by Brynn Cutcliffe (PEI)
Synopsis for Goldstar Girlfriend:
Goldstar Girlfriend is about the question, "What do you do when you are a 30-year-old woman with a girlfriend who unexpectedly becomes pregnant?" This show is a comedy of errors as the protagonist repeatedly tries to share this information with their girlfriend. The play explores the dynamics of both queer and open relationships and how to build a family that is outside of the traditional nuclear representation. Like catching up with an old friend over a drink and them filling you in on all the juiciest details of their life with fun pop culture references thrown in. Goldstar Girlfriend is ultimately a love story, both with self-love and romantic love.
Synopsis for Waiting for Her:
Waiting for Her is a one-woman play about a senior who has misplaced her identity. She tries on different costumes, searching for something that fits, that she recognizes, that feels like HER. All she knows is, she is waiting for someone - she can’t remember who, but SOMEONE - to arrive, and she has to find herself soon, because that someone will be expecting HER.
The development of Waiting for Her has been supported by the Pat and Tony Adams Freedom Fund for the Arts and the Toronto Fringe.
Synopsis for Goldstar Girlfriend:
Goldstar Girlfriend is about the question, "What do you do when you are a 30-year-old woman with a girlfriend who unexpectedly becomes pregnant?" This show is a comedy of errors as the protagonist repeatedly tries to share this information with their girlfriend. The play explores the dynamics of both queer and open relationships and how to build a family that is outside of the traditional nuclear representation. Like catching up with an old friend over a drink and them filling you in on all the juiciest details of their life with fun pop culture references thrown in. Goldstar Girlfriend is ultimately a love story, both with self-love and romantic love.
Synopsis for Waiting for Her:
Waiting for Her is a one-woman play about a senior who has misplaced her identity. She tries on different costumes, searching for something that fits, that she recognizes, that feels like HER. All she knows is, she is waiting for someone - she can’t remember who, but SOMEONE - to arrive, and she has to find herself soon, because that someone will be expecting HER.
The development of Waiting for Her has been supported by the Pat and Tony Adams Freedom Fund for the Arts and the Toronto Fringe.
SATURDAY, MARCH 2ND
Tea for Two by August Carrigan (NL)
Synopsis:
Tea for Two is about the complicated relationship between a mother and son. The mother, Anne, is developing Alzheimer's and the son, Brian, has to figure out how to take care of her and move her into a home. During this process Anne reflects on their relationship over the years.
Synopsis:
Tea for Two is about the complicated relationship between a mother and son. The mother, Anne, is developing Alzheimer's and the son, Brian, has to figure out how to take care of her and move her into a home. During this process Anne reflects on their relationship over the years.
SUNDAY, MARCH 3RD
Factory Girls by Sharon King-Campbell (NL)
Synopsis:
In 1916, a representative from the Imperial Munitions Board announced to a gathering of women at Massey Hall in downtown Toronto that women were to be recruited to munitions factories. The intention from the Board and from the Canadian government was to dilute the masculine labour force with unskilled female labourers in order to allow the largest possible number of able-bodied men to enlist for deployment overseas. Hundreds of women from a wide array of backgrounds answered the call, efficiently and effectively building weapons, aircraft and ships for the war effort. Factory Girls explores the lives and motives of ten such women who take up employment in a fictional factory in Toronto. Members of the leisure class join working girls as they navigate a newfound sense of freedom and agency against a background of increasingly violent nationalism, imperialism and xenophobia. As the pressures of war build and what is normal becomes increasingly strange, aspects of absurdity pop up in both the lives of these women and in the telling of their stories. Factory Girls explores the question of what it means to make a bomb in the context of these women’s diverse economic, social and ideological backgrounds.
Synopsis:
In 1916, a representative from the Imperial Munitions Board announced to a gathering of women at Massey Hall in downtown Toronto that women were to be recruited to munitions factories. The intention from the Board and from the Canadian government was to dilute the masculine labour force with unskilled female labourers in order to allow the largest possible number of able-bodied men to enlist for deployment overseas. Hundreds of women from a wide array of backgrounds answered the call, efficiently and effectively building weapons, aircraft and ships for the war effort. Factory Girls explores the lives and motives of ten such women who take up employment in a fictional factory in Toronto. Members of the leisure class join working girls as they navigate a newfound sense of freedom and agency against a background of increasingly violent nationalism, imperialism and xenophobia. As the pressures of war build and what is normal becomes increasingly strange, aspects of absurdity pop up in both the lives of these women and in the telling of their stories. Factory Girls explores the question of what it means to make a bomb in the context of these women’s diverse economic, social and ideological backgrounds.
For more information about this year's playwrights CLICK HERE.
For our Full Schedule of Public Readings & Events CLICK HERE.
For our Full Schedule of Public Readings & Events CLICK HERE.
