SummerWorks’ must-see shows

THE PRIVATE LIFE OF THE MASTER RACE Aug. 9, 14 to 16 The Theatre Centre

Ted Witzel and Susanna Fournier, who deconstructed Frank Wedekind’s Lulu plays at Buddies in Bad Times earlier this year, turn their hand to another German classic. The pair have transformed Bertolt Brecht’s 1938 anti-Nazi play—a look at life in a fear-ridden fascist state—into a flamboyant cabaret performance.

ADRENALINE Aug. 11, 12, 18 and 19 The Theatre Centre

Canadian-based Syrian playwright Ahmad Meree performs in this solo production about a young refugee’s anxiety after leaving loved ones behind in a war-ravaged country. Turning household items into puppets of family members, he recreates scenes from his past, offering a first-hand account of his experience coming to Canada.

THE EXTINCTION OF HONG KONGERS Aug. 10, 14 to 17 Toronto Media Arts Centre

Using puppetry and a cardboard cityscape, Halifax-based Theatre du Poulet traces Hong Kong’s history of occupation from its time as a British colony to the present day under Chinese control. The play explores the ongoing tension between the city’s communist masters and prodemocracy movement.

CAFÉ SARAJEVO Aug. 11, 18 and 19 Toronto Media Arts Centre

Toronto performance collective Bluemouth Inc.’s latest immersive work is billed as part live podcast, part coffee house debate. Inspired by a 1971 televised bout between intellectual heavyweights Michel Foucault and Noam Chomsky, the show highlights themes of war, civil disobedience and societal flaws.

OVERHEAR TORONTO Aug. 11, 12 and 18 Trinity Bellwoods

Combining GPS, Bluetooth and smartphone technology, participants are invited to shape their own experience in this one-on-one performance experiment. The production leads audience members through Trinity Bellwoods, where they listen to stories of migration and cultural displacement via an audio app.