Stage Door News

Toronto: Crow’s Theatre presents the world premiere run of “Fifteen Dogs” January 10-February 5, 2023

Thursday, December 15, 2022

It all starts with an act of divine intervention.

Meddling Greek gods, Apollo and Hermes, are drinking beer at the Wheat Sheaf Tavern in Toronto and arguing about–what else?–the nature of humanity. “Is it possible to die happy?” they ponder, and place a wager on whether or not animals would be happier than humans if they are granted human intelligence.

Around the corner, the gods find a veterinary clinic with fifteen dogs and grant them human consciousness. By turns joyful and tearful, playful and philosophical, FIFTEEN DOGS is an elegant and hugely entertaining modern-day fable about love, language, and the human condition.

Bringing this pack of dogs, humans, and deities to life is a fierce cast including Laura Condlln (Fun Home, The Musical Stage Company), Peter Fernandes (A Christmas Carol, Shaw Festival), Stephen Jackman-Torkoff (Blacktop Sky, Obsidian Theatre Company), Tom Rooney (Uncle Vanya, Crow’s Theatre), Tyrone Savage (Timon of Athens, Stratford Festival), and Mirabella Sundar Singh (Armadillos, Factory Theatre).

The award-winning design team includes set, props, and costume designer Julie Fox (Uncle Vanya, MixTape, A&R Angels, The Watershed, Seeds, The Seagull, Someone Else, I, Claudia, Crow’s Theatre), lighting designer Kimberly Purtell (Uncle Vanya, The Wedding Party, We Are Not Alone, The Seagull, A&R Angels, The Boy In The Moon, Crow’s Theatre), and music and sound designer David Mesiha in his Crow’s Theatre debut.

Adapter and director Marie Farsi directed the wildly successful Ghost Quartet in 2019 for Crow’s Theatre, where she was Associate Artistic Director for two seasons. Marie is an award-winning theatre maker and film director primarily focused on the creation of new work. She has worked with exciting and innovative companies across Canada including Rumble Theatre, Théâtre La Seizième, Porte-Parole, Stratford Festival, Bard on the Beach, Arts Club in Vancouver, and Crow’s Theatre.

André Alexis was born in Trinidad and grew up in Canada. Fifteen Dogs, a global bestseller by the beloved Toronto writer, won the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, and Canada Reads. André’s most recent novel is Ring. His other books include Days by Moonlight which won the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, Asylum, Pastoral, The Hidden Keys and The Night Piece: Collected Stories. André is the recipient of the prestigious American Windham Campbell Prize for literary achievement. “You can’t know what a life has been until it is over.” Fifteen Dogs, André Alexis

FIFTEEN DOGS is the first play created by the new Crow’s Theatre Canadian Literature Adaptation Fund, supported by The Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation. The Canadian Literature Adaptation Fund brings the work of Canadian fiction and non-fiction authors to the stage by optioning, commissioning, developing, and producing dramatic adaptations.

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A Crow’s Theatre production

FIFTEEN DOGS

Adapted and Directed by Marie Farsi

Based on the novel Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis

Set, Props, and Costume Designer Julie Fox

Lighting Designer Kimberly Purtell

Sound Designer David Mesiha

Starring Laura Condlln, Peter Fernandes, Stephen Jackman-Torkoff, Tom Rooney, Tyrone Savage, Mirabella Sundar Singh

January 10 to February 5, 2023

Opening Night: Friday, January 13, 2023 at 7:30 pm

Guloien Theatre

Show times and Ticket Prices‡

Ticket prices range from $45-$65

Tuesday-Saturday @ 7:30pm

Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday @ 1:30pm

Sunday Pay-What-You-Can matinee tickets available two hours prior to show time

Group, student, senior, arts worker, pay-what-you-can, and under-30 prices available, please inquire with the box office

‡ Each ticket is subject to a $2.50 service fee and HST. All prices subject to change.

Purchase Tickets

online: www.crowstheatre.com.