From Press Release

Carpe into my DMs is a post apocalyptic sketch comedy revue written by troupe We are Sports! and directed by Second City alumnus, Alastair Forbes. When #thoughtsandprayers had ceased to be enough, society was too busy keeping up with the Kardashians to notice that the end was near! Now that the dust has settled, our selfie-obsessed survivors are faced with the harsh reality that they can’t escape blame for the collapse of civilization. From micro-aggressions to robot roleplay, Carpe into my DMs takes audiences through a politically pointed and hilariously goofy journey to the end of the world!

Carpe into my DMs was created through the improvisation of 11 performers under the direction of the creative team, Alastair Forbes and David Macintosh. This is the first collaboration between, sketch/improv troupe We Are Sports! and Alastair Forbes. Their partnership began through the Second City Conservatory program, from which the original idea for this show debuted.

Alastair Forbes is a Second City Mainstage Alumni, multiple Dora, Canadian Screen Award and Canadian Comedy award nominee and has written and directed for numerous TV shows for Disney, CityTV, YTV and AMI. We Are Sports! has been an active member of the Toronto improv community, performing their conservatory graduation show on the Second City Mainstage, as well as performing improv and sketch comedy at the John Candy Box Theatre, Comedy Bar, and the Social Capital Theatre. Music Director, David Macintosh, is a multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, and music director who also performs with music groups Kashew Butter, OiO, and Pengeah. Lighting Designer, Matthew Hallworth, is an award-winning producer, actor, and stage manager with over 2000 production credits in film, television, and theatre.

If sugar helps the medicine go down, then wait and see what happens when you add radioactive waste! Join We Are Sports! as they search for the “big dick energy” they need to save the world!

 

We Are Sports!

In association with The Toronto Fringe Festival presents:

 

Carpe into my DMs

Written by We Are Sports! (Janelle McGuinness, Alex Bondesen, Dylen Guiry, Jacob Hogan, Danny Avila, Cihang Ma, Lauren Greenwood, Stephen Mashalidis, Ramsay Alwani, Renée Strasfeld and Sue Marenick)

Directed by Alastair Forbes

Music Direction by David Macintosh

Lighting Design by Matt Hallworth

Stage Managed by Sydney LaForme

Featuring: The cast of We Are Sports!

 

Opens July 3rd and runs to July 13th

Al Green Theatre

750 Spadina Ave., Toronto, ON, M5S 2J2

 

Performances

July 3rd – 6:30pm

July 5th – 10pm

July 7th – 6:45pm

July 8th – 2:45pm

July 10th – 8:30pm

July 12th – 1pm

July 13th – 4pm

 

Please note that there is absolutely no latecomer seating.

 

Tickets

Tickets go on sale June 6, 2019.

Purchase online: fringetoronto.com

By Phone: 416-966-1062

In Person: During the festival at POSTSCRIPT, the patio at the Toronto Fringe. Located in the Hockey Rink at 275 Bathurst Street (Dundas + Bathurst).

 

THE TORONTO FRINGE FESTIVAL PRESENTS
DIDN’T HURT

Wednesday, July 3 @ 9:45pm
Saturday, July 6 @ 12:45pm
Sunday, July 7 @ 5:30pm
Tuesday, July 9 @ 3:00pm
Thursday, July 11 @ 6:15pm
Friday, July 12 @ 9:30pm
Saturday, July 13 @ 8:30pm

RUNTIME: 75 minutes
VENUE: Tarragon Theatre Extraspace
30 Bridgeman Ave, Ontario, M5R 1X3
fringetoronto.com

Playwright / Creator Rodney DeCroo
/rodney.decroo @decroorodney @notesfromthequotidian
rodneydecroo.bandcamp.com rodneydecroo.com

Dramaturg / Director TJ Dawe
tjdawe.ca

Directed by revered fringe legend TJ Dawe, playwright and actor Rodney DeCroo tells his own story of growing up poor in a hard-asnailsworking class neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and isolated in the bush of Northern B.C. amidst violence, addiction,
suicidal thoughts, and being raised by a Vietnam war vet.

DeCroo’s story moves through his life from childhood (a tobacco-chewing 6-year-old boy who desperately wants to be a cowboy), to his anti-social adolescence, and finally, to his adulthood (how to destroy your music career and alienate your friends). His story is about toxic masculinity and learning to recover from it. It’s about being accountable, healing, and forgiveness. Didn’t Hurt looks at how PTSD can be named, harnessed, and exercised through
art, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, and connecting with others.

Rodney DeCroo is an acclaimed Vancouver based
poet, singer-songwriter, playwright and actor with several collections of poetry and studio albums to his name. Didn’t Hurt is his second one-man show.

TJ Dawe is veteran of numerous Toronto Fringe Festivals, with shows such as The Slipknot, Labrador, Medicine, and many others.

