24.25 Season Brochure

Welcome

Dear friends,

We are thrilled to unveil Canadian Stage’s 24.25 season.

On the heels of yet another terrific season of critical and audience acclaim, our 38th year is a season of contemporary and classical shows that bring people and ideas together in the way that only theatre can.

Theatre asks us all to be active participants in the experience, both on and off the stage, inviting audiences on a journey beyond the ordinary. It's an embodied art form, breathing life into stories, evoking empathy, and sparking discussion and ideas. Through this interaction - in real time and space - theatre connects us and enriches our understanding of the human experience, making it truly extraordinary.

As you leaf through these pages, you will discover a treasure of storiessome familiar, some new - brought to life for you by hundreds of brilliant Canadian artists. These artists themselves are treasures, essential players in our collective and multi-faceted tapestry of Canadian culture. We hope that you will relish their talents and artistry as much as we do.

Please join us for one, two or all of these incredible pieces of theatre. Don’t forget: subscribers get big discounts and perks, including the first chance to purchase the best seats in the house!

See you in the theatre,

Brendan Healy Artistic Director

Monica Esteves Executive Director

The Inheritance Rehearsal. Photo: Dahlia Katz

Canadian Stage has four homes spread across our great city. The Bluma Appel and the Berkeley Street Complex bookend the vibrant St. Lawrence Market Neighbourhood and run along what was once the shore of Lake Ontario. Our beautiful High Park Amphitheatre is nestled within the grassy mounds and forests of our city’s most beloved park. Our most recent addition, the Winter Garden Theatre, is located right in the bustling downtown core. Canadian Stage is grateful to be able to tell our stories on this bountiful land that we all share.

This sacred land has held story for thousands of years: stories that live in the fabric of who we are as a nation. Canadian Stage would like to acknowledge and thank the original caretakers and knowledge keepers of this territory: the Anishinaabe Nations (including the Mississaugas of the Credit), the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the Wendat and Métis Nations. We give thanks to the Nations recorded and unrecorded, acknowledged and unacknowledged, who also share the responsibility for this territory. We honour the Dish With One Spoon Treaty and our responsibility to peaceably share and care for the resources that surround us. We are honoured to be in this meeting place called Tkaronto that many First Nations, Inuit and Métis people from across Turtle Island call home.

Julia Tribe,

Bonnie Beecher

Dream in High Park

Hamlet

by William Shakespeare

Subscribers receive complimentary tickets to Dream in High Park on subscriber night!

Over 40 years of Shakespeare under the stars

One of the country’s longest-running and most beloved theatre traditions — Toronto Star

Dive into the electrifying world of Shakespeare's timeless masterpiece, helmed by Jessica Carmichael (Stratford, Shaw, Blyth) with a fantastic ensemble of players. Set amidst the tumultuous backdrop of political intrigue and familial betrayal, this iconic tale follows the tormented Prince of Denmark as he grapples with existential questions of life, death, and revenge.

Exceptional storytelling and an idyllic escape from the clamour of city life — Intermission Magazine

July 21 –

September 1, 2024

High Park Amphitheatre

A Canadian Stage Production

Lead Corporate Sponsor

Foundation Support

Jessica Carmichael Director

James Dallas Smith Ghost

Beck Lloyd Ophelia

Raquel Duffy Gertrude

Dan Mousseau Laertes

Stephen JackmanTorkoff Horatio

Qasim Khan Hamlet

Prince Amponsah Bernardo

Diego Matamoros Claudius

Christo Graham Guildenstern

Amelia Sargisson Rosencrantz

Sam Khalilieh Polonius

Breton Lalama Marcellus

“Our remedies oft in ourselves do lie.”

All's Well that Ends Well

A moving and powerful must-see play — Broadway World

Anticipating a visit by King George VI, an English teacher at a fictional Residential School in Northern Ontario enlists her students in a production of All’s Well That Ends Well. But her rigid ideas of how Shakespeare should be performed are challenged as news spreads, audience expectations abound and her Indigenous students start finding parallels between themselves and the characters in the play, setting out to make Shakespeare’s bittersweet comedy defiantly their own.

Initially produced at the Stratford Festival in 2022, 1939 was born of both family legacy and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action and has been guided by Indigenous Elders, Survivors, and ceremony throughout its development.

