Nightwood Theatre’s 47th season as Canada’s preeminent feminist theatre company kicks off this September with the world premiere of To a Flame. A 1s1 Theatre and Nightwood Theatre co-production, in association with Modern Times Stage Company and Why Not Theatre, To a Flame is written by Governor General's Award-winning playwright Erin Shields, and helmed by internationally-renowned director Josette Bushell-Mingo. Running from September 22 to October 4, the show opens Nightwood’s second season at its new home, the Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre at 877 Yonge Street. Opening night is September 24. Single tickets are on sale now: visit www.nightwoodtheatre.net to learn more.

This groundbreaking new work intertwines American Sign Language and English with vibrant movement and live music into a haunting, multi-sensory performance that brings Deaf and hearing audiences into a shared theatrical experience through its bilingual artistic design. The ensemble cast features Deaf performer and cultural leader Dawn Jani Birley, with Nickeshia Garrick, and Juliana Monk, accompanied by cellist Beth Silver.

To a Flame is an explosive theatrical feast of image and language that pulls the audience deep into a Victorian Gothic Horror. Three confined women await the conclusion of their stories in the ancestral home of the man they call Father. Secrets burn to be revealed, aches of the past refuse to be suppressed, and the very house itself vibrates with desire for revenge.

Says Birley: “Social justice conversations must include audism. When a form of discrimination remains unacknowledged in society, so too are the experiences and barriers it creates — we cannot challenge what we do not recognise. To a Flame offers a rare opportunity to witness multiple systems of oppression converge on stage, as three women from different backgrounds and lived experiences come together in a shared space to recognise one another’s realities and struggles. The production invites audiences to question what true solidarity requires of us.”

Adds Nightwood Artistic Director Andrea Donaldson: “A project this ambitious takes years to foment and actualize. And as an enormous fan of Dawn Jani Birley, Erin Shields and Josette Bushell-Mingo, I have been following the piece’s development for over ten years. To a Flame is so stunning, intersectional and vividly theatrical that it has the power to actually create a cultural shift. I am so honoured that 1s1 entrusted Nightwood Theatre to act as lead partner on this unparalleled production.”

The creative team for To a Flame includes: Birgit Schreyer Duarte (dramaturg and associate director); Jung-Hye Kim (set and costume design); Deanna Choi (composer and co-sound designer); Jenna Green (co-sound designer); André du Toit (lighting design); Laura Warren (projection design); Sally Roberts (stage manager); Michelle Soicher (assistant stage manager); Maya Royer (production manager); and Micah Champagne (technical director).

To a Flame was inspired by workshops involving the following collaborators: Dawn Jani Birley, Josette Bushell-Mingo, Lisa Karen Cox, Anna Hardwick and Birgit Schreyer Duarte.

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To a Flame

By Erin Shields

September 22 – October 4, 2026 | Opening night is September 24

Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre (877 Yonge St., Toronto)

A 1s1 Theatre and Nightwood Theatre co-production, in association with Modern Times Stage Company and Why Not Theatre

General Admission: $65.00 | Subsidized Admission: $30.00 | Low Income Admission: $15.00. 

To a Flame was originally commissioned by Nightwood Theatre. It was initially developed by Nightwood Theatre and later 1s1 Theatre with further development support from Why Not Theatre. It also received a reading as part of the Heidelberger Stückemarkt in Germany [International Theatre Festival] in May 2026, where it was awarded the International Author’s Prize.