Stage Door News
Stage Door News
The Nuclear Option is the informal name given to a US Senate procedure that allows the current majority leader of the Senate to change the voting rules, most recently in the case for the confirmation of a Supreme Court Justice, from 60 votes, or a "supermajority", to a simple majority, or 51 votes.
Yet, escalating international tensions are at an terrifying high with the constant threat of the use of military force. News outlets release information at a “breaking” pace which sends the populous to filter and scroll through viral videos, filibusters, and “fake news” alike. At the Wrecking Ball, we are observing how this informational buffet distracts while those in political power choose to exercise ‘Nuclear Options’.
The Wrecking Ball extends ‘Nuclear Option’ to include political climate (in the US and in Canada), scientific advancements, the recent attacks Afghanistan, chemical attacks Syria, Donald Trump’s causal yet vocal stance on military action and Russia, Iran and North Korea conducting Nuclear tests.
For Wrecking Ball #22: we’ve decided to explore the question of what happens when our leaders choose to exercise the ‘Nuclear Option’, something intended as a last, desperate resort, but taken far too early. We are presenting new work by a collection of artists from across the country including esteemed playwrights, spoken word poets, and comedians.
In Wrecking Ball #22, a selection of Toronto’s relevant and daring performance artists will have one week to create a piece, and one additional week to rehearse works connected to the surplus of issues surrounding the topic of ‘Nuclear’.
Founded by director Ross Manson and playwright Jason Sherman in 2003, The Wrecking Ball has been the premiere event in Canada for showcasing political works for a decade. As the birthplace of new plays by Hannah Moscovitch, Michael Healey, Roland Schimmelpfennig, Erin Shields, Judith Thompson, Colleen Wagner, David Yee, Bea Pizano, Tara Beagan, Nicolas Billon, Donna-Michelle St Bernard, Jordan Tannahill, and Sky Gilbert to name a few - there is no other event like it challenging theatre artists to respond to and address the vox populi.
On the occasion of the previous United States Presidential Elections The Wrecking Ball went National; with ‘Make Wrecking Ball Great Again” hosted by theatre artists in Toronto and Vancouver.
Wrecking Ball events in both Canadian Parliamentary Elections in 2008 and 2011 saw pan-Canadian dramatic responses to our politics and garnered widespread national media attention. The Wrecking Ball is a movement larger than Toronto and is recognized nationally as an autonomous theatrical movement joined by a desire to explore current political questions, issues, desires and dreams upon the stage.
ONE PERFORMANCE ONLY
MONDAY APR 24/2017 AT 8PM
Presented in association with Canadian Stage
26 Berkeley Street, Toronto
Box Office opens at 7:00pm | Show starts at 8:00pm
Pay what you can | No advanced sales.
(As always, all proceeds will go to the Actors' Fund of Canada)
Founded by director Ross Manson and playwright Jason Sherman in 2003, The Wrecking Ball has been the premiere event in Canada for showcasing political works for a decade. As the birthplace of new plays by Hannah Moscovitch, Michael Healey, Roland Schimmelpfennig, Erin Shields, Judith Thompson, Colleen Wagner, David Yee, Bea Pizano, Tara Beagan, Nicolas Billon, Donna-Michelle St Bernard, Jordan Tannahill, and Sky Gilbert to name a few - there is no other event like it challenging theatre artists to respond to and address the vox populi. Over the past year, under a new generation of leadership, the Wrecking Ball has shifted its focus, presenting new work by not only esteemed playwrights from across the country, but also by comedians, dancers, and performance artists of all kinds. Over the past two years, under a new generation of leadership, the Wrecking Ball has shifted its focus, presenting new work by not only esteemed playwrights from across the country, but also by comedians, dancers, storytellers, musicians, and performance artists of all kinds.
2017-04-17
Toronto: Wrecking Ball #22 presents "The Nuclear Option" April 24