All posts by Megan Mooney

Megan loves being in the thick of all things theatre, but her ultimate goal is to promote theatre to the world of non-theatre people. It was the same when she was the theatre writer for blogTO, or the Fringe Correspondent for CBC Radio One‘s Here and Now, as it is as the founder of Mooney on Theatre. Her basic belief is that there is theatre/performance out there for everyone to love, they just need to find it. This is not to be confused with the idea that everyone should love theatre for theatre’s sake, in fact, as obsessed as she is with theatre, even *she* doesn’t love all types of theatre.

Omen: The Musical – Toronto Fringe 2019 Press Release

From Press Release

OMEN: THE MUSICAL – RAD, RADIOACTIVE & RELEVANT

Omen is a new, original musical with book, music and lyrics by Evelyn Long and Marley Kajan. Set in a post-apocalyptic, dystopian future, Omen follows a group of young witches who band together to prevent the Earth from teetering towards another disaster after detecting some mysterious human activity. The show features an original score of Pop, Rock and R&B inspired music played onstage by actors who double as the band. It’s rad, radioactive and relevant.

Omen has been developed by Long and Kajan’s company The Creation Coffin which focuses on feminist, female-driven work that experiments with the form of musical theatre. Both orthodox and unorthodox processes were utilized in the show’s creation, from soundscaping music to building a world in the style of RPG Lore to creating design elements from exclusively recycled objects. Musically, the show takes from a variety of influences including musicals like Hadestown and Spring Awakening, as well as artists like Rihanna, Laura Marling, Alabama Shakes, Panic! At the Disco, Paramore and East-Coast folk music.

In addition to creating the piece, Evelyn Long will be directing while Marley Kajan will be performing. The show also stars award-winning actor/improviser Kat Letwin (Featherweight, Dance Animal, Chasse Galerie), Rosie Callaghan (BroadwayWorld winner for In the Wings’ HAIR) and Teaghan Young (YTV’s The Next Star). Creation Coffin regular, Rachel Cvecich also performs and makes her debut as choreographer. Rounding out the cast as both band and ensemble members are Joy Mwandemange, Andrew Eldridge and Christian Hodge.

Omen explores perhaps the single most urgent crisis facing today’s world: Climate Change. And it does so primarily through young, female voices who offer a diversity of perspectives as our witches and humans of a future dystopia. “Moments away from total collapse. Seconds away from midnight. This is your final omen.”

 

The Creation Coffin & Eighteen Productions in association with The Toronto Fringe Festival present Omen: The Musical.

With book, music and lyrics by Evelyn Long and Marley Kajan

Additional music and lyrics by Taylor Shouldice

Directed by Evelyn Long (assisted by Paige Pidwerbeski)

Choreographed by Rachel Cvecich

Music Directed by Andrew Eldridge

Produced by Marley Kajan, Evelyn Long and Naomi Melvin

Featuring: Kat Letwin, Marley Kajan, Rachel Cvecich, Rosie Callaghan, Andrew Eldridge, Christian Hodge, Joy Mwandemange and Teaghan Young

 

Omen opens July 3rd and runs to July 13th at the Annex Theatre (736 Bathurst Street), with performances on:

Wed July 3rd, 7:45 pm

Fri July 5th, 2:45 pm

Sun July 7th, 6:15 pm

Mon July 8th, 10:00 pm

Wed July 10th, 1:00 pm

Fri July 12th, 8:45 pm

Sat July 13th, 6:30 pm

 

Tickets go on sale June 6th, 2019. The Annex Theatre is an accessible venue.

 

Purchase online: fringetoronto.com

By Phone: 416-966-1062

In Person: During the festival at POSTSCRIPT, the patio at the Toronto Fringe. Located in the Hockey Rink at 275 Bathurst Street (Dundas + Bathurst).

 

Young and the Limbless – Toronto Fringe 2019 Press Release

From Press Release

Young and the Limbless is a comedy about Jenna, a multiple amputee, tired of her role as a “token” hire at a local magazine. She lives with a disability but comes across able bodied. Using her two best friends as sounding boards, they explore society’s need to label and stereotype.

The 2018 winner of the 360 Degree Theatre Festival, this play was originally produced in Toronto by Tree of Life Theatre Company under the title “Benefits Lapsed”.

