WELCOME TO THE 2023 NEXT STAGE FESTIVAL.
Thank you for being here at Buddies in Bad Times for Next Stage 2023. If this is your first show of the festival, I hope it won’t be your last. We have six companies joining us this year, all offering something unique and wonderful, and we would love for you to see as much as possible. We have not had an in-person Next Stage Theatre Festival since January 2020, so it is glorious to be back. This festival is very important to the ecosystem of theatre and performance in this city and beyond, offering a showcase for artists and an opportunity for audiences to see what’s new and exciting in our sector.
As always, I will use this opportunity to ask you to donate to the Toronto Fringe. If you can, please support us as we continue to navigate these choppy waters. Despite having a wildly successful Toronto Fringe Festival this past July where we returned $500,000 to artists, we are still struggling financially. With decreased funding and increased costs, it is harder and harder to plan for the future of this organization. Your help will go a long way in providing sustainability for us and for the artists we support.
Thank you and Happy Next Stage!
Lucy Eveleigh Executive DirectorLand Acknowledgement
Toronto Fringe acknowledges that our festival occupies spaces in the city known as Toronto, on lands and waterways that have known human activity for thousands of years. It has been the territory of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy of Six Nations, and more recently is also the territory of Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit, who are part of the Anishinaabe Nation. We acknowledge our privilege to stand on this land, our responsibility to uphold truth, and our shared stewardship of our home and each other. To all the people of Turtle Island, chi miigwetch.
FUNDERS PARTNERS
The McLean Smits Family FoundationNEW YOUNG REVIEWERS
The New Young Reviewers Program, supported by the Jon Kaplan Legacy Fund, is a workshop series and writing group for emerging theatre and performance reviewers Canada-wide. The cohort of writers for this festival consists of Melissa Avalos, Columbia Roy, and Zoe Marin, facilitated by Signy Lynch and Stephanie Fung. Their reviews of Next Stage shows can be found online at Intermission Magazine at www.intermissionmagazine.ca.
ABOUT THE JON KAPLAN LEGACY FUND
For over three decades, beloved theatre reviewer Jon Kaplan wrote about and celebrated Toronto theatre. He was a strong supporter of young artists and diverse voices. Following his death in 2017, the Jon Kaplan Legacy Fund was created to provide recognition and financial support for theatre makers at all stages of their careers.
ACTIVE LISTENERS
Active Listeners will be available for audience members at Next Stage each day of the festival. Active listeners are there to provide compassionate, empathetic, and confidential support during or following a performance. Additional mental health resources can be provided if requested. Learn more at fringetoronto.com/accessibility/access-measures
This program is funded by the Community Services Recovery Fund, through the Canadian Red Cross. Now more than ever, community service organizations like the Toronto Fringe play a key role in addressing complex social problems faced by many communities across Canada. We are grateful for the support.
neXt stage
BREMEN TOWN A RURAL FOLK TRAGEDY WITH HUMOUR
Writer & Director: Gregory Prest*
Composer: Tatjana Cornij
Stage Manager: Arwen MacDonell*
Lighting Designer: Logan Raju Cracknell
Costume Designer: Nancy Anne Perrin
Fight Director: Jeremy Hutton
Magic Consultant: Peter Fernandes**
Publicist: Katie Saunoris
Graphic Designer & Marketing Coordinator: Aaron Hastelow
Producer: Paolo Santalucia
CAST
Vogel: Tatjana Cornij
Herr Hund: Oliver Dennis*
Young Actor 1: Simon Gagnon*
Young Actor 3: Farhang Ghajar*
Frau Henne: Deborah Grover*
Young Actor 2: Veronica Hortiguela*
Frau Esel: Nancy Palk*
Herr Katze: William Webster*
*appearing courtesy of CAEA
**participation made possible through the Philip Akin Black Shoulders Legacy Award
The Bremen Town team gratefully acknowledges the original storytellers of this land: the Haudenosaunee, the Wendat, and the Anishinaabe, including the Mississaugas of the Credit, and all other caretakers, recorded and unrecorded, documented and undocumented.
“A Fairy Tale…speaks to the very heart and soul of the child. It admits to the child what so many parents and teachers spend hours trying to cover or avoid. [It] confirms what the child has been thinking all along –that it is a cold, cruel world out there and it’s waiting to eat them alive.” -
Jim TreleasePLAYWRIGHT THANK YOUS: The following actors have participated in workshops, readings, and various iterations of Bremen Town: Ghazal Azarbad, Dalal Badr, Walter Borden, Raquel Duffy, Izad Etemadi, Sophia Fabiilli, Katherine Gauthier, Diana Leblanc, Xavier Lopez, Diego Matamoros, Alex McCooeye, Eric Peterson, Sabryn Rock, Paolo Santalucia, Hallie Seline, Deivan Steele, and Sarah Wilson. Past collaborators: Laura Baxter, Todd Campbell, Douglas Fansom, Jareth Li, Andi Trithardt.
I am forever indebted to their talent, generosity, and input.
