Stage Door News
Stage Door News
THE TIES THAT BIND is creator-performer James Ince’s semi-autobiographical solo show about the facts and fictions society tells itself regarding mental illness happening November 4-8 at the Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace. Eight years of love, humiliation, growth and painful existence have gone into the creation of this brutally dark comedy about living life as less-than-“normal”. Tickets are available online at www.artsboxoffice.ca, or by phone at 416-504-7529.
Sam Ward has spent most of his life trying to deal with the fact that he is not normal, which is normal to him. Plagued by peers, bosses, and parents who cannot understand how he is feeling — but condemn him for it — Sam finds himself alone and broken. With humour and humanity to guide him, Sam tells a true story of surviving mental illness, rather than the stigma of suffering from it.
Mental illness still carries a negative connotation in today's society despite affecting 1 in 4 Canadians. With that stigma, comes shame; and out of that shame comes lack of treatment, support and understanding for those who need it. “We must all learn and relearn how to have compassion. “With that compassion, we can help create a better world, in which to live better, to live gently and well. And to be well,” says Ince — whose first play, Fragile, premiered at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 2001. THE TIES THAT BIND continues an ongoing conversation in the public forum that can help create compassion, awareness, understanding and support.
James Ince (The Winged Man, SummerWorks; The Penis Project, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre) plays Sam Ward – as well as everyone else – directed by Istvan Dugalin (as playwright: The Atomic Tradition, Sterling Theatre Company; as film director: The Modern Things) in this premiere production and by Tony Matthews (as writer/actor: Robbie Jensen: The 12 Steps of Christmas, The NoHo Arts Center; The Scarlet Pimpernel, The Palm Canyon Theatre — Desert Theatre League Nominee) during development. Lighting design by Christopher Ross (red light district Theatre Company; Monkeyman Productions). Sound Design by Dora-nominated Paul Humphrey (Glenn, True West, Soulpepper; Theatre Rusticle; solo CD: "A Rumour of Angels”). Stage & Production managed by Heather Bellingham (Panamania 2015, Summerworks, The Toronto Fringe Festival, Hamilton Fringe Festival).
Performance information for THE TIES THAT BIND
Venue: Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace (16 Ryerson Ave, Toronto)
Dates: November 4-8 (Preview Nov. 4, Opening Night Nov. 5)
Wednesday – Saturday @ 7:30pm *please note early curtain time
Saturday matinee @ 2:00pm *$20 advance or PWYC at the door
Tickets: $20 - $30
Via www.artsboxoffice.ca, passemuraille.ca or 416-504-7529
2015-08-17
Toronto: James Ince performs his brutally dark comedy "The Ties That Bind" November 4-8