From Press Release

Fly with Arrowwood Theatre Co. at the Toronto premiere of ICARUS 

For anyone who has ever had their heart broken, their dreams crushed, the wind knocked out of them; for anyone who has failed, fallen or just flubbed: this one’s for you.

As unavoidable as falling is, getting up, dusting off your wings and flying once again is never quite as easy as it seems. ICARUS, a new play by the Windsor, Ont.-based Arrowwood Theatre Co., looks at what it means to fail and what it means to try again. Flipping between a modern- day group of friends and the world of ancient Greece, ICARUS investigates the ways we get burned every day, but more importantly — the ways we pick each other up. The show takes a new look at the classic tale, viewing the story through fresh eyes and a modern perspective.

What began as a five-minute undergraduate project has since transformed into a full-fledged theatrical production. With the aid of several movement techniques, the show was collectively created by the cast of five actors tapping into their own experiences. The adaptation employs various physical and movement-based techniques, including Anne Bogart’s Viewpoints and Steve Paxton’s Contact Improvisation, a dance technique which has since been adapted for theatre.

These movement techniques are what brought Arrowwood Theatre Co. – a new theatre company with a major focus on physical theatre and the reimaging of classic folklore – together. It was created by five University students to challenge audiences with thought-provoking, yet accessible, movement theatre. Previously, two of the company’s founding members, Simone Matheson and Kiera Publicover, have had original devised work premier at the 2018 Dark Crop Theatre Festival in Belmont, Ont., respectively: Here and There (Seven Sisters Theatre Co.) and Barbra at the Beach (Basil + Time Theatre Co.). The company hopes that utilizing contact improv and the Viewpoints technique through the vehicle of the classic Greek story will encourage more appreciation of physical theatre and open doors to new theatre-goers.

“I do not necessarily know how / But that’s alright / I am ready to strap on my wings and try again.”

Arrowwood Theatre Company In association with The Toronto Fringe Festival presents: ICARUS Featuring: Simone Matheson, Haiden Lyle, Kiera Publicover, Cullen MacNaughton, Kyra Scarlet Stage Managed by: Shae-lynn Applegate

Opens July 4th-13th Al Green Theatre (750 Spadina Ave.) 

Performances: July 4th, 10:30pm; July 6th, 7:30pm; July 7th, 5:00pm; July 9th, 1:00pm; July 11th, 3:30pm; July 12th, 9:45pm; July 13th, 5:45pm.

Please note that there is absolutely no latecomer seating.

 Purchase online: fringetoronto.com By Phone: 416-966-1062 In Person: During the festival at POSTSCRIPT, the patio at the Toronto Fringe

From Press Release

AQUARIUS PLAYERS PRESENTS 

SITE-SPECIFIC OUTDOOR ROMP OF
 The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare

Aquarius Players presents a site-specific 90 minute production of The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare. Performed at St. George the Martyr (30 Stephanie St., Toronto) The Taming of the Shrew runs July 3rd – 14th, evening performances at 7pm and weekend performances at 2pm with Monday dark. Tickets are $11 are available online or by phone (416-966-1062) or at the Festival Box Office (275 Bathurst St., Noon-10pm) or cash only at the door one hour before performance time.

The Taming of the Shrew is set in Padua, Italy. The play begins with Lucentio of Pisa and his servant Tranio arriving to go to university when they observe a strange sight: Signor Baptista is being hounded by his two neighbours because he has two daughters eligible for marriage. Hortensio and Gremio are both vying for the younger Bianca and want nothing to do with the elder Katherine, whom they consider ill-tempered. But until the elder is married, Bianca is off-limits, so they agree to try and find a suitor for the angry shrew. When they leave, Lucentio declares his love for Bianca and forgets all about his studies. Instead he switches clothes with his servant and instructs Tranio to present himself as another suitor under his master’s name while he tries to win Bianca’s love disguised as a tutor. Then Petruchio of Verona arrives to visit his friend Hortensio and tells him that his father has passed away and he is looking for a wife. When Hortensio informs him about the rich but scolding Katherine, Petruchio wastes no time in presenting himself to Baptista convinced that he’s the man to tame her. Shakespeare’s comedy seems inspired by stock characters of commedia dell’arte as applied to a classic folk tale.

The Taming of the Shrew is directed by Nicole Arends, with text adapted by Chris Coculuzzi, Costume Design by Elaine O’Neal, and Stage Managed by Kate Dowdall. This production features Chris Coculuzzi as Petruchio and Alexandra Milne as Kate. It also features Daryn DeWalt as Gremio/Vincentio, Scott Moore as Baptista, Chris Irving as Hortensio/Pedant, Elaine O’Neal as Grumio/Widow, Paige Madsen as Tranio, Michael Pearson as Lucentio, Greta Whipple as Bianca, and features the sax-playing talent of Christina Leonard as Biondello.

