Casting Set for WITHIN THE GLASS and More as Part of Tarragon Theatre's 45th Season

Richard Rose, Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre, announced casting for the second half of the theatre's 45th anniversary season today.

From January through May, 2016, the three world premieres and Toronto debut of a critically acclaimed work that comprise the second half of the 2015-16 season feature many outstanding artists returning to Tarragon, including such exceptional talents as Paul Braunstein, Sarah Dodd, Philippa Domville, Kelli Fox, Maggie Huculak, Tony Nappo, Nancy Palk, Anand Rajaran, Julian Richings, Rick Roberts, and R.H. Thomson, as well as many other gifted actors.

As noted when the season was announced this past February, all the playwrights for the 2015-16 season - with the exception of the recent remount of An Enemy of the People by Henrik Ibsen - are making their Tarragon debuts.

The world premiere of the comedic drama Within the Glass by Tarragon Playwright-in-Residence Anna Chatterton will star Paul Braunstein (Tarragon/Volcano's Infinity, Tarragon's Kilt - Dora nomination), Nicola Correia-Damude in her Tarragon debut (nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Performance in a Guest Role for Remedy on Global TV), Philippa Domville (Tarragon's The Trouble with Mr. Adams, Canadian Stage's Macbeth as Lady Macbeth), and Rick Roberts (Tarragon's original and remount of An Enemy of the People, CBC-TV series This Life, ACTRA Award for Best Actor for title role in 2013 CBC-TV movie Jack about Jack Layton).

Within the Glass | World Premiere | Mainspace
by Anna Chatterton
directed by Andrea Donaldson

Starring Paul Braunstein, Nicola Correia-Damude, Philippa Domville, Rick Roberts
Set & costume design by Julie Fox, lighting design by Rebecca Picherack, sound design by Mike Renaldi

January 6 - February 14, 2016 (Opens January 13)

Two very different couples meet after a critical mistake at a fertility clinic: a fertilized egg has been implanted into the wrong woman. Over the course of a tense and absurd evening, they fight to determine the uncertain future of their families. This extraordinary pregnancy forces each of them to reassess their relationships, the depths of their desire to parent, and their hopes for the future - asking each person what they are willing to give up in the pursuit of a child.

Indie-sensation Kat Sandler's darkly comic fairy tale Mustard will star Anand Rajaran (Tarragon's Much Ado About Nothing; numerous VideoCabaret productions) who plays the title role Mustard, Sarah Dodd (many seasons at Stratford; Dora Award for Marion Bridge with Company Theatre) who portrays his wife Sadie and Rebecca Liddiard (Neftlix/CityTV's Between) who will make her Tarragon debut as daughter Thai. Paolo Santalucia (Soulpepper's Of Human Bondage, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead), Tony Nappo (Theatre Why Not's Butcher, Mirvish's God of Carnage, Tarragon's A God In Need of Help, The Real World?) and Julian Richings (Luminato's My One Demand, Art of Time Ensemble's I Send You This Cadmium Red, numerous film & TV including Warner Brothers' Supernatural, She Stoops to Conquer at TIFF 2015) round out the powerhouse cast. Tarragon is also pleased to announce Ashlie Corcoran, Artistic Director of Thousand Islands Playhouse, as director (Tarragon's The Ugly One).

Mustard | World Premiere | Extraspace
by Kat Sandler
directed by Ashlie Corcoran

Starring Sarah Dodd, Rebecca Liddiard, Tony Nappo, Anand Rajaram, Julian Richings, Paolo Santalucia
Set & costume design by Michael Gianfrancesco, lighting design by Graeme Thomson, sound design by Chris Stanton

February 2 - March 13, 2016 (Opens February 10)

Teenage Thai still has an imaginary friend named Mustard who lives under the bed. How can her mother, recently divorced and looking for solace at the bottom of a wine glass, persuade her that this is not normal, when she just started seeing him too? Mustard is a darkly comic fairy tale about an imaginary friend's quest to stay in our world; a whimsical story about loss, family, growing up and our need to belong.

