In March, Theatre Passe Muraille and Erroneous Theatre are thrilled to present the World Premiere of their co-production NO ONE’S SPECIAL AT THE HOT DOG CART, on stage March 14th – 23rd in the Passe Muraille Mainspace. (Media night: March 16th)

From award winning playwright, author, and spoken word performer Charlie Petch (they/he), NO ONE’S SPECIAL AT THE HOT DOG CART shares their personal accounts of working at hot dog stands around downtown Toronto in the early 90’s, where they began to learn de-escalation techniques which they now teach. Through spoken word, musical storytelling and by sharing the de-escalation techniques they have honed over the years, Petch regales audiences with tales of survival and kindness, as a witness to life on the street.

Petch began writing the play during the pandemic, with the inspirations of 90’s Toronto street culture and de-escalation practice in mind – the show’s exploration of negative perceptions around homelessness and mental health became increasingly topical and urgent for the artist, as the pandemic wore on, social and economic divides became more glaring, and the city bore witness to violent tent city evacuations.

“I think there would be much less fear if people knew how to stay safe when interacting with people who are having trouble with their emotions,” says Petch. “In reality, we also need to learn how to de-escalate ourselves. I am hoping that giving audiences tools and knowledge about emergency response procedures will help them interact with others better, and that will empower them to resist a system that tells us homeless people deserve police abuse, that street culture is heartless and not a community, and that poverty is a crime.”

Theatre Passe Muraille Artistic Director Marjorie Chan adds, “I once promised Hot Dog’s dramaturge, Donna Michelle St. Bernard, that TPM would not forget about spoken word artists when programming. Indeed, Charlie is the third spoken word artist we are presenting in 2024, so we hopefully are living up to our promise. In addition to being an amazing spoken word artist, he is an utterly captivating storyteller, musician and performer. We are so thrilled to present Charlie’s irreverent, timely and hilarious show about coping and helping in a difficult world. In development with the Buzzprogram for several years at TPM, the show offers a unique and authentic lens to challenge our assumptions, as witnesses to life around us.”

A poet, playwright, librettist, musician, lighting designer, and host, Charlie Petch was the 2017 Poet of Honour for the speakNORTH national festival, winner of the Golden Beret lifetime achievement in spoken word with The League of Canadian Poets (2020), and founder of Hot Damn it’s a Queer Slam. Petch is a touring performer, as well as a mentor and workshop facilitator. Their debut poetry collection, Why I Was Late (Brick Books), won the 2022 ReLit Award and was named “Best of 2021” by The Walrus. Their film with Opera QTO, Medusa’s Children, premièred in 2022. They are the current Writer In Residence for Berton House (2023) and were long-listed for the CBC Poetry Prize in 2021.

Additionally, on Sunday, March 17th TPM hosts a more comprehensive workshop in de-escalation techniques facilitated by Petch, further exploring situations discussed in the show. Additional information about this unique workshop and how to register for this event will be shared at passemuraille.ca soon.

Performances of NO ONE IS SPECIAL AT THE HOT DOG CART will run Wednesdays to Saturdays at 7:30 PM between March 13th and 23rd, and Sunday, March 17th at 2:00 PM. Mandatory masking performances are scheduled for March 14th and 20th, and ASL Deaf-interpreted performances are scheduled on March 17th and 22nd. All performances at Theatre Passe Muraille offer a relaxed environment. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can-Afford at three price points, $12, $35, and $65 and are available now online at passemuraille.ca.

Following the World Premiere run at Theatre Passe Muraille, NO ONE’S SPECIAL AT THE HOT DOG CART will tour to Public Energy Performing Arts, Peterborough on April 24, 2024. This performance will also be ASL Deaf-interpreted.

NO ONE’S SPECIAL AT THE HOT DOG CART

A Theatre Passe Muraille and Erroneous Theatre Co-Production

On stage March 14th – March 23rd at the Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace, 16 Ryerson Ave.

Created & performed by Charlie Petch

Directed by Autumn Smith

Dramaturgy by Donna-Michelle St. Bernard

Stage Managed by Flavia Martin

Set Design by Joel Richardson

Lighting Design by Steph Raposo