Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Nightwood Theatre continues its 2013/14 season with the English-language premiere of The Carousel by Governor General Award-winning playwright Jennifer Tremblay at Berkeley Street Theatre, Downstairs from March 11 to 30, 2014. The sequel to The List, in The Carousel the same unnamed woman faces the imminent death of her mother and must make the journey home to confront her past. Acclaimed for her poetic mastery of language, Tremblay structures the play as rides on a carousel, peeling away the layers of familial guilt and fierce love that bind three generations of women. The Carousel is directed by Megan Follows in her directorial debut and features the incomparable Allegra Fulton, reprising her role from Nightwood Theatre’s smash-hit production of The List.
Several years after The List, the woman rushes to the bedside of her dying mother. As she sits vigil, her mind journeys in many directions, exploring unanswered questions from the past about her grandmother, mother, and herself. Her quest for truth brings to light the inextricable links between mothers and daughters: “The mother’s fate is her daughter’s past. The daughter’s fate is her mother’s future.” As mother/daughter/lover/wife, the woman grapples with her own identity, which has been ruptured by her recent infidelity.
Tremblay states “It seemed to me that The List, a work born of a mind, a memory, of suffering that was organized, measured, dissected, analyzed, studied, categorized, should be followed by the beating of a heart in love. In The Carousel I wanted to hear the pulsing of flesh that was deeply alive.” The List was translated into five languages,and has been presented in eight countries around the world. The world premiere of Le Carrousel took place in January 2014 at Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui in Montreal.
The Carousel stars seasoned film, theatre and television veteran, Allegra Fulton (Frida K). Director Megan Follows, last seen in Nightwood Theatre’s Dora-Award winning production of The Penelopiad and currently starring in the CW network’s television series, REIGN, has assembled an impressive creative team for this premiere, including set, projection and costume designer Denyse Karn, lighting designer Kim Purtell, sound designer Thomas Ryder Payne and stage manager Melissa Rood.
The Carousel
By Jennifer Tremblay, translated by Shelley Tepperman
Previews March 11-12, opening (media) night March 13
Regular performances March 14-30
Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley Street
Directed by Megan Follows
Starring Allegra Fulton
Set/Costume/Projection Design: Denyse Karn, Lighting Design: Kim Purtell, Sound Design: Thomas Ryder Payne, StageManager: Melissa Rood, Assistant Director: Kelly Straughan
Performance times:
Tuesday to Saturday at 8:00 pm
Saturday and Sunday at 2:00 pm
Preview tickets are $25-$39
Regular tickets are $25-$45
All tickets are available through the Berkeley Street Theatre box office at 416-368-3110 or online at nightwoodtheatre.net.
ABOUT NIGHTWOOD THEATRE
Led by Artistic Director Kelly Thornton and Managing Director Denyse Karn, Nightwood Theatre forges creative alliances among women artists from diverse backgrounds in order to develop and produce innovative Canadian theatre. We produce original Canadian plays and works from the contemporary international repertoire, advocate for women, provide a training ground for emerging talent and engage artists in play development and theatre production. We strive to make theatre that is relevant, awakens a new perspective, and promotes empathy and a deeper connection to our humanity.
Photo: Allegra Fulton. ©2014.
2014-02-13
Toronto: Nightwood Theatre presents the English-language premiere of "The Carousel" March 11-30