It’s a new year and there is TONS of great theatre on the horizon! I’m so excited for what’s coming up this month and I hope you’ll be able to get out to a few shows too!
As usual, I’ll be keeping this post up to date as I get word about more productions and it’ll be available on my Linktree all month!
The Canadian Premiere of MARTYR, an ARC Production
ARC theatre company announced its first show of 2023: the Canadian premiere of MARTYR by Marius von Mayenburg (translated by Maja Zade), directed by Co-Artistic Producer Rob Kempson. This provocative play by one of Germany’s most prominent playwrights questions the nature of community, and weighs the human systems of family and education against the pull and promise of faith. MARTYR will run at the Aki Studio Theatre, Daniel’s Spectrum, from January 13 to 29, 2023. Opening night is January 14.
Benjamin won’t swim at school. His mum thinks he’s on drugs or has body issues. But Benjamin has found God, and mixed-gender swimming lessons offend him. But that’s not where his newfound fervour ends. His conflicts only grow as his devotion deepens, causing issues at school, and at home with his family. MARTYR asks questions about the boundaries of faith in a secular society.
Dates & Times: January 13 to 29, 2023. Opening night is January 14. 8:00 p.m. (Tuesday-Saturday) & 2:00 p.m. (Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday)
Venue: Aki Studio Theatre 585 Dundas St E, Toronto, ON M5A 2B7
Ticket Link: https://www.nativeearth.ca/shows/martyr/
Fifteen Dogs at Crow’s Theatre
Is it possible to die happy?
That is the question the gods Hermes and Apollo ponder over a beer at the Wheatsheaf Tavern in Toronto. They make a bet, grant 15 dogs human consciousness, and watch from above as the pups discover the poetry and the pitfalls of complex thought and emotion.
In this modern-day fable of fate, faith, love, and language, the pack must reckon with morality and mortality and the profound relationships they share with humans.
Dates &Times: January 10th – February 5th, 2023. Opening night is January 13, 7:30 pm evening shows and 1:30pm matinees.
Venue: Guloien Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue Toronto, Ontario M4M 2T1
Ticket Link : Fifteen Dogs (crowstheatre.com)
Fall On Your Knees at Canadian Stage
Based on the novel by Ann-Marie MacDonald and adapted for the stage by Hannah Moscovitch and Alisa Palmer (co-created and Written by Hannah Moscovitch, co-created and Directed by Alisa Palmer) with music supervision and composition by Sean Mayes, this powerful creative team is joined by an exemplary cast to bring the work to life, including Tim Campbell, Janelle Cooper, Diane Flacks, Eva Foote, Deborah Hay, Samantha Hill, Drew Moore, Tony Ofori, Cara Rebecca, Maryem Tollar, Amaka Umeh, Dakota Jamal Wellman, Jenny L Wright, and Antoine Yared.
A sweeping work of historical fiction, FALL ON YOUR KNEES chronicles three generations of Cape Breton Island’s Piper family. The story moves from the battlefields of the First World War to the emerging jazz scene in Harlem, NY, and into the lives of four unforgettable sisters.
Dates &Times: Part 1: Jan 20 – Feb 4. Part 2 : Jan 22 – Feb 5.
Venue: Bluma Appel Theatre at 27 Front Street East.
Ticket Link : 22.23 Season / Canadian Stage
A View from the Box 