Stage Door News
Stage Door News
TORONTO (April 16, 2013) – Luminato Festival announced today that Ronnie Burkett, playwright and puppeteer extraordinaire, will present a world premiere presentation of THE DAISY THEATRE as part of the 7th Annual Luminato Festival.
Inspired by the illegal underground “daisy” puppet shows of Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia, and the beginnings of cabaret at the famed Le Chat Noir in Paris, THE DAISY THEATRE blends nightly improvisation, variety acts, music, monologues and morality tales, plus new short playlets by ten Canadian playwrights written for a resident company of over 30 marionettes. Playwrights include Ronnie Burkett, Daniel MacIvor, Brad Fraser, Joan MacLeod, Anusree Roy, Damien Atkins, Chris Craddock, Karen Hines, Amy Lee Lavoie, and David Yee.
A talking cow, a faded vamp, a wistful fairy and the most beloved and befuddled prairie farm wife in Canada are a few of the outrageous characters in Ronnie Burkett’s new show, THE DAISY THEATRE.
Each performance will be different, daring, ridiculous and on the edge in the hands of renowned puppeteer and provocateur Burkett. No two performances of THE DAISY THEATRE will be the same.
Canada's foremost artist in puppet theatre, Ronnie Burkett has been credited with creating some of the world's most elaborate and controversial puppetry. Burkett has received numerous awards in Canadian theatre as a playwright, actor and designer for his work with his Theatre of Marionettes, these include the 2009 Siminovitch Prize in Theatre, a Village Voice OBIE Award in New York for Off-Broadway Theatre, and four Citations of Excellence in the Art of Puppetry from the American Center of the Union Internationale de la Marionnette.
Burkett has been captivated by puppetry since the age of seven when he opened the World Book Encyclopedia to the entry for “puppets.” He began touring his puppet shows around his home province of Alberta when he was 14 and has been on the road ever since.
“I saw Ronnie Burkett’s work a bit over a year ago just after I moved to Toronto, and was blown away by his artistic integrity, genius and subversion. I contacted him immediately and asked what we could do together. It was a wonderful meeting,” enthused Jorn Weisbrodt, Artistic Director, Luminato Festival. “After 45 minutes he asked how he could pitch an idea to Luminato Festival and I replied that I had been pitching to him! The only thing I am saddened by is that I will not be able to attend every performance of THE DAISY THEATRE and watch as Ronnie evolves the characters and storyline, improvises, attacks and rejoices. Like a tiger in the circus, Ronnie’s performances are majestic, touching, sublime, thrilling and dangerous.”
THE DAISY THEATRE
CREATED AND PERFORMED BY RONNIE BURKETT
World Premiere
Friday, June 14 - Sunday, June 23, 2013
Nightly at 9:30PM
Berkeley Street Theatre, Downstairs, 26 Berkeley Street,
Tickets are $25 and $35 (includes HST and facility fee; plus applicable service charges)
Purchase online at luminatofestival.com or by phone at 416-368-4TIX (4849)
THE DAISY THEATRE is a co-commission of the Luminato Festival and the Center for the Art of Performance at UCLA (Los Angeles) and is made possible with support from The McLean Foundation.
Produced in association with Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes (Toronto).
This production includes mature content. Suitable for audiences 14+.
The seventh annual Luminato Festival takes place from June 14–23, 2013. Tickets for all Luminato Festival 2013 programs will be available for sale beginning Saturday, April 20. For details, visit luminatofestival.com.
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Illustration: Poster for The Daisy Theatre. ©2013 Citadel Theatre.
2013-04-16
Toronto: Luminato will present the world premiere of Ronnie Burkett’s “The Daisy Theatre” June 14-23