2010-2011 Season to Feature Ngozi Paul and Raoul Bhaneja, Season Begins 9/18

Matthew Jocelyn, Artistic & General Director of Canadian Stage today announced casting for Fernando Krapp Wrote Me This Letter: An Attempt at the Truth and The cosmonaut's last message to the woman he once loved in the former Soviet Union, featured productions in the company's upcoming 2010-2011 season. Saint Carmen of The Main will be announced at a later date.

Fernando Krapp Wrote Me This Letter: An Attempt at the Truth will star Ngozi Paul (‘da Kink in my Hair) as Julie and Ashley Wright (Brad Fraser's True Love Lies, Factory Theatre) as Fernando Krapp, with Ryan Hollyman (The Mill Part One, Part Two and Part Three, Theatrefront) as The Count and Walter Borden (Medea, MTC/Mirvish Productions) as The Father. Fernando Krapp is a bold metaphysical fable exploring the themes of love, power, desire and reality, written by Tankred Dorst, one of the masters of contemporary German theatre and adapted and directed by Canadian Stage's Artistic and General Director Matthew Jocelyn in his Canadian Stage debut. A Canadian premiere, previews begin September 18; the production opens September 23 and continues to October 16, 2010 at the Bluma Appel Theatre.

Ngozi Paul is a Toronto actress best known as the co-creator and star of the hit dramedy ‘da Kink in My Hair; she appeared in the stage productions in Toronto and New York and later in the Global TV series and MOW (for which she was also co-executive producer). She served as the Creative Director, Associate Producer and Story Editor on Canada's first Black TV sitcom Lord Have Mercy!, twice nominated for a Gemini Award. She played a lead role in Charles Officer's Genie nominated film, Short Hymn, Silent War which received the Special Jury Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival. She was nominated Best Actress at the U.K. Black International Film Festival for her powerful performance as Susan in the film Banyan. She is the recipient of the prestigious Tyrone Guthrie Award for her work with the Stratford Festival and was praised for her portrayal of the young Nelson Mandela in the Toronto production of the screenplay In the Freedom of Dreams: The Story of Nelson Mandela. High resolution headshot available at www.canadianstage.com/media, password: media.

The cosmonaut's last message to the woman he once loved in the former Soviet Union will star Raoul Bhaneja (Train 48, Hamlet) as Eric/Proprietors, Shaw Festival veteran Fiona Byrne (The Devil's Disciple, Shaw Festival) as Vivenne/Sylvia, Paul Fauteux (Peter Pan, Stratford Shakespeare Festival) as Oleg/Patient, David Jansen (A whistle in the Dark, The Company Theatre) as Keith/Bernard and Soulpepper veteran Sarah Wilson (Travesties, Soulpepper) as Nastasja/Claire. The role of Casimir/Patient is yet to be announced. The Cosmonaut is written by David Greig, one of Scotland's most prolific and thought-provoking young playwrights, and directed by Jennifer Tarver, who earned acclaim for her direction of Krapp's Last Tape starring Brian Dennehy at Stratford Shakespeare Festival and Chicago's Goodman Theatre. The play tells the story of two abandoned Russian cosmonauts who have been circling the planet for two decades, as lovers and strangers attempt to connect across countries and into outer orbit. The play was first produced at the Edinburgh Festival, followed by runs at La Jolla Playhouse (San Diego) and Donmar Warehouse (London). The play makes its Canadian premiere with previews beginning April 16. The production opens April 21 and continues to May 14, 2011 at the Bluma Appel Theatre.

Raoul Bhaneja is an award-winning Toronto-based actor who has appeared in the critically acclaimed productions Helen's Necklace, The Domino Heart, Bashir Lazhar, House of Many Tongues and the upcoming world premiere of Wide Awake Hearts at The Tarragon Theatre. Other selected theatre credits include Rice Boy (Stratford Shakespeare Festival), Savage Sensuality (Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, U.K. Christopher Plummer Artistic Fellowship Award), Sin City (2002 Canadian Comedy Award Nomination), The School for Wives (Soulpepper Theatre), The Cherry Orchard (Theatre Smith-Gilmour/Columbus) and two seasons at The Blyth Festival. In January 2006 at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto he opened Hamlet (solo) which he conceived with director Robert Ross Parker. It has been performed across Canada, in New York and in the U.K. at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, at Stratford Upon Avon and in London. The Gemini Award-nominated documentary Hamlet (solo), directed by Jeff Stephenson, premiered in 2007 on BRAVO! and continues to be broadcast. On screen, Bhaneja was a series regular on Train 48 (where he also made his television directing debut), the Ken Finkleman series At The Hotel and most recently in two American series Runaway (The CW) and The Dresden Files (Sci-Fi). His notable leading and supporting roles in television movies include Open Heart (CBC), Matters of Like and Dating (Lifetime) and the mini-series The Summit (CBC/Global). His numerous guest star credits include The Eleventh Hour, The Associates, The Border, Street Time, The Newsroom and many more. Bhaneja's feature film credits include Ararat, Extraordinary Visitor, Violet, Picture Claire, Godsend, Touch of Pink, Weirdsville and The Sentinel starring Michael Douglas. High resolution headshot available at www.canadianstage.com/media, password: media.

Founded in 1987 with the merger of CentreStage and Toronto Free Theatre, Canadian Stage is one of Canada's leading not-for-profit Contemporary Theatre companies. Led by Artistic & General Director Matthew Jocelyn, Canadian Stage produces and showcases innovative theatre work from Canada and around the world, allowing its audience to encounter daring work guided by a strong directorial vision and a 21st-century aesthetic. The company prides itself on presenting trans-disciplinary work and work in translation that pushes the boundaries of form and style. The company reinforces the presence of Canadian art and artists within an international context through work that mirrors the cultural diversity of Toronto. Canadian Stage has a long-standing commitment to education and enhancement programs for the public and investing in the art form by nurturing and developing theatre professionals while producing thought-provoking theatre and quality entertainment in Toronto, one of North America's largest theatre centres. For more information, refer to canadianstage.com.

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