Heads up for the week of Dec. 14-20.

by Lynn on December 14, 2020

in The Passionate Playgoer

Mon. Dec. 14, 2020 at 7:30 pm

Live streamed benefit reading.

A King and No King

By Beaumont and Fletcher

From the wonderful Red Bull Theatre.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely in this delicious Jacobean tragicomedy. Arbaces, the King of Iberia, conquers Tigranes, King of Armenia, and offers him noble treatment – and his sister for a wife. But it’s been awhile since Arbaces has seen his sister. When he does, he is seized with incestuous passion. Arbaces resists this forbidden love with all his might – until she professes she loves him too! But now, what to do about Tigranes? Alongside the natural pleasures of a surprisingly funny tragedy, A King and No King also offers some particularly piquant allegory for this time of transition from one administration to the next. Find out more.
Directed by José Zayas, this livestream benefit reading will feature Rajesh BoseRobert Cuccioli, Edmund Donovan, Franchelle Stewart Dorn, Topher Embrey, Chukwudi Iwuji, Teresa Avia Lim, Cara RickettsSocorro Santiago, Reagan Tankersley, Craig Wallace, and CJ Wilson.
(Note that Cara Ricketts is involved—she’s done great work in Canada)

This is a LIVE EVENT. This exceptional cast will come together to present the play LIVE from their homes––anything can happen. It will premiere at 7:30 PM EST on Monday, December 14. A recording of the broadcast will be available until 7:00 PM EST on Friday, December 18 – then it disappears. GET DETAILS
GET FREE TICKETS

Thurs. Dec. 17, 2020 beginning at 6:30 pm

Live streamed.

All the Sonnets of Shakespeare

Professor Sir Stanley Wells and Dr. Paul Edmondson, of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, launch their new book on the celebrated lyric poems that have prompted so much speculation over the centuries. Their discussion of the discoveries they made by freeing the sonnets from the order in which they were printed in 1609, and complementing them with passages from the plays, is accompanied by readings by Ijeoma Emesowum and Geraint Wyn Davies.

If you are not familiar with Sir Stanley Wells and Dr. Paul Edmondson are, you are in for a treat. They are rock stars in the world of Shakespeare. And the readings by Ijeoma Emesowum and Geraint Wyn Davies are a wonderful bonus too.

Leer Estates created and performed by Dan Chameroy is a hoot about the zany goings on by the rich, bored and wanting to be famous.

Details: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/AtHome

Fri. Dec. 18, 2020 at 7:30 pm

Live streamed reading

Produced by Studio 180 from their “In Development” Series

DAD

By Ali Joy Richardson.

Directed by Ann-Marie Kerr

Starring: Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster, Thomas Olajide & David Storch

“Roy, a revered theatre school teacher, falls from grace after his behaviour with a student comes to light. Mark, his past student (now colleague), has to make him understand. Vic, Roy’s daughter, desperately needs her Dad to do the right thing. Nobody’s giving up without a fight. Dad asks us: What does true atonement look like? What comes after the fall? And can we ever learn the hardest things?
After the reading, join playwright, Ali Joy Richardson, and director, Ann-Marie Kerr, to ask questions about the creative process and dive into the themes of the play in breakout discussion groups.”

I think Ali Joy Richardson is one of the up-and-coming writers to watch. From past productions I’ve seen of hers, her story-telling is compelling and her dialogue dazzles with invention.

https://studio180theatre.us11.list-manage.com/track/click?u=35c6ce77f7e9c153ebfb30451&id=35746178b7&e=faf15d4fd9

Sat. Dec. 19 and Sun. Dec. 20, 2020  

There’s No Place Like Home for the Holidays

Produced by Ross Petty Productions.

Streamed digitally Sat. Dec. 19 and Sun. Dec. 20 between 10:00 am and 9:00 pm

No global pandemic will stop Ross Petty from producing his zany holiday family musical. And while we can’t gather in a theatre proper, we can enjoy the show in the comfort of our own homes. Cheering our favourite characters and booing the villain is very encouraged,  the louder the better.  It’s the show we need for a laugh, a smile and to get us through these difficult times.

After 24 years of producing cherished holiday family musicals on Canadian theatre stages, Ross Petty is putting his magical touch on the first-ever virtual pantomime show for national broadcast as narrator. In a surprising twist of events, There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays picks up from the iconic heel click in Wizard of Oz and follows Dorothy on her journey home meeting new friends and encountering many entertaining moments along the way.

There’s No Place Like Home For The Holidays, a hilariously entertaining and interactive virtual family show that will deliver holiday spirit across the country in support of Kids Help Phone. There’s no Place like Home For The Holidays is an accessible, safe and fun way for all families in Canada to experience the magic of a Ross Petty Productions family musical. The show will be available for viewing from the comfort of Canadian homes on Saturday December 19 or  Sunday December 20, 2020.  

“We think families in Canada will be delighted to meet our hilarious cast of characters as played by musical theatre stars Dan (Plumbum) Chameroy, AJ Bridel, Eddie Glen, Camille Eanga-Selenge, Sara-Jeanne Hosie and Alex Wierzbicki. We’ve taken our beloved family winter holiday tradition at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre and reconfigured it to bring its silliness and joy into homes across Canada.” said Ross Petty of Ross Petty Productions. “It’s been such a pleasure putting this show together. Matt Murray has written a brand new script featuring the fun of being together, dealing with adversity, and feeling excited about the holidays.”

ROBERTA BATTAGLIA, CANADA’S BELOVED 10 YEAR OLD STAR AND FAMED “GOLDEN BUZZER” WINNER ON NBC-TV’S ‘AMERICA’S GOT TALENT’ IS SET TO PERFORM IN “HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS.”

A PORTION OF SALES PROCEEDS FROM ‘HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS’ WILL BE DONATED TO KIDS HELP PHONE, CANADA’S ONLY 24/7 E-MENTAL HEALTH SOLUTION OFFERING FREE, CONFIDENTIAL SUPPORT IN ENGLISH AND FRENCH TO YOUNG PEOPLE.

·      Tickets are $35.00 per household

·      Tickets available for viewing on Sat. Dec. 19 or Sun. Dec. 20 between 10 am and 9 pm

·      Tickets are available for purchase at www.rosspetty.com.

·      A portion of each ticket sale goes to Kids Help Phone 

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