OFF-MIRVISH SERIES DEBUTS
New York has off-Broadway, and now Toronto has off-Mirvish.
The city’s major producer looked at the local theatre scene and decided he could help out by providing a home for some cutting-edge events that otherwise wouldn’t appear here.
He’s launching a series of four plays, with the whole season available for either $99 or $199 — a real bargain for the quality of work involved. The series begins in November with
Terminus, by Irish playwright Mark O’Rowe, which won the Best Production award at the Summerworks Festival.
Director Mitchell Cushman, known for his imaginative staging, will seat the entire audience of 200 on the stage of the Royal Alex, looking out into the empty theatre. The cast of three will then enact their dramatic destiny on a thin strip of real estate at the edge of the stage.
It was striking theatre with stunning performances by Maev Beaty, Ava Jane Markus and Adam Wilson, and definitely something out of the ordinary. Following this at the Panasonic Theatre in December will be Broadway star Anthony Rapp starring in his show, Without You.
Rapp was one of the original stars of Rent and this musical play tells the story of how that play’s author, Jonathan Larson, died after the show’s last dress rehearsal, never seeing the success it would become.
This deeply moving show has just ended a successful run at London’s Menier Chocolate Factory and will be going on to New York after its Toronto run.