Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Stage Centre Productions, one of Toronto’s most highly regarded and longest established community theatre groups, is delighted to be returning once again to the Fairview Library Theatre for its 40th season, which will open on Thursday, September 29th with the North American premiere of Richard Everett’s sharp-edged comedy Entertaining Angels, first seen at the Chichester Festival Theatre.
As a vicar's wife in an English country parish, Grace has spent a lifetime on her best behaviour. Now, after the death of her husband Bardolph, she can enjoy the new-found freedom of being able to say and do exactly what she wants. But the return of her eccentric missionary sister, Ruth, together with some disturbing revelations, forces Grace to confront the truth of her marriage. Set in a lush vicarage garden, the play is filled with sharp-edged comedy and probing wit. "A very English comedy with some real emotion… scratch the surface and you’ll find interesting undercurrents rippling the water… Adultery, miscarriage, divorce and deception interestingly handled all, are just some of the problems that writer Richard Everett beds down among well-received jokes… This is a sure-fire hit…" ~ London Evening Standard
Entertaining Angels plays between September 29 and October 8, 2016
The second production of the season will be The Best Man, often considered to be Gore Vidal’s best play, about an American presidential election, first seen more than half a century ago, but still surprisingly up-to-date. This will run from November 24 to December 3, 2016.
William Russell, the former U.S. Secretary of State, is a wit and scholar with high liberal principles, beloved of the eggheads and suspected by practical politicians. Joseph Cantwell is a ruthless and hard-driving young man, a dirty fighter who lets no scruples stand in the way of his ambitions, and Arthur Hockstader is an ex-President, who loves politics for their own sake, admires a rough-and-tumble battler more than a chivalrous one, and is determined to have the final say in the selection of his party's candidate. Cantwell has got hold of papers indicating that his rival once suffered from a mental crackup, which he is all set to use. Then his scrupulous antagonist comes across some incriminating evidence about Cantwell… "Well-crafted and witty with surprises, reversals, pungent character sketches, satire, worldly wisdom and juicy roles for all concerned." ~ New York Magazine
Following The Best Man comes Strictly Murder by Brian Clemens, creator of the iconic TV series The Avengers, which may be seen between January 26 and February 4, 2017.
April 1939. An English couple, Peter and Suzy, are living in Provence in idyllic isolation, far, it seems, from the rumblings of the coming war. Their peace is shattered from within when Suzy discovers she has been betrayed: Peter is not the man he claims to be! Is he in fact a ruthless killer on the run? When a Scotland Yard detective arrives, events become even more complicated and frightening. Lies, subterfuge and murder make this fast-moving thriller a dark and disturbing roller coaster of bluff and double bluff. "…an intricate, interesting and enigmatic story… plenty of intrigue and suspense…" ~ British Theatre Guide
From March 16 to 25, 2017 we will be presenting the ever popular Stepping Out by Richard Harris, which was the winner of the Comedy of the Year Award ~ Evening Standard, 1984.
This rollicking comedy catalogues the attempts of seven ordinary women and one rather shy man, along with their teacher and a pianist, at a weekly tap-dancing class in a low-rent church hall studio, to overcome their inhibitions and left feet. Mavis, a former professional chorus girl, tries her hardest to teach the bumbling amateurs some terpsichorean skills for an upcoming recital, but before the dancing begins she must mediate the minor dramas that erupt among this motley but loveable crew on their way to triumph at their recital. "An excellent show with laughs and poignancy along the way." ~ Theatre Mirror
The season closes with Anything to Declare? by Maurice Hennequin and Pierre Veber, translated and adapted by Greg Leaming. This will play between May 18 and 27, 2017.
Set in Paris, 1912, where the well-to-do Dupont family is thrilled that their naïve young daughter has wed a wealthy count — until they learn that the marriage has yet to be consummated after more than a month! Given mere days to provide his incensed mother-in-law with the promise of a titled grandson, the Count is desperate — in more ways than one! In classic farcical style, and accompanied by a colourful cast of characters, including a philandering father-in-law, a lurking former suitor, a paintbrush-wielding courtesan and an itinerant camel-dealer, the clock ticks down, doors slam, identities are mistaken, and all hell breaks loose as the race to consummate the marriage catapults the action to — well, a climax! "Side-splittingly funny… From start to finish ANYTHING TO DECLARE? had me giggling… a highly enjoyable evening." ~ The Mancunian. You won't want to miss this wildly hilarious French farce!
Stage Centre Productions cherishes its reputation as "one of Toronto’s finest repertory theatre companies" (Mark Andrew Lawrence in October 2011) and pledge their determination to continue to offer audiences the highest possible standard of production.
Along with established favourite actors, we shall be welcoming some talented newcomers to Stage Centre Productions.
Subscriptions for the upcoming season are now available.
SCP’s website is www.stagecentreproductions.com
For further information and to book tickets please contact the Box Office at 416-299-5557
2016-04-06
Toronto: Stage Centre Productions announces its milestone 40th season