From award-winning Canadian artistic collaborators Adam Lazarus, Guillermo Verdecchia, and Ann-Marie Kerr comes Versus, a laugh-out-loud experience that can only happen in the theatre. Cake included. It’s Gerald Bloom’s birthday and he doesn’t want to go to his party — everything feels like a fight. Join Gerald, played by Lazarus, on a wild ride through the horror, comedy, delusion, grief, and joy of being human and Feel Alive Again. The world premiere of Versus, co-produced by QuipTake Theatre, The Theatre Centre and the National Arts Centre’s National Creation Fund, runs at The Theatre Centre (1115 Queen St. W.) from November 11 to November 28, with opening night on Friday, November 13. Single tickets are on sale now at theatrecentre.org.
Says Adam Lazarus: “In Versus we’re using bouffon and humour to explore a common feeling in the world right now about – how do people be? Be political, be in community, be efficient, be calm, be present, be good. That all still matters, and yet it’s next to impossible to find balance.”
Versus features Adam Lazarus (Co-Creator, Co-Writer, Performer), with ensemble performance by Carson Kroeker, Brendan Rush and HannaH Sunley-Paisley.
The creative team includes Guillermo Verdecchia (Co-Creator, Co-Writer, Co-Director), Ann-Marie Kerr (Co-Creator, Co-Director), Alexis Eastman (Co-Creator, Creative Producer), Gillian Gallow (Co-Creator, Set, Prop & Costume Design), David Mesiha (Co-Creator, Sound Design & Music Composition), Michelle Ramsay (Co-creator, Lighting Co-Designer), and Michael Kras (Magic Direction & Design), with Electra Pappa (Associate Set & Prop Design, Assistant Costume Design), Hannah Dulong (Head of Wardrobe), Za Hughes (Lighting Co-Designer), and Fiona Jones (Stage Manager).
Versus has been developed in Residency at The Theatre Centre since 2020 allowing the creators the time, space, and resources to meaningfully shape and workshop the show. Added Lazarus: “Being part of The Theatre Centre’s Residency meant supported time and space to dream. That place is magic and really makes room for artist driven work to flourish. Additional support from the National Arts Centre’s Creation Fund gave us stability so we could experiment and fulfill our desire to make really big theatre. From the beginning we’ve had a wild vision for this show, and the Creation Fund kept urging us to go bigger, and not cut corners. It was a true gift.”