Toronto Premiere

September 15 –

October 6, 2024

Marilyn and Charles Baillie Theatre

A Canadian Stage and Belfry Theatre joint production in association with The Stratford Festival

Thank you to performance underwriters Huw Evans & Kathryn Bird, M. Fainer, and the Remembering Otto and Marie Pick Charitable Foundation for their support of 1939

The first production in our 24.25 season is underwritten by Sandra Simpson in recognition of her generous gift to Canadian Stage's Transformation Campaign. A gripping tale of heart and humanity — Stratford Today

Jani Lauzon Director

Richard Comeau Joseph Summers

Merewyn Comeau Evelyne Rice

Nathan Howe Father Callum Williams

Cheyenne Scott Beth Summers

John Wamsley Jean Delorme

Catherine Fitch Sian Ap Dafydd

Amanda Lisman Madge Macbeth

Brefny Caribou Susan Blackbird

Kaitlyn Riordan Co-Creator

John Wamsley, Brefny Caribou, Richard Comeau. Photo: Lorne Bridgman

By Jani Lauzon and Kaitlyn Riordan

Barton Lucy My Name is

By

Maev Beaty. Photo: Lorne Bridgman

Elizabeth Strout | Adapted by Rona Munro

The bestselling novel, brought to life on stage

A story full of mysterious resonances — The Guardian

Lucy Barton wakes after an operation to discover – much to her surprise – her mother at the foot of her bed. They haven’t seen each other in years. During their days-long visit, Lucy contemplates her desperate rural childhood, her adult life in New York, and the state of her relationships as both a daughter and a mother. Starring renowned Canadian actor Maev Beaty, and directed by former Shaw Festival Artistic Director Jackie Maxwell, this striking one-woman show rings breathlessly true.

This haunting adaptation of New York Times bestselling author Elizabeth Strout's beloved novel has mesmerized audiences on Broadway and in the West End.

Tremendously affecting... This delicate memory piece resonates with the soaring vitality of a fully lived-in present — The Hollywood Reporter

When Lucy says, with a satisfaction that’s bigger than happiness, that “all life amazes me,” we feel exactly what she means — New York Times

NYT Critics' Pick

Canadian Premiere

Based on the novel by Pulitzer Prize-Winning author of Olive Kitteridge

October 18 –

November 3, 2024

Bluma Appel Theatre

A Canadian Stage Production

Underwritten by Ian & Kiki Delaney and by the Sabourin Family Foundation

The 24.25 Bluma Appel Theatre Season is underwritten by John & Nancy Embry

Jackie Maxwell Director Maev Beaty Lucy Barton

Saul Rubinek’s triumphant return to the stage

Dangerous, daring, and provocative

— The Vancouver Courier

A production of The Merchant of Venice is cancelled mid-performance after public outcries about the play. The actor playing Shylock delivers a candid and passionate appeal about identity, public discourse, and the theatre.

Saul Rubinek, beloved Canadian television and film veteran (Wall Street, Unforgiven, Barney's Version, The Family Man, Frasier) began his illustrious career in Ontario. He began performing at the Stratford Festival in 1969 and, in 1972, was a key artist in the very first season of the brand-new "Toronto Free Theatre" which would later become Canadian Stage. Saul returns to Berkeley Street with this quick-witted and poignant play about cultural fractures and a life on the stage.

Better call Saul Rubinek, man of a hundred stories

— The Globe & Mail

Intelligent, provocative, powerful

— Winnipeg Free Press

October 26 –

November 17, 2024

Marilyn and Charles Baillie Theatre

A Canadian Stage Production in association with Starvox Productions

Underwritten by The William and Nona Heaslip Foundation

Martin Kinch Director Saul Rubinek Saul

World Premiere

Playing Shylock

Saul Rubinek. Photo: Jeff Lorch

All Wizard Oz of The

Photo: Lorne Bridgman

The beloved Toronto holiday tradition returns

It's difficult to overstate the impact the Ross Petty panto has had on Toronto's theatrical landscape — Toronto Star

Big news: the revival of the holiday panto extravaganza is here! Following in the illustrious footsteps of Ross Petty's iconic 25-year tradition, Canadian Stage proudly steps up to lead the next chapter of larger-than-life holiday pantomimes for the enjoyment of Toronto audiences of all ages.

Prepare yourselves for an irreverent twist on the timeless tale of The Wizard of Oz. Audiences of all ages will embark on a whimsical journey alongside Dorothy and her beloved companions as they navigate the fantastical landscapes of Oz, brimming with laughter, toe-tapping music, and mischievous antics.

We're not in Kansas anymore: this new addition to the season sees Canadian Stage's foray into the historic Winter Garden Theatre.

