Stage Door News
Stage Door News
TORONTO, ON (April 25, 2013): Column 13 Actors Company is proud to announce it will present the Canadian premiere of Stephen Adly Guirgis' critically acclaimed play The Little Flower of East Orange on May 13, 2013 at Parkdale’s Unit 102 Theatre Studio. It will be performed in repertory with John Patrick Shanley’s The Dreamer Examines his Pillow. The plays will begin previewing May 12th, running from May 15th-26th, on a rotating schedule.
First produced at New York's Public Theater in the spring of 2008 featuring Ellen Burstyn, Michael Shannon and directed by Philip Seymour Hoffman, The Little Flower of East Orange is an urban and unconventional family drama from Stephen Adly Guirgis – author of such plays as Jesus Hopped the A-Train, In Arabia We’d All Be Kings and the recently Tony-nominated The Motherfucker With the Hat. Little Flower is Guirgis' most personal and autobiographical, written both before and after the death of his Mother.
The production marks the directorial debut of veteran Canadian Actor Jason Blicker, best known for his role of Herschie on the TV series "State of Grace" and countless film and television credits. Meghan McNicoll appears as the aging, deteriorating Little Flower, and founding Column 13 member Brandon Thomas portrays her Prodgial Son of sorts, who also narrates the story. A cast of rich, unforgettable characters is rounded out by Jonah Allison, Chemika Bennett-Heath, Angela Hanes, Kaumil Manzoor, Stephen MacDonald, Zach Smadu, Brendon Smith, and Vanessa Trenton. It is stage managed by Marvin Araneta.
Synopsis: Hallucinations. Memories. A shattered past. The prodigal son. Aging, infirm Therese Marie is suffering from hypothermia and shock as she’s wheeled into a Bronx hospital. As the days clatter past and her condition worsens, no one seems to know her story or how to find her family until her long-absent son, Danny – recently out of rehab – materializes suddenly and insists on making her confront the ugly secrets of her past. Within these layers of memory runs a mystery story of sorts.
The Little Flower of East Orange plays in repertory with Dreamer Examines his Pillow by John Patrick Shanley (a writer much admired by Guirgis) on a rotating schedule at Unit 102. Tickets are $15 at the box office.
Column 13 Actors Company (www.column13.org) is a diverse, actor based company who wish to tell relevant stories using a raw and honest approach. The ensemble believes in THEATRE NOW; that its work should be immediate to the society in which we live. Through the creation of new, as well as existing works, Column 13 strives to use theatre as a means to challenge and incite the human spirit.
Unit 102 Theatre Studio is located at 376 Dufferin Street, Toronto, ON M6K 1Z8. Tickets are available through Column 13 at 416-536-0048, or through email at info@column13.org.
LITTLE FLOWER OF EAST ORANGE
Show Dates and Times:
Preview: Monday, May 13 8:00pm
Opening: Wednesday, May 15 8:00pm
Friday, May 17 8:00pm
Saturday, May 18 8:00pm
Sunday, May 19 2:00pm
Tuesday, May 21 8:00pm
Thursday, May 23 8:00pm
Saturday, May 25 2:00pm
DREAMER EXAMINES HIS PILLOW
Show Dates and Times:
Preview: Sunday, May 12 - 2:00pm
Opening: Tuesday, May 14 - 8:00pm
Thursday, May 16 - 8:00pm
Saturday, May 18 - 2:00pm
Monday, May 20 - 8:00pm
Wednesday, May 22 - 8:00pm
Friday, May 24 - 8:00pm
Saturday, May 25 - 8:00pm
Photo: Stephen Adly Guirgis. ©2011
2013-04-29
Toronto: Column 13 to premiere Stephen Adly Guirgis’s play “The Little Flower of East Orange” May 13