NS2023 Dead Parents Society Program

neXt stage

Dead Parents Society: A Dark Sketch Comedy Revue

Photo by Roya DelSol

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 Director

Land 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 Foundation

NEW 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.

DEAD PARENTS SOCIETY: A DARK SKETCH COMEDY REVUE

Created By: Shohana Sharmin Sicilia

Director: Kirsten Rasmussen

Stage Manager: Sophi Murias

FEATURING

Anne Mcmaster

King Chiu

Shohana Sharmin Sicilia

SHOHANA SHARMIN SICILIA, CREATOR

Shohana Sharmin Sicilia (she/her) is a Bangladeshi-born comedian, writer, theatre artist, and cat mom now based in Toronto, Canada.

Shohana is a proud Muslim queer woman of colour. She is a current cast member of the Second City Toronto’s National Touring Company. Shohana is a recipient of the 2020 Queer Emerging Artist Award at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. She has performed in comedy and theatre festivals across North America with her award-winning troupe Not Oasis (2017 The Toronto Fringe Patrons Pick, NOW Critic’s Pick). She presented her first solo show, Come Here Often? (directed by Carly Heffernan, The Second City), in October 2022. Her writing has been published in CBC First Person, The Vault magazine, Broadview magazine, and Living Hyphen magazine among others. She is an alumna of the Buddies in Bad Times Emerging Creators Unit, Nightwood Theatre’s Young Innovators, bcurrent theatre’s bcHUB, Bad Dog Comedy Theatre’s Featured Players, and the Second City’s Improv and Longform Conservatories. She loves talking about grief in all available formats and is thus also the creator and host of the podcast “Finders Grievers.” She wishes she could be more like her mother. Making a comedy show about grief is probably the most terrifyingly unhinged idea Shohana has ever had (and she once briefly ran away from home to get an illegal nose piercing so unhinged ideas are kind of her forte). Thank you for being here with us and being willing to jump headfirst into a pool of darkness to find the light. Come on in, the water’s fine.

KIRSTEN RASMUSSEN, DIRECTOR

Kirsten Rasmussen (she/her) is an actor/writer/comedian and peanut sauce enthusiast living in Toronto, Ontario. If you want to see Kirsten on your TV screen you can find her screaming her guts out in Band Ladies on Highball TV and throwing curveballs in Slo Pitch Seasons 1 and 2 on Out TV and IFC. Her other credits include Schitt’s Creek, TallBoyz, BitPlayas, Odd Squad, The Bea-verton, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Dino Dana, and a tiny but dignified masked role in Mrs. America. Kirsten has written on The Snoopy Show for Apple Plus and This Hour Has 22 Minutes on CBC. Kirsten has won three Canadian Comedy Awards for her work as a live comedian and sketch director. She is an alumni of The Second City Toronto’s Mainstage Company where she wrote and starred in three shows and in their hit feminist revue called She The People. She directed the latest mainstage show, The Skyline’s The Limit. Kirsten directs sketch for solo artists and groups in Toronto, most nota-bly directing the Canadian Comedy Awarded Extravaganza Eleganza, an all Queer sketch revue. Kirsten has toured

this country, the one below, the high seas, down under, and Germany performing sketch, improvisation, and stand-up. You can follow her @ kikirazzle on Twitter and Kirsten Rasmussen on Youtube.

ANNE MCMASTER, ENSEMBLE

Anne McMaster (she/her) is a comedian, writer and actor. She has per-formed across Canada and the US with her award-winning sketch troupe Not Oasis. Anne is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory Program, an alumnae of Bad Dog’s Featured Players, and an instructor at the Second City Training Centre. Previously Anne has performed with comedy troupes in Montreal, Calgary, and Dubai (it’s a long story). Anne founded the Montreal Improv Festival and was awarded a Calgary 2012 grant for her show An Improvised History of Calgary

Since that THING in 2020, she became a sailor and has been spotted racing classics in the Caribbean (it’s also a long story). Anne is a mom to Henri and really likes him. Thank you for coming tonight. This one is for you, Dad. @sheikamcmaster

KING CHIU, ENSEMBLE

King Chiu (he/him) is a Toronto-based taxpayer. He has performed with his home troupe Not Oasis in Chicago, Ottawa, Philadelphia, Seattle, and at the top of the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel that one time. He was part of the Canadian Comedy Award-winning revue, A Sketch Comedy Extravaganza Eleganza, where he played a gay. In his spare time, he can be found avoiding Animal Crossing villagers because he just doesn’t want to discuss his absence anymore. He would like to give special boops on the noses to Carolyne, Jackie, and YOU, for being here today.

SOPHI MURIAS, STAGE MANAGER

Sophi Murias (she/her) is a stage manager, actor, and multi-purpose thea-tre artist originally from Calgary, AB. She holds a theatre degree from the University of Victoria (2021). Sophi works mostly in TYA and comedy, and loves wacky theatre of all sorts. In the summer you can find her in an inter-active, immersive show on a pirate ship in the Toronto Harbour (Pirate Life Theatre). The rest of the time, she is working on various theatrical projects throughout the city. Sophi is a frequent stage manager at the Second City Toronto, where she understudies Mainstage and Touring Company produc-tions, as well as running student shows. Other recent stage management credits include: UNFURL (Toronto Fringe), Choir Boy (Canadian Stage), Russell’s World (YPT). @sophi_murias

SYNOPSIS: Dead Parents Society is a dark sketch comedy revue created by a group of comedians who each lost a parent at a young age. Grief connects us to the most basic truth about humanityeveryone will experience loss in their lifetime. But the experience of navigating grief, in a society that teaches us to put our sadness away, taught us that the aftermath of tragedy can be funny AF. Directed by Canadian comedy award-winning director Kirsten Rasmussen, this is a show about love and loss with equal parts heart and humour.

THANK YOU to the Toronto Fringe, Carolyne Das, Jackie Twomey, Damien Nelson, Jennifer Ashleigh Lloyd, Ayaka Kinugawa, Cameron Wyllie, and Alex Bondesen for their support in making this show possible.

CONTENT WARNING: This show deals with difficult topics such as death and grieving. We ask that you take care of yourself first. There are active listen-ers available at the venue who may be able to support. Additionally, below are some available resources:

Distress Centre: If you are in crisis, please call (416) 408-4357

Bereaved Families of Ontario – Toronto: a local charitable organization that seeks to inspire hope and transformation in people who are grieving the death of a loved one. They offer weekly support groups for those on their grief journey. Find out more at www.bfotoronto.ca

The Mindfulness Clinic: offers Grief Counseling Treatment with certified pro-fessional therapists. Find out more at www.themindfulnessclinic.ca/issues/grief-counselling

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.

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 Arts

TORONTO 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

The Mary-Margaret Webb Foundation The JB Doherty Family Foundation

The Michael and Sonja Koerner Charitable Foundation