On October 25, 2011 Albert Schultz, Founding Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, announced the 12 plays comprising Soulpepper's 15th anniversary season, including ten new productions, two remounts, and a revisit, to run in repertory from January to December, 2012. The season includes plays from Canada, Ireland, England, the United States and Russia, and brings Soulpepper to 107 original productions over 15 seasons. The season opens with Soulpepper's very first original full-length play, continuing the company's commitment to new works about the city of Toronto as seen in this year's Window on Toronto and 2009's Civil Elegies.
"When we initiated the Soulpepper Academy in 2008, the goal was two-fold. Of course we were aiming to equip a new generation of artists with the skill and rigour to approach the world's great plays, but at the same time we were looking for a younger generation to tell us how we could, should and would define our company's future. One of the great discoveries of these last few years is the fascination our young artists have had with the city in which they live. It is this energy and passion that we celebrate with our 15th anniversary season opener, Ins Choi's Kim's Convenience, directed and designed by three of Ins' fellow Soulpepper Academy alumni. This very funny, insightful and touching play was written during Ins' time here at the Academy and marks an astonishing debut for this multi-talented Canadian artist," said Albert Schultz, Artistic Director.
Soulpepper's 2012 Season
*complete casting to be announced at a later date
Kim's Convenience (January 12)
The stand-out hit of this year's Toronto Fringe Festival, Kim's Convenience is set in a Regent Park convenience store and describes the journey of a fractured but loving family confronting the future and forgiving the past. A Toronto classic in the making.
Directed by Soulpepper Academy alumna Weyni Mengesha
Set and costumes by Soulpepper Academy alumnus Ken MacKenzie and lights by Soulpepper Academy alumnus Lorenzo Savoini
High Life (February 13)
Four ne'er-do-well morphine addicts get together in a Toronto apartment to discuss a dangerous but seemingly foolproof robbery. As the four try to put their differences aside and concentrate on the job at hand, Lee MacDougall's unflinching black comedy makes it clear that some personalities are too much to repress.
Directed by Stuart Hughes
Starring: Oliver Dennis, Diego Matamoros and Mike Ross
Long Day's Journey Into Night (February 14)
Eugene O'Neill's revelation of a day in the life of his own tortured family is considered by many to be the greatest of all American plays. Here, Founding Member Diana Leblanc, revisiting O'Neill's masterpiece, directs her lastest interpretation of a 20th century American classic.
Directed by Diana Leblanc
Starring: Evan Buliung, Nancy Palk, Gregory Prest and Joseph Ziegler
You Can't Take it With You (April 19)
The chaotic, eccentric lives of the Sycamore family are thrown into unaccustomed order when their sensible daughter Alice brings a prospective beau and his conservative parents home for dinner. Kaufman and Hart are at their frenetic best with this Pulitzer Prize-winning romp.
Directed by Joseph Ziegler
Starring: Derek Boyes, Nancy Palk, Eric Peterson and Krystin Pellerin
Home (May 8)
David Storey's plays are a vital element to the renaissance of English playwriting in the 60s and 70s. This almost-forgotten masterpiece about the fragility of human interaction demonstrates Storey's brilliance.
Directed by Albert Schultz
Speed-the-Plow (July 5)
David Mamet's savage insight into the morals (or lack thereof) involved with producing Hollywood blockbusters sees two executives gamble their integrity for profit, only to be complicated by a surprise dissenting perspective. In Mamet's hands, quaint notions of loyalty, integrity, and straight talk become mere pawns in this scathing comedy.
Directed by David Storch
Starring: Ari Cohen, Jordan Pettle and Sarah Wilson
The Sunshine Boys (July 14)
When the popular vaudeville duo of 'Lewis and Clark' is invited to reunite after 12 years for a television special, it appears to be a can't-miss proposition, with one problem: they can't stand each other. Neil Simon's uproarious comedy takes an insightful look inside what happens when the spotlight shifts away and life crowds in.
Directed by Ted Dykstra
Starring: Eric Peterson, Kenneth Welsh and Jordan Pettle
The summer rep includes two 20th century plays that address urgent political situations through the use of historical allegory:
The Royal Comedians (July 24)
Soviet master Mikhail Bulgakov speaks to the necessary freedom of the artist by delving into the opulent world of 18th century France and the life of Moliere. Dramatist, actor, theatre manager, lover, and scoundrel, Moliere shrewdly crafts his own legend while battling the forces that hunger for his downfall.
Directed by Laszlo Marton
Starring: Diego Matamoros (as Moliere), Gregory Prest and William Webster
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The Crucible (July 25)
Salem, Massachusetts, 1692: a small, devout town is thrown into chaos with accusations of witchcraft and spiritual possession. Arthur Miller's explosive account of the famous Salem witch trials caused a sensation with its parallels to the Communist scares of the 1950s, and remains one of his most enduring classics.
Directed by Albert Schultz
Starring: Stuart Hughes, Patricia Fagan and Joseph Ziegler
Death of a Salesman (September 5)
Soulpepper's acclaimed and award-winning production of Arthur Miller's fine play returns for a limited engagement. Joseph Ziegler's searing, wrenching portrayal of the prideful, vulnerable Willy Loman justly earned the Best Actor Dora for 2010.
Directed by Albert Schultz
Endgame (October 26)
For the first time in the company's history, Soulpepper revisits a play from its past to create a new production. In 1999, director Daniel Brooks created a production of Samuel Beckett's Endgame. In 2012 Daniel will return to the play, not as a remount, but with a new design and a new cast (with the exception of Diego Matamoros who will again play Clov).
In a room safe from the desolate landscape outside, Hamm, a blind man unable to stand, gives orders to his servant, Clov, a man unable to sit, as Hamm's elderly parents, Nagg and Nell, look on from their trashcan homes. One of master absurdist Samuel Beckett's most important works, Soulpepper's acclaimed Endgame is reimagined for the 2012 season.
Directed by Daniel Brooks
Starring: Diego Matamoros and Joseph Ziegler
A Christmas Carol (December 3)
Soulpepper's beloved production of Michael Shamata's A Christmas Carol has become a Toronto holiday tradition. Joseph Ziegler's Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by three ghosts who help him understand the importance of charity in the holiday season.
Directed by Michael Shamata
Starring: Joseph Ziegler
Current Soulpepper subscribers can renew as of today, October 25, 2011. New subscriptions are available as of November 15, 2011, and single tickets as of November 22, 2011, by calling the Young Centre box office at 416.866.8666 or by clicking the header!