Decroo can create a crystal-clear scene, rich in detail. From a child’s hero worship of cowboys to an adult getting a life-changing massage, the audience is there with him.
– ORLANDO SENTINEL

A creative powerhouse.
– CANADIAN BEATS

An intensely brave and heroic one-man show. There wasn’t a moment during the entire hour when I wasn’t completely riveted. Highly recommended.
– EDDIE SELOVER, PECHAKUCHA ORLANDO

A heart wrenchingly rough coming-of-age story.
– VUE MAGAZINE

A really insightful look into how PTSD develops, manifests and can be tamed. So yes, it’s heavy, and also touching and, for me, helpful. It’s given me even more space for compassion.
– SUNNI SARA VONMUTIUS, ANTISURVIVAL GUIDE

An unassuming yet mesmerizing performer.
– WINNIPEG FREE PRESS

Few artists risk attempting it: turning something profoundly and deeply painful into a work of transformative beauty.
– GEORGIA STRAIGHT

From Press Release

Human Burrito Productions
in association with The Toronto Fringe Festival
presents

Decaying Tongue

How do you answer the question
“Where are you from from?”

How does it feel to be rejected
by your own culture?

Enter Aya’s mind, where she attempts to answer these questions.

Aya, a Japanese woman, struggles to find herself as she is caught in two different worlds:
Japan and Canada. Her dual cultural identity makes it difficult for her to communicate with her Japanese family, Canadian friends, strangers, and soon-to-be lover. Now it’s up to her to determine how she can find peace with her constantly evolving identity.

At a time when acculturation is ubiquitous, Decaying Tongue, written and directed by Kaho Koda, offers a poignant but comedic
take on the mind of an immigrant.

Koda’s authentic portrayal of an immigrant’s inner conflict demonstrates what many immigrant Canadians experience as they attempt to find their footing with diverse backgrounds in
the 21st century.

Since its founding in 2018, Human Burrito Productions values human connection and fuzzy feelings. Through original stories, we aim to spread awareness and create a dialogue on critical issues that society faces today.

Decaying Tongue plays at Randolph Theatre as part of Toronto Fringe Festival 2019 between July 5 – 14.

Randolph Theatre: 736 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M5S 1Z5

Cast
Sachi Lovatt – Aya
Mei Miyazawa – 彩 (Aya)
Cory Bertrand – Paul, Ron & Old Lady
Jaemoon Lee – Dad & Matt
Daniella Dela Pena – Mom & Yoko

Creative Team
Kaho Koda – Playwright & Director
Marina Ho – Production Manager
Conner Bustamante – Stage Manager
Rutger Wink – Marketing Director
Dilpreet Saund – Sound Designer
Dillon Maillet – Lighting Designer
Tracy Kong – Set/Costume/Props Designer

To Purchase Tickets:
Tickets go on sale June 6, 2019.
General tickets: $13
Purchase online: fringetoronto.com
By Phone: 416-966-1062
In Person: During the festival at
POSTSCRIPT, the patio at the Toronto
Fringe. Located in the Hockey Rink at 275
Bathurst Street (Dundas + Bathurst).

For more information
www.humanburrito.com
@humanburritoproductions
fb.com/humanburritoproductions.com

Performances:
July 5, 4:15pm
July 7, 8:00pm
July 8, 2:15pm
July 11, 10:45pm
July 12, 4:30pm
July 13, 1:00pm
July 14, 5:15pm

From Press Release

Mateo Lewis’ New Musical BOYS DON’T CRY comes to the 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival

TORONTO, June 17, 2019 – Award-winning young songwriter Mateo Lewis explores his complicated relationship with gender and toxic masculinity in this semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story, BOYS DON’T CRY.

This original one-act contemporary musical drama is written and performed by Mateo Lewis, directed by Toronto Musical Concerts’ Artistic Producer Christopher Wilson, and also features Carson Betz, Aveleigh Keller, Sara McMillan-Stahmer and Zach Stahmer. Stage management by Maxine Kenneally.

BOYS DON’T CRYplays at the Robert Gill Theatre (214 College Street – 3^rd floor), July 5 to 14, 2019. For tickets and showtimes: www.fringetoronto.com

BOYS DON’T CRY follows Jayden Stone, a popular high school soccer star in his senior year, struggling to live up to the expectations of his peers, his family and his late Father. When he falls in love with the new girl at school – a badass feminist with a passion for poetry and social justice – she encourages him to get in touch with his artistic side, and he is forced to re-evaluate what it means to be a man.

“This is an extremely relevant show about the making of a man and a reminder that we can be better than the men who came before us,” says Lewis. “I believe the vast majority of our world’s challenges today can be attributed to insecure men feeling entitled to do whatever they desire to cover their insecurities. Nothing could be more exemplary than the presence of toxic masculinity resulting in the #MeToo Movement.”

