Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Richard Rose, Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre, is excited to announce the Toronto premiere of The Circle. The raucous, youthful, Betty Mitchell Award-winning piece comes to Tarragon Theatre’s Extraspace on the heels of lauded runs in Western Canada. The Circle runs October 18 - November 27, 2016 (opening October 26).
Welcome to Ily’s high school garage party: there’s the genius, the drug dealer, the runaway, the kid with ADHD and the son of a priest. Everyone’s a total mess, but it’s better than being alone on a Friday night in suburbia. Vibrant, raw, youthful and dangerous - The Circle is an explosive SOS from an orphaned generation desperately looking for a place to belong.
The Circle represents a bold and exciting departure in Tarragon’s 2016/17 season. Written by Geoffrey Simon Brown when he was just 26 years old, the Tarragon production is directed by Peter Pasyk (Why Not Theatre’s Late Company, Coal Mine’s Killer Joe) and features a young cast of emerging Canadian artists including Vivien Endicott-Douglas (Shakespeare in the Ruff’s Romeo & Juliet, Coal Mine’s Killer Joe), Jake Vanderham (Composer/Lyricist of Theatre 20’s Composium 2016, SummerWorks And Now The End), Jakob Ehman (Theatre Passe Muraille’s Caught, Dora nominee), Nikki Duval (Hart House’s Hamlet, Globus Theatre’s Knickers! A Brief Comedy), Brian Solomon (Dora and Gemini Award nominated dancer) and Daniel Ellis (Pacific Victoria Opera’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, SummerWorks Maria Gets A New Life...).
The play is inspired by many of Brown’s real life experiences and brings audiences a multifaceted view of life; friendship, family, morality and the transition from adolescence to adulthood. Written as his final work while at the National Theatre School, Brown drew on many stories from his life and the lives of those he grew up with. Ultimately, The Circle is about love, understanding and forgiveness - and doesn’t hesitate to reflect the grit of real life to get there.
The Circle’s run at Tarragon Theatre this Fall represents Brown’s first time working in Toronto and the largest production of one of his plays to date. “It’s amazing having Tarragon pick up my play,” he notes, “It's been beautiful to see a story that I wrote so specifically about my city [Calgary] and my community seem to connect with people from very different backgrounds.”
“The Circle is an enticing play that will resonate with audiences - growing up, family, mapping out our own moral codes, these are all challenging things that Brown’s writing captures beautifully.” notes Richard Rose, Tarragon Theatre’s Artistic Director. “We’re excited to bring such a youthful, vibrant piece to Tarragon.”
The Circle
In the Extraspace
by Geoffrey Simon Brown
directed by Peter Pasyk
featuring Nikki Duval, Jakob Ehman, Daniel Ellis, Vivien Endicott-Douglas, Brian Solomon & Jake Vanderham
October 18 - November 27, 2016 (Opens October 26, 2016)
Welcome to Ily’s high school garage party: there’s the genius, the drug dealer, the runaway, the kid with ADHD, and the son of a priest. Everyone’s a total mess, but it’s better than being alone on a Friday night in suburbia. This remarkable debut by 26-year-old playwright Geoffrey Simon Brown is an explosive SOS from an orphaned generation desperately looking for a place to belong.
Please note The Circle contains mature subject matter: violence, harsh language, sexual content and drug use.
CAST + CREW
Written by Geoffrey Simon Brown
Directed by Peter Pasyk
Starring Nikki Duval, Jakob Ehman, Daniel Ellis, Vivien Endicott-Douglas, Brian Solomon & Jake Vanderham
Set designer Patrick Lavender
Lighting designer Rebecca Picherack
Sound designer Thomas Ryder Payne
Costume designer Joanna Yu
Fight director Steve Wilsher
Stage manager Sandy Plunkett
Apprentice stage manager Victoria Wang
Showtimes are Tuesday - Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 2:30pm, and select Saturdays at 2:30pm.
Tickets range from $28 - 65 and can be purchased online at www.tarragontheatre.com, or by phone at 416-531-1827. Discounts are available for seniors, students, groups and arts workers.
Tarragon offers the most flexible subscription packages in the city with savings of up to 40%, allowing patrons to choose their productions, change their dates free of charge, and offering many different price points to suit all schedules and budgets. Visit the website or call Patron Services today for more information.
Rush tickets are sold for $20 cash only, in person at the theatre two hours before showtime. This year Tarragon will also be offering online rush tickets at varying discounts, 24h prior to the show for performance after opening night. Both Rush ticket options are subject to availability.
For more information on Tarragon’s events and activities, visit www.tarragontheatre.com/calendar.
Tarragon Theatre’s 2016/2017 Season Sponsor is BMO Financial Group. The 2016/17 Season Media Sponsors are NOW Magazine, Zoomer Radio/Classical 96.3, and Jazz FM. The Circle is sponsored by The Polar Foundation.
Tarragon Theatre gratefully acknowledges annual operating support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council.
Twitter: @tarragontheatre
Facebook: Tarragon Theatre
2016-09-28
Toronto: Tarragon Theatre presents the Toronto premiere of Geoffrey Simon Brown's "The Circle" October 26