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Secret Life of a Mother
by Hannah MoscovitchThe raw and untold secrets of pregnancy, miscarriage, childbirth, and mothering are revealed in this true story of motherhood for the twenty-first century. A playwright writes an exposé of modern motherhood full of her own darkly funny confessions and taboo-breaking truths. One of her real-life friends, an actress, performs the piece, and through it her own experiences of motherhood start to surface. These mothers are not the butts of jokes, the villains, or the perfect angels of a household. This empowered and relatable play was written collaboratively between award-winning theatre artists Hannah Moscovitch, Maev Beaty, and Ann-Marie Kerr, with co-creator Marinda de Beer. Uplifting and full of love, Secret Life of a Mother is a generous and powerful act of truth-telling for anyone who has thought about, been, loved, known—or come from—a mother.
The Secret Mask
by Rick ChafeThis heartwarming and often hilarious play tells the story of Ernie and George, an estranged father and son who are reunited when a debilitating stroke leaves Ernie with a speech disorder and memory loss. While George is undeniably hurt and betrayed by the man who abandoned him as a child, Ernie can't remember his words, or where he lives. Together they must find a way to make sense of their past and their future through fractured memories and muddled language.
See Bob Run & Wild Abandon
by Daniel MacivorBob is on the road. Bob is on the run. But from what, or whom, is she running? Follow Bob as she hops from car to car telling her story to unsuspecting drivers as she tries to put her life in the rear-view mirror. Will she make it to her destination? And what will she find when she gets there? Find out in the critically adored See Bob Run."...the ironic name stands in sharp contrast to this perceptive and thoroughly engrossing one-woman show." —Toronto StarIn Wild Abandon we are introduced to Steve, a man alone in the world. Steve is acerbic, opinionated, and desperate to figure himself out. As he recounts his life story, we follow Steve out the door of his strict Catholic home, through diners and bars and parks as we hear the tales that made the man. Wild Abandon is a story about running away, and about how to find your way home again."...a one-man show without valleys. It's a wonderful piece—honest, imaginative, profound, moving and very funny." —Carole Corbeil
Self-Help
by Norm FosterA married pair of second-rate theatre actors cast themselves as nationally renowned self-help gurus. Their lives unravel in a farce as they try to conceal a body and hold on to their falsely won fame.
Selfie
by Christine QuintanaA new year of high school is full of excitement and potential—but three teens didn’t expect it to bring such a dark change to their lives. After spending a summer reinventing herself in Paris, Emma is ready for her new life to start, while her best friend Lily is eager for them to reconnect. Lily throws a last-minute party fuelled by alcohol and Instagram, which leads to a long-awaited encounter between Emma and Lily’s older brother Chris. But the next day Emma feels that something went terribly wrong. When a doctor’s appointment and a visit from police confirm that there was a sexual assault at the party, and the whole school turns against Emma, the three friends grapple with what actually happened between Emma and Chris. This smart and intense play about the complexities of relationships and community opens up a much-needed conversation about the nature of consent.
Separate Beds
by Mj CruiseErnie and Twink are in the autumn of their lives. In celebration of their thirtieth wedding anniversary, the couple's children send them on a Caribbean cruise. Free of chores and children, Ernie and Twink are wined, dined, and introduced to exciting people. When they meet the rich, seductive Blake and Beth, who still seem to have a perfect life together after ten years of marriage, Twink becomes infatuated with the glamour of the other couple's lives and seeks to reignite the spark in her own marriage.
Sequence
by Arun LakraTheo has been named Time Magazine's Luckiest Man Alive. For twenty consecutive years he has successfully bet double or nothing on the Super Bowl coin toss. And he's getting ready to risk millions on the twenty-first when he is confronted by Cynthia, a young woman who claims to have figured out his mathematical secret. Stem-cell researcher and professor Dr. Guzman is on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery. She's also learned that one of her students has defied probability to get all 150 multiple-choice questions wrong on his genetics exam, but it's not until he shows up to her office in the middle of the night that she's able to determine if it's simply bad luck. The two narratives intertwine like a fragment of DNA to examine the interplay between logic and metaphysics, science and faith, luck and probability. Belief systems clash, ideas mutate, and order springs from chaos. With razor-sharp wit and playful language, Sequence asks, in our lives, in our universe, and even in our stories, does order matter?
