2017 Next Stage Theatre Festival (NSTF) Lineup Announced

The Next Stage Theatre Festival returns this January with a lineup of ten theatre companies that showcase the very best indie theatre in the country.

The 2017 Next Stage Theatre Festival features internationally renowned musical Blood Ties, written by Anika Johnson and Barbara Johnston, which has appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe and on BBC America's Orphan Black. The festival also features acclaimed artist Kawa Ada who is returning to writing after a dazzling string of projects, such as performing in the international tour of Iceland and presenting his last play, The Wanderers, with Cahoots Theatre at Buddies in Bad Times in 2014. His newest piece (The Death of Mrs. Gandhi and the Beginning of New Physics) will have its world premiere at NSTF 2017.

The festival welcomes back veteran Fringe artists (Pea Green Theatre Group presenting Clique Claque and 2013 Fringe New Play Contest winner Peter Genoway presenting One Night Only) as well as emerging companies that made a splash at the 2016 summer Fringe (a new concept from Pressgang Theatre called Two Truths and a Lie and Silk Bath by Silk Bath Collective.) Experienced Fringe artists will present an improvised musical (Songbusters, Out of Reach Theatre) featuring mainstays of the sketch comedy scene Matty Burns (The Other Kingdom), Stephanie Malek (Bad Dog's Final Frontier), Josh Murray, (Second City Education Company), Kristian Bruun (Orphan Black),Ashley Comeau (Second City Mainstage), Tricia Black (Sketchersons), Alexandra Hurley (Edinburgh Fringe), Nug Nahrgang (Evil Dead! The Musical) and Connor Thompson (Second City Mainstage).

Those in the mood for some dance will be thrilled by the tongue-in-cheek MANICPIXIEDREAMGIRLS by Alyssa Martin, a gleeful pop culture mashup featuring 90s karaoke, athletic dance breaks and an homage to Zach Braff. And those looking for something on the quirky side to liven up their post-holiday blues will want to catch 2015 Toronto Fringe Festival hit My Big Fat German Puppet Show by Invisible Inc., which won the "Just For Laughs Best Comedy of the Fringe" at the 2015 Montreal Fringe. Finally, audiences will want to cap off their festival experience with an intimate two-hander from Lisa Merchant and Ted Hallett called Prequel, which is an improvised one act play about the ins and outs of dating.

From Toronto Fringe Executive Director Kelly Straughan:

"This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Next Stage Theatre Festival and I'm so proud of our festival that has grown from 'that quirky little festival in January' to a vibrant and vital part of the independent theatre community. Each year NSTF productions receive Dora nominations and remounts happen in theatres across North America. It is truly 12 days of some of the best independent theatre in Canada and this year will not disappoint."

The Toronto Fringe is pleased to announce the full line up of the 2017 Next Stage Theatre Festival. Please read about all 10 shows below. Contact Toronto Fringe Communications Manager Claire Wynveen with all media inquiries. communications@fringetoronto.com (416-966-1062 ext. 225).

Factory Theatre Mainspace

Clique Claque

Presented by: Pea Green Theatre Group
Playwright: Mark Brownell
Director: Sue Miner
Genre: Period Comedy

About the show:
Clique Claque is a dastardly comedy set in Paris in the 1880's. Madame Clothilde is the "Chef de Claque:" The overseer of a group of professional "clappers" who manipulate audience applause for cash. Together with her detestable husband (Yannick) they seek to control the fortunes of every performing artist in the city. Hoping to expand their operations the pair adopt a new disciple - a fresh-faced Canadian who is in Paris to realize his artistic fortune. The only thing standing in the way of The Claque's ultimate triumph is a rival group known as "The Clique." Much melodramatic nastiness ensues.

More info about "The Claque" from playwright Mark Brownell:
This is a new play about A VERY OLD theatrical tradition: The Claque. Claquers are audience members who get paid to clap during performances. The play is set in Paris in the 1880's at the height of the Claque's power. At that time there was no performing arts discipline that the Claque did not influence. Artists who shunned the Claque were punished severely with boos and hisses on opening night. The methods of the Claque eventually became a science and (for a time) its existence was actually acknowledged as a legitimate and necessary part of the Parisian performing art scene.

