WB1: Political theatre returns to Hogtown with a bang!

Introducing the first installment of The Wrecking Ball, an evening of short new political plays that will ask the non-musical question: Can Theatre Deal with Reality?

Some of Canada’s most esteemed theatre artists: Jason Sherman (Reading Hebron), Judith Thompson (Crackwalker), and David Young (Inexpressible Island) will all contribute new ten-minute plays to get the Ball rolling on Monday, November 1st at the Factory Theatre Studio Caf� at 8pm. Also along for this first ride is Naomi Wallace, acclaimed American poet-playwright whose riveting monologue on Iraq, The Retreating World, will be making its Canadian debut. Otherwise, all material comes with our Freshness Guarantee: the plays will be written and rehearsed in the week prior to their first performance – and be based on world events.

Breaking News? You bet! Some of Toronto’s Finest (not those finest, but the acting kind) will be on hand to perform these staged readings, under the steady guidance of Ross Manson, the man who keeps Volcano rumbling. Trumpeter extraordinaire David Buchbinder (mastermind behind Shurum Burum Jazz Festival) and his session men will be on hand to keep the proceedings proceeding. Everyone’s won lots of awards. This is a landmark event for sweet little Toronto.

The Programme

Steeltown Magnolias

• Written by Jason Sherman
• Directed by Michael Waller
• Featuring: Tanja Jacobs, Ron Kennell, Erin Mackinnon, Alon Nashman, Sarah Orenstein, Alex Poch-Goldin and Jane Spidell

Pyramids

• Written by Judith Thompson
• Directed by Ross Manson
• Featuring: Waneta Storms as Pte. Lynndie England

Hitting Bottom

• Written by David Young
• Directed by Richard Greenblatt
• Featuring: Erin Mackninnon, Ric Waugh, Ron White,

The Retreating World

• Written by Naomi Wallace
• Directed by Eda Holmes
• Featuring: Raoul Bhaneja

Rumsfeld: The Unknown, and Other Poems

• Written by Donald Rumsfeld
• as arranged by Hart Seely at SLATE (slate.msn.com)
• Featuring: Alon Nashman

The People

Jason Sherman’s plays include Remnants (A Fable), It’s All True, Reading Hebron, Patience, and Three in the Back, Two in the Head, which received the Governor General’s Award for Drama. His adaptation of The Brothers Karamazov opens next spring at the Stratford Festival.

Judith Thompson’s works are central to the Canadian theatrical landscape. She has twice won the Governor General’s Award (for White Biting Dog, 1984 and for the anthology The Other Side of the Dark, 1989) and has twice won the Chalmers Award (for I am Yours, 1987 and Lion in the Streets, 1991). Her adaptation of Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler will be produced by Volcano theatre at Buddies In Bad Times in the spring of 2005, directed by Ross Manson.

David Young is an acclaimed Canadian playwright. Among his plays are Fire (written with Paul Ledoux, nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore Award and winner of a Chalmers Award); Glenn (nominated for seven Dora Mavor Moore Awards, the Chalmers Award and the Governor General’s Award); Inexpressible Island (a finalist for the Governor General’s award) and Clout. His adaptation of No Great Mischief, currently in rehearsals, opens at Tarragon Theatre on November 9. David, an active screenwriter, and the author of two novels, was also president of Coach House Press for ten years.

American playwright and poet, Naomi Wallace is the author of Slaughter City. Her work has been produced both in the U.S. and Great Britain. Her first play, The War Boys, was produced by the Finborough Theatre and was nominated for Best First Play by the London Fringe Awards. In the Heart of America, a Gulf War Drama was first produced in London by the Bush Theatre. One Flea Spare had its U.S. premiere at the Humana Festival of New American Plays in Louisville, Kentucky. Naomi Wallace’s poetry has been published on both sides of the Atlantic. Her first book of poems, To Dance a Stony Field, was published in Britain last May.

Ross Manson is an actor, director, and translator, and the founding Artistic Director of the multiple award-winning, internationally-acclaimed indie theatre company, Volcano. Recent productions directed for Volcano include: The Arabian Night at the SummerWorks Festival (Audience Choice Award, Best Production) Variété at the Gladstone Hotel (1 Dora award, 5 nominations); Two Words for Snow (3 Dora awards, 6 nominations), and Building Jerusalem (2 Dora awards, 7 nominations, the Chalmers Award, a Governor General’s Award nomination).

• 1 11 2004 - 10:46