Sequence (Second Edition)
by Arun Lakra“Luck is like irony. Not everybody who thinks they got it, got it.” Theo has been named Time Magazine’s Luckiest Man Alive. For twenty consecutive years he has successfully bet double or nothing on the Super Bowl coin toss. And he’s getting ready to risk millions on the twenty-first when he is confronted by Cynthia, a young woman who claims to have figured out his mathematical secret. Stem-cell researcher and professor Dr. Guzman is on the verge of a groundbreaking discovery. She’s also learned that one of her students has defied probability to get all 150 multiple-choice questions wrong on his genetics exam, but it’s not until he shows up to her office in the middle of the night that she’s able to determine if it’s simply bad luck. The two narratives intertwine like a double helix of DNA to examine the interplay between logic and metaphysics, science and faith, luck and probability. Belief systems clash, ideas mutate, and order springs from chaos. With razor-sharp wit and playful language, Sequence asks, in our lives, in our universe, and even in our stories, does order matter?
Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes
by Hannah MoscovitchThe archetypal student-teacher romance is cleverly turned on its head for the post-#MeToo era in this striking new play by the acclaimed author of What a Young Wife Ought to Know and Bunny. Jon, a star professor and author, is racked with self-loathing after his third marriage crumbles around him when he finds himself admiring a student—a girl in a red coat. The girl, nineteen-year-old Annie, is a big fan of his work, and also happens to live down the street. From their doorways to his office to hotel rooms, their mutual admiration and sexual tension escalates under Jon’s control to a surprising conclusion that will leave you wanting to go back and question your perceptions of power as soon as you finish.
Shakespeare On Stage and Off
by Kenneth Graham Alysia KolentsisToday, debates about the cultural role of the humanities and the arts are roiling. Responding to renewed calls to reassess the prominence of canonical writers, Shakespeare On Stage and Off introduces new perspectives on why and how William Shakespeare still matters. <p><p>Lively and accessible, the book considers what it means to play, work, and live with Shakespeare in the twenty-first century. Contributors – including Antoni Cimolino, artistic director of the Stratford Festival – engage with contemporary stagings of the plays, from a Trump-like Julius Caesar in New York City to a black Iago in Stratford-upon-Avon and a female Hamlet on the Toronto stage, and explore the effect of performance practices on understandings of identity, death, love, race, gender, class, and culture. Providing an original approach to thinking about Shakespeare, some essays ask how the knowledge and skills associated with working lives can illuminate the playwright's works. Other essays look at ways of interacting with Shakespeare in the digital age, from Shakespearean resonances in Star Trek and Indian films to live broadcasts of theatre performances, social media, and online instructional tools. Together, the essays in this volume speak to how Shakespeare continues to enrich contemporary culture. <p><p>A timely guide to the ongoing importance of Shakespearean drama, Shakespeare On Stage and Off surveys recent developments in performance, adaptation, popular culture, and education. <p><p>Contributors include Russell J. Bodi (Owens State Community College), Christie Carson (Royal Holloway University of London), Brandon Christopher (University of Winnipeg), Antoni Cimolino (Stratford Festival), Jacob Claflin (College of Eastern Idaho), Lauren Eriks Cline (University of Michigan), David B. Goldstein (York University), Gina Hausknecht (Coe College), Peter Holland (University of Notre Dame), R.W. Jones (University of Texas), Christina Luckyj (Dalhousie University), Julia Reinhard Lupton (University of California, Irvine), Linda McJannet (Bentley University), Roderick H. McKeown (University of Toronto), Hayley O'Malley (University of Michigan), Amrita Sen (University of Calcutta), Eric Spencer (The College of Idaho), Lisa S. Starks (University of South Florida St Petersburg), and Jeffrey R. Wilson (Harvard University).
