The Theatre Centre announces its 23.24 Fall/Winter Programming, presenting two hugely acclaimed experimental productions work.txt and asses.masses — where audiences are invited to "play": participating, gaming, and/or actively observing.

asses.masses (Vancouver) by Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim is a 7-hour story-based video game experience that redefines the boundaries of live performance. Each night audiences follow the epic journey of a herd of unemployed asses trying to get their jobs back in a world set on forgetting them. Brave spectators take turns stepping forward from the crowd to seize the means of production (a video game controller) and become the player. There are no instructions. It is up to both the audience and their self-elected leaders to finish the game—to discover the space between the work that defines us and the play that frees us.

asses.masses has held workshop presentations in Toronto during their Explorations Residency (2021) and Hybrid by Design Festival (2022). The project is a recipient of the prestigious National Creation Fund from the National Arts Centre, awarded to projects which are artistically ambitious, compelling, and have a potential for international impact. asses.masses recently toured to Buenos Aires and Mexico City, and is heading towards a national tour in 2024.

work.txt by Nathan Ellis (UK) designs a welcoming space for collectively processing “working” in capitalist metropolitan cities. There are building blocks, reflections, observations and tasks — the only thing missing here is the labour, and this is where the audiences are invited to step in.

Over the 60 minute duration of the show, audiences will follow prompts from the screen, working and laughing together towards building a shared experience.

Clever, joyful, and surprisingly beautiful— this production has received rave reviews from journals like The Guardian, The Scottsman, Edinburgh Guide (Best of Theatre of the Festival by The Skinny and Fest Magazine), and is embarking on an international tour, heading to 6+ countries.

“I’m thrilled to bring these two shows that deeply consider live arts’ offer to the live audiences: what can be achieved with a group of people who have agreed to be together, at a specific time and place, for a specific purpose?” says Artistic Director Aislinn Rose. “Both works in very different ways discuss complex and timely topics around togetherness and labour, but they do so in this un-scary and welcoming way. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not often a big fan of audience participation, but these artists have thought so deeply about the invitations they are making to their audiences, that I have felt compelled to say yes. The consequence? Joy.”

THOTS & PRAYERS, produced by comedian Ajahnis Charley in association with The Theatre Centre. A solo sketch comedy show about the wicked ways white gays rule over queer culture— a deceased twink relives the gayest age, 22, to manufacture new moments and prove that he deserves to be let into Gay Heaven. Running for 4 shows only, September 8 - 9, 2023.

The Theatre Centre’s 23.24 Programming Year also brings back the celebrated Comedy is Art festival, curated by Associate Artistic Director liza paul. The Theatre Centre recognizes comedy as an undersupported art form, and our annual festival offers artists the space, time, resources, platform and funding that comedy deserves. Running from October 24 to 28, the festival will feature shows by comedian, actor, writer and musician Al Val, the award-winning, all-Filipina Tita Collective of Alia Rasul, Belinda Corpuz, Ann Paula Bautista, Maricris Rivera, and Ellie Posadas, and MUSIC THEN COMEDY, an improvised comedy inspired by live music from acclaimed comedian & director Kirsten Rasmussen (The Second City, Schitt’s Creek) featuring Coko Galore, Brandon Hackett, Monica Garrido, Leigh Cameron, Ben Sosa-Wright, and Kirsten Rasmussen, with musician Lane Webber.

As well, Residency artists Prince Amponsa & Viktor Likawski, Brandon Ash-Mohammed, Nehal El-Hadi, daniel jelani ellis, Stewart Legere, PJ Prudat & Jonathan Seinen continue their work-in-development. Residency is a structured multi year program providing artists with the necessary support to craft their ideas into finished works. The Theatre Centre Programs its year around the Residency program and the needs of Residency artists. This unique model has produced some of the most compelling Canadian works — most recently, Loss by Ian Kamau has completed its nine-year progress towards a successful World Premiere at The Luminato Festival in June 2023.

Visitors can enjoy the Pollinator Garden around the building, filled with native pollinator plants (Funded by LiveGreenTO, City of Toronto, and cared for by our volunteers, led by volunteer Randy Goldman).

The Theatre Centre continues to be an important cultural venue as rental partners & long term relationship (LTR) partners return to our space. This summer, we welcome back our friends at the Summerworks Festival, Nova Dance, Why Not Theatre, BoucharDanse, Necessary Angel Theatre Company, Aluna Theatre and Shakespeare BASH'd.

Tickets are now on sale for work.txt and asses.masses, with details available at theatrecentre.org. Tickets to asses.masses & work.txt are Pay-What-You-Can between $15, $30, $45, $60, and can be purchased online or by calling The Theatre Centre box office at 416-538-0988.

