David Ferry News

The Capitol Theatre's summer stage series will continue with Prairie Nurse by award-winning Filipino-Canadian playwright Marie Beath Badian, directed by Megan Watson - a hilarious culture-clash comedy based on a true story.

This summer, Canadian Stage celebrates 40 magical years of Dream in High Park by bringing back one of Shakespeare's most beloved plays, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.  The first play ever presented in the High Park amphitheatre in 1983, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM has long been associated with the time-held tradition of Shakespeare under the stars.

BirdLand Theatre will present a bold new staged reading of Nobel Prize winner Elfriede Jelinek's groundbreaking play On the Royal Road: The Burgher King at Innis College Town Hall, 2 Sussex Avenue, Toronto, on November 9 at 3.30pm.

Misfit is based entirely on an actual letter written by screen siren Marilyn Monroe after her forced confinement to a psychiatric clinic in 1961. The private and revealing thoughts of a true Hollywood legend are revealed as she recounts her harrowing experience. A copy of this letter recently sold at auction for an undisclosed amount.

The Barbara Hamilton Memorial Award (BHMA) was established in 1996 to recognize Barbara Hamilton's illustrious theatrical career and her remarkable canon of work. This award is presented to a Canadian artist who demonstrates excellence in the performing arts and is dedicated to advocating and being an ambassador for the arts in Canada.

The Coal Mine, a new independent theatre in Toronto's east end, founded by Chief Engineers Diana Bentley and Ted Dykstra, proudly presents their third season of fearlessly challenging plays, produced, directed, designed and performed at the highest possible level. With less than 100 seats available per performance, The Coal Mine is inspired by the intimacy and excitement of the off-off-Broadway experience.

Coal Mine Theatre presents the Toronto premiere of the edgy and electric INSTRUCTIONS (TO ANY FUTURE SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT WISHING TO ABOLISH CHRISTMAS) from May 29 - June 19. Written by Canadian playwright Michael Mackenzie, directed by David Storch and starring Coal Mine's Artistic Curator Ted Dykstra and Artistic Producer Diana Bentley, this modern-day two-hander examines the shifting and suspect forces that drive the global financial system.

If you're unfamiliar with The Coal Mine, venture off to Toronto's east-end for the best of indie theatre. Though their permanent space is currently under renovation, the new independent theatre company, entering their second season, shines in their temporary space in the heart of the Danforth. Described as an Off-Off-Broadway experience, The Coal Mine plays to 80 seats a night - this intimate, high-quality and raw theatrical experience is unlike any other.

The Coal Mine Theatre's kicks off its second season with the Canadian premiere of Jez Butterworth's THE RIVER, directed by Ted Dykstra. The production stars David Ferry as The Man, Jane Spidell as The Woman, and Dani Kind as The Other. Before performances begin on November 1, we spoke with star David Ferry.

The Coal Mine, Artistic Curator Ted Dykstra and Artistic Producer Diana Bentley, launch their second season of powerful and often darkly humourous adventures in drama with Jez Butterworth's THE RIVER, November 1-22, 2015. The English playwright's poetic follow-up to his international hit Jerusalem, will receive its Canadian premiere with direction by Ted Dykstra; starring David Ferry as The Man, Jane Spidell as The Woman, and Dani Kind as The Other Woman.

For 35 days this summer, Toronto will be home to the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games. As part of the Games, the arts and culture festival, PANAMANIA will present more than 250 unique commissioned performances and exhibitions, creating a cultural legacy that will make an everlasting impression on the international arts and culture stage. Scroll down for this year's theatre lineup!

A modern melodrama of obsession, honour and revenge, CREDITORS is Strindberg's least produced play, but considered one of his most mature. With a new adaptation by Scottish playwright David Greig, CREDITORS was originally produced by Donmar Warehouse in London, 2008. The show, under the direction of Alan Rickman, transferred to New York in 2010 where Ben Brantley called it a 'thrilling new interpretation.'

The Coal Mine Theatre's second production, Mike Bartlett's BULL, offers a cutthroat and ruthless look into a highly competitive workplace situation. This small independent theatre company located at the bottom of a Danforth pizza joint offers a new experience for Toronto theatregoers in the East End.

Nasty, short and brutish, BULL is a razor-sharp, a-morality play about cutthroat office politics and Darwinian brutality in the workplace.

Montreal actress/producer Sarah Booth's Toronto debut in the searing, smash indie hit 'Blackbird' is an overnight hit three years in the making. Calling her and her partner David Ferry's performances 'remarkable,' the Toronto Star critic raved 'A must see. Catch it while you can.' 'A heart-stopping production,' opined the Globe and Mail's J. Kelly Nestruck. Martin Morrow for the Torontoist called it 'electrifying.' '(A) gripping, explosive production of an unsettling play,' wrote Lynn Slotkin in her review posted on The Slotkin Letter.

Many people in Toronto's arts communities, especially theatre, are still grieving the loss of TheatreBooks after the venerable bookstore closed its doors forever this July after 39 years. Now, many are lost when needing scripts or monologues for auditions. And others feel the same who just love to read about the performing arts.

Simply put, Juan Chioran, with his at times hilarious, at times heartbreaking, performance as Cousin Julio, is the reason to see the Toronto premiere of Stephen Adly Guirgis' 'The Mother f**ker with the Hat.' (MOFO).

Well recognised British actor David Suchet is joined by an international cast to bring Roger Crane's mystery, THE LAST CONFESSION, to Australian audiences with the right mix of emotion, passion and humour. Crane explores the sudden death of Pope John Paul I, 33 days after his election in this cleverly constructed play that draws on factual events and challenges beliefs.