Shakespeare On Stage and Off
by Kenneth Graham and Alysia KolentsisToday, debates about the cultural role of the humanities and the arts are roiling. Responding to renewed calls to reassess the prominence of canonical writers, Shakespeare On Stage and Off introduces new perspectives on why and how William Shakespeare still matters. Lively and accessible, the book considers what it means to play, work, and live with Shakespeare in the twenty-first century. Contributors - including Antoni Cimolino, artistic director of the Stratford Festival - engage with contemporary stagings of the plays, from a Trump-like Julius Caesar in New York City to a black Iago in Stratford-upon-Avon and a female Hamlet on the Toronto stage, and explore the effect of performance practices on understandings of identity, death, love, race, gender, class, and culture. Providing an original approach to thinking about Shakespeare, some essays ask how the knowledge and skills associated with working lives can illuminate the playwright's works. Other essays look at ways of interacting with Shakespeare in the digital age, from Shakespearean resonances in Star Trek and Indian films to live broadcasts of theatre performances, social media, and online instructional tools. Together, the essays in this volume speak to how Shakespeare continues to enrich contemporary culture. A timely guide to the ongoing importance of Shakespearean drama, Shakespeare On Stage and Off surveys recent developments in performance, adaptation, popular culture, and education. Contributors include Russell J. Bodi (Owens State Community College), Christie Carson (Royal Holloway University of London), Brandon Christopher (University of Winnipeg), Antoni Cimolino (Stratford Festival), Jacob Claflin (College of Eastern Idaho), Lauren Eriks Cline (University of Michigan), David B. Goldstein (York University), Gina Hausknecht (Coe College), Peter Holland (University of Notre Dame), R.W. Jones (University of Texas), Christina Luckyj (Dalhousie University), Julia Reinhard Lupton (University of California, Irvine), Linda McJannet (Bentley University), Roderick H. McKeown (University of Toronto), Hayley O'Malley (University of Michigan), Amrita Sen (University of Calcutta), Eric Spencer (The College of Idaho), Lisa S. Starks (University of South Florida St Petersburg), and Jeffrey R. Wilson (Harvard University).
Shakespeare's Dog
by Rick ChafeLiving in a wild world full of unpredictable creatures—beasts, beggars, witch hunters, and actors—William's family must find a way to cope with their changing Elizabethan world. With four legs, a keen eye, and a sharp tongue, Hooker, Shakespeare's dog, tells the story of how the Stratford rogue became the world's most famous playwright. Based on the novel by Leon Rooke, Shakespeare's Dog tells the tale of the Bard's life from a unique perspective, showing that in the Elizabethan era, lust, love, and lives collide, and it is anyone's guess who is top dog.
Shakespeare's Nigga
by Joseph Jomo PierreShakespeare holds the fate of several black slaves in his hands. Among them are the rebellious Aaron and the obedient Othello, who each have complicated relationships with Shakespeare's daughter, Judith. But a vital secret remains hidden that could untangle complex familial ties and change the course of their history.
Shakespeare's Will
by Vern ThiessenAn exploration of one of the most silent characters in history: Anne Hathaway, the wife of William Shakespeare. The play sheds light on unexplored aspects of Hathaway's life by looking through the eyes and heart of the woman who spent a lifetime with—and without—the great poet. This work is the celebration of a life unbowed by tragedy and unapologetic in the face of public scorn.
Shorelines
by Mishka LavigneA small military-occupied community sits, waiting, parched of natural water while nearby levees hold the rising global shoreline. Seventeen-year-old twins Alix and Evan pass the time in an empty, abandoned pool with what they are able to scavenge from the abandoned houses, while government official Portia returns to familiar places, her past colliding with the present. The planned evacuation notice that eventually reaches all cities has finally come, but the twins learn that survival is not guaranteed. As they rush to reach their grandmother, a retired journalist now living with dementia, her snippets of memories flow like humanity’s record player, skipping tracks before the final flood.A non-linear poetic play that acts like a postcard from the future, Shorelines is about family and community in a world ravaged by climate change. It also speaks to the inevitable inequality of disaster response and how poorer communities are disproportionately affected by it. Mishka Lavigne’s message within her lyrical piece is urgent and multi-dimensional: it is a reminder that all things are connected and hope can only lie in the relationships we form with the people around us.
A Short History of Night
by John MightonA Short History of Night charts the strange origins of contemporary science through two of the Renaissance's most unusual figures—mercurial, ambitious Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe and meticulous, idealistic geometrician and Christian mystic Johannes Kepler. As religious wars and witch hunts rage outside the castle walls, an unlikely band of alchemists and astrologers vie to unlock the secrets of the cosmos. Based loosely on the life of sixteenth-century astronomer, astrologer, and mathematician Johannes Kepler, the play draws disturbing parallels between medieval and modern thought.
Silence: Mabel and Alexander Graham Bell
by Trina DaviesIt only takes one spark of love to change the world forever. Mabel Hubbard Bell was a strong, self-assured woman—bright, passionate, and a complete original. Despite a near-fatal case of childhood scarlet fever that cost her the ability to hear, she learned to talk and lip-read in multiple languages. At nineteen, she married a young inventor named Alexander Graham Bell and became the most significant influence in his life. This is Mabel's story, offering the unique perspective of a woman whose remarkable life was forever connected to her famous, distracted husband. From inspiring invention to promoting public service, Mabel and Alec challenged each other to become strong forces for good. Silence is a beautiful and true love story about how we communicate.