Why you should see it:
Be transported to fin de siècle Paris by a company that has proved their ability to inspire and entertain an audience again and again - plus this is their first show after their internationally-acclaimed Three Men in a Boat.

More info about Pea Green Theatre Group:
http://peagreentheatre.com/

Blood Ties: The Musical

Presented by: Edge of the Sky Theatre
Playwrights: Anika Johnson and Barbara Johnston
Director: Ann Merriam
Genre: Musical Theatre

About the show:
A darkly comedic chamber musical based on a true story of a bachelorette weekend gone horribly wrong. Sheila's uncle shoots himself in his bathroom on the eve of her wedding, and when her three best friends arrive in town for her bachelorette party they are instead charged with the task of helping her clean up the considerable mess left behind. But in the process of mopping up blood and brains, disturbing details are uncovered, and it becomes clear that Sheila isn't telling the whole truth.

From Anika Johnson and Barbara Johnston:
This show explores some of the themes that we are most curious about as artists - feminism and contemporary values, the complex relationships between lifelong friends, the difference between nice and good, true and right, and the grey between black and white morality. It tricks the audience into laughing along with its black comedy, then makes it complicit when the play flips into a tragedy. We both love mystery, horror, and the blockbuster 'sexy thrillers' of the 90's, and wanted to create a piece of theatre that could be compulsively watchable without sacrificing its artistic integrity.

Why you should see it:
Audiences love this show! It was previously a hit at SummerWorks Musical Works in Concert (The Torontoist Top 10), the Edinburgh Fringe (Fringe Review Top 10/*****Broadway Baby/*****Musical Talk UK), and even featured on BBC America's Orphan Black.

More info about Blood Ties:
http://bloodtiesthemusical.ca/

MANICPIXIEDREAMGIRLS

Presented by: Rock Bottom Movement
Choreographer: Alyssa Martin
Dramaturgy: David Bernstein
Genre: Comedy/ Dance Theatre

About the show:
MANICPIXIEDREAMGIRLS is a dance piece created by Toronto-based choreographer, Alyssa Martin. It is one hour trip through precise dance breaks, karaoke, fantasies, inflatables, desires, femininity and tropes of the dancer and the dream girl. The work is an absurd prance through the pretend world of the MPDG, to satirize the term coined by Nathan Rabin in 2005 to describe "that bubbly, shallow cinematic creature that exists solely in the fevered imaginations of sensitive writer-directors to teach broodingly soulful young men to embrace life and its infinite mysteries and adventures."

A note from choreographer Alyssa Martin:
This piece is a response to my younger self. It's an exploration and exploitation of the flawed-female-character-created-for-mass-adoration I remember gushing over/aspiring to be in my youth. I guess it's easy now to cringe at the thin, calculated quirkiness of the new brand of "girl power" created by movies like "Garden State," but at the time I think they served as a much-needed glorification of femininity.

Why you should see it:
Rock Bottom Movement calls themselves "a cosmic team of pixie-dance-rascals in Toronto & beyond" - what could be better to beat the winter blues? If you're looking for something quirky and fun from a team of accomplished dance artists, this show will be perfect.

More info about Rock Bottom Movement:
http://www.rockbottommovement.com/

The Death of Mrs. Gandhi and the Beginning of New Physics (a political fantasy)

Presented by: Everything But the Bard
Playwright: Kawa Ada
Artistic Producer: Renna Reddie
Genre: Political Satire

About the Play:
It's 1984 and Indira Gandhi is dead. Her bestie, Margaret Thatcher, invites the most powerful women in the world to the funeral, including Imelda Marcos, Benazir Bhutto and a young intern from Canada named Kim Campbell. But before they can mourn their friend, a mysterious woman appears claiming to be a time terrorist. "My name is Malala," she says, "And I'm from the future." Featuring an all-female cast, the play is about 5 powerhouse figures at odds with each other and their people. Throw in a little quantum time-jumping and you've got the makings of an irreverent and wildly fabricated incident from the past about the truth behind a globalized economy, the spread of democracy and the rise of terrorism.

