Pleiades Theatre — Three staged readings

The company’s 25th anniversary season, PERSPECTIVES, POWER, and PRIVILEGE is a curated program of staged readings that reflect on plays of past seasons, delve into new work, and allow for meaningful dialogue between Toronto and the GTA’S independent performing arts companies that share a mandate with Pleiades of culturally-focused play development.

After the success of Never Forget: People Power Revisited (with Carlos Bulosan Theatre) and Al-Malik Huwa Al-Malik (with the Canadian Arabic Orchestra), Pleiades Theatre’s anniversary season of readings continues with a new pivotal partnership: a staged reading of choti choti batain in April co-produced with Red Beti Theatre and in association with SAWITRI Theatre. Two more staged readings unique to Pleiades will ensue in May and June: Marcel Pursued by the Hounds (Pleiades Theatre’s first play, 25 years ago) and Tyson’s Song.

“What is a 25th Anniversary Birthday Party for Pleiades Theatre without inviting and sharing in the celebration with colleague companies in partnerships, and presenting compelling stories by voices that should be heard by supporters going back 25 years and new friends we are hoping to get to know better…” says Andrey Tarasiuk, Artistic Producer. “Here’s to the next 25 years!”

choti choti batain
Written by Sanskruti Marathe and Davinder Malhi, Dramaturgy by Jivesh Parasram, Directed by Sanjay Talwar
Co-produced with Red Beti Theatre and in association with SAWITRI Theatre
6pm, April 16th, 2023 (Public Reading)
Music Room, Brampton Civic Centre. 150 Central Park Drive, Brampton
Tickets are available at (416) 203-1227 or online at pleiadestheatre.org

choti choti batain (Radha Menon, Sarena Parmar, Supinder Wraich, Dhanish Kumar Chinnah, Jind Sohila, Becky Ablack, Jasmine Sawant, Sarabjeet Arora) is the playwrights’ love letter to South Asian mothers. This story takes place in Brampton, and as the death of their father brings a family to their knees, the mother of the household attempts to divorce her dead husband to find freedom again. choti choti batain was inspired by the playwrights’ own experiences with the patriarchy in South Asian/Punjabi culture and the sacrifices immigrant families must make to survive. When writing this play, the playwrights asked: what does resilience look like for South Asian women? How do Punjabi families relate to the idea of “home”? How can we find compassion for our families, while also challenging them to expand their beliefs?

Marcel Pursued by the Hounds
Written by Michel Tremblay, Translated by John Van Burek and Bill Glassco, Directed by Rona Waddington
7pm, May 18th, 2023 (Public Reading)
Extraspace, Tarragon Theatre. 30 Bridgman Avenue, Toronto
Tickets are available at (416) 203-1227 or online at pleiadestheatre.org

Pleiades brings the reading back to where it all started for us, Tarragon Theatre. As per the publisher: An extended tour de force with no act or scene breaks, Marcel Pursued by the Hounds (Anthony Perpuse, Beryl Bain, Marcia Johnson, Brefny Caribou, Jamaica Fraser, Zaynna Khalife) examines how our “innocent” childhood games and fantasies can come back to haunt us in adult life, full of the dangers and realities that were invisible to us as children. An extended dialogue between the characters Marcel (one of the main characters in Tremblay’s novel The First Quarter of the Moon) and Thérèse (one of the main characters in the novel Thérèse and Pierrette and the Little Hanging Angel), illuminated by a chorus of the fates, it is Michel Tremblay’s toughest, most uncompromising play to date. It is a part of Pleiades Theatre 25th anniversary Birthday Party Fundraiser.

Tyson’s Song
Written by Peter N. Bailey, Directed by Ash Knight
7:30pm June 16th, 2023 (Public Reading)
Factory Theatre, Studio. 125 Bathurst Street, Toronto
Tickets are available at (416) 203-1227 or online pleiadestheatre.org

Tyson and Bryan are two best friends out on their last boy’s night out, but when the evening goes awry, the two black men are compelled to examine their pasts, and the true bonds of their friendship. Tyson’s Song (Matthew Brown and Christopher Allen) examines the dominant thoughts surrounding black masculinity, and mental health.

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About Pleiades Theatre (pleiadestheatre.org)

Pleiades Theatre presents translations, adaptations and original works that raise the curtain on the rich cultures that make up Canada today. Founded in 1997 by John Van Burek, Pleiades Theatre is led now by Artistic Producer Andrey Tarasiuk and Artistic Producer – Designate Ash Knight. In addition to productions, Pleiades Theatre has a history of multilingual youth outreach programs, publicly funded ESL courses, and year-long mentorships for theatre professionals.

Red Beti Theatre is the sole not-for-profit theatre company in Hamilton that serves & elevates IBPOC women. Red Beti creates experiences that move audiences through unpredictable journeys. Now in its 2nd decade, Red Beti Theatre was founded by Artistic Director, Radha Menon, who is currently developing the momentous Devi Triptych, reclaiming goddess culture. Red Beti makes theatre that is inspiring, exciting and intriguing.

SAWITRI Theatre Group is an award-winning, not-for-profit organization presenting original works featuring emerging and established artists. Founded in 2003 and led by Jasmine Sawant and Shruti Shah, SAWITRI’s mandate is to educate, inform, entertain, and heal through South Asian theatre arts that foreground women and the new generation, and to highlight issues of socio-political importance with works in some of India’s many languages including English. SAWITRI has recently launched the Mississauga Multilingual Fringe Festival (MMFF) to include PanAsian theatre works.

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Pleiades Theatre acknowledges the generous support of its donors, the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, The Catherine and Maxwell Meighen Foundation, The Norman and Margaret Jewison Charitable Foundation, The McLean Foundation, and Season Sponsor BMO.

Who is it for?

All ages

Tickets : $0-$200

How to get tickets?

Buy online

Phone: (416) 203-1227

 

Date: Sunday April 16, 2023 to Friday June 16, 2023

6pm, April 16th, 2023
7pm, May 18th, 2023
7:30pm June 16th, 2023

1 hour

Venue & Address

Pleiades Theatre, S30 – 401 Richmond Street West, Toronto, ON M5V 3A8

Wheelchair accessible