Diamond Heart Productions to Present Immersive THE WILL OF A WOMAN at Toronto Fringe

Diamond Heart Productions, led by BIPOC Artistic Director Shan Fernando, will present The Will Of A Woman as part of the 2023 Toronto Fringe Festival at the Spadina Museum (285 Spadina Road). Performances are July 5-16, 2023.

The Will Of A Woman is an immersive theatre experience with very limited seats at the Spadina Museum! This thought-provoking play written by award winning playwright Steven Elliott Jackson ("The Seat Next To The King", "The Garden Of Alla", "Three Ordinary Men") and directed by Shan Fernando ("Flowers For Alex"), tells the true story of Elizabeth Bethune Campbell who in the 1920s discovered that her mother's trust had fallen victim to money fraud. Elizabeth must face the challenge of standing up for her rights, becoming the first woman to defend herself before the Privy Council in England.

The Will Of A Woman is performed by Madryn McCabe, Jim Armstrong, Thomas Gough, Jade Dunlop, and Gregory Watts. It is assistant Directed and Stage Managed by Sophia Furlano, costumed by Andra Bradish and Tracy Gorman.

From the Playwright: With The Will Of A Woman, I get to write what I love, stories about lesser known history and people fighting to be heard and seen, and try my hand at something I’ve always wanted to do and have never done, immersive theatre. It was a wonderful challenge to create this world within the confines of Spadina House and explore more Canadian history, a focus of mine for the past few years. Some find limitations in history and set playing spaces, but I love them because I get to push those boundaries to offer stories we need to hear. ~ Steven Elliott Jackson

From the Director: At the end of 2022, I approached Steven Elliott Jackson with a proposition: Let's put on a show inside the Spadina Museum. The gorgeous mansion (which typically gets overlooked because of its flashier neighbour Casa Loma) is filled with incredible history, and we are thrilled to be able to premiere a feminist-focused, historical play in it. The backdrop of the original furniture, meticulously re-created wallpapers, and walls of art allow for Elizabeth's story to not only be placed in a location accurate to the timeline, but allows for the audience to feel engulfed in the story. This opportunity, which is limited to 25 tickets per show, is not one to be missed by theatre lovers, or history buffs alike. ~Shan Fernando

Diamond Heart Productions is a new Toronto-based theatre company, with the hope of challenging preconceived notions, while embracing and celebrating the trials and tribulations of life. They want to give opportunities to BIPOC, 2SLGBTQ+, and female identifying artists while producing thoughtful and entertaining theatre/events. They seek to analyze and present many themes, including but not limited to acceptance, standing up for one's self, and belonging.

Performance Schedule

Wed July 5 - 8:00 pm

Thu July 6 - 8:00 pm

Fri July 7 - 7:00 pm + 9:00 pm

Sun July 9 - 7:00 pm

Wed July 12 - 8:00 pm

Thu July 13 - 7:00 pm + 9:00 pm

Fri July 14 - 7:00 pm + 9:00 pm

Sat July 15 - 8:00 pm

Sun July 16 - 7:00 pm

Tickets will be released in late June.
https://fringetoronto.com/

https://diamondheartproductions.ca