Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Join Canada’s longest running women’s theatre company for its Gala Party on Friday, October 20, 2017 as it kicks off its 100th season. The champagne and canapé reception will be held in the Alumnae Theatre Company’s historic space at 70 Berkeley St., a former firehall that was restored by celebrated Canadian architect Ronald Thom, who also designed the University of Toronto’s Massey College.
The gala will be attended by actors dressed in beautiful costumes from previous productions. Guests will also be able to enjoy complimentary food and beverage while they chat with directors, writers, and actors who have worked with ATC in the past. Following the gala, the 2017/18 season will launch with an opening night performance of Thirteen Hands, written by beloved Canadian Pulitzer Prize winner Carol Shields.
Gala Party and opening night show
Friday, Oct. 20, 2017
Gala: 6:30 pm
Performance: 8 pm
$50 (tickets available online only)
Part of the theatre company’s retrospective series, Thirteen Hands is a spirited musical play that follows four women, their daughters, and granddaughters who find connection through a weekly game of bridge.
“The play offers a window into these women’s lives,” explains director Claren Grosz. “It gives importance to the mundane and the value we can all find in that.” The Toronto-based director, creator, and producer says the nine-women cast is an inclusive, multi-generational, multi-racial group of actors whose voices explore the nuances of womanhood.
THIRTEEN HANDS by Carol Shields Oct. 20 – Nov. 4, 2017
Regular performances: Wednesdays - Saturdays at 8 pm; Thursdays - Sundays at 2 pm Tickets: Wednesdays 2-for-1, Thursdays - Saturdays $25, Sundays PWYC
Tickets available at www.alumnaetheatre.com or pay cash at the door (opening night tickets available online only).
Reservations: 416-364-4170 or reservations@alumnaetheatre.com
Box office does not accept credit or debit cards for in-person sales.
This year’s run of Thirteen Hands will also include some pre- and post-show extras.
WHEN: Oct. 26, 2017
Bridging the past, present, and future: Post-show chat with Jordan Himelfarb
The Toronto Star editor and avid bridge player, who wrote about the North American Bridge Championship recently, will delight audience members with a lively discussion about one of the world’s greatest card games.
WHEN: Oct. 26, 2017
Behind the Curtain: Talkbacks with director, designers, and cast
Join emerging director Claren Grosz, the play’s designers, and actors for a behind-the-curtain look at how the production is brought to life.
WHEN: Oct. 22, 2017 & Oct. 29, 2017
Pre-show fun: Play bridge with a pro
Audience members will have an opportunity to play a quick hand of bridge prior to each perfor- mance.
HISTORY
Born in 1918 when a group of women who graduated from the University of Toronto banded to- gether to form one of the city’s first theatre companies, the ATC has been home to many out- standing, out-of-the-box plays that provide opportunities for all women.
Known originally as The University Alumnae Dramatic Club before changing its name, the ATC has been home to many firsts.
In the early 60s, noted theatre critic Nathan Cohen described the group as the “pace-setters” in Toronto’s theatrical community. It has staged premiers of such plays as Beckett’s Waiting for Godot and T.S. Eliot’s The Family Reunion. Some of the company’s more recent firsts include the staging of The Art of Dining by Tina Howe and The Love of the Nightingale by Timberlake Wertenbaker.
Today, the ATC remains committed to its original mandate to present the best in classic and contemporary plays and provide opportunities for women in theatre. Many Canadian artists have honed their skills on ATC’s stages, including Martin Hunter, R.H. Thomson, and Molly Thom.
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2017-10-03
Toronto: The Alumnae Theatre Company presents "Carol Shields's "Thirteen Hands" October 20-November 4