A Welcome Welcome to the 20th annual SummerWorks Theatre Festival. Toronto’s Indie Theatre and Arts Festival. Over the past three years, SummerWorks has evolved from an indie-theatre festival to an indie-arts festival. I believe that it’s important to continue to explore the necessity and relevance of the theatrical form: how can it contribute, reflect and parallel the world we’re living in? I became interested in what happens to the form when directly paralleled with other forms. Call it a social experi- ment, if you will – a laboratory on relevance and learning. Where do our forms intersect, and how can we use this to our advantage? We’ve been really excited by the results of this evolution, and this year’s Festival continues to build on these principles. Our Theatre line-up is very exciting. The work is strong, diverse, and brave. We also welcome four very impressive shows from outside Ontario in our National Series. See them all if you can. You won’t be disappointed. What are the ingredients that enable certain musicians to fill rooms and create that rare, emotional electricity? There are some obvious answers like: alcohol and rowdy behaviour – but there are also layers to this question that are connected to the visceral nature of the form. This year’s Music Series is the best yet. I hope you’ll take it in. The new Performance Bar brings three different art forms together on the same stage nightly over the course of the Festival. The glue? The National Theatre of the World. These are three of the smartest, most talented perfor- mance improvisers in the city, and they are hosting what they call: Fiasco Playhouse. This is their canvas to allow absolutely anything to happen. Every evening will be entirely different, endlessly strange and totally original. We began SummerWalks last year as means of finding a new point of connection. SummerWorks takes place on the Queen West Strip, but what the hell is the Queen West Strip? What is this land, and how are we in relation- ship to it? This year, we’ll continue to explore our own identities by reflecting on the identity of the land we’re in, on, and around. As we get older, we tend to get really serious about everything. In an attempt at foiling adulthood, the new Playground, helmed by designer Beth Kates and Ben Chiasson, with free events curated by Natasha Greenblatt and Cara Gee, blends adult ideas while encouraging child-like-curiosities. Look also for Beth and Ben’s Festival- wide installation, connecting our four venues. Adult and real children welcome! Welcome to the Festival. Try to behave. But not too much. Michael Rubenfeld Artistic Producer Monnet Design B 1 Welcome Welcome to the 20th annual SummerWorks Theatre Festival. Toronto’s Indie Theatre and Arts Festival. Over the past three years, SummerWorks has evolved from an indie-theatre festival to an indie-arts festival. I believe that it’s important to continue to explore the necessity and relevance of the theatrical form: how can it contribute, reflect and parallel the world we’re living in? I became interested in what happens to the form when directly paralleled with other forms. Call it a social experi- ment, if you will – a laboratory on relevance and learning. Where do our forms intersect, and how can we use this to our advantage? We’ve been really excited by the results of this evolution, and this year’s Festival continues to build on these principles. Our Theatre line-up is very exciting. The work is strong, diverse, and brave. We also welcome four very impressive shows from outside Ontario in our National Series. See them all if you can. You won’t be disappointed. What are the ingredients that enable certain musicians to fill rooms and create that rare, emotional electricity? There are some obvious answers like: alcohol and rowdy behaviour – but there are also layers to this question that are connected to the visceral nature of the form. This year’s Music Series is the best yet. I hope you’ll take it in. The new Performance Bar brings three different art forms together on the same stage nightly over the course of the Festival. The glue? The National Theatre of the World. These are three of the smartest, most talented perfor- mance improvisers in the city, and they are hosting what they call: Fiasco Playhouse. This is their canvas to allow absolutely anything to happen. Every evening will be entirely different, endlessly strange and totally original. We began SummerWalks last year as means of finding a new point of connection. SummerWorks takes place on the Queen West Strip, but what the hell is the Queen West Strip? What is this land, and how are we in relation- ship to it? This year, we’ll continue to explore our own identities by reflecting on the identity of the land we’re in, on, and around. As we get older, we tend