Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Young People’s Theatre (YPT) is proud to present a powerful new play by Nomanzland: KNOWN TO POLICE, developed in partnership with YPT and presented on the Mainstage from June 15 to 17, 2012.
Residents from Toronto’s most notorious intersection find themselves backed into a dystopian corner by ‘the man’. Armed with art, a conscience and the echoes of Arab Spring, they must decide whether to run, hide, stand their ground or come out fighting. KNOWN TO POLICE is a celebration of the vibrancy, resilience and swag of a community that finds itself on the wrong side of society’s “you are either with us or against us” speech.
Directed by Mark Cassidy, KNOWN TO POLICE features members of Nomanzland, including Maryama Ahmed, Yasmin Ali, Shinnika Carpenter, Ramone Davis, Kobe J, Soen Mi Jang, Abdinasir Mohamed, Anike Nicholson-Webster, Steven Salguero, Khadiija Sayaadi, Sashoya Simpson, Maazia Taitt, Joel Taylor and Andrae Walsh with Set & Costume Design by Jung Hye Kim and Stage Management by Kate Sandeson.
ABOUT NOMANZLAND: Nomanzland is a collective that brings together youth from different artistic backgrounds to create work that represents the struggle of marginalized and oppressed people all over the world. Originally established in 2003 under the name CAST, Nomanzland has evolved over the years, using poetry, rap and theatre to address issues that burden today's youth. It strives to provide an opportunity for reclamation - of both personal voice and local space. Nomanzland is based at the West-Side Arts Hub (Jane & Finch). All artists, community members and youth (14+) are welcome.
Young People’s Theatre has been working with Nomanzland since 2008, offering professional mentorship, networking and skill-building opportunities to the group. It provides a unique and valuable meeting place where professional theatre, the Urban Arts and community-building collide, allowing many divergent artistic streams to meet, cross and debate. With the guidance of YPT’s Community Participation Coordinator, Nomanzland has consistently gone from strength to strength throughout this period, providing a youth-driven artistic platform for more than 150 young people with over 120 small and medium-scale productions created to date – most recently, This Wasn’t Meant to Be No Sad Story.
KNOWN TO POLICE is supported by Toronto Public Health through the Drug Prevention Community Investment Fund. Access to some Education & Participation programs at YPT is funded in part by a generous donation from Ada Slaight.
KNOWN TO POLICE
Created by Nomanzland | Directed by Mark Cassidy
MAINSTAGE | JUNE 15 TO 17, 2012
Performances: Fri. June 15 @ 1pm & 7pm (opening) | Sat. June 16 @ 7pm | Sun. June 17 @ 2pm
RECOMMENDED FOR AGES 14 & up | ADVISORY: strong language
LOCATION: Young People’s Theatre | 165 Front Street East, Toronto |
ADMISSION: FREE
Box Office: 416.862.2222 | For more information visit youngpeoplestheatre.ca.
Photo: Young People’s Theatre. ©2011 Mark Seow.
2012-05-08
Toronto: Young People’s Theatre presents a new play by Nomanzland – “Known to Police” – June 15-17