What does leading the National Arts Centre of Canada and running an upper-class French household have in common?

We don't know exactly, but we think that's a great question for Jillian Keiley, who directs The Maids, our first production of the season!

And once you hear about the plot, we might be afraid of the answer...

Based on a true story, the darkly comic and unsettling The Maids tells an account of two sisters employed as servants in a wealthy household who engage in elaborate role-playing games, each taking turns as their superior, Madame. However, thanks to long-suppressed frustrations and desires, their private rituals intensify with devastating consequences. This celebrated drama is a provocative examination of social hierarchy and the masks people wear to survive in a world filled with inequality.

Husbands Aidan deSalaiz (Into The Woods, The Judas Kiss and Billy Lake (Pal Joey) swap their spouse status for that of sisters as they take on the roles of Solange and Claire, respectively. Their Madame will be played by Barrie-raised Shannon Taylor (over a dozen seasons at the Stratford Festival).

Joining Jillian on the creative team is Jake Friesen (Production Design), Aaron Collier (Sound Design), Bob Stamp (Lighting Consultant), Joey Lau (Stage Manager) and Kelsey Jensen (Assistant Stage Manager).

The Maids, by Jean Genet and translated by Bernard Frechtman, runs September 17-October 3 at Barrie By The Bay Commercial Complex, 80 Bradford Street.

For tickets visit www.tift.ca.

* * *

You've probably been to an art gallery. Rules to follow, barriers to obey, security personnel telling you where you can and cannot go. Where the art is mostly stationary, unchanging. And of this world.

This is not that gallery.

In an immersive experience devised and curated by Griffin Hewitt, Don't Touch the Art transforms a large building into a living gallery of performance where multiple works, both new and TIFT favourites, unfold simultaneously across rooms, hallways, and hidden corners. Each encounter is a surprise, and every choice to enter, remain or move on to find a different installation will shape a unique self directed journey for each person. No two experiences are exactly alike: the combination of works, encounters, and pathways available on any given evening may also differ, creating new possibilities for every return visit. Don't Touch the Art blurs the boundaries between exhibition, performance, and exploration, inviting audiences to become active participants in a theatrical experience unlike any other.

Don't Touch The Art runs September 24-October 3, at Barrie By The Bay Commercial Complex, 80 Bradford Street.

For tickets visit www.tift.ca.