to get really serious about everything. In an attempt at foiling adulthood, the new Playground, helmed by designer Beth Kates and Ben Chiasson, with free events curated by Natasha Greenblatt and Cara Gee, blends adult ideas while encouraging child-like-curiosities. Look also for Beth and Ben’s Festival- wide installation, connecting our four venues. Adult and real children welcome! Welcome to the Festival. Try to behave. But not too much. Michael Rubenfeld Artistic Producer Monnet Design B 1 about summerWorks Ticket information History Selection Jury TickeT Prices THeaTre Policies and Procedures In 1991, five friends – Benj Gallander, Greg Holmgren, Carol Pauker, Joanne Falck, David Oiye & Michael Rubenfeld $10 per performance 1. No latecomers. Rob Sherwood and Ben Stadelmann – came together to put on the $25 for a 3-Play Pass* 2. No refunds.** first SummerWorks Theatre Festival. The decision to mount a new Venue Teams 3. No re-entry. $55 for a 7-Play Pass* 4. Shows start on time. fringe-style festival was a response to what was seen as a growing, Only seventy-five 7-Play Passes are available, so buy early under-represented small theatre community. From 2000 to 2004, FAcTory Theatre MainspAce 5. Performances are a maximum of 75 minutes, unless otherwise noted. Lighting Designer: under the direction of Franco Boni, the Festival made significant Aaron Kelly $75 for a 10-Play Pass* 6. No photographs or video recording. Technicians: changes through a gradual transition from a lottery system to a fully Jamie Monteiro & Kevin MacLeod Only thirty 10-Play Passes are available, so buy early 7. The venue box offices accept cash only. 8. Any unclaimed tickets will be released five minutes before the show. juried Festival. In 2005, the Festival came under the leadership of FAcTory Theatre StudIo $5 for SummerWalks Tours / $12 for a 3-Walk Pass* Artistic Producers Keira Loughran and Kimahli Powell, who together Lighting Designer: Raha Javanfar 9. Please turn off all cell phones, pagers, etc. in the theatres. *Passes go on sale August 5 at 4pm at the Factory Mainspace Box Office. launched the Canadian Pavilion (National Series). In 2007, Keira Technicians: Bryan Eaton & Shawn Henry **For Offsite shows that are rained out, the following are our refund policies: took on full responsibility for the Festival as sole Artistic Producer. Theatre Passe Muraille MainspAce If you purchased a ticket “at the door,” please bring your ticket to the booth Passes In January 2008, Michael Rubenfeld became the Artistic Producer Lighting Designer: Peter Eaton at which you purchased it on the same day as the rained out performance of the Festival, bringing with him a love for theatre and music, and his Technicians: Peter Eaton & John Thomson Passes are redeemed for tickets on a first-come, first-served basis and we will refund your ticket. desire to explore art as a tool for both community and cultural evolu- and are subject to availability. Passes are non-transferable. Pass holders tion. As the largest juried festival in Canada featuring predominantly Theatre Passe Muraille BAckspAce will be required to sign for their tickets. If you purchased an advance ticket for an Offsite show with a credit New Canadian plays, SummerWorks looks to uniquely reflect Toronto Lighting Designer: David DeGrow card, the Arts Box Office will automatically refund your money. If you Technicians: David DeGrow & Alicia Ho purchased a ticket with cash at the Arts Box Office, please bring your and Canada’s zeitgeist. HoW To PurcHase TickeTs The Theatre cenTre ticket to the Arts Box Office booth for refund. Regular Tickets (same-day sales) – $10 per performance Staff Lighting Designer: Jason Golinsky Each venue box office opens one hour before the first performance Technicians: Alex Naylor & Matt Jordan Box offices Artistic Producer: Michael Rubenfeld of the day, and will sell tickets for each show one hour prior to its Artistic Associate: Dan Daley The lower ossIngTon Theatre performance time. One hour prior to each show, tickets for Factory shows are available Production Manager: Stefan Lenzi Lighting Designer: Joshua Koffman in the Factory Theatre Courtyard. Tickets for Theatre Passe Muraille Advance Tickets – $10 per performance ($5 per walking tour) Music Coordinator: Kevin Parnell Technicians: Kelly Read & Nick Rose shows are available outside Theatre Passe Muraille. Tickets for (+ $1 service fee + hst) Musical Works Producer: Tracy Michailidis The Theatre Centre shows are available in the front lobby at The Theatre Advance Tickets are available up to 10am the day before a show and Musical Works Co-Producers: Derrick Chua, George Masswohl Donors and Sponsors Centre. Tickets for The Lower Ossington Theatre are available in the can be purchased as follows: upstairs lobby on the 2nd floor.