NEWS ITEM: Gass fired up over Factory Theatre season
17 Mar'10

JOHN COULBOURN - QMI Agency

Artistic director Ken Gass didn't even allow the candles to burn down on Factory Theatre's 40th Anniversary season before announcing the august company's 41st annual foray onto the Toronto Theatre scene. Gass and Managing Director Sara Meurling announced the Factory's 2010-11 season earlier this week.

Come fall, things kick off on the Factory mainstay with the Toronto premiere, hot on the heels of an international tour of Ronnie Burkett's latest show for the Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes, titled BILLY TWINKLE: REQUIEM FOR A GOLDEN BOY.

While Burkett holds sway on the Factory mainstage, Cahoots Theatre teams up with Factory in the Factory Studio to present Neworld Theatre's production of ALI AND ALI 7: HEY BROTHER (OR SISTER), CAN YOU SPARE SOME HOPE AND CHANGE?, created by Camyar Chai, Guillermo Verdecchia and Marcus Youssef.

Focus then returns to the mainstage, with the world premiere of BETHUNE IMAGINED, written and directed by Gass. Set in Montreal, it promises an examination of the iconic man's life during a brief six month period in Montreal in 1936.

Gass will then launch the new year with a presentation of Crow's Theatre's production of Anton Piatgorsky's ETERNAL HYDRA, directed by Chris Abraham. It will be followed by the world premiere of BROTHEL #9, the latest work from playwright Anusree Roy, the playwright behind Pysaa and Letters To My Grandma.

To close the season, Factory will revisit Adam Pettle's acclaimed ZADIE'S SHOES, in an all-new production directed by the playwright and his brother, Jordan, who appeared in the original staging at factory a decade ago, directed by erstwhile artistic director Jackie Maxwell.

In addition to its regular season, Factory Theatre will also play host to the annual Performance Spring, featuring groundbreaking works from across Canada as well as entries in CrossCurrents, Factory's festival of new plays in development.

Subscriptions, starting at $145 for five plays and $170 for seven plays, and single tickets, are now on sale at www.factorytheatre.ca, and renewing subscribers will also receive one free bonus ticket for a friend.