Topical humour, unscripted comedy, high-energy pop songs, contemporary choreography, and audience participation... all add up for silly, infectious, family entertainment — Intermission Magazine

World Premiere

16 Dora Nominations for Petty's Pantos!

December 6, 2024

– January 5, 2025

Winter Garden Theatre

Written by Matt Murray

Based on the novel by L. Frank Baum

A Canadian Stage Production in association with the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatres

Sponsored in part by Polar Asset Management Partners

Subscribers hold the golden key with exclusive early access to panto tickets!

Ross Petty Executive Producer Emeritus

Ted Dykstra Director

Dan Chameroy Plumbum

An insidious encounter with an unexpected guest

Radical, transfixing — The Guardian

It’s Christmas Eve and Bettina’s mother is staying for the holidays. Tensions rise between Bettina, her husband, and her mother –heightened by the presence of a man her mother met on the train and invited around for drinks. Family dynamics, betrayal, and the inescapable shadow of the past reverberate through this rapid and razor-sharp satire on the rise of the new right.

Winter Solstice is a comedy of manners with a bite. Starring Canadian legends Diego Matamoros and Nancy Palk, this thrilling play issues a warning: beware the sincere stranger.

A witty, incisive, and ultimately chilling drama

— The Standard

Devastatingly funny — What’s On Stage

A timely satire — VARIETY

English-Language Canadian Premiere

January 14 –

February 2, 2025

Marilyn and Charles Baillie Theatre

A Necessary Angel Theatre Company production in association with Canadian Stage and Birdland Theatre.

Necessary Angel Season Sponsor

Necessary Angel Lead Season Support

Diane Blake & Stephen Smith

Alan Dilworth Director Diego Matamoros Rudolph

Nancy Palk Corinna

Winter Solstice

By Roland Schimmelpfennig

Translated by David Tushingham

Diego Matamoros. Photo: Dahlia Katz.

Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

(L to R) Paul Gross, Martha Burns, Hailey Gillis, Mac Fyfe. Photo: Lorne Bridgman

A timeless and twisted portrayal of married life

Among the 3 best plays of all time — Time Out

Late one night, after a university faculty soirée, George and Martha welcome a younger couple into their home. As the alcohol flows and dawn approaches, the young couple are drawn into George and Martha’s toxic games until the evening reaches its climax in a moment of devastating truth-telling.

Directed by Artistic Director Brendan Healy, this is an unmissable revival with an ensemble of Canada's best: real-life acting couples

Paul Gross & Martha Burns and Mac Fyfe & Hailey Gillis take the stage together in this bruising, no-holds-barred drama.

This riveting play endures as a powerful commentary on society, solidifying its status as one of the best scripts of the last century.

A brilliantly original work of art - an excoriating theatrical experience, surging with shocks of recognition and dramatic fire — Newsweek

It is the most relentlessly loud, unremittingly fierce of 20th-century dramas. Its succulent insults and semaphoring action make it a showcase for actors. Almost dangerously — The Guardian

Tony Award Winner, Best Play

NY Drama Critics' Circle Award, Best Play

January 18 –

February 2, 2025

Bluma Appel Theatre

A Canadian Stage Production

Underwritten by Elaine Kierans & Shawn McReynolds and by Trina McQueen, O.C.

The 24.25 season at the Bluma Appel Theatre is underwritten by John & Nancy Embry

Brendan Healy Director

Hailey Gillis Honey

Mac Fyfe Nick

Martha Burns

Martha

Paul Gross George

A bold and hilarious reimagining of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy

Hot and sizzling... A raucous flat-out hilarious comedy... Fat Ham is a revelation. — The New York Times

After a ghostly visit from his recently deceased father, Juicy must throw a cookout to celebrate his mother’s remarriage to his late father’s brother. Striking an eerie resemblance to that classic tale, Juicy must grapple with familial tensions, a quest for justice, and his own identity as he determines his next move. Fat Ham infuses Shakespeare’s Hamlet with laugh-out-loud humour, heart, and a soundtrack that will have everyone moving.

Cheeky, clever... Newly minted Pulitzer Prize winner James Ijames turns the revenge play on its proverbial ear — New York Stage Review

Winner of the 2022

Pulitzer Prize for Drama

Canadian Premiere

Nominated for 5 Tony Awards including Best Play

February 15 –

March 9, 2025

Marilyn and Charles Baillie Theatre

A Canadian Stage Production

Underwritten by Jim Lawrence & David Salak and by Paul Maranger & Robert Brown

Tawiah M’Carthy Larry

Philip Akin Director

Raven Dauda Tedra

Tony Ofori Tio

David Alan Anderson Rev / Pap

Nehassaiu deGannes Rabby

Peter Fernandes Juicy Virgilia Griffith Opal

FAT HAM

Peter Fernandes.