Dramaturgical support was provided by Paula Wing and Kimberly Colburn with consultation from Weyni Mengesha and Guillermo Verdecchia.
Bremen Town was originally commissioned and developed by Soulpepper.
This project has been encouraged in many ways through the support and kindness of Donald and Gretchen Ross, Vanessa Morgan, Kelly McEvenue, Damien Atkins, Weyni Mengesha, Alan Dilworth, Laura McLeod, Chris Scholey, Tania Senewiratne, Lisa Li, Ken MacKenzie, Bojan Elez, Annie Clark, Lisa Nighswander, Geoff Hughes, and Mary Rella.
AFTER STAGE WITH TENT
This show has created special programming with the support of the 2023 TENT (Theatre Entrepreneurs’ Network & Training) Program participants, in order to enhance your experience of the production. Check out fringetoronto.com/next-stage/community-programming for full details.
Fairy tales are “fragments of ancient faith whose purpose was to awaken the feelings of the human heart.”
- Wilhelm Grimm“George Stroumboulopoulos: You don’t believe in a God, I guess, if there’s nothing after life?
June Callwood: I believe in kindness. I think it’s very communicable, just as meanness is. But even more so, more powerful. Strangers hold doors for one another in the downtown area. Always, almost always. And sometimes they say thank you and sometimes they don’t, but there’s something in us that says, if I hold this door, it helps this other person, and that person comes through the door is a little bit changed, tiny tiny shift…in the plates that someone held a door for me instead of it shutting. Great consideration for one another – that’s what’s going to save the world.”
INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN MEDIA, THEATRE OR DANCE?
Dance
COMMERCIAL DANCE
Our Programs: Media
DANCE PERFORMANCE PREPARATION
DANCE PERFORMANCE
MEDIA ACTING – GRADUATE INTENSIVE MEDIA FOUNDATION
ACTING FOR MEDIA
VIDEO DESIGN & PRODUCTION
SCREENWRITING & NARRATIVE DESIGN
SOUND DESIGN & PRODUCTION
VISUAL EFFECTS
Theatre
THEATRE ARTS – PERFORMANCE
THEATRE ARTS – PREPARATION
George Brown College School of Media and Performing ArtsTORONTO FRINGE
MISSION
The Toronto Fringe is a platform for everyone to access, discover, and experiment with the arts. By valuing creative experiences, we contribute to a healthy arts economy and, ultimately, a thriving society.
VALUES
ACCESS – in every sense of the word
ACCOUNTABILITY – we work with integrity and respect
CREATIVITY – freedom of expression permeates everything we do EXPLORATION – we let curiosity be our guide
SUPPORT – empowering you to take a chance
FESTIVAL PEOPLE
Executive Director Lucy Eveleigh
Managing Director Laura Paduch
Communications Manager Tessa Cernik
Projects & Operations Manager Kevin Yue
Associate Producer Suzanne Wilkie
Metcalf Executive Management Intern* Lucy McPhee
Publicist Damien Nelson, Want & Able Arts Consulting
Next Stage Content Coordinator Oliver Pitschner
Festival Production Manager Caitlin Farley
Festival Technical Coordinator Anthony Allan
Volunteer Coordinator Ellen Reade
Community Support Coordinator Jules Vodarek Hunter
Accessibility Coordinators The Disability Collective - Ali Hand, Emily Maxwell, Nathan Sartore
TENT Program Director Tanya Rintoul
New Young Reviewers Facilitators Signy Lynch, Stephanie Fung
Finance Coordinator Scratch Anderson
Web Developer Tom Dearden
Eventotron Developer Chris Perkin
Brochure & Graphic Design Trajectory Brands Inc.
*With Support from the Metcalf Foundation.
NEXT STAGE 2023 SELECTION COMMITTEE
Lucy Eveleigh, Laura Paduch, Daniel Carter, Derrick Chua, Amanda Lin
OUR
BOARD
Chair Jason Murray
Vice Chair Kate Supleve
Treasurer Garth Sheriff
Secretary Boyd Neil
Directors Nicole Biros-Bolton, Roger Dunbar, Ian Filderman, Cynthia Foo, Dr. Cindy Gouveia, Nancy Konopinsky, Prerna Mathews, Jayan McPherson, Chuck Okonkwo, Miquelon Rodriguez, Denise Ruzage, Sherry Yuan Hunter
SPECIAL THANKS McWood Studios, Luminato Festival Toronto, Dancemakers, the staff of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS
We are so grateful to the following listed and to EVERYONE who has donated to the Toronto Fringe. We continue to rely on your generosity and we want you to know that when you donate to the Fringe and to Next Stage your money goes far. Since we return 100% of box office revenue to artists in the Toronto Fringe Festival and 70% to artists in the Next Stage Theatre Festival, your donation helps us to support them. If you want to join this list of incredible people, please reach out to Executive Director Lucy Eveleigh at lucy@fringetoronto.com.