From playwright Kawa Ada: I have, for a long time, fantasized about a play involving the great female heads of state from around the world. These passions have brought me to this play. I am especially fascinated by the women that were in power during my youth; those whom my parents would often speak about and the barriers they had to overcome to get to those positions. Certainly, when Thatcher took over, it was seen as a landMark Victory; she was, after all, Great Britain's first (and only) female Prime Minister. But during Thatcher's reign in office, there were eight countries - all developing nations - who could boast of a woman at the top. This has provoked me to ask: when the East has a reputation for often being systemically and culturally misogynistic, how come more female heads of state have served there than in the West?

Why should you see it?
Two words: Hilary Clinton. This play is even more topical and relevant at a time when the USA may be ushering in their first female President. By January we will have the answer! And the entire world will likely be talking about female world leaders in January, just in time for inauguration day.

More info about Kawa Ada:
https://www.playwrightsguild.ca/playwright/kawa-ada

Factory Theatre Studio

Silk Bath (????) S?chóu X?yù

Presented by: Silk Bath Collective
Playwrights: Bessie Cheng, Aaron Jan, and Gloria Mok
Director: Aaron Jan
Genre: Drama/Physical Theatre

About the show:
Performed in Mandarin, Cantonese, and English (with Chinese and English surtitles) Silk Bath is a ruthless, satirical, physical exploration of what it means to be accepted by a society after citizenship paperwork is signed. Set under the lights of a live reality TV show taping, four immigrants battle it out for a place in their new home. Can we ever shed the label of the outsider?

From the collective:
We want to tell stories about our skin and our community. Silk Bath features satirical games and physically exhausting competitions that will hopefully raise questions surrounding the de-humanization and the "othering" of fellow immigrants, our neighbours, in an attempt to feel safe. It is our hope that through the Next Stage Theatre Festival we can continue to grow the next generation of Asian Canadian audiences and theatre-makers. We hope to reach out to these communities that would not be gathered otherwise, so that they can feel that their stories have value in the theatrical canon.

Why you should see it:
This is the first time a show at NSTF has been performed in Mandarin and Cantonese. Join these emerging artists as they passionately explore themes of community, "otherness" and belonging.

More info about Silk Bath:
http://silkbathcollective.wixsite.com/fringe

Songbuster - An Improvised Musical

Presented by: Out of Reach Theatre
Playwright: Collectively created by the cast and musicians
Genre: Improv/Musical Theatre

About the show:
During each performance, the cast of award-winning improvisers will create a brand new musical on the spot, where each night is opening night. Audience suggestions are transformed into all-singing, all-dancing shows with surprising and hysterical results. As everything is made up, each show is completely different. The cast may take you to a hostel in Russia one show, a moon base the next, and to Kitchener by train the show after thaT. Fast paced, ridiculous, endearing, and always entertaining, the cast is endlessly ambitious creating an hour-long musical from a series of suggestions provided by the audience.

From the company:
You've seen our cast on TV (Orphan Black, Degrassi TNG, RAW, The Other Kingdom) but you've never seen them like this! Audience suggestions are transformed into all-singing, all-dancing shows with hysterical and often surprisingly moving results. In a world of Kardashians and perfectly constructed figures, we offer something different. Unscripted laughter. Deep-belly, tear-inducing, off-the-cuff laughter. We know people howl at the Kardashians but WE give back. They don't. 'Nuff said.

Why you should see it:
It's January. You've just blown all your money over the holidays. You're in a turkey coma. You need a little belly laughter to jumpstart your 2017!

More info about Songbuster:
http://baddogtheatre.com/songbuster/

One Night Only

Presented by: The Half Beat Collective
Playwright: Peter Genoway
Genre: Drama

About the show:
Ben is a washed-up musician and Martin is a successful entrepreneur, but in the 1960s they were a folk-rock duo chasing stardom. Then something went wrong - really wrong - and after not speaking to each other for thirty years they come together to finally bury the hatchet. However, in the midst of their reconciliation, Martin's daughter Cassandra appears. Differentiated by her age and her gender, she ups the conflict by providing a feminist foil to the men's skewed (and perhaps hypocritical) 60s idealism. Not content to let these former hippies idly reminisce, she is committed to cutting through their hazy memories to get to the truth of what really caused the band to break up so many years ago.

From playwright Peter Genoway:
We plan to give Toronto an honest, uncompromising, and (most importantly) relevant slice of this city's cultural history. As the story offers up memories of Yorkville's 60s music scene, audiences will be able to compare the play's depiction of enduring youthful optimism with the realities of our city in 2016. Woven into this rich context is a layered, complex, and ultimately enigmatic family saga that will resonate with audiences long after they leave the theatre.

