This week’s Cheap Theatre is all about the LIFT OFF! Festival, which is taking place this coming weekend. The Cahoots Theatre Company holds this community festival of readings, workshops & performances every year to share some of the new works they’re working to create. And did I mention that it’s totally free? All events take place at Cahoots Creation Studio, at 388 Queen St.E, Unit 3. Check out the full list of events at http://www.cahoots.ca/programs/lift-off/.
THE BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY By Donald Woo (OPEN REHEARSAL)Performers: Grace Lynn Kung & John Ng Facilitator: Marjorie Chan. A full-length play adapted from the one-act tragic satire ’The Romantic History of a Female Cremator’ by Xie Min, as translated by Titus Leung. When a spurned woman can’t shake her belief that there must be beauty and romantic love for her despite the horrors she’s lived through and the heartache she’s suffered, from the second world war through to the Cultural Revolution, she resurrects her recently departed lover to make him account for his broken promise of a true and blissful escape. June 27th, 12:30-4:30pm.
BETTER ANGELS By Andrea Scott (PLAY READING) Performers: Akosua Amo-Adem, Sascha Cole, Eli Ham Director: Sabryn Rock Think Slavery is over? Think again. Andrea Scott’s new play explores the plight of domestic workers and society’s blindness to modern-day servitude. June 28th, 7:45pm.
HOME Created by CANVAS (Jennifer Farr, Ray Jacildo, April Leung, Deborah Lim, Harsharan Sidhu, & Echo Zhou) (PERFORMANCE, RECEPTION) Mentored by Marjorie Chan, Cameron Davis, Camellia Koo, Andrea Mapili, Jivesh Parasram, Kate Ann Vandermeer & Justine Yim With the successful launch of Cahoots’ program for emerging artists in 2013, CANVAS returns with a collective-based creation opportunity. For the last month, these young artists have been meeting twice a week, creating and experimenting. Cahoots proudly presents their creation, “An exploration of mediums, space and the idea of ‘home’.” June 28th, 2:00-2:45pm. Audience will be standing.
SOLAZ (Part 1) By Jefferson Guzman (PLAY READING)Performers: Braulio Elicer, Paloma Nunez, Tanya Pillay, Juancarlos Velis Musician: David West Director: Marjorie Chan Puntarenas, Costa Rica, 1950. Yolanda, 16 years old, is continuously followed by a handsome older man in a pick up truck. Although she fears him, she is drawn to him. One day circumstances force her to accept a ride from him. Based on a true story of love and attempted murder. June 27th, 7:45pm.
WOLF SOUNDS Created by Brooke Banning, Lindsey Chalmers, Nicole Flynn, Dylan Harman, & Amelia Mcafee-Brunner Director: Brooke Banning (EXCERPT PERFORMANCE) WOLF SOUNDS is a collectively-created dance show in which five actors with special needs present, with reckless transparency, a story about conformity, isolation, and desire. It is a coming of age story about one man’s search for love as he struggles to communicate, earn an injured soul’s trust, and understand physical boundaries. Created by combining movement with found, improvised, and written text, this devised piece to creates a surreal physical theatre experience. June 29th, 1pm.