Photo: Lorne Bridgman

Mahabharata Part 1

Munish Sharma in Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata (Shaw Festival, 2023). Set Design: Lorenzo Savoini, Costume Design: Gillian Gallow, Lighting Design: Kevin Lamotte, Projection Design: Hana S. Kim, with Associate Projection Designer Ann Slote. Photo: David Cooper

An epic for the ages

An extraordinarily dazzling piece of theatre — The Telegraph

Part One:

Karma: The Life We Inherit

Created and Written by Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes, using poetry from Carole Satyamurti’s Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling

Mahabharata is a contemporary take on a Sanskrit epic that is more than four thousand years old and foundational to South Asian culture. This gripping story of a family feud is an exploration of profound philosophical and spiritual ideas. A visually stunning spectacle presented in two parts, Mahabharata takes audiences on a journey through the past in order to write a thrilling new future.

Exploring themes of storytelling, ecocide, and dharma (empathy), Part 1 begins Mahabharata's epic journey that asks, "How can one end the spiral of revenge when everyone believes they are right and their opponents wrong?"

A triumphant success — Toronto Star

A stunning world-premiere — Globe and Mail

Ravi Jain Director Miriam Fernandes Co-Creator

April 8 – 19, 2025

Bluma Appel Theatre

A Why Not Theatre Production presented by Canadian Stage with Why Not Theatre

Underwritten by:

David W. Binet - Lead

Alexandra Baillie - Supporting

The 24.25 season at the Bluma Appel Theatre is underwritten by John & Nancy Embry

Mahabharata was created with the support of the National Arts Centre's National Creation Fund and The Slaight Family Foundation

Originally commissioned and presented by the Shaw Festival. In association with Barbican, London

Toronto Premiere

A visually stunning spectacle

Magisterial in its own right, meticulous and dazzling

— The Guardian

Part Two:

Dharma: The Life

We Choose

Created and Written by Ravi Jain and Miriam Fernandes, using poetry from Carole Satyamurti’s Mahabharata: A Modern Retelling

Continuing the story from Part 1 and interrogating themes of justice and revenge, Part 2 includes a 15-minute Sanskrit opera adaptation of the Bhagavad Gita (The Song of God), which is the most famous chapter of the Mahabharata epic.

Originally produced at the Shaw Festival in 2022, Mahabharata was met with great acclaim. Canadian Stage is thrilled to be bringing this achievement to Toronto audiences for the first time.

Epic in every sense of the word

— Intermission Magazine

A bold and beautiful endeavour

— The Times London

a dazzling distillation of a millennia-old epic

— The Telegraph

April 11 – 20, 2025

Bluma Appel Theatre

A Why Not Theatre Production presented by Canadian Stage with Why Not Theatre

Underwritten by:

David W. Binet - Lead

Alexandra Baillie - Supporting

The 24.25 season at the Bluma Appel Theatre is underwritten by John & Nancy Embry

Mahabharata was created with the support of the National Arts Centre's National Creation Fund and The Slaight Family Foundation

Originally commissioned and presented by the Shaw Festival. In association with Barbican, London Toronto Premiere

Mahabharata Part 2

Meher Pavri, Neil D'Souza in Why Not Theatre’s Mahabharata (Shaw Festival, 2023). Set Design: Lorenzo Savoini, Costume Design: Gillian Gallow, Lighting Design: Kevin Lamotte, Projection Design: Hana S. Kim, with Associate Projection Designer Ann Slote. Photo: David Cooper

Your seats are waiting

Canadian Stage subscribers have first access to Toronto's best theatre.

Subscribe today and enjoy incredible performances all season.

We thank our subscribers by offering maximum perks and flexibility –and, of course, access to amazing shows and artists. Subscribe and enjoy these benefits:

• Get the best seats

• Save money on tickets

• Access special events

• Complimentary drinks at the Berkeley Street Theatre Bar

• Restaurant Partner discount card

• Free ticket exchanges

• Exclusive special offers and more!

If you want to see top-drawer theatre performed by gifted actors, you owe it to yourself to visit Canadian Stage. Everything is fresh, new and cutting edge.

I come back for the production value, for the highest quality acting in Canada, if not North America, and for intimate theatres.

Paul and Leslie Donovan, Canadian Stage Subscribers

Why our Subscribers love Canadian Stage

Subscribe — Full Season

Don’t miss a single moment with Season Tickets.

Join the exclusive group of subscribers who can reserve their favourite seats season after season.