$10,000+
Neville Austin
B Street Collaborative
$5,000–9,999
Anonymous
Cindy Blakely
Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation
IATSE LOCAL 58
McLean Smits Family Foundation
Douglas Steiner & Jasmine Herlt
Tony Cesaroni Family Foundation
Junek Velodromes
Scott Windsor
$2,500–4,499
Anonymous
Joan Jamieson
Robert Sherrin
Heidi Stock, Aspiring Canadian Writers Inc.
Darlene Varaleau
$1,000–2,499
Anonymous
Byron Bellows
The Benjamin Foundation –in memory of Julie Rae King
Doug Ewart & Judith Keene
Lisa Feld
Ian Filderman
Sherry Yuan Hunter
Jason Murray
Perry Orestes
Leanne Rapley
Garth Sheriff, Sheriff Consulting
Stendel Family Foundation
Zukerman Family Foundation
$500–999
Anonymous
David Atkinson & Sarah Joy Bennett
Efrim Boritz
Roger Dunbar
Bryan Eaton
Anne Fleming
Andrew Gillespie
Richard Gotlib
Oi Yan Gouveia
Randy Hesp
Elizabeth Howson
Nancy Konopinsky
Leah Lambert
Lisa Lambert
Gabriel Mansour
Prerna Mathews
Jayan McPherson
William Milne
Susan Moellers
Boyd Neil
Chuck Okonkwo
The Paul Butler and Chris Black Foundation
Barry Peters
Charlotte Ryan
Spencer Saunders
Dianne Saxe
Kelly Straughan
Kate Supleve
$250–499
Susan Anderson
Pat Anweiler
Nicole Arends
Gideon Arthurs
Linda Barghoorn
Jeannie Baxter
The Baxter Agency
Nicole Biros-Bolton
Andrei Borissenko
Brian F Curran
Iris Gershon
Jenny Ginder
John Goddard
Sania Hameed
Shelley Hobbs, dedicated to those who are brave enough to put on a show
Happy Fiets Canada
Steve Fisher
Sandra Fleischer
Raymond Hickman
Jennifer Hollett
Andrew Johnston
Birthe Jorgensen
Barry Joslin
Johnson Lai
Susan Leclaire
Marcel Martel
David Nairn
Paul Nash, dedicated to Carol Farkas
Shivani Nathoo
Milton O’Brodovich
Personal Tax Advisors
Karen Reid
Miquelon Rodriguez
Angela Rudden
Norman Seli
Matt Shoom-Kirsch
Maureen Simpson
William Tallon
Steve Welch
W Bruce Wither
Claire Wynveen
$150-249
Marlowe Ain
Ruth Albertyn
Harry Arthurs
Amanda Barker
Kathryn Ball
Gregory Beneteau
Bonnie Bereskin
Sarah Brooks
Leora & Mauricio Chiprut
Laura Clark
Gail & Richard Cooper
Dan Copeland
Michael Crump, dedicated to Duncan Green
Peter Cuff
Sarah Dale-Harris
Eileen de Villa
Miriam Diamond
Leah Dietrich
Sholem Dolgoy
Robert Duchnicky
David Eden
Lucy Eveleigh
Joyce Feinberg
Sam Festino
Barbara Fingerote
Karen Fricker
Jody Garriques
Randy Goldman
Kath Hammond
Celia Harte
Ray Hogg
Robyn Hoja
Ruth Hull
Lena Hurzook
Donna Hutchins
Calvin Johansson, remembering
Valerie Lawson, long time Fringe supporter
Henriette Katz
Gordon Phillip King
Carol Kobel
Jury Krytiuk
Paul Kuypers
Steven Lico
Lisette Lu
Chuck McEwen
Eddy Morassutti
Noel Mowat
Gayle Owler
Anna Pace
Leo Petrazickis
Joan & Bill Rajala
Patrick Robinson
Roseneath Theatre
Cyn Rozeboom
Mark Russom
Kathleen Ryan
Patti Ryan
Nadine Sandercock
Pam Seran
Hank Shannon
Christopher Stanton
Kenn Taylor
Bryant Thompson
Martha Tobe
Brent Vickar
Donna Walsh
Martin Richard Wasserman
Nathalie Younglai
This list represents people who donated $150 or more from September 1, 2022 to September 20, 2023. A special thanks to all who donated this year! Every amount makes a difference.
HOW DO YOU “FRINGE”?
“To Fringe” is a verb meaning to support the indie arts community, engage with theatre and the performing arts, and value cultural experiences.
FRINGE AS AN ARTIST:
Applications are opening at the end of October for the 2024 Toronto Fringe Festival lottery! For more information visit fringetoronto.com/get-involved/artists/fringe
FRINGE AS A VOLUNTEER:
The Fringe has a very active community of over 400 volunteers. Find more information at fringetoronto.com/get-involved/volunteer
FRINGE AS A PARTNER:
We are actively seeking new sponsors and partnerships for the upcoming year to support our year-round and festival programming. fringetoronto.com/get-involved/partner
FRINGE AS A DONOR:
Help ensure the survival of the Toronto Fringe and show your support of creativity. Give now at fringetoronto.com/donate