Cara Ricketts and Graham Cuthbertson Star in Canadian Stage's CONSTELLATIONS

After dazzling audiences in London's West End and on Broadway, Canadian Stage is proud to bring the international hit Constellations by British playwright Nick Payne to Toronto in a new production directed by the award-winning Peter Hinton (Shaw Festival).

On stage at the Bluma Appel Theatre from November 8-27, Constellations stars Cara Ricketts and Graham Cuthbertson as two people finding love in multiple universes. A co-production with Centaur Theatre Company, the production premiered in Montreal on October 6.

"We are delighted to join forces with Montreal's Centaur Theatre to present Constellations," said Canadian Stage Artistic and General Director Matthew Jocelyn. "Nick Payne's ingenious script transforms complex string theory into a smart, playful and deeply human love story that will resonate with all audiences. As seen through the ever-poetic vision of Peter Hinton, a longtime friend and collaborator of Canadian Stage, and brought to life by our two fantastic leads, the production will expand our imaginations on stage."

Winner of London's Evening Standard Best Play Award and nominated for four Olivier Awards, Constellations received critically-acclaimed sold-out runs in London's West End (2012) and subsequently on Broadway (2014) in a star-studded remount starring Jake Gyllenhaal.

One of the leading voices in UK theatre, Nick Payne wrote Constellations in the aftermath of his father's death. After stumbling upon author-physicist Brian Greene's documentary The Elegant Universe, which explores the idea of the quantum multiverse - the theory that many universes can coexist simultaneously - Payne laid the groundwork for his hugely popular two-hander.

Raising questions between the difference between free will and fate, Constellations takes a spellbinding journey through the infinite romantic universes of Marianne (a physicist) and Roland (a bee keeper) as they fall in and sometimes out, of love. What starts out as a boy-meets-girl romance spins into an endlessly inventive multitude of might-have been alternatives as each choice they make shapes an entirely different, life-altering future.

"As we follow Roland and Marianne through breaking up and staying together, moving in and going their separate ways, having affairs and monogamy, we also see romance interrupted and tested by death; it is a love story both celebrated and mourned," elaborated director Peter Hinton. "For Payne, the notion that there might be a universe in which his father had not died, he has described as both, 'curiously unhelpful and quietly consoling.' This is what the theatre negotiates: the dangers and exuberance of possibility."

Former Artistic Director of the NAC English Theatre and Artistic Associate of Canadian Stage, Hinton is the current lead mentor for the York University MFA Directors Program - in collaboration with Canadian Stage.

Constellations stars Cara Ricketts (CBC's The Book of Negroes), last seen at Canadian Stage in Hedda Gabler, and Montreal stage actor Graham Cuthbertson (SideMart Theatrical Grocery). They are joined live on stage by cellist Jane Chan. Set & Costume Designer Michael Gianfrancesco, Lighting Designer Andrea Lundy and Sound Designer Peter Cerone complete the creative team.

Constellations will be on stage at the Bluma Appel Theatre (27 Front Street) from November 8 - 27 (Previews: November 8-9). Performances run Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday at 8 pm, Friday at 7 pm, with matinees on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 1 pm beginning November 12. Tickets from $39 to $99 are available online, by phone at 416.368.3110, or in person at the Berkeley Street box office. For details visit www.canadianstage.com/online/constellations.

Founded in 1987, Canadian Stage is one of the country's leading not-for-profit Contemporary Theatre companies, with the 16.17 season marking the organization's 29th season. Led by Artistic & General Director Matthew Jocelyn and Managing Director Su Hutchinson, Canadian Stage produces and showcases innovative theatre 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 multidisciplinary pieces and work in translation that pushes the boundaries of form and style. Canadian Stage reinforces the presence of Canadian art and artists within an international context through work that mirrors the cultural diversity of Toronto. The company stages an annual season of work at three major venues (the Bluma Appel Theatre, the Berkeley Street Theatre and the High Park Amphitheatre) and runs a series of artist development and education initiatives, as well as youth and community outreach programs. For more information, visit canadianstage.com.

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