THE NEXT STAGE a festival of new works and remounts presented in rep (Toronto Fringe). At Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst). Begins Wednesday (January 4) and runs to January 15. $10-$15, passes $48/$88. 416-966-1062, fringetoronto.com. See listings.
The Next Stage offers 10 exciting indie productions, filled with both up-and-coming and established artists. Here are some participants whose work is worth catching.
MORRO AND JASP
WHO: Heather Marie Annis and Amy Lee
WHAT: Writer/performers, Morro And Jasp: Go Bake Yourself, in which the clown siblings give a cooking lesson that’s as much about ego as about eggs and ham.
WHY: Audience favourites Annis (Morro) and Lee (Jasp) are clown queens of comedy, expert at drawing laughs while capturing a believable sisterly rivalry (most recently in Morro And Jasp Do Puberty and Morro And Jasp GONE WILD). Working again with co-creator and director Byron Laviolette, they tackle a cooking show that would bring shivers to Martha Stewart and Julia Child be wary if you’re invited to sample their culinary creations.
Begins January 4 at Factory Upstairs Bar. See listing.
MINA JAMES
WHO: Mina James
WHAT: Actor, The Washing Machine, in which a woman returns to her childhood home in India with plans to modernize her family plantation and eradicate its sacred history.
WHY: A chameleon performer, James has played a young boy who watches life from his bedroom window (The Post Office) and a poor old woman accused of dealing with the devil who finally turns to infernal powers to get back at those who mistreat her (The Witch Of Edmonton). In The Washing Machine she should bring the right ethereal quality to a ghostly mother who tries to repair the damage she did in life.
Begins January 5 at Factory Studio. See listing.
CHRISTOPHER WILSON
WHO: Christopher Wilson
WHAT: Playwright/composer, Living With Henry, a musical drama about the difficulties of living with HIV/AIDS in today’s world.
WHY: One of the most talked-about and successful shows in the 2011 Fringe, LWH is sure to attract large audiences again. Wilson, a force in T.O.’s indie musical theatre community, has tweaked the original script and brought back Ryan Kelly (one of NOW’s top 10 theatre artists of 2011) as its central figure, Michael, who has to come to terms with his chronic condition, personified by the eponymous Henry (David Silvestri).
Begins January 4 at Factory Mainspace. See listing.
KAT SANDLER
WHO: Kat Sandler
WHAT: Playwright/director, LOVESEXMONEY, in which a woman who sells her virginity online is caught between the purchaser and her boyfriend.
WHY: An indie production in the same venue last winter, LOVESEXMONEY is back with a mix of new and returning actors. Sandler had a Fringe hit with Dirty Girls (2009) and is the winner of this year’s Fringe New Play Contest, which gives her most recent script, Help Yourself, a spot in the 2012 festival. Let’s see if it repeats the success of last year’s New Play winner, Kim’s Convenience.
Begins January 4 at Factory Studio. See listing.
NIGEL SHAWN WILLIAMS
WHO: Nigel Shawn Williams
WHAT: Director, Tomasso’s Party, a dark comedy about two lovers involved in a stormy relationship.
WHY: A stellar actor (most recently in Topdog/Underdog) and director (Brothel #9 earned him a Dora nomination, and he took home a Dora for The Monument), Williams knows how to bring out the nuances between characters. Look for him to peel back layer after layer to reveal a twosome whose insecurities and jealousies are at least as powerful as their love.
Begins January 4 at Factory Studio. See listing.