Simone, Half and Half
by Christine RodriguezFourteen-year-old Simone is caught between cultures: Canadian, Québécois, and Trinidadian. She’s also torn between friends and the projects they want her to take part in. Her best friend Sarah wants them to compete in the talent show with a dance routine, but her new friend Jay has introduced her to the Black History and Culture Committee’s activism and its organizer, tenth-grader Vanessa. Though Sarah represents the comfort of what she knew growing up, Jay and Vanessa offer Simone an opportunity to get to know part of herself that she hasn’t explored yet. As pressure mounts on seeing both projects through, her friendships start to feel the strain and her loyalties are tested. Can Simone find the courage to stand up for what she believes in? Will her friends accept the choices she makes? And will she finally learn to be more comfortable with herself? Simone, Half and Half is a touching story about finding one’s place between identities and communities.
Sinners
by Norm FosterA furniture store owner is having an affair with the local minister's wife. The situation becomes complicated when the minister comes home unexpectedly. An intricate web of deceit is hilariously exposed as the police, members of the parish and the women's auxiliary all get involved.
Skin Flick
by Norm FosterMiddle-aged couple Daphne and Rollie and their friend Alex have found themselves out of work and out of luck. So when they come across a mistakenly rented X-rated movie, they get the idea to make their own porno film for some quick cash. The only problem is none of them want to star in it themselves. As if on cue, Jill, a birthday telegram messenger, accidentally arrives on their doorstep and their cast is set.
Skin & Liars
by Dennis FoonSkin introduces us to a group of Canadian teenagers who are coming of age in the late 1980s. Faced with racial discrimination, Phiroza, Jennifer, and Tuan must navigate the choppy waters of high school, each confronting his or her own set of challenges. Ranging from academic difficulties, to budding relationships, to the trials of adapting to a foreign language and culture, the three share their stories of struggle, survival, and defiance of negative expectations and racist attitudes. Lenny is at the top of her class. Jace seemingly couldn't care less. By all appearances these two classmates are polar opposites, but despite all their differences they are inexplicably drawn towards one another. When it is revealed that each has been trying to hide the same dark secret—that they share a home with an alcoholic parent—each decides to take action and confront the demon they call "Mom" or "Dad."
So Many Doors
by Celia McbrideIn a support group for bereaved parents, Shayla, Lyle, Linee, and Jed each fight their personal demons in the search for life after the death of one's child. Set in the vast and remote landscape of Whitehorse, Yukon, playwright Celia McBride plunges into these characters' painful struggle to find a voice for their grief.
Soliciting Temptation
by Erin ShieldsIn a sweaty hotel room, a lonely businessman and a young woman meet for sex. Somewhere between reality and fantasy, the sex becomes talk and the talk becomes dangerous. Nothing is off limits in this battle of morality, economics and desire. This witty, dark and sexually charged new play by Governor General's Award–winner Erin Shields shines a light on the complexities of sex tourism and our preconceptions about love.
Someone Else
by Kristen ThomsonLately Cathy, a middle-aged comedian, has found very little to laugh about. Everything seems either tragic or frustrating, especially her eighteen-year marriage to Peter, a doctor at a local community clinic. Their list of complaints about one another grows day by day, and their teenage daughter is rarely anything but a handful. Despite a once solid and happy marriage, the couple has hit a snag that even counselling can't repair. While Cathy falls further into a creative slump, Peter starts to fall for April, a troubled young patient who helps him open up. The two are unrecognizable to each other and themselves, and as they navigate middle age they push each other further apart. Can they negotiate their changing relationship and learn to be comfortable with who they've become?
Sound of the Beast
by Donna-Michelle St. Bernard"Compassion is good, but it’s just motivation. Cars need engines. Movements need mobilization." Through spoken word, storytelling and hip hop, acclaimed wordsmith Donna-Michelle St. Bernard illuminates racial discrimination, the suppression of expression and the trials of activism. Her experience as a Canadian emcee is woven through with allusion to Tunisian emcee Weld El 15’s unjust imprisonment for rhymes against a regime. This story creates a space to reflect on how we are connected to the systems that oppress us, and how we can empower each other to rise up.