Art Thing in association with Prairie Fire, Please and in celebration of National Poetry Month present a new production of Canadian poet and author Molly Peacock’s solo show in poems, The Shimmering Verge, starring Madeleine Brown and directed by Karthy Chin from April 4-13 at Théâtre français de Toronto's Studio 21.

The Shimmering Verge juxtaposes verse and prose in an exploration of the fine line between metaphor and reality in life and in art. Molly says, “Like stones into a ring the poems are set among stories, confidences, little elucidations—funny, wry, sexy, sad, and shocking.” From love, sex and marriage to loss, death and spirituality, the play uncovers the poetry in everyday life.

The play will be performed in double bill with readings from a selection of dynamic Toronto page and stage poets including: 

Doyali Islam (Poetry Editor of Arc Magazine)

Michael Fraser (2016 CBC Poetry Prize)

Anne Michaels (Toronto’s Poet Laureate)

Tanya Neumeyer (Piecing It Together)

Luke Reece (2018 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam 2^nd Place)

Sachiko Murakami (Finalist Governor General’s Literary Awards, 2017 UofT Jack McClelland Writer in Residence)

Lara Bozabalian (The Cartographer’s Skin, Tourist)

These readings are generously sponsored by beloved local bookstores: Seekers Books, The Book Exchange, The Great Escape Bookstore and BMV Books.

Molly Peacock is the award-winning and bestselling author of seven volumes of poetry. Her most recent is The Analyst: Poems. Her poems have been published in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, POETRY and The Malahat Review. Her prose titles include bestseller, The PaperGarden: Mrs Delany {Begins Her Life’s Work} At 72, named a Best Book by The Globe and Mail, and How To Read a Poem.  Molly is the former series editor of The Best Canadian Poetry in English.

This new production features Madeleine Brown (award-winning and 2018 Toronto Fringe Festival sell-out, Everyone Wants A T-Shirt!, Nightwood Theatre Young Innovator Alumna) in the central role with direction by Karthy Chin (One Song Glory/Musical Stage Company,Hadestown/Citadel Theatre, The Enchanted Loom/Factory Theatre). 

The Shimmering Verge premiered in 2002 at the Tarragon Spring Arts Fair before touring Canada and the US with performances Off-Broadway, at The National Museum for Women in The Arts in Washington, DC and the Grand Theatre in London, Ontario. It was profiled in such publications as The New York Times ("Stunning") and O Magazine. 

Art Thing in association with Prairie Fire, Please present:

THE SHIMMERING VERGE

a solo show in poems by Molly Peacock

at Théâtre français de Toronto’s Studio 21 (21 College Street, Suite 610)

from April 4-13, 2019

Enter on street level across from the College Street Fran’s and take the elevators up to sixth floor.

Playwright: Molly Peacock

Director: Karthy Chin

Lighting Designer: Waleed Ansari

Sound Designer: Laura Dickens

Stage Manager: Aidan Shepherd

Performer: Madeleine Brown

Producers: Madeleine Brown and Karthy Chin

Thurs. April 4 – 8 PM

(Michael Fraser)

Fri. April 5 – 8 PM

(Doyali Islam)

Sat. April 6 – 8 PM

(Anne Michaels)

Thurs. April 11 – 8 PM

(Tanya Neumeyer/

Luke Reece)

Fri. April 12 – 8 PM

(Sachiko Murakami)

Sat. April 13 – 8 PM

(Lara Bozabalian)

Tickets: PWYC $15 or $25 are on sale online as of March 4, 2019 on Brown Paper Tickets and available on the performance day at the door. 

 Visit us online via our Facebook event or on Twitter @PrairieFirePlz/#VergeTO.