Part of the BRAVE NEW WORKS Festival at Theatre Aquarius.
Cabaret features 10-minute readings by:
- Piindigen - Co-ordinated by Carly Anna Billings and Shane Pennells
“Piindigen”, which means “Come In” in Ojibwe, is a first-of-its-kind mentorship program for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit students at Theatre Aquarius, supported by the Government of Canada Community Services Recovery Fund. The Piindigen students will be presenting a short piece for Brave New Works.
- Red Tide – Book and Lyrics by Nam Nguyen & Music by Wilfred Moeschter
In April 2016, fishermen in central Vietnam wake up to the disturbing sight of 115 tons of fish carcasses washed up along 200 kilometres of their shores. This terrible environmental disaster, the worst in the nation’s history, spawns one of its largest ever protest movements. Tensions are high between the nominally communist government, eager foreign investors, and the people of Vietnam — but everyone is hoping to get it all sorted before the US president’s big visit next month.
- The Prick – Brynn Cutcliffe
Guenevere thought it would be easy: girl meets cactus, girl loves cactus, cactus loves girl back. She never meant for it to go this far. In this darkly comedic new play, battle lines will be drawn, and blood will be shed. THE PRICK is a love story — you’ve been warned.
- Fertility – Light Echo Theatre performed by Niki Nikita
Fertility is a collectively created 10-person monologue anthology featuring stories of menstruation, menopause, miscarriage, abortion, endometriosis and more. Fertility uplifts the voices and stories of Women, Non-Binary, and Trans artists, and opens the door on conversations often shrouded in shame and secrecy. Fertility was born from personal reflections on our own reproductive timelines, and realizing the need to bring private discussions about fertility into the public sphere. The stories we tell and their impact are more relevant now than when we started writing in 2020.
This ambitious project has been generously support by The Ontario Arts Council as well as Canada Council for the Arts. Fertility will see its first full scale production in 2024/2025.
- Seeing Through Desires in Silence – Courage Bacchus
Multidisciplinary artist Courage Bacchus explores her art through shadow and dance in a burlesque performance.
- Fit But Not Hot – Madeleine Brown
Blending stand up and theatre, Fit But Not Hot is a comedic work-in-development written and performed by Madeleine Brown.
Madeleine is the kind of girl who drinks a glass of cold milk before bed. Not the kind of girl who gets cat called. In Fit But Not Hot, Madeleine recounts a memorable run in her neighbourhood as she unpacks her failures at all things girl. So take a seat and a slug of some that good old 2%. But definitely do not take any of Madeleine’s advice.
- I Come From Death – Ashley Comeau
I Come From Death is a charming, dark-comedy exploring how one can still live, even after they’ve come out the other side of a death. Or…many deaths. Grief surrounds us all, and the only way out is through. With humour and high spirits, Comeau explores the things that haunt her and invites you to come along for the dark and twisty ride.
Ashley Comeau (She/Her) is an award-winning actor, writer, and producer. She is a Canadian Comedy Award-winner, a Dora-nominated actor, and an alumna of the Second City Mainstage. She was named ‘Best Female Improviser’ from NOW Magazine and her comedy troupe The Lusty Mannequins were named ‘Best of the Fest’ at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, and ‘Best Comedy Characters of the Year’ during the Edinburgh Fringe.
