Fringe News
Fringe News
Toronto (SummerWorks): She's 17. She'll do anything to save--and live--her life. Her teacher wants to help her but knows there are things he can't do. And her mother thought she knew the things her daughter shouldn't do, but now wants to know more.
Starting with an encounter between a young immigrant girl and her history teacher, Dark Locks explores the questions raised by recent cases of "honour killing". The play approaches the subject through the figure of Simon, a Montreal teacher who, as he recalls his encounters with his student Sadaf and her mother, Zara, finds himself forced to question and rediscover his own history.
The play is the latest collaboration between playwright Richard Sanger and director Mary Francis Moore, the team responsible for last year's Summerworks hit, Hannah's Turn (about Hannah Arendt and Martin Heidegger). Dark Locks features Dora-winning Shaw actor Gord Rand as Simon, Genie and Gemini award-winning star Arsinée Khanjian as Zara, and, as her rebellious daughter Sadaf, the professional début of 18 year old Ashley Jagga
Set by Joe Pagnan, lighting by Gareth Crew and sound by John Gzowski.
ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES:
Richard Sanger's plays include Not Spain and Two Words for Snow, both finalists for the Governor-General’s Literary Awards, and translations of Lorca and Lope de Vega. He has also published two collections of poetry, Shadow Cabinet and Calling Home, as well as many essays and reviews. Last year, three of his plays premiered: Dive (Canstage New Ideas Festival), Hannah’s Turn (Summerworks) and Whispering Pines (GCTC); earlier this year, Grannie Didn’t Go to Florida, his adaptation of a Flannery O’Connor short story, was featured in the Cooking Fire Festival at Dufferin Grove Park.
Mary Francis Moore is a writer, director and actor. Favourite acting credits include WHERE’S MY MONEY, ONE GOOD MARRIAGE and THE CATERING QUEEN for which she was nominated for the Dora award for Outstanding Performance. Moore was also nominated for the Dora Award for outstanding direction of Maja Ardal’s YOU FANCY YOURSELF. Her production of YOU FANCY YOURSELF has played across Canada and the UK and was named one of the hits of the 2009 Edinburgh Festival. She is the director of Ardal’s critically acclaimed sequel THE CURE FOR EVERYTHING which recently headlined The California International Theatre Festival in Los Angeles. Moore is the co-writer and performer of the smash hit play BITTERGIRL which has toured across Canada as well as New York and London’s West End. She is also the co-writer of the Penguin publication BITTERGIRL: GETTING OVER GETTING DUMPED. BITTERGIRL the play is currently being developed into a musical in association with the Banff Centre For The Arts.
Ashley Jagga is an 18 year old recent graduate of the Cawthra Park Secondary School Theatre Program. Her participation in a take of Daniel McIvor’s “A Beautiful View” within the 2012 SEARS Festival sparked her interest in pursuing theatre in her future. She is set to attend McMaster University in the fall and could not be more excited to work on her first professional show, Dark Locks. She wants to remind her parents not to freak out and that she loves them dearly and to thank Mary Francis Moore, her ‘Mère’, for this awesome opportunity.
Genie and Gemini Award-winning actor Arsinée Khanjian has worked with distinguished Canadian and international filmmakers. Khanjian has also acted extensively in theatre in both Canada and Europe, and was nominated for a Dora Award for Judith Thompson’s PALACE OF THE END. She played the title role in ANDROMACHE as part of the Luminato Festival, 2011. Early 2012, Khanjian starred in CRUEL AND TENDER for Canadian Stage. She was a member of the Cinéfondation and Short Film Jury at this year’s Cannes International Film Festival. Khanjian received the 2005 Crystal Award for Creative Excellence from Women in Film and Television. In a recent poll conducted by SLATE Magazine, which analyzed review scores from the influential ‘Rotten Tomatoes’ film website – Khanjian was voted Best Actress, according to international critical response to her body of work.
Gord Rand has acted on stages around the world, from San Francisco to Rwanda, including 8 seasons at The Shaw Festival – Christy Mahon in The Playboy of the Western World, Petya in The Cherry Orchard (among others). Most recently, he appeared in Brendan Gall’s Wide Awake Hearts at the Tarragon Theatre, and performed the title role in Necessary Angel’s Hamlet (World Stage). Also appeared at Stratford, The American Conservatory Theater, The Factory, Arts Azimut in Rwanda and The Royal Alex – where he won a Dora Award for his portrayal of a naked Ukranian plutonium dealer. He is the Dora nominated playwright of Pond Life, Orgy In the Lighthouse and The Trial of Thumbelina. He appears on the big and little screen in The Triumph of Dingus McGraw, Everest, Mayerthorpe, Heartland, Durham County, Death Comes to Town, Sue Thomas FBEye, The Exit, The Republic of Doyle, and is RSM Kelly in the hit series Combat Hospital. He is presently directing a documentary about Volcano’s tour of Goodness to Rwanda (www.goodnessinrwanda.com) and he is the other half of the comedy duo The Trophy Wives.
DARK LOCKS
Performances at Lower Ossington Theatre, 100A Ossington Avenue (north of Queen):
Friday, August 10 10:00 PM
Sunday, August 12 2:30 PM
Tuesday, August 14 5:00 PM
Thursday, August 16 7:30 PM
Saturday, August 18 2:30 PM
Sunday, August 19 7:30 PM
SummerWorks, August 9-19
SummerWorks Box Office Information: On-line sales http://summerworks.ca.
By phone: 416-915-6747; Ticket cost: $15.00
Photo: Love is a Poverty You Can Sell ©2010 Scarlet O’Neill.
2012-07-30
Dark Locks