Stage Door News

Toronto: Casting announced for in-person performances at the Tarragon starting in January

Tuesday, December 7, 2021

Mike Payette, Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre and Managing Director Andrea Vagianos are thrilled to announce a return to Tarragon with six live and in person performances, plus the casting for the first four shows! Beginning in January, Tarragon audiences will be introduced and re-introduced to exciting new Canadian theatre creators and creations, including national collaborations between artists, as a part of our Pay-What-You-Can subscription series.

The season opens January with the return of Human Cargo’s The Runner, from playwright Christopher Morris. This 2019 Dora Mavor Moore Award recipient for Outstanding Production, Outstanding Direction and Outstanding New Play returns, is completing its truncated run from Tarragon’s cancelled 2019/20 season, with acclaimed actor Gord Rand reprising the role. As an added bonus, Christopher Morris himself will be performing the piece on select dates (Jan 8,11, 15 and 18). The Runner also features design from the 2021 Siminovitch Prize winner, Gillian Gallow! The Runner runs January 4 until January 23, 2022. Directed by Daniel Brooks.

The Extraspace season opens with the highly anticipated world premiere Three Women of Swatow, from Chloé Hung (Tarragon’s 2017-18 RBC Emerging Playwright). Three Women was days away from opening when Tarragon Theatre was shut down due to the pandemic and the team is excited to finally bring the show to Toronto audiences. Three generations of women take ownership of their lives in this dark and bloody comedy. Directed by Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster (For Tarragon: The Message) and featuring Carolyn Fe, Diana Luong and Chantia Tram. Three Women of Swatow will begin previews January 18, opening on January 26 and running through February 20, 2022.

Following The Runner in the Mainspace will be Light from Rosa Laborde. This self-reflective comedy will feature Sara Farb (Tarragon Theatre Debut) as Willow, a newcomer to a meditative commune searching for answers. Joining Sara as part of an all-star cast will be Linda Kash, Maria Del Mar, Christine Horne, Maurice Dean Wint, Phillip Riccio, Shakura Dickson and Hardee Lineham. Directed by Jackie Maxwell, Light will begin previews February 1, opening on February 9 and running until March 6, 2022.

In March in the Extraspace, Tarragon is excited to present Our Fathers, Sons, Lovers and Little Brothers written and performed by Makambe K. Simamba in a co-production with Black Theatre Workshop, based on the world premiere production by b current. Makambe will reprise her role in this Dora Award-winning show that is a protest for all Black life beyond headlines and hashtags, a prayer for all families left behind, and a promise to the community that all Black lives matter. Directed by Donna-Michelle St. Bernard, Our Fathers, Sons, Lovers and Little Brothers will tour in BC at Vancouver’s PuSh International Festival, Victoria’s Intrepid Theatre and then all around Montreal, Quebec before it begins previews at Tarragon March 8, opening on March 16, 2022. A Tarragon Theatre and Black Theatre Workshop co-production, based on the world premiere production produced by b current.

Tarragon Theatre will announce the full casting for Sean Morley Dixon’s Orphan Song (Previewing March 23, Opening March 30) and Kenneth T Williams’ The Herd (Previewing May 11, Opening May 18) at a later date.

The health and safety of our patrons, staff, artists and volunteers remain a primary concern. Tarragon will welcome audiences back to the theatre in 2022, opening at the start of the new year with a reduced capacity. Tarragon Theatre will follow Toronto Public Health and Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer’s guidelines and join our colleagues from cultural organizations in Toronto and across North America taking similar steps. Our goal is to reignite live and in-person theatre for our artists, our audience and our community. You can find the full list of safety measures, including our vaccination policy, here.