Trust the Wrecking Ball to take on the most pressing political issues.
And what’s on people’s minds these days? The upcoming federal election, with less than two weeks to go before we hope to see a more transparency-minded party in power.
The 12th version of the Wrecking Ball, taking place Monday (April 25) and subtitled Are You Dying To Vote?, looks at the nature of leadership and democracy, both locally and globally.
The writers include Ava Homa, Ayub Nuri, Sean Dixon (whose new novel, The Many Revenges Of Kip Flynn, hits bookstores next week), Colleen Wagner, Marcus Youssef and Jean Yoon.
In addition to the Toronto performance, there’ll be Wrecking Balls on April 25 in Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary, Victoria, Edmonton and Montreal. Each will present Youssef’s play, with local writers providing some of the other material.
Expect some national Twitter action that night, too.
See listings.
Rwandan Monument
Colleen Wagner does double duty this week. In addition to her contribution to the Wrecking Ball, her award-winning play The Monument is remounted in a striking new form.
It’s presented by Rwanda’s ISÔKO Theatre as the final World Stage production of the season. Founded by Jennifer Capraru, who is also artistic director of Toronto’s Theatre Asylum, the company divides the two-actor script among four performers.
The concepts of victim and perpetrator are still central, but director Capraru has added elements of song and African drumming in this look at the recent Rwandan genocide. The performance is in Kinyarwanda (Rwanda’s official language) with English surtitles.
Performances begin Wednesday (April 27).
See listings.
Chernin memorial
Friends and artists gather Monday (April 25) to honour the life and work of Canadian actor Cayle Chernin and to launch the Cayle Chernin Memorial Fund.
Chernin, who died February 18, was an actor, documentary filmmaker, teacher and mentor. One of her best-known films was the classic Goin’ Down The Road, and she recently finished working on its sequel, Down The Road Again.
Hosted by David Gale and Deb Filler, the event features performances by Tabby Johnson, Spirit Synott, Jillian Rees Brown and Women of the Rock, Women Fully Clothed, Theresa Tova, Vladimir Jon Cubrt, Aidan Devine and others. There’ll also be a clip from Chernin’s work in Down The Road Again.
The memorial fund will offer an annual cash prize to an emerging female artist in the performance arts, alternating between theatre and film/digital performers. Money will be raised in part through an online auction running through April 26. See vonality.com/caylecherninmemorial.
See listings.
Femi times two
AfriCan Theatre Ensemble, which presents works by African writers rarely seen in North America, offers a double bill of one-acts by Nigerian playwright Femi Osofisan, The Engagement and Flood!
This isn’t the first time the company’s tackled Osofisan’s work. In 2006, it staged Esu And The Vagabond Minstrels.
The Engagement, directed by Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu, is based on Chekhov’s comedy The Marriage Proposal, in which a tentative offer of marriage gets sidetracked when the potential bride and groom revive past family feuds.
Directed by Jude Idada and Awoba Bob-Manuel, Flood! has a father and son facing off over ancient rituals and contemporary beliefs as a flood bears down upon them.
The opening is tonight (Thursday, April 21). See listings.
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