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23.24 Fall/Winter Events happening at The Theatre Centre

August 2023

 • SummerWorks Festival (August 3 — 13) SummerWorks expands the possibilities of performance with their 33rd annual Festival, featuring diverse encounters and curious collaborations with artists and creative collaborators from across Canada, and around the world. This year's Festival programming offers a snapshot of the future of contemporary performance, with full presentations of new work alongside works in crucial stages of development, offering audiences a dynamic choice in how they engage with the Festival.

Details at summerworks.ca

 • DeepEnd Week (August 15 — 19) Nova Dance presents Deep EndWeek: Rest and Reflection, an opportunity for artists to come together and explore various forms of rest and engage in intentional reflection on the recent past. Details at www.novadance.ca

September 2023

 • THOTS & PRAYERS (September 8 — 9)

by Ajahnis Charley in association with The Theatre Centre

A solo sketch comedy show about the wicked ways white gays rule over queer culture— a deceased twink relives the gayest age, 22, to manufacture new moments and prove that he deserves to be let into Gay Heaven. Tickets and details coming soon.

 • asses.masses (September 22 — 24 )

by Patrick Blenkarn and Milton Lim Presented by The Theatre Centre

Opening Night: September 22, 2023

Animal Farm meets Aesop’s Fables retold by Franz Kafka, Karl Marx and Sonic the Hedgehog.

The epic 7-hour story-based video game experience asses.masses pushes the boundaries of live performance, as the audiences follow a community of donkeys in their quest to take their jobs back from human industrialization of their farms and mines.

Brave spectators take turns stepping forward from the herd to seize the means of production and become the player. It is up to the audiences and their self elected leaders to make decisions — collectively discovering the space between the work that defines us, and the play that frees us.

 • work.txt (September 27 — 29th)

by Nathan Ellis Presented by The Theatre Centre

Opening Night: September 27th 2023

work.txt designs a welcoming space where people can collectively process “working” in capitalist metropolitan cities. There are building blocks, reflections, observations and tasks — the only thing missing here is the labour, and this is where the audiences are invited to step in.

Over the 60 minute duration of the show, audiences will follow prompts from the screen, working and laughing together towards building a shared experience.

Clever, joyful, and surprisingly beautiful. Do you hate your job? Come work with us.

October 2023

 • Comedy is Art. (October 24 — 28th)

Curated by liza paul

The Theatre Centre’s 23.24 Programming Year also brings back the celebrated Comedy is Art festival, curated by Associate Artistic Director liza paul. Running from October 24 to 28, the festival will feature shows by comedian, actor, writer and musician Al Val, the award-winning, all-Filipina Tita Collective of Alia Rasul, Belinda Corpuz, Ann Paula Bautista, Maricris Rivera, and Ellie Posadas, and MUSIC THEN COMEDY, an improvised comedy inspired by live music from acclaimed comedian & director Kirsten Rasmussen (The Second City, Schitt’s Creek) featuring Coko Galore, Brandon Hackett, Monica Garrido, Leigh Cameron, Ben Sosa-Wright, and Kirsten Rasmussen, with musician Lane Webber.

The Theatre Centre recognizes comedy as an undersupported art form, and our annual festival offers artists the space, time, resources, platform and funding that comedy deserves. Join us to declare: Comedy is Art! Additional artists and tickets on sale date to be announced.

 • trés loin (Oct 11 - 15): BoucharDanse premieres très loin, which marries dance, visual art, music and sound to explore dissociation, roads to recovery from childhood trauma and the search for resilience. Details to come.

November 2023

 • Letters From Max: a ritual by Sarah Ruhl and Max Ritvo (November 10 to December 3). Necessary Angel Theatre Company will produce the Canadian Premiere of Sarah Ruhl's new play, a stunning New York Times Critic’s Pick that brings to life the profound connection and friendship between playwright and MacArthur Fellow Sarah Ruhl, and her student, poet Max Ritvo. Letters From Max: a ritual will be directed by Necessary Angel Artistic Director Alan Dilworth. Details at www.necessaryangel.com

Why Not Theatre: New Work In-Development exploring the climate crisis.

December 2023

The Theatre Centre’s Residency Showing and Holiday Party (details to come)

January 2024

 • Shakespeare Bash’d: Shakespeare BASH'd returns to The Theatre Centre Incubator, after their successful run of The Tragedy of King Lear last winter. They will be doing a rarely produced play, to be announced this fall, that will be given the bare bones BASH'd treatment. Details to come.

 • On the Other Side of the Sea, A Fisherman, a Civil servant, a beach, six days...oh, and a DOG! Aluna Theatre presents On the Other Side of the Sea, winner of the Casa of the Américas literary award for drama by Salvadorian playwright and poet, Jorgelina Cerritos under the direction of Soheil Parsa, with Beatriz Pizano and Carlos Gonzalez-Vio and scenography by Trevor Schwellnus. In this one act play Jorgelina Cerritos examines identity, not as a cultural construct, but rather as an existential angst. Details to come.

Visit theatrecentre.org.