This dramatic exploration is seen through the lens of a young boy turned adolescent. Self-identifying as a Queer man, Lewis’ particular experiences with gender provide a unique and insightful look at gender fluidity and the construct of masculinity.

 

Mateo Lewis (Book, Music and Lyrics) has been writing songs since a young age. At 14, he wrote and produced a concept album Rob Ford: The Musical, which was featured on Indie 88 and in NOW Magazine. He continues to hone his skills in many workshops including 603 New Musicals where he is developing a new show with Daniel Goldman and the Bravo Academy Writer’s Workshop, where he also contributed two songs to #Hashtag: a new musical. Mateo is going into his third year at Sheridan College for Music Theatre with a focus on writing for the theatre.

BOYS DON’T CRY was previously produced in workshop production last summer (2018) at the Red Sandcastle Theatre.

From Press Release

Theatre Born Between Presents:
Beneath the Bed by Gabe Golin

Running July 4th – 14th at Scadding Court Community Centre (Room 4) As part of this year’s Toronto Fringe Festival

“Beneath the Bed was an extraordinarily creative piece of theatre. It is a both a dark exploration of childhood trauma and also a celebration of the power of imagination as the best defence against the things that threaten us. Truly an impressive feat for a young playwright! I can’t wait to see how this develops!” – David Matheson, Coordinator of the Theatre and Drama Studies Program (Sheridan
College)

Fresh off of their My Entertainment World nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance for Vitals, Theatre Born Between comes to life with Beneath the Bed in this year’s Toronto Fringe Festival! In the aftermath of a trauma, a young child meets a monster living under their bed and together they discover through searching the stars that this too will pass. An exploration of childhood and imagination, grief and loss, Beneath the Bed is a twisted tale exploding with music, wit, heart, and joy. Theatre Born Between first presented a workshop production of Beneath the Bed at the 2016 Beck Festival. Directed by Theatre Born Between co-founder, Bryn Kennedy.

“Returning to the world of Beneath the Bed after our workshop almost three years ago has felt like coming home to an old friend. These characters, in the infinite empathy and compassion they express for one another, have welcomed me back and it has been a joy to explore them again with a powerhouse ensemble of emerging artists. Our understanding of this fantastical world has only deepened and with our shift to a site-specific venue, we are excited to bring audiences closer to the monsters and make-believe than ever before. Imagination and possibility wait around every corner in this play and we hope that you will get wrapped up in the journey with us.”
– Bryn Kennedy, Director and Co-Founder

Show Information:
Beneath the Bed is part of this year’s Toronto Fringe Festival, running July 4th to 14th at Scadding Court Community Centre (Room 4).
Tickets available online at https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/beneathbed
Scadding Court Community Centre (Room 4)
707 Dundas St W,
Toronto, Ontario
M5V 3A8

Show dates/times:
Thursday July 4 – 7:00pm
Friday July 5 – 8:00pm
Saturday July 6 – 2:00pm
Sunday July 7 – 2:00pm
Monday July 8 – 7:00pm
Tuesday July 9 – 8:00pm
Thursday July 11 – 8:00pm
Friday July 12 – 2:00pm
Friday July 12 – 8:00pm
Saturday July 13 – 3:30pm
Sunday July 14 – 2:00pm
Running time of 60 minutes

This show is age-accessible. We welcome audience members of all ages.
Tickets are available through the Toronto Fringe, both online and at their box office.

Featuring:
Graham Conway (Peter Pan, Bad Hats Theatre – Dora Award
Winning for Outstanding Direction, Production and Ensemble Performance) Erin Humphry (Breathing Corpses, Coal Mine Theatre) Keaton Kwok (Marry Me Marry Me Marry Me Marry Me, House + Body) Elizabeth Staples (White Girls in Moccasins, Rhubarb Festival, The Stranger, Summerworks/DopoLavoroTeatrale) John Wamsley (Timothy Findley’s The Wars, The Grand Theatre) Lindsay Wu (Blithe Spirit, Theatre Erindale)

Creative Team:
Directed and produced by Bryn Kennedy
Produced/Marketing/Movement by John Wamsley
Composed by Lucas Penner
Stage Managed by Caitlin Brenneman

Theatre Born Between:
Theatre Born Between is a Toronto-based theatre company interested in creating work that focuses on bringing the inner emotional realities of the play and its characters to the surface – the seen and unseen.

Our mission is to create a platform for diverse emerging artists from all communities to explore the boundaries of theatrical practice through a blending of styles such as movement, verbatim text and
fantastical realism. Co-founded by Bryn Kennedy and John Wamsley. For further information about Theatre Born Between or this production of Vitals, visit theatrebornbetween.com!