About Aquarius Players
The name Aquarius Players was designed to embrace a group of artists coming together under an agreed creative project. For purposes of this production, the genesis came from a creative collaboration between director Nicole Arends and adaptor Chris Coculuzzi. Both have a history of site-specific productions at the Fringe dating back to 2001. And the last collaboration between Arends and Coculuzzi was a production of Hamlet (Upstart Crow, 2001). 

From Press Release

A Plague Upon the Doctor’s House​ is a new play by Jamie D. Rose and is premiering this summer at the 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival. It is a dark comedy set in England sometime during the 18th century. There is murder. There is thievery. And there is, of course, the plague.

The action starts when a doctor is murdered by his own wife, just before the unexpected arrival of a highwayman, his sister, and her soon to be husband. The highwayman, Thomas, is looking to say goodbye to his mother. His sister, Gretchen, to announce her marriage and steal away the inheritance. All while Amy pretends that she — and not her dead husband — is, in fact, the doctor.

Written and directed by Jamie D. Rose and featuring Hannah Leigh Ehman as Amy, Andrew Camerone as Thomas, Emma Nelles as Gretchen, Nick Eddie as Bradley, and Ctherine Teichman as Sister Anne. You can follow the production on instagram @PlagueFringeTO.

Showtimes
July 3rd — 6:00pm
July 5th — 9:30pm
July 7th — 8:00pm
July 8th — 5:45pm
July 10th — 2:15pm (Relaxed performance) July 12th — 10:00pm
July 13th — 8:00pm

All shows are taking place at the beautiful Factory Theatre in downtown Toronto. The show has a run time of 80 minutes.
Tickets can be purchased for $13 online at https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/plague-upon-doctors-house​, or in person at the venue.

From Press Release

From Press Release

SKETCHY ADVENTURES IN THE ENCHANTED FOREST
DEBUTS AT TORONTO FRINGE

A UNIQUE COLLISION OF SKETCH AND THEATRE IS COMING TO THE AL GREEN THEATRE AS PART OF THE
31st ANNUAL TORONTO FRINGE FESTIVAL!

TORONTO, ON: Playing with Fire Productions is proud to announce their inaugural production, Sketchy Adventures in the
Enchanted Forest, debuting at the Al Green Theatre as part of the 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival. The show features more
than twenty characters performed by just three talented actors!

Tickets are now on sale online at Sketchy Adventures in the Enchanted Forest or by calling (416) 966-1062.

Sketchy Adventures in the Enchanted Forest follows a young woman as she embarks on an epic adventure where she
encounters much more than she bargained for.

Written and directed by Amy Slattery and Damien Gulde. Two best friends from Toronto and former members of ‘…the
Red Star Review’ a sketch comedy troupe that toured Toronto comedy clubs in 2009 and 2010. Gulde and Slattery are
also both Fringe veterans and have participated in multiple Fringe festivals.

Originally conceived as an independent series of sketches, Sketchy Adventures in the Enchanted Forest evolved into a
complete story during its development. The show combines the comedic style of sketch with the story-driven layers of a
play. It delivers the best of both the theatre and sketch comedy worlds into one show.
“We wanted a show that would appeal to both sketch comedy fans as well as people who are not as familiar with that
style…” said Slattery who is also the Producer of Playing with Fire Productions. “It is a wacky and irreverent sketch show, but also a fast-paced play that bursts with character driven comedy”.
“In the Enchanted Forest things are not always what you expect them to be, but if you never get out into the world… you
will never know what you are missing”.

About Sketchy Adventures in the Enchanted Forest:
Playing with Fire Productions in association with The Toronto Fringe Festival presents
Sketchy Adventures in the Enchanted Forest
Written and Directed by Amy Slattery and Damien Gulde
Starring Damien Gulde, Grace Munro and Amy Slattery

Performances:
Opens July 4th runs to July 14th, 2019.
AL GREEN THEATRE, 750 Spadina Avenue (Spadina and Bloor).
Thursday July 4th, 6:30 pm
Saturday July 6th, 12:30 pm
Sunday July 7th, 8:30 pm
Tuesday July 9th, 10:15 pm
Wednesday July 10th, 5:00 pm
Thursday July 11th, 1:45 pm
Sunday July 14th, 5:15 pm
Tickets:
Purchase online: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/sketchy-adventures-enchanted-forest
Purchase by Phone: 416-966-1062
Purchase in Person: At the AL GREEN Theatre (one hour before each performance) or during the festival at the Toronto
Fringe patio, POSTSCRIPT located in the hockey rink at 275 Bathurst Street, at Dundas.