BONE CAGE Comes to the Assembly Theatre in May

Two-time Dora Award nominated actor, Cass Van Wyck (Two Minutes to Midnight, The Huns) will make her directorial debut when One Four One Collective presents the Governor General Award winning play, Bone Cage by Catherine Banks at the Assembly Theatre this Spring. The co-artistic director of the Assembly Theatre, Cass Van Wyck will bring this emotionally resonant Canadian drama to life with a cast of Toronto's most exciting emerging artists.

Set in rural Nova Scotia, Bone Cage uses elements of magic realism, poetry, and incisive social commentary to paint an authentic portrait of young people growing up in a small town. Working menial jobs in the forestry sector, searching for meaning in a harsh landscape, and trying to break free of the forces that tie them to one another, the young characters in the play seek connection, purpose, and escape from the world they live in by any means necessary. A modern Canadian masterpiece, Bone Cage was called an "unflinching look at rural life," by the Chronicle Herald.

The upcoming production reinforces the Assembly Theatre's mission to create an artistic incubator and launchpad for emerging, next-generation artists. The cast of Bone Cage will include Cooper Bilton (Table Top, Pea Green Theatre & Wonderfully Fantastic... On Ice!, YES Theatre), Jessi Elgood (Mary's Wedding, McCrae House & Guys & Dolls, Yvonne Arnaud), Atlin Hofer (May the Odds be Ever in Your Favour, Bad Dog Theatre Company & Untamed, TMU), Kaitlin Race (Watching Glory Die, LOVE2THEATRE & The Team, Essential Collective Theatre) , Daniel Reale (Mary of Shanty Bay, Theatre By The Bay & Max the Magnificent, Theatre Orangeville), Karen Scora (Back Mirror, New Ideas Festival at Alumnae Theatre & In a Café, At a Chapel, Toronto Fringe Festival), and Jimi Shlag (Beaver, The Storefront Theatre & Kill Your Parents in Viking Alberta, Blood Pact Theatre)

The evocative and dream-like landscape of rural Nova Scotia will be recreated by the production's designers, each of whom are emerging artists in their field. The creative team includes set designer JB Nelles (Eldritch Theatre, Talk is Free Theatre, ), costume designer Selina Jia (Theatre By The Bay & Prague Quadrennial of Performance Design and Space), sound designer Zach Parsons (Urban ARTeries, Theatre Gargantua and Journey to the East, Bulfinch's Mythology, Tottering Biped Theatre). Lighting will be designed by the Assembly Theatre's technical director Chin Palipane (Two Minutes to Midnight, The Assembly Theatre). The production will be stage managed by Sungwon Cho and will feature intimacy and fight direction by Cara Rebecca.

As one of Toronto's few remaining spaces for affordable independent theatre production, The Assembly Theatre is proud to present a bold, lyrical Canadian tragedy that centers the voices and experiences of young people. The theatre is committed to providing performance opportunities to independent artists and to creating exciting opportunities for audiences to engage with new voices and talents. The directorial debut production of co-artistic director Cass Van Wyck will embrace the Assembly Theatre's commitment to financially accessible performances by offering artsworker ticket pricing and PWYC performances on Sunday evenings. Mask-mandatory performances will be available on Wednesday evening performances.

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