On Monday, March 1st, HERE FOR NOW THEATRE announced their exciting 2023 SEASON of SIX CANADIAN ONE ACTS to be presented June 28th- September 23rd, in Stratford Ontario at a BRAND NEW beautiful outdoor venue behind the STRATFORD PERTH MUSEUM.

This SEASON OF MERCY focuses on the importance of recognizing that we are all imperfect beings in the messiness of life and examines how we can work towards being gentler with each other and ourselves. Featuring six one acts, five of which are WORLD PREMIERES.

The 2023 Season will open June 28th with MYTH OF THE OSTRICH a raucous comedy by Toronto-based playwright, Matt Murray. What begins as a social call between two polar-opposite mothers, quickly takes a bizarre and hilarious turn. Directed by Sheila McCarthy. Closes July. 15th

Second in the line up, MARGARET REID (world premiere) by Madeleine Brown. An encounter in a parking lot forces pre-teen public speakers Cora and Debbie into a decade-long entanglement with a certain Margaret Reid, and with each other. Directed by Monique Lund. July 12th - July 29th

Third up is a musical offering, FROG SONG (world premiere) by Taylor Marie Graham and William Rowson. This joyful new children’s opera is an innovative collaboration with the Stratford Symphony Orchestra about facing your inner fears and discovering your inner song. Suitable for young audiences. July 26th -August 12th

August 9th brings LIFE WITHOUT (world premiere) by Steve Ross. This play explores the journey of a loving family as they try to move forward after tragedy strikes. How do you start to forgive, when you’re not sure you can forget? Directed by Jan Alexandra Smith. Closing August 26th

Inspired by a D.H. Lawrence short story, THE FOX (world premiere) by Daniela Vlaskalic, is a riveting story of two young women’s struggle for independence, as WW1 ends and the men return home. Directed by Kelli Fox. August 23rd- September 9th

Closing the season, QUEEN MAEVE (world premiere) by Judith Thompson is a searing, often hilarious story of an ordinary woman in a drab nursing home who when triggered, transforms into Queen Maeve, Irish Warrior Queen. Directed by Murdoch Schon. Runs September 26th-23rd

HERE FOR NOW will also be presenting a variety of other offerings throughout the season for limited engagements. One of these offerings will be Mixtape: The Field Sessions by Zorana Sadiq. In this piece, which had its original production at Crow’s Theatre, Sadiq invites her audience into a life experienced through sounds, and an obsession with making them. Directed by Chris Abraham.

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After a successful 2022 Season at the Falstaff Centre, in which the Festival was not only featured in The New York Times, and the Chicago Tribune, but it’s production of Girls and Boys garnered widespread media attention, was honoured in two ‘best of 2022’ lists, and won Ontario Stage’s best actress of 2022, HFN will be returning to its roots and setting the season, once again, in the open air.

“We are excited to invite our audiences back outdoors in such a beautiful setting, surrounded by trees and wheat fields. Our new venue will add a real sense of magic.” -Associate AD, Siobhan O’Malley.

A path of lights will lead you to the beautiful outdoor stage. Sitting under a canopy at the back of the STRATFORD PERTH MUSEUM you will experience one of the season’s one-act plays. This will be the FOURTH ANNUAL SEASON of the little Stratford indie theatre company-that-could, producing intimate one act plays in a variety of settings, with a focus on new or underproduced works.

“Mercy does not mean blindly tolerating harmful behaviour, but it does mean condemning each other a little bit less. Listening to each other a bit more. Respecting the humanity of people who do not have the same political beliefs, the same backgrounds, the same ideologies. Remembering that, at the end of the day, everything we do is a bid for love, even though sometimes those bids are unskilled and take the form of something darker. So, this season we are meeting some complicated characters who, like us all, have made mistakes and are trying to find redemption from those they love and from themselves.” -Fiona Mongillo, Artistic Director

HERE FOR NOW THEATRE’s 2023 Season

MYTH OF THE OSTRICH (June 28th - July 15th) by Matt Murray. Directed by Sheila McCarthy. 

MARGARET REID (July 12th - July 29th) by Madeleine Brown. Directed by Monique Lund. World premiere. 

FROG SONG (July 26th - August 12th) by Taylor Marie Graham and William Rowson. A new children’s opera with the Stratford Symphony Orchestra. World Premiere.

LIFE WITHOUT (August 9th- August 26th) by Steve Ross. Directed by Jan Alexandra Smith. World Premiere. THE FOX (August 23rd - September 9th) by Daniela Vlaskalic. Directed by Kelli Fox. World Premiere.

QUEEN MAEVE (September 6th - 23rd) by Judith Thompson. Directed by Murdoch Schon. World Premiere.

TICKETS go on sale on MARCH 1st at www.herefornowtheatre.com Use Code HFN10 before April 1st for 10%off

HERE FOR NOW is an independent professional theatre company that aims to challenge and inspire its audiences by producing a bold annual theatre season, comprised of new or underproduced plays. Here For Now focuses on the stories of women and also seeks to amplify all unheard voices.