Beyond the Box has a pretty wide reach this month! There’s so much great theatre happening not only in other parts of the province, but in Quebec as well. If any of these are local to you, make sure you check them out and let me know what you thought!
All That Is Between – Tiger Princess Dance Projects
The central proposition of the work is the exploration of the tensions, strengths and paradoxes between disorder (wordless story in bodies) and connections (power of collective identity). My curiosity around the power of collective identity and collective isolation – what lies under or within our container. All that is between explores how comfort is physicalized at individual and institutional levels. There are notes of religious ritual in the movement, gestures that have been deconstructed, rebuilt then upended that brush through the audience like familiar shadows. Raw responses to loneliness and isolation and the solace we find in the familiar on our own or in congress with others.
September 12 – 14
Aki Studio Theatre – 585 Dundas St E
Izad Etemadi: Let Me Explain
Izad Etemadi: Let Me Explain is the comedy special we all so desperately need. Let Me Explain showcases Izad sharing his own stories about being a gay Iranian-Canadian whose name no one can pronounce and who has really cornered the market on ‘role’ diversity with all those terrorist auditions he had to go to.
September 26 – 29
The Theatre Centre – 1115 Queen St. W
Izad Etemadi: Let Me Explain – The Theatre Centre
RUTAS International Performing Arts Festival – Aluna Theatre
Dreaming a better world that we can build together is the driving force behind the works presenting at RUTAS. In these inspiring performances, national and international artists chart their own paths through themes of family, displacement, privilege, women’s labour, and the body as a map of resistance.
The festival kicks off with a dance theatre piece WILMA from Mexico’s Porta Teatro (September 26-29), the Fringe show by emerging local artist Mercedes Clunie, GRINGAS, will have a staged reading on the 28th, and Indigenous multi-media artist Rihkee Strapp is premiering a new immersive installation, KEEOUKAYWIN, on the 28th.
The following week, REMININISCENCIA from acclaimed Chilean theatre artist Malicho Vaca Valenzuela runs October 3 -5, dance theatre piece ROSA from Indigenous Mexican Canadian artist Carlos Rivera runs October 4-5, Documents Perform from New York City Players in collaboration with Aluna takes the stage October 1st, and the installation Sandwich Board Hall from Columbian Canadian artist Lorena Torres Loaiza is open for viewing October 3rd – 5th.
September 26 – October 6
Week 1: Factory Theatre Mainspace – 125 Bathurst St.
Week 2: Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace – 16 Ryerson Ave
Appointment with Death – Scarborough Theatre Guild
Assorted travellers find themselves thrown together on an expedition to the rose red city of Petra. At the centre of the group are Mrs. Boynton and her three stepchildren who never leave her side. This apparent devotion however is actually a façade for something far more sinister. The children struggle to free themselves from the grasp of a tyrannical woman. This chilling play offers a unique twist on the usual murder mystery.
September 13 – 28
Scarborough Village Theatre – 3600 Kingston Road, Scarborough
APPOINTMENT WITH DEATH (godaddysites.com)
Fab Four Tribute Concert and Labyrinth: In Concert – Living Arts Centre
Get ready, Mississauga! The Living Arts Centre (LAC) is thrilled to kick off a spectacular season of live performances!
On September 28, 2024—Prepare to be transported back in time as The Fab Four takes the stage! An event exclusive to the GTA, this ultimate Beatles tribute band delivers uncanny, note-for-note renditions of The Beatles’ classics, making you feel like you’re rocking out with John, Paul, George, and Ringo all over again.
On September 29, 2024—Experience Jim Henson’s beloved masterpiece, Labyrinth, reimagined with the Canadian Premiere of Jim Henson’s Labyrinth: In Concert. Enjoy the entire film as a live band performs alongside David Bowie’s iconic vocals, bringing the timeless songs and enchanting score to life in a mesmerizing fusion of film and live music.
September 28 and 29
Living Arts Centre – 4141 Living Arts Drive, Mississauga
Living Arts Centre – Arts and culture (mississauga.ca)
Why It’s imPossible – Kingston Grand Theatre
Beth is struggling to stay afloat as a single parent, a working professional, and the 45-year-old resident of her mother’s basement. As her child explores their gender, Beth confronts her idea of what a ‘good mom’ looks like, balancing the urge to protect her child with the desire to support her kid as their authentic self. Why It’s imPossible explores the complex relationship between mother and child, life’s transitions, and parenting in precarious times.
September 19 – 29
Kingston Grand Theatre, Baby Grand Theatre – 218 Princess Street, Kingston
Why It’s imPossible | Kingston Grand Theatre
How to Survive in the Wild – Persephone Productions
How to Survive in the Wild is the English-language premiere of Jean-Philippe Baril Guérard’s acclaimed Manuel de la vie sauvage. Now onstage in English at the Segal Centre Studio from September 13-29, 2024, How to Survive in the Wild takes on the universe of tech start-ups and the cut-throat choices required for survival in this dog-eat-dog world. A social satire with an unexpected twist, the play invites audiences in to witness the creation of an app with existentially dangerous repercussions: an AI chatbot that allows us to communicate with the dead, through the digital trace they leave behind. A riveting, humour-filled and searingly current story, How to Survive in the Wild might just be your ticket to your own success.
September 13 – 29
Segal Centre for the Performing Arts – 5170 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal
How to Survive in the Wild | Segal Centre
Sakura – After Chekhov – Centaur Theatre
Set against the vibrant backdrop of contemporary Quebec, Sakura – After Chekhov tells the poignant tale of an aristocratic family grappling with the impending sale of their cherished estate, including an orchard full of memories, to alleviate growing financial burdens. Standjofski’s adaptation skillfully preserves the heart of Chekhov’s original while infusing it with fresh, modern elements that resonate with today’s audiences. The play explores heritage, loss, and the relentless passage of time, blending humor with heartfelt introspection.
The show features a stellar cast of local talent, including Deena Aziz, Ravyn R. Bekh, Stefanie Buxton, Marcel Jeannin, Marc-Antoine Kelertas, Howard Rosenstein, and Paul Van Dyck.
September 17 – October 6
Centaur 1, Centaur Theatre – 453 St. Francois-Xavier, Montreal
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