TO Live presents The Spectators' Odyssey - o dell’Inferno, an immersive, contemporary multimedia theatrical experience that takes the audience behind the scenes of two of Toronto’s most iconic buildings making the audience the central character in the narrative they experience.

Created by Daniele Bartolini, artistic director of the internationally acclaimed, Italian Canadian company DopoLavoro Teatrale (DLT), The Spectators’ Odyssey - o dell’Inferno represents a major expansion in terms of form in the way it combines the immersive qualities of alternate reality gaming and the emotional impact of high-level theatre to deliver a choose-your-own-adventure experience with deep emotional stakes.

The stellar international creative team of Italian and Canadian artists includes video direction by Canadian filmmaking legend Bruce MacDonald, poet and writer Luke Reece, choreographer Esie Mensah, co-Director, Technical Director and Sound Designer Matteo Ciardi, Montreal based singer Fred Péloquin, journalist and writer Megan Williams, experimental musician Andrea Gozzi, Italian Canadian performer Maddalena Vallecchi Williams and many more.

Featuring a cast of 25, The Spectators' Odyssey - o dell’ Inferno is an adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey and Dante's Inferno. Both the term 'Odyssey' and 'Inferno' are used as metaphors and re-imagined to be two distinct epic journeys for the audience. The project borrows the great sense of wonder of these poems, with the audience becoming a modern-day Ulysses and Dante: a voyager. The show is deeply enriched by the participation of its audience as it unfolds, generating a sense of community among the spectators as they transform from audience into actor and become the centre of the narrative.

“Since March 2020 when the pandemic struck, we have assisted local artists through our Provision of Space initiative by providing creative opportunities and work. TO Live has supported two extended residencies for DLT to develop The Spectators’ Odyssey - o dell’Inferno” said Josephine Ridge, VP, Programming, TO Live. “Residencies such as this and our support of artists are very important to our vision going forward.”

Beginning their voyage at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, audience members will voyage either to remote parts of the backstage area of the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, or to the St. Lawrence Market, depending on which journey they choose. While moving throughout the different spaces, the audience interacts with a variety of art disciplines including, dance, music, sensorial landscapes, new immersive technologies, virtual reality filming, installations, and others.

“It is as if each audience, in each space, through a different art form, encounters a different side of themselves. It is an odyssey of art forms, an inferno of the exploration of the human condition. With a limited audience of eight with timed entrances, The Spectators’ Odyssey o dell ‘Inferno is perfectly conceived to not only meet the challenges of live performance during a pandemic, but that also offers a tantalizing and innovative way in which to experience theatre today.” Said Daniele Bartolini.

The Spectators' Odyssey - o dell’ Inferno is a natural evolution of the internationally acclaimed "audience specific" theatre work by DLT in Canada, England, India and most recently at La Biennale di Venezia Teatro in 2020. While DLT has traditionally developed work for urban sites, this new work, DLT’s most ambitious yet, is conceived for large-scale institutions interested in opening their doors (literally their backstage doors).

Eight people at a time embark on their voyage. They are broken down into smaller groups and then reassembled again. While moving throughout different spaces of the theatrical building, streets and the market, the audience interacts with a variety of art disciplines including, dance, music, sensorial landscapes, new immersive technologies, textile interactive art, installations, and others. It is an "odyssey" that occurs in many locations as well as an "odyssey" of different art forms. It is like as each audience, in each room, through a different art form, encounters a different side of themselves.

Audience members have the chance to experience one or two journeys. In one they voyage to the remote parts of the backstage areas of the theatre - across the stage, dressing rooms, auditoriums, rehearsal halls, fire exits, and other unexpected and secret locations. The second journey takes them out of the theatre space and onto the streets of the surrounding neighbourhood as they make their way towards and then enter a market – a place of exchange where worlds meet through stories.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS & BOX OFFICE INFORMATION

The Spectators' Odyssey - o dell’ Inferno will be performed with timed entry.

Groups of 8 will begin their voyage every 15 minutes for one of two different journeys, each approximately one hour. Audience can choose to do journey A or B or both.

DATES & TIMES

Tuesday, Nov 2, 7PM – 10PM

Wednesday, Nov 3, 7PM – 10PM

Thursday, Nov 4, 7PM – 10PM

Friday, Nov 5, 7PM – 10PM

Saturday, Nov 6, 7PM – 10PM

Sunday, Nov 7, 1PM – 4PM & 6PM – 9PM

Wednesday, Nov 10, 7PM – 10PM

Thursday, Nov 11, 7PM – 10PM

Friday, Nov 12, 7PM – 10PM

Saturday, Nov 13, 7PM – 10PM

Sunday, Nov 14, 1PM – 4PM & 6PM – 9PM

TICKETS: $50 per journey or combined ticket of $75 for both.

Tickets are available online at www.tolive.com,

by phone at 416-366-7723 & 1-800-708-6754, or by email at boxoffice@tolive.com.

TO Live box office phone and email support operates 1pm – 6pm Monday to Friday.

On-line sales operate 24 hours per day.