Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Richard Rose, Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre, is excited to announce Theory as the piece set to open the Extraspace for Tarragon’s 2018/19 season. Theory, by Herman Voaden National Playwriting Competition winner Norman Yeung, runs in Tarragon’s Extraspace October 16 - November 25, 2018 (opening Wednesday, October 24).
A hot button play for our times! Isabelle, a young tenure-track professor, tests the limits of free speech by encouraging her students to contribute to an unmoderated discussion group. When an anonymous student posts offensive comments and videos, Isabelle must decide whether to intervene or to let the social experiment play out. Soon, the posts turn abusive and threatening, leading Isabelle and her unknown tormentor to engage in a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse that not only have Isabelle questioning her beliefs, but fearing for her life.
Theory blends a combination of theatre, cinema and new media to create a multi-faceted storytelling experience. This multimedia approach looks at the intersection of free-speech and political correctness through the veil of identity politics; intertwined with history, trauma and emotion, coloured with the hard reality of tech-savvy youth vs. contemporary society. In a world where teachers so often speak the vernacular of their students and boundaries of respect and hierarchy are broken down, Theory asks the question of whether there is such a thing as going too far with open dialogue.
“We are looking forward to launching the Extraspace season with Norman Yeung’s Theory,” notes Richard Rose, Tarragon’s Artistic Director. “Norman’s work touches a very timely nerve about open communication and technology in contemporary society.”
Theory features Sascha Cole, (Soulpepper’s It’s a Wonderful Life), Anthony Perpuse (CBC’s "Working Moms"), Asha James, Audrey Dwyer (Mirvish’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Studio 180/Mirvish’s Clybourne Park, Obsidian Theatre’s Black Medea), Fabrizio Filippo (Tarragon’s The Summoned, iThentic’s Save Me), Bilal Baig (Theatre Passe Muraille’s Acha Bacha) and Kyle Orzech (Mirvish’s Arcadia, Theatre Direct’s Beneath the Banyan Tree). Theory is written by Herman Voaden National Playwriting Competition winner, Norman Yeung, with direction by Esther Jun.
In Spring 2018, Theory was seen as a workshop reading at Tarragon, in partnership with Studio 180. A since-updated version of the play was seen at SummerWorks Performance Festival in 2010.
Theory runs in Tarragon Theatre’s Extraspace from October 16 - November 25, opening officially Wednesday, October 24.
Theory
Extraspace
written by Norman Yeung
directed by Esther Jun
starring Anthony Perpuse, Asha James, Audrey Dwyer, Fabrizio Filippo, Bilal Baig, Kyle Orzech & Sascha Cole
October 16 - November 25 (opening October 24)
A play from the Herman Voaden National Playwriting Competition winner, Norman Yeung.
CAST + CREW
written by Norman Yeung
directed by Esther Jun
lighting & set designer Joseph Pagnan
sound designer John Gzowski
projection designer Cameron Davis
stage manager Robin Munro
costume designer Michelle Bohn
starring Anthony Perpuse (“Jorge”), Asha James (“Safina”), Audrey Dwyer (“Lee”), Fabrizio Filippo (“Omar”), Bilal Baig (“Davindar”), Kyle Orzech (“Richard”) & Sascha Cole (“Isabelle”)
assistant director Stephanie Williams
Showtimes are Tuesday - Saturday at 8pm, Sunday at 2:30pm, and select Saturdays at 2:30pm.
Tickets range from $22 - $60 and can be purchased online at www.tarragontheatre.com, or by phone at 416-531-1827. Discounts are available for seniors, students and groups and arts workers. Patrons under 35 & arts workers visit www.tarragontheatre.com/tarragon22.
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. Both Rush ticket options are subject to availability.
Photo: Sascha Cole and Audrey Dwyer. ©2018 Jim Ryce.
2018-10-05
Toronto: "Theory" by Norman Yeung runs at the Tarragon October 16 to November 25