Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto. ON - A World Premiere & WorldPride 2014 Affiliate Event! A Toronto audience favourite receives a fresh take for the eyes of the world: TRUTH/DARE: A Satire, created by Salvatore Antonio and Adamo Ruggiero, takes over The Citadel in Toronto for five performances during World Pride Week: with shows on Wednesday June 25, Thursday June 26th, Friday June 27th, Saturday June 28th & Sunday June 29th beginning at 9pm. Join a motley crew of performers as they breathe new life and laughter into the cult-classic 1991 documentary Truth or Dare that follows Madonna on her Blond Ambition World Tour.
TRUTH/DARE is a satirical, live staged-reading and multi-media presentation performed by a cast of notable Toronto performers and aficionados; combining memorable text from the film with photography, original video, and dancing to the infectious music from the Blond Ambition tour. Much like the Rocky Horror Picture Show, the spirit of TRUTH/DARE is participatory; the audience is invited to dress up in their finest early ‘90s streetwear, echo their favourite lines, and join the cast in dancing to the music of the era. As the Queen of Pop demands: ‘Dance, sing, get up and do your thing!’
After two sold-out workshops of TRUTH/DARE (at the experimental art space Videofag in December 2012 & Buddies In Bad Times Theatre during Pride 2013), Antonio and Ruggiero are proud to present the revised and reinvigorated World Premiere of TRUTH/DARE during North America’s first ever WorldPride Festival in Toronto. Joining Salvatore Antonio and Adamo Ruggiero on stage is an exciting cast of local celebs and award-winning artists including: Damien Atkins, Keith Cole, Chy Ryan Spain, Kyle Travis Young, Nick Green, plus a few surprise cameo appearances along the way. The show includes a series of original short films starring Antonio, directed by Ruggiero, with cinematography by Sam Pryse-Phillips. The TRUTH/DARE preshow / after party features DJ Konstantine Kurelias.
Madonna’s 1991 documentary ‘Truth or Dare’ redefined the concert film experience.
‘Truth or Dare’ screened at the Cannes Film Festival, and was the highest grossing documentary of all time when it was released. The film also has local Toronto significance for its memorable scene from Madonna’s concert at the Skydome, depicting her showdown with Toronto Police over artistic freedom, where she famously referred to the city as “The Fascist State of Toronto”.
Twenty-three years since the film’s release, and now reinvented as a live performance, TRUTH/DARE appeals to a wide and diverse audience, many of which have a long-standing relationship with this unforgettable era in pop culture. More than an uproarious, sweaty night on the dance floor, TRUTH/DARE sheds light on the many layers of fame,
ego, and the enduring power of fandom. It is a night that gives us permission to laugh at the glorious pretensions of celebrity, and at ourselves for still being enamoured by it–– and even moved by it, over twenty years later.
Brendan Healy (Artistic Director, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre) offers: “Like many people from my generation, the movie Truth or Dare was seminal in my gay education–– for better AND for worse. To watch a group of talented artists reclaim, reconstruct, revile and rejoice in everything that this represents is borderline therapeutic. And hilarious.”
TRUTH/DARE also revisits the socio-political atmosphere of the documentary, remembering the fight for LGBT rights in the 80’s/90’s, the effects of HIV/AIDS and Madonna’s role as an LGBT activist. In keeping with these themes, TRUTH/DARE is once more proudly partnered with the Toronto People With AIDS Foundation (PWA). A portion of the show’s proceeds will be donated to PWA, the largest direct support service agency for people living with HIV/AIDS in Canada.
Salvatore Antonio - creator/performer/producer
Salvatore is a Toronto-based actor, writer, and director. Best known for his TV & film work, he currently plays ‘Robert Farina’ on Global’s Remedy, and ‘Victor Reis’ on the hit CTV-series Saving Hope. His first play In Gabriel’s Kitchen was named a Finalist for the Governor General’s Award, and has received international productions and publication.
Adamo Ruggiero - creator/performer/producer
Adamo is an actor, host and producer. Best known for his long-running role as Marco on Degrassi: The Next Generation, Ruggiero has gone on to become an openly gay advocate and international community leader for LGBT youth issues. He has received both Gemini and Canadian Screen Award nominations for hosting YTV’s The Next Star.
Performance details and box office info:
TRUTH/DARE: A Satire
Created by Salvatore Antonio and Adamo Ruggiero
Presented as a Toronto Arts Council Project and an official WorldPride Affiliate Event
The Citadel – 304 Parliament St / Toronto, ON / M5A 2Z6
Wed. June 25th / Thur. June 26th / Fri. June 27th / Sat. June 28th / Sun. June 29th
Doors open at 8:30pm, performance begins at 9:00pm
Tickets: $20 advance at ticketwise.ca / $25 door starting at 7:30pm
Officially Sponsored by: Xtra! - Amsterdam Beer - Capilia Truly You – TonyMac
Video Teasers: http://goo.gl/E3gsZx / http://goo.gl/w1y6Ez
Photo: Salvatore Antonio. ©2013 Sam Pryse-Phillips.
2014-06-02
Toronto: "TRUTH/DARE: A Satire" runs June 25-29 as part of World Pride 2014