Today, Crow’s Theatre Artistic Director Chris Abraham and Executive Director Sherrie Johnson announced the casts for two Crow’s Theatre Productions this season that include Kristen Johnson, Ahmed Moneka, Ali Kazmi, Craig Lauzon, and Eric Peterson.

Crow’s Theatre Associate Artistic Director Rouvan Silogix directs Kristen Thomson, a Crow’s Theatre fan favourite from The Wedding Party and I, Claudia, as Tiger, an existentialist. The role was originated by Robin Williams on Broadway, playing it straight. Kristen Thomson, the multi-award-winning theatre, film, and television actress and writer is also known for laying bare her character’s emotions and motivations with performances both unhinged and firmly rooted.

Pulitzer Prize short-listed, Tony Award nominated, and National Endowment for the Arts award winner for outstanding new American play, BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO is a darkly comic tale narrated by a tiger held captive in said Zoo. The play follows the intertwined lives of two American marines and one Iraqi gardener as they search through the rubble of war for friendship, redemption, and a toilet seat made of gold.

Tanja Jacobs directs the world premiere of ORPHANS FOR THE CZAR, George F. Walker’s newest high-stakes comedy ruefully exposing a culture about to go up in flames. Surprisingly, it is not set in 2021, but rather in revolutionary Russia. Actor Eric Peterson is one of Canada’s most accomplished actors as well as long-time collaborator of George F. Walker having appeared in both his stage and television work.

The cast of ORPHANS FOR THE CZAR features the young and emerging theatre artists Christopher Allen (Antigone / Young People’s Theatre, Star Trek: Discovery on CBS), Shayla Brown (making her mainstage theatre debut in Toronto), Timothy Dowler-Coltman (Towards Youth / Crow’s Theatre, Orphans, Coal Mine Theatre), Jakob Ehman (The Drawer Boy film, Idomeneus / Soulpepper), Craig Lauzon (Tales of an Urban Indian / Talk is Free Theater, The Drawer Boy / Theatre Passe Muraille), Michelle Mohammed (Chitra / Shaw Festival, A Midsummer Night’s Dream / Shakespeare BASH’d), and Shauna Thompson (member of the Shaw Festival acting company 2021 season, Romeo and Juliet / Art of Time Ensemble). The design team includes Logan Cracknell, Rick Sacks, Lorenzo Savoini, and Ming Wong.

The multi-disciplinary cast of BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO features Christopher Allen (Sweat / Canadian Stage, Julius Caesar / Dream in High Park) and Jamie Mac (several seasons as an ensemble member at Stratford Festival) as the American marines; Ahmed Moneka (an immigrant from Baghdad, member of the Soulpepper Academy, and creator and leader of Moneka Arabic Jazz) as the translator; Mahsa Ershadifar (Swim Team / SummerWorks and The Theatre Centre, Winter of '88 / NextStage Festival), Sara Jaffri (voice artist and member of Toronto Tabla Ensemble), and Ali Kazmi (Taken on NBC, Funny Boy and Beeba Boys with Deepa Mehta). The design team includes John Gzowski, Lorenzo Savoini, and Ming Wong.

BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO runs January 11 to 30, 2022. Performed in English and Arabic.

ORPHANS FOR THE CZAR runs March 29 to April 17, 2022.

All performances take place in the Guloien Theatre, Streetcar Crowsnest, 345 Carlaw Avenue

TICKETS

Previews $35

Tuesday and Wednesday at 8pm $50

Wednesday at 2pm $40

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at 8pm $55

Saturday and Sunday at 2pm $50

Student, senior, art worker, pay-what-you-can, and under-30 prices available.

Special for the holidays, ‘THERE WILL BE DRAMA” HOLIDAY GIFT CARD offers the flexibility of four tickets to use in any combination of shows for just $215, including all fees and hst. Purchase here.

To Purchase Tickets and Subscriptions/Passes:

www.crowstheatre.com

647.341.7390 ext. 1010