With our curated Season Tickets package, you’ll get to claim your spot at all nine of the incredible shows in our subscriber series.

How it works:

• Select your series of dates

• Select your preferred ticket type (A+, A, B, or C)

• Enjoy all 9 shows in the 24.25 season in your preferred seat at the best rate

Season Ticket Benefits

Pre-sale access to the best tickets

Save up to 35% on tickets with your subscriber discount

Discounts and perks from our local Restaurant Partners

Exclusive subscriber events

Save on additional tickets with your subscriber discount

30% off at the Berkeley Street Theatre Bar

8 Drink Vouchers at the Berkeley Street Theatre Bar for the 24.25 Season

Complimentary tickets for Hamlet on Subscriber Night at Dream in High Park

Exchange with no fees*

Claim your seat – renewable into next season

*Exchanges available to another performance of the same production with 24 hours notice, based on availability. Upgrade charges may apply.

Subscribe — Build Your Own

Build a subscription with your selection of 8, 6, or 4 shows.

For the ultimate flexibility paired with great pricing, you can Build Your Own Subscription with the shows and dates that work best for you.

How it works:

• Select your preferred shows

• Select your preferred dates

• Select your preferred ticket type (A+, A, B, or C)

*Exchanges available to another performance of the same production with 24 hours notice, based on availability. Upgrade charges may apply.

Early bird savings in effect until May 24

Save an extra 5% when you buy your subscriptions by May 24. Reserve the best seats in the house and guarantee your access to our Subscription Series.

Photo by Juliana Feng

Locations

Berkeley Street Complex

Bluma Appel Theatre

Winter Garden Theatre

26 Berkeley Street

• Tickets for all performances can be purchased here

Box Office Hours

• Monday – Friday: 12pm – 5pm or until showtime

• Saturday: Two hours prior to showtime (performance days only)

• Sunday: Two hours prior to showtime (performance days only)

27 Front Street East

• Will call is available two hours prior to showtime

189 Yonge Street

• Will call is available two hours prior to showtime

Here is a list of the closest public parking in all 3 neighbourhoods:

Berkeley Street Complex:

• 323 Richmond St E

• 70 Distillery Lane

• 100 Cooperage St

• 31A Parliament St

Bluma Appel Theatre:

• 2 Church St

• 40 York St Winter Garden Theatre:

• 220 Yonge St

• 42 Richmond St E

• 30 Adelaide St E

Join the Canadian

Your support allows Canadian Stage to continue its work as a civic institution connecting hundreds of thousands of audiences with a diverse array of brilliant Canadian theatre-makers, while advancing the art form through ambitious approaches to creation and artist development.

Canadian Stage is a registered charity and offers tax receipts for all donations of $20 or more.

Charitable registration number 11922 0028 RR0001

Canadian Stage Family! Become a Member Today

Memberships start at $75 per year and include exclusive benefits*, such as:

• Invitations to special events including dress rehearsals, receptions, dinners and behind-the-scenes chats with artists

• Bring a Friend Deal on tickets

• Complimentary drinks at the Berkeley Street Theatre Bar

• Access to the private donor lounge at the Bluma Appel Theatre

*Benefits available at different giving levels. For the full list of benefits and list of special events offered in 24.25, please visit www.canadianstage.com/support-us/donor-benefits

To make a donation, scan the QR code or contact us directly.

Donate@canadianstage.com or 416-367-8243 x275

Cast of Fall On Your Knees. Set Design: Camellia Koo, Costume Design: Judith Bowden, Lighting Designer: Leigh Ann Vardy. Photo: Dahlia Katz

January 2025

Thank you to our 24.25 Season Supporters

Season Sponsor

Bluma Appel Season Underwriter

John & Nancy Embry

Dream in High Park

Lead Corporate Sponsor

Alexandra Baillie

Elaine Kierans & Shawn McReynolds

Education & Community Outreach Lead Donor

Marilyn & Charles Baillie Family Foundation

Foundation Support

Production Underwriters & Sponsors

David W. Binet

New Work Development Lead Donor

Fabio Mascarin Foundation

Ian & Kiki Delaney

Paul Maranger & Robert Brown

Pay-What-You-Wish Access Sponsor

Foundation Supporters

William and Nona Heaslip Foundation

Trina McQueen, O.C.

Emerging Artists Support

Marion Armstrong Charitable Foundation Kingfisher Foundation

The Joan and Clifford Hatch Foundation

City Builders Principal Member

Henry White Kinnear Foundation

Hotel Sponsor

Government Support

Otto & Marie Pick Charitable Foundation