Stage Door News
Toronto: Studio 180 presents its “180 READS” programme
Thursday, September 9, 2021
Studio 180 Theatre announces the exciting first half of its 2021/22 season: three 180 READS presentations of critically acclaimed, Canadian premieres, all reflecting themes of memory, generational divides and how we see ourselves, our identities and our history.
“The past year, and then some, has been a time for looking back at our lives, our families and the myriad events that have shaped us and those we hold dear - even more for those we cannot actually hold and embrace as we struggle through this terrible time. How fitting, then, to turn to theatre as a refuge, a balm and a resting place. Our Fall season is dedicated to stories that challenge our assumptions, as the plays' characters are themselves challenged to understand themselves and their values in a world that refuses to stand still.” - Joel Greenberg, Artistic Director
For the 2021/22 season, Studio 180 is excited to present an explosive new play by American playwright, Eleanor Burgess. Next, an Olivier Award-nominated play by Critic’s Circle “Most Promising Playwright” James Fritz, followed by an Off-Broadway hit by American theatre creator Jeff Cohen, co-presented with Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company. Each piece presents an unflinching examination of how and by whom history is written and what can happen when that story is changed.
180 READS allows audiences to hear a published play we are considering for production, experience the actors’ first instincts and share their feedback with us on whether they would like to see it produced. Building on the incredible success of last year’s online season, one filmed reading will be presented each month starting in September. A signature Studio 180 AT HOME event will precede each reading, both deepening the investigation of the issue of the play and inviting the audience into its creative process. Directly after each reading there will be a post-show chat with the writer, director or performers.
Studio 180 is determined to continue to bring audiences provocative and insightful theatre that challenges preconceived notions and examines pressing issues and we couldn’t do so without our Founding Patron, the Zukerman Family Foundation. We are excited to continue connecting with more supporters than ever through a wide range of creative online programming. We invite you to join us, from the comfort of your own home, for Reclaim & Reframe.
THE NICETIES by ELEANOR BURGESS
September, 2021Zoe, a Black student at a liberal arts college, is called into her white professor’s office to discuss her paper
about slavery’s effect on the American Revolution. What begins as a polite clash in perspectives explodes
into an urgent debate about race, history, and power.
WARNING: Systemic bias may be challenged. Anticipate some pushback.
4 MINUTES 12 SECONDS by JAMES FRITZ
October, 2021WARNING: Boys who will be boys become men.
THE SOAP MYTH by JEFF COHEN
November, 2021A co-presentation with Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company
Did the Nazis make soap from the corpses of murdered Jews?Fifty years after the end of World War II, impassioned Holocaust survivor Milton Saltzman battles Holocaust historians to include the atrocity of “soap” in their Holocaust memorials and museums. The Soap Myth wrestles with the conflict between survivor memory and historical proof, as well as with the scourge of anti-Semitism masquerading as Holocaust denial. It asks who has the right to write history? Who determines the truth? How does a survivor survive surviving?
WARNING: Be prepared for a complete myth understanding.
ABOUT STUDIO 180 THEATRE
Studio 180 Theatre is a Toronto-based company with a mission to engage, provoke and entertain through dynamic theatre and innovative Beyond The Stage experiences that delve into social and political issues.
Since 2002, Studio 180 Theatre has evolved from an informal artistic collective into one of Toronto’s most
respected independent professional theatre companies, expanding to include a strong new play development
program and extensive high school workshop series supporting almost 1,000 students annually. We produce plays, often Canadian premieres of renowned international works, that have garnered awards and critical acclaim, including, among many others, The Laramie Project, Stuff Happens, Parade, Our Class, Clybourne
Park, The Normal Heart and The Nether.