Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Dan Spurgeon, esteemed Canadian-American writer/director has returned to Canada after 15 years of theatre in New York and Los Angeles, and is bringing his award-winning, critically acclaimed play, The Baby, to life this fall with The Storefront Arts Initiative.
Jeanie Calleja, a mainstay on Canadian television, claiming featured roles in Murdoch Mysteries, Slings and Arrows, and Degrassi, takes to the stage in this wildly transgressive adaptation of the 70’s cult classic. Calleja is joined by New York Drama Desk Award Nominee, Frank Blocker, who will reclaim his celebrated role as the eccentric Mama Wadsworth.
A love letter to the sleazy grindhouse cinema of the 70’s, The Baby follows social worker Ann Gentry (Calleja) as she finds herself with a very unusual case – the Wadsworth family, whose youngest member, Baby (Jeff Dingle, Best of Toronto Fringe Kids winner, 2015), is an adult man who sleeps in a crib and acts like an infant. Is Ann on the case to help the disabled Baby escape his abusive mother (Blocker), and sisters Germaine (Claire Burns, The Skriker, Abigail’s Party), and Alba (Alicia Richardson, US regional theatre, Fulbright Scholar), or is her interest in him more…special? Part bizarre love story, part twisted fairy tale, part mystery thriller and all outrageous and offensive, the ‘70’s cult film comes to the stage with a story so strange and shocking, you won’t believe it’s happening right in front of you!
Rounding out its exceptional cast, The Baby features a plethora of Canadian talent including Daniel Cristofori (Murdoch Mysteries, Saving Hope), 2012 My Theatre Award for Emerging Artist winner Alex Dault, Olivia Marshman (Eigengrau, Stratford Festival 2015), Nicholas Porteous (2-time NOW Magazine Fringe Award winner), Paul Rivers (Meza, Murdoch Mysteries, Suits), and Candi Zell (numerous stage, film, TV, and voiceover projects).
The Baby
Adapted from the screenplay by Abe Polsky
Written & Directed by Dan Spurgeon
October 15th – November 1st
Tues – Sat 8pm, Sun 2pm
The Storefront Theatre, 955 Bloor Street West
$20.00 - $25.00, Advance tickets available @ www.thestorefronttheatre.com
Photo: Scene from Avaricious. ©2015 Michael Cooper.
2015-09-29
Toronto: The Storefront Arts Initiative presents "The Baby" adapted by Dan Spurgeon October 15-November 1