Here are the dates and times the show is on at:
Robert Gill Theatre 214 College St.
July 4-10:15pm
July 6-8:30pm
July 8-8:15pm
July 9-6:45pm
July 10-2pm
July 12-4:30pm
July 13-12:30pm

Through the Bamboo – Toronto Fringe 2019 Press Release

From Press Release

THROUGH THE BAMBOO
Written by Andrea Mapili and Byron Abalos
Directed by Nina Lee Aquino
Toronto Fringe
July 3 – 14, 2019 at Factory Theatre

Inspired by Philippine mythology, Through the Bamboo is an action-packed adventure about the value of storytelling, and how families deal with loss. The world premiere of Through the Bamboo will take place at the Toronto Fringe July 3 – 14, 2019 at the Factory Theatre Mainspace.

When Philly’s Lola (grandma) dies, she finds herself in the fantastical land of Uwi. Will Philly be able to end the reign of the Three Sisters, find her Lola, and bring her back home? Through the Bamboo is a Filipinx-Canadian tale suitable for the whole family 7+, told in the style of The Wizard of Oz, The Chronicles of Narnia, and Alice in Wonderland while rooted in Philippine mythology.

Saving the world – one grandma at a time! 

Directed by Nina Lee Aquino (Artistic Director, Factory Theatre and 2019 recipient of the Margo Bindhart and Rita Davies Award), Through the Bamboo is co-written by wife and husband team Andrea Mapili (Cassettes 100) and Byron Abalos (Good Morning, Viet Mom) who met and fell in love at the first ever Next Stage Theatre Festival at the Factory Studio Theatre.

We wrote this play to fill a void. We wanted to write a Filipino play for young audiences; an epic tale featuring Philippine mythology that featured women, young and old, as the central characters. After experiencing death and loss in our own family, we were inspired to write a play about grieving from a child’s perspective,” said Andrea Mapili and Byron Abalos.

Through the Bamboo
Toronto Fringe

Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst Street

Wednesday, July 3, 8:15pm
Friday, July 5, 9:30pm
Sunday, July 7, 6:15pm
Monday, July 8, 7pm
Thursday, July 11, 2:30pm
Saturday, July 13, 6:15pm
Sunday, July 14, 12pm

$13 General Admission tickets go on sale June 6
https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/plan-your-festival/tickets-pass-info

For more information, please visit: throughthebamboo.ca
Facebook.com/throughbamboo
Instagram.com/throughbamboo
Twitter.com/throughbamboo

THROUGH THE BAMBOO is produced with the support of the City of Toronto through the Toronto Arts Council, and with production support from Carlos Bulosan Theatre. The Balikbayan Box Sponsor is Forex.

HerBeaver – Toronto Fringe 2019 Press Release

From Press Release

HerBeaver
An All-Female Sketch + Musical Comedy Extravaganza
Toronto, Ontario….

Katie Preston, Heather Gallant, and Mallory Morgan are thrilled to announce theirself-titled comedy revue, HerBeaver, presented at the Toronto Fringe Festival, July 4 to July 13, 2019 at the Factory Studio Theatre.

Showtimes include:
Tues. July 9th 9:45pm
Wed. July 10th 6:15pm
Thurs. July 4th 6:45pm
Sat. July 6th 3:15pm
Sun. July 7th 4:30pm
Fri. July 12th 8:15pm
Sat. July 13th 2:45pm

The HerBeaver cast is:
Katie Preston, Heather Gallant, and Mallory Morgan.

HerBeaver (yes, you read it correctly! And yes, it is exactly what you think it means!) is a sketch comedy troupe formed in 2017 by Katie Preston, Heather Gallant, and Mallory Morgan. Over the last 2 years, HerBeaver has busted into the Toronto Comedy Scene, guns-a-blazin’, with their monthly show Bush Party as a resident of Toronto’s beloved Comedy Bar (945 Bloor St. W).
With 45 minutes including new sketches every single month, these ladies know how to keep their audience on their toes.

This year, HerBeaver will be taking 60mins of their best sketches and songs to the Toronto Fringe! This show is entirely written, produced, directed, and performed by these three actor/comedian/best friends, with a fast-paced, feminist, and absurd style. HerBeaver has been described by audiences as “Hilariously inappropriate ” and “…Smart sketch comedy… Definitely funnier than most of the stuff on SNL.”

HerBeaver has performed in the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, Fresh Notes Musical Comedy Festival, Portland Sketch Comedy Festival, and Montreal Sketch Comedy Festival. They were also honoured to be selected to perform in this year’s Women in Comedy Festival presented by HBO (Boston, MA). Last year, HerBeaver also collaborated with Humber Film School to create a series of filmed sketches, as well as the short documentary, HerBeaver: Behind The Bush about their experiences writing and performing
comedy. The documentary was featured at the Comedy World Network International Film Festival (Las Vegas), the National Screen Institute, the HerStory Cinephilia Society Film Festival (Nashville), and the Shetown Women’s Film Festival (Detroit).

