Stage Door News
Stage Door News
The Storefront Theatre will debut its inaugural SOLO SESSIONS starting Dec 8th running through to Dec 18th. Recognizing the immense talent and variety of solo show artists in Toronto, The Storefront along with Toronto Theatre aficionado Derrick Chua, have curated a selection of eight solo pieces that focus on the little known stories with extraordinary heart. The series features:
Harmonium written and performed by Debashis Sinha
Harmonium is a live musical performance that uses pre-programmed sound, live musical improvisations on bespoke electronic instruments, percussion, guitar and spoken text. The bulk of the music is based on composed musical fragments mixed live, along with spoken text that refers to the Buddha's time under the bodhi tree, in the moments before his enlightenment. Part world music, part electronica, part radio theatre, harmonium is a new project that expresses Sinha's status as an in/between artist straddling multiple cultures and art forms.
Ghost Light written and performed by Shawn Wright
In 2014, Shawn travelled back-and-forth between Toronto and New Brunswick to spend time in the nursing home with his dying mother, Regina. Their visits happened in the evenings, and coincided with Regina’s favourite show: Murder She Wrote. As Angela Lansbury solved her cases, Shawn chronicled these precious encounters. Ghost Light is those stories... it’s her story.
In Case We Stay written and performed by Vanessa Smythe
In Case We Stay looks at our currently divided state and asks us how we might bridge our way back to each other. Through her “enthralling and entertaining” combination of poetry, music, and, storytelling, Vanessa Smythe reprises key moments from her smash hit In Case We Disappear (NNNN, ★★★★1/2 Torontoist, TWISI) and pairs them with new stories – Playfully, we are invited to look through the pain and struggle, and see the sometimes small but vital traces of magic in our lives.
“Friend” “Like” #Me written and performed by Gavin Crawford
Gavin Crawford takes the audience through a click-baiting spiral of characters we all know and love (and love to hate) from our lives off and online. You'll be humble-bragging you saw this show to all your distant high school friends.
Body So Fluorescent written by David di Giovanni performed by Amanda Cordner
A person retraces their steps from the night before, hoping to figure out why a dear friendship erupted and broke apart. It is a journey from ego to alter-ego and back, that ends with a stunning revelation. BODY SO FLUORESCENT asks difficult questions while remaining outrageous and light-hearted. Is there such thing as a true-you? And what if expressing your true self is the source of another person's oppression?
Charisma Furs written and performed Katie Sly
Visiting everything from a first time submitting to a dominatrix, to a party that plays Ginuwine’s Pony every hour on the hour, Charisma Furs is an intimate performance about Katie Sly’s difficult relationship with love. Episodic, bizarre, nostalgic, and candid, this show is at times a storytelling piece, at times a dance work, and at times stand-up comedy.
A Very Leila Christmas written and performed by Izad Etemadi
After not receiving a single gift on her very first Christmas in Canada, Leila decides to track down Santa to find out what went wrong. Travel to the North Pole with Leila, singing all your favourite Christmas songs along the way. 'Love With Leila' has toured across Canada and performed off-Broadway last fall. Most recently it was presented at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. 'A Very Leila Christmas' premiered in the cabaret space at Buddies In Bad Times and has become an annual holiday tradition in Toronto and Hamilton for Leila fans.
Heart of Winter written by Tim Connor & Lia Buddle, Performed by Jessica Sherman
Heart of Winter is a one-woman, theatrical song cycle. The story follows Kate in the months after a breakup as she moves through the seasons of her heartbreak. Witty, moving, and funny, with award-winning music, this is a story that will speak to anyone who has had to pick themselves up and move on.
The Storefront Solo Sessions
Harmonium - Dec 8th 7:00PM, Dec 10th 5:00PM, Dec 11th 2:00PM
Ghost Light - Dec 8th 9:00PM, Dec 10th 2:00PM, Dec 11th 7:00PM
In Case We Stay - Dec 9th 7:00PM, Dec 10th 9:00PM, Dec 11th 5:00PM
"Friend" "Like" #Me - Dec 9th 9:00PM, Dec 10th 7:00PM, Dec 11th 9:00PM
Body So Fluorescent - Dec 15th 7:00PM, Dec 17th 9:00PM, Dec 18th 5:00PM
Charisma Furs - Dec 15th 9:00PM, Dec 17th 2:00PM, Dec 18th 7:00PM
A Very Leila Christmas - Dec 16th 7:00PM, Dec 17th 5:00PM, Dec 18th 2:00PM
Heart of Winter - Dec 16th 9:00PM, Dec 17th 7:00PM, Dec 18th 9:00PM
Artistic Director: Benjamin Blais, Executive Director: Claire Burns, Managing Producer: Sedina Fiati, Operations Manager: Imogen Wilson
The Storefront Theatre, 955 Bloor Street West, Toronto
Photo: Gavin Crawford.
2016-12-01
Toronto: The Storefront Theatre debuts "Solo Sessions" – a festival of one-person plays – December 8