Why you should see it:
To take a trip into the city's musical history! Boomers and millennials will want to attend this show together - so bring your dad (or daughter) for this journey through the musical history of Toronto in the 60s.

More info about Peter Genoway:
https://nowtoronto.com/stage/features/fringe-new-play-contest-winner-peter-genoway/

My Big Fat German Puppet Show

Presented by: Invisible Inc.
Playwright: Frank Meschkuleit
Genre: Comedy/Puppetry

About the show:
My Big Fat German Puppet Show is part comedy, part circus, party puppetry, and all weird! Winner of the prestigious "Just For Laughs Best Comedy of the Fringe" award, it contains music, zombies, and power tools - all combined in unconventional ways.

From puppeteer and creator, Frank Meschkuleit:
I've been performing as a puppeteer and voice over artist for over 30 years, and I've done work for Jim Henson's Muppets in shows like "Fraggle Rock" and "Follow That Bird" as well as neat movies like "Bride of Chuckie," "Aliens vs Predators II," "the Santa Clause," and "The Thing" prequel. All this is great. But performing live, onstage is still the most fun I've had with clothes on!

Why you should see it:
This is an unexpected and hilarious piece from an artist who has spent 30 years refining his craft and has created something extremely special, unique and "Fringe-y." Fringe audiences have raved about this show that the Montreal Gazette said "Leaves us wishing for more."

More info on the show:
https://nowtoronto.com/stage/fringe-review-my-big-fat-german-puppet-show/

Factory Theatre Antechamber

Prequel

Presented by: Ted & Lisa
Playwrights: Ted Hallett and Lisa Merchant
Genre: Improv/Theatre

About the show:
Each night, Ted and Lisa will create a multi-character, completely improvised one act play. Drawing upon two pieces of information from the audience, the artists will transform these pieces into something completely new. The information they need? The online dating profile of a real person, selected at random by surfing the web, and a location where the date would happen. Is it an elevator? A park bench? A prison cell? It'll be different every night.

From Ted & Lisa:
Improvisational comedy is often thought of as only existing in Comedy Clubs. But to be an excellent improviser you must be able to embody characters both comically and dramatically instantaneously. To be an excellent actor you must be able to embody characters both comically and dramatically completely. These two worlds belong to each other. This show is theatre-on-its-feet: created in front of the audience in real time.

Why you should see this show:
Because Ted & Lisa are two of the city's best improvisers and will create a different show for you each and every night!

Sneak peek of Ted & Lisa:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03yV8DDYZmo

Two Truths and a Lie

Presented by: Pressgang Theatre
Playwrights: Graham Isador, Rhiannon Archer, and Helder Brum
Genre: Storytelling

About the show:
Over thirty minutes Rhiannon Archer (LIFE RECORDS), Graham Isador (SERVED), and Helder Brum (JFL 42) bring you three unbelievable stories...one of which is completely made up. Created by Pressgang Storytelling (BlogTo's Top Ten Storytelling Events), Two Truths and a Liehighlights some of the best new talent in Toronto's comedy scene.

From the company:
Every performance of Two Truths and a Lie will be slightly different. The cast will be sharing a rotation of their favorite real-life stories and fictional tales. At the end of each show one lucky audience member will be asked to decide which story is fake. If the audience member is correct, they win a can of SPAM.

Why you should see it:
Because you're an amateur Sherlock! These experienced storytellers will present you with three riveting pieces and you'll get to do some detective work to try to determine which one is fake.

More info about Pressgang Theatre:
https://www.facebook.com/pressgangtheatre/

General Festival Information:
The 2017 Next Stage Theatre Festival runs from January 4-15, 2017 at Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst Street.

Tickets:
Advance Tickets & Passes Available Nov. 26, 2016. NSTF Early Bird savings of 15% can be accessed until Dec. 5, 2016. Tickets can be purchased online at www.fringetoronto.com & by phone at 416-966-1062. Tickets are $15 for Mainspace and Studio shows and $10 for Antechamber shows.

Schedule:
The 2017 Next Stage Festival Schedule will be available by the end November. For more information visit www.fringetoronto.com

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