For more, check out these links to videos, photos and announcements!

Instagram / Twitter: @herbeaver
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkbhU7jW5xvm5MUN9mO-3kw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/herbeavertoronto/

Documentary Link: https://www.nsi-canada.ca/2018/07/herbeaver-behind-the-bush/

HERBEAVER TROUPE BIOS

MALLORY MORGAN is an actor/comedian
originally hailing from Brighton, ON. Mallory is a graduate of the University of Windsor with a B.F.A. in Acting. Mallory noticed a knack for joke writing so she began dabbling in stand-up, training with Dawn Whitwell in Comedy Girl bootcamp. Her pursuit of comedy only strengthened when she realized she could successfully
work with her friends! She collaborated with fellow “Beaver” Heather Gallant playing “Ben Affleck” in Matt & Ben (by
Mindy Kaling & Brenda Withers) followed quickly by the forming of HerBeaver.

HEATHER GALLANT is an actor/comedian originally hailing from Calgary, AB. Heather is a graduate of the University of Windsor with a B.F.A. in Acting. Since moving to Toronto, she threw herself into
comedy, training with the Second City and co-producing a production of Matt & Ben (by Mindy Kaling & Brenda Withers) at the Red Sandcastle Theatre playing “Matt Damon”. All of her goals seemed to then line up when HerBeaver began. You can also catch her chewing on meat or something in a commercial or two.

KATIE PRESTON is an actor/comedian originally hailing from Cornwall, ON. Katie is a graduate of University of Windsor’s B.F.A. in Acting program and has trained extensively in Improv at the Second City. While living in Toronto, Katie toured with children’s theatre but soon took control of her work and began delving into creating sketch comedy. Soon after, she joined up with her best friends to form HerBeaver. Katie is also a trained singer and uses her
skills to make singing about private parts sound beautiful.

Fuckboys The Musical – Toronto Fringe 2019 Press Release

From Press Release

F*ckboys The Musical
A Haphazard Guide to Navigating the Modern Dating Scene

2019 Ontario Fringe Tour

Windsor-Walkerville, London, Ottawa, Toronto, and Hamilton

After taking Orlando Fringe by storm, F*ckboys The Musical is coming to Ontario! Serving up an unapologetic look at the modern dating scene, F*ckboys The Musical will visit five Ontario cities May – July 2019 as part of the Fringe Festival circuit.

F*ck·boy
/ˈfəkˌboi/ ° noun
1. a weak or contemptible man.

o   a man who has many casual sexual partners.

Karaoke. Every Wednesday, with four best friends. What could possibly mess that up? That’s right: f*ckboys. An epidemic truly sweeping the nation, f*ckboys are “literal garbage and must be stopped!”

In this hilarious one-act musical, four women will demonstrate the skills needed to take down these pestering, pathetic and persistent predators in today’s dating scene. F*ckboys is a musical extravaganza that is not to be missed!

“Sharp and Funny” – Orlando Sentinel

“Broadway-worthy” – Orlando Weekly

Voted Critics’ Choice Best Musical at Orlando Fringe 2018 and Best Musical at the 2018 Tampa Theatre Festival, F*ckboys The Musical was written by Savannah Cassidy Pedersen and features a kick-ass cast including Savannah Cassidy Pedersen, Nicole Visco, Hayley VerValin, Kendall Leamy, Beth Ann Stripling, Brandon Munoz-Dominguez, Joseph Gonzalez, and stage manager Julie Gottfried.

F*ckboys The Musical
2019 Ontario Fringe Tour

Windsor Walkerville Fringe Festival
May 22 – 26
Annex Theatre, 1519 Wyandotte Street East, Windsor
https://www.windsorwalkervillefringefest.com/f-the-musical

London Fringe
May 28 – June 8
The Palace Theatre, 710 Dundas Street, London, ON
londonfringe.ca/festivals/london-fringe-festival/events/fuckboys-musical

Ottawa Fringe
June 13 – 23
https://ottawafringe.com/

Toronto Fringe Festival
July 3 – 14
https://fringetoronto.com

Hamilton Fringe
July 18 – 28
http://hamiltonfringe.ca/

facebook.com/fckboysmusical / twitter.com/fckboysmusical / instagram.com/fckboysmusical
#fckboysthemusical