The Tarragon / Studio 180 Theatre co-production of the highly-acclaimed You Will Remember Me by Governor General's Award-winning, Quebecois playwright Francois Arçhambault will star R.H. Thomson (member of the Order of Canada, Governor General's Performing Arts Award winner Tarragon's No Great Mischief) in the central role of Edouard, the aging patriarch of a modern family. His wife Madeleine will be played by Nancy Palk (Tarragon's Wormwood, founding member of Soulpepper) and daughter Isabelle by Kimwun Perehinec (Studio 180 co-founder who appeared in Love, DishonourŠ, Clybourne Park, Our Class). The cast will also include Marc McGrinder (Studio 180 Theatre co-founder, Second City's National touring company, seasons at Shaw Festival) and emerging theatre artist Alanna Bale.

You Will Remember Me | Toronto Premiere | Mainspace
by François Archambault, translated by Bobby Theodore in co-production with Studio 180 Theatre
directed by Joel Greenberg

Starring R.H. Thomson, Kimwun Perehinec, Nancy Palk, Marc McGrinder, Alanna Bale
Set, costume & video design by Denyse Karn; lighting design by Kimberly Purtell, sound design by Verne Good

March 1 - April 10, 2016 (Opens March 9)

How will you be remembered? How will you choose to remember those you love? As an aging patriarch of a modern family - a university professor, political and intellectual force and long-time sovereigntist - suffers from dementia, the people who love him struggle to make room in their lives to care for him. This is a vivid and elegant drama about family and memory from one of Québec's most dynamic voices.

Closing the 2015-16 season is Fabrizio Filippo's The Summoned, a technological drama that speaks to the nature of mortality. Filippo will play the central role of Aldous. His mother Annie will be played by Maggie Huculak (Tarragon's Cake and Dirt, Soulpepper's The Dead, Dora and Chalmers Award-winner). Also announced are John Bourgeois (seasons at Stratford, off-Broadway, Studio 180 Theatre's God of Carnage), Rachel Cairns (seasons at Blyth Festival, Tarragon debut) and Kelli Fox (Tarragon's Scorched, Shaw Festival's The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures, seasons at Stratford).

The Summoned | World Premiere | Mainspace
by Fabrizio Filippo
directed by Richard Rose

Starring John Bourgeois, Rachel Carins, Fabrizio Fliippo, Kelli Fox, Maggie Huculak
Set & lighting design by Jason Hand, costume design by Charlotte Dean, sound design by Dylan Green, video design by Kurt Firla

April 20 - May 29, 2016 (Opens April 27)

Following the death of a billionaire tech visionary, the most important people in his life are summoned to an airport hotel for the reading of his will. They know to expect the unexpected, but what transpires is nothing short of a paradigm shift in the very fabric of these characters' lives, the nature of mortality and the future of technology.

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Tarragon continues its Beyond the Stage programming with a regular Lecture Series, a Talkback Week for each production, Tarragon Tasting Nights hosted by local food and beverage companies, and other events and activities. New for the 2015-16 season, Tarragon's Workspace continues to grow as a centre for experimentation, exploration and extensive play development for Tarragon, independent artists, collectives and theatre companies. To date, 19 groups are confirmed to utilize the free space and support provided by Workspace this season to develop new projects.

Also new for the 2015/16 season, Tarragon's First Preview program invites members of the Toronto community to the theatre who may not otherwise have access, due to financial or other barriers. This creates an exciting and diverse audience to view Tarragon productions for the first time, many of which are having their world premiere. Invited groups for the 2015/16 season have included: Workman Arts Creative Works Studio, St. Michael's Hospital Inner City Health Program, Fred Victor Centre, and emerging artists in the Toronto community. For more information on Tarragon's events and activities, visit www.tarragontheatre.com/calendar.

Tarragon Theatre is one of Canada's most important arts institutions. For 45 years, Tarragon Theatre has created, developed and produced new plays by home-grown artists as well as significant works from the world stage, vitally contributing to the important legacy of a Canadian culture. Since its founding, over 190 works have premiered at Tarragon and over 500 scripts have been created and workshopped, receiving 34 nominations and 11 wins for the Governor General's Literary Award. Tarragon received the 2012 Premier's Award for Excellence in the Arts in recognition of producing and developing leading edge and thought-provoking Canadian Theatre, both nationally and on the world stage. Richard Rose has been the Artistic Director since 2002. For more information visit www.tarragontheatre.com.

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