If you've been missing your trips to the theatre, Talk Is Free Theatre (TIFT) has announced a lineup of live performances, slated for this September.
The performances will all be intimate shows with reduced capacity in a private backyard setting. Eight different shows will touch on the themes of resilience, fortitude, and determination, topical for the times we find ourselves in.
Here's what you'll be able to check out:
Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story
Maurice Ruddick, an African Canadian, was awarded “Citizen of the Year” for saving the lives of his fellow workers after a historic mining disaster in Springhill, Nova Scotia, in 1958. Actor Beau Dixon, playing 10 different characters, will recall the events of the seven miners trapped two miles beneath a small mining town, the effect it had on their rural Canadian community and the racial tension that surfaced as a result.
Having Hope: A Hand Drum Song Cycle
Through her gifts of song and hand drum, 60’s Scoop witness Nicole Joy-Fraser shares the reclamation of her Indigenous identity, her journey of healing and her personal decolonization through the performing arts. Birthed from an invitation by her colleague and mentor Maja Ardal, Nicole thought if she replaced the piano and bar scene of a Cabaret-style concert with the hand drum and a back yard, then it could be an opportunity for a small audience to learn and hear her story.
In Case We Disappear
In Case We Disappear is a series of poems, songs, and comedic anecdotes that “quickly tack between the humour in everyday minutia, and grand, heartfelt observations about big life questions.” (NOW Magazine).
Smart
Elizabeth Smart wrote one of the most passionate accounts of romantic love in modern English literature, but the real narrative of her life is far more complex. Smart is about the experience of being a woman artist in the middle of this century and how genuine connection is not bound by time.
These Are The Songs That I Sing When I'm Sad
These Are The Songs That I Sing When I’m Sad is a joyous show about sad songs! Jane Miller shares the songs that she turns to when she's blue, exploring the musical elements that make so many sad songs so addictive. Join this remarkable singer for an intimate and personal look at the bond we have with sorrowful songs, the stories that make them stick in our hearts, and the deep emotions that take us back to them again and again.
Justice For Malindi Ayienga
Malindi Ayienga invites you to come as you are, she certainly will be. From the girl who on almost every report card, brought home critiques of her chatty nature during class time. Find out just what she's running her mouth about, with direct quotes from over a decade of diaries. She will probably sing, she will probably dance, most likely she will cry because her moon is in pieces and yes she most definitely will talk about astrology. The entire show will be completely improvised and as interactive as you allow it to be. She's got a big heart, lots to say, and she's here to introduce herself. I am Malindi Ayienga. I am Breonna Taylor. I am George Floyd. I am Atatiana Jefferson. I am Philando Castille. I am Tamir Rice. I look forward to meeting you.
The Cure For Everything
Scotland, 1962. Fifteen-year-old Elsa is full of teenage heartache and hungry to be part of the high school “in crowd”. But her world turns upside down when she comes home one day to news of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Hearing that this could be the start of World War 3, she resolves to live her life as fast as she can before the world blows up. The ensuing adventures are sometimes hilarious and sometimes terrifying.
E-Transfers
What do love and money have in common? They’re sometimes used recklessly, often desired, and – whether we like it or not – they are vital to our survival. E-Transfers was developed at the Buddies in Bad Times Emerging Creators Unit in partnership with b current performing arts and Catherine Hernandez. A live digital performance was broadcast on June 30th as part of Buddies' Pride line up with support from The National Theatre School's Art Apart Program.
Finally, if you can't make it out the any of the shows, you are invited to send in your "virtual applause" to be played at the end of every performance! Record yourself with a mobile app like Voice Memo or Audio Recorder and send it to Richard@tify.ca.
Head over to TIFT's website and grab your tickets!
Featured image courtesy of Talk Is Free Theatre via tift.com
