Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Emerging independent theatre company, Discord and Din Theatre (This is Where We Live, The SummerWorks Theatre Festival 2015 and Mine, the Next Stage Theatre Festival 2015), in association with Seventh Stage Productions (Wendy Darling, Stockholm, 9 Parts of Desire, Whale Music and more), is producing the Canadian premiere of Cordelia Lynn’s searing feminist play Lela & Co. from September 21st to October 8th, 2017 at The Theatre Centre BMO Incubator. Both companies pride themselves on producing politically and socially relevant theatre to shed light on those in the dark.
First produced in 2015 at the Royal Court Theatre in London, Lela & Co. is a timely and gut-wrenching play about women’s worth in a capitalist world. Based on a true story, Lela & Co. gives space for a woman to tell her story of being sex trafficked by her husband, during a time of war. Beginning with memories of her childhood, Lela dives headfirst into her haunting and harrowing story with bravery, tenacity and unexpected humour. Exploring “truth” in storytelling, who gets to tell whose story, and the resiliency of the human spirit, Lela & Co. promises to be an intimate 90-minute experience for both Lela and her audience.
Directed by Melissa-Jane Shaw, Artistic Producer of feminist theatre company Seventh Stage Productions and featuring Jenna Harris (This is Where We Live, Mine) and Graham Cuthbertson (Constellations, The Goodnight Bird), and an all-female team of designers, producers and interns. “Lela & Co. feels sadly not only relevant,” says Shaw, “but necessary. With what continues to happen in our world daily, it is a political act to give women a platform to speak about their experiences, tell their stories and to take up space in this world. Bringing this play to the stage is this, a political act; it is using the tools that we have at our disposal as female-identified artists to stand up for what we believe in and work towards bringing about the change we want in the world. For me, directing this play is an act of resistance.”
This production will focus on accountability and action by partnering with local and international NGOs including OneChild (onechild.ca) and [free-them] (freethem.ca) to raise awareness about human trafficking and violence against women and children both in Canada and abroad, as well as to support them in their work. We will also have a day of activities on Saturday, September 23rd to observe the International Day against Sexual Exploitation and Human Trafficking of Women and Children.
For more information or interview requests, please contact:
Brittany Kay
industry@discordanddintheatre.com
Facebook: @discordanddin and @seventhstagetheatreproductions
Twitter: @DiscordandDin and @seventh_stage
Twitter hashtag: #Lela&CoTO
Lela & Co.
By Cordelia Lynn
In association with Seventh Stage Productions
September 21st-October 8th, 2017
The Theatre Centre BMO Incubator
1115 Queen Street West
Director: Melissa-Jane Shaw
Performed by: Jenna Harris & Graham Cuthbertson
Scenographer: Claire Hill
Lighting Designer: Jazz Kamal
Sound Designer: Verne Good
Associate Producer and Educational Coordinator: Brittany Kay
Preview September 21st
Opening September 22nd
Run September 23rd-October 8th
Ticket price $15-$30, PWYC Sundays (additional high school student and group pricing)
Running time 90 minutes
Box Office http://theatrecentre.org or by calling 416.538.0988
Discord and Din Theatre
Discord and Din Theatre produces Canadian and International plays that are artistically outcast and are created outside conventional narratives; we seek to push the boundaries of traditional theatrical conventions. Of particular interest are theatrical performances that give a voice to those who feel voiceless and othered. We do not want to shy away from difficult topics—themes that scare us as individuals or as a society—but rather face them head-on through ground-breaking theatrical productions. As a company, our goal is to enter into an exchange with our audience about these topics, perspectives and voices, so as to work together to become a more accepting, empowered and cohesive society.
Company History:
Founded by Artistic Producer, Jenna Harris, Discord and Din Theatre was established in 2008 to provide work for emerging artists in a mutually supportive environment. Discord and Din Theatre’s inaugural production was at the Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace and was a production of Cindy Lou Johnson’s Brilliant Traces. Since then, Discord and Din Theatre has co-produced Ronit Rubinstein’s Sitting in a Tree (2008 Toronto Fringe Festival), I Got My STD at Work! (2009 SummerWorks Performance Gallery), and Jenna Harris' Mine at the Next Stage Theatre Festival (2015). In August of 2015, Discord and Din Theatre produced This is Where We Live by Canadian-born, Australian playwright Vivienne Walshe at the SummerWorks Theatre Festival. This is Where We Live received rave reviews and the only 5N review of the festival from NOW Magazine. Its two actors, Jenna Harris and Tim Welham, also received honourable mention for the festival’s Spotlight Award for Performance.
Photo: Jenna Harris.
2017-08-16
Toronto: Discord and Din Theatre presents the Canadian premiere of "Lela & Co." September 21-October 8