THEATRE NEWS: Nextstage lineup announced; 'Love, Loss…' run extended
6 Aug'10

JOHN COULBOURN - QMI Agency

The line-up for the fourth annual Nextstage Theatre Festival was announced Thursday by organizers of The Toronto Fringe. Slated to take to the stages of the Factory Theatre Jan. 5 through 16, 2011, the line-up will include a world première, a pair of North American premières and a couple of Toronto premières, in addition to shows that have played in previous editions of the Toronto Fringe.

On the Factory mainstage, look for:

The North American première of Nicola Gunn's AT THE SANS HOTEL; True Edge Productions' DUEL OF AGES, reworked from the 2007 edition of The Fringe; Role Your Own Theatre's FAIRY TALE ENDING: THE BIG BAD FAMILY MUSICAL, with music and lyrics by Kieren MacMIllan & Jeremy Hutton, from the 2010 Fringe; and the world première of THE GRACE PROJECT, written by Judith Thompson and the ensemble.

Meanwhile, the Factory's Studio theatre will feature:

The Toronto première of Darrah Teitel's THE APOLOGY; the full production debut of Sulong Theatre's EATING WITH LOLA, written and performed by Catherine Hernanadez; the Toronto première of Carol Cece Anderson's SWAN SONG OF MARIA (A TRAGIC FAIRY TALE); and the North American première of David Egan's TOM'S A-COLD.

Tickets, as well as four and eight-show passes, for the Next Stage Festival will be available Nov. 15 at www.fringetoronto.com

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Seems they're coming out of the closet not just to see LOVE, LOSS AND WHAT I WORE, but to star in it as well. Which may account for the announcement Thursday that the Canadian production of the Ephron sisters' hit off-Broadway show will now run for an additional month at the Panasonic Theatre.

The announcement comes as Lauren Collins, Wendy Crewson, Cynthia Dale, Linda Kash and Margot Kidder prepare to take over from Paula Brancati, Andrea Martin, Sharron Matthews, Louise Pitre and Mary Walsh, the cast which opened the show in July and will continue to perform through Saturday.

The new cast, which will hit the Panasonic stage Tuesday, is then slated to perform through Sept. 4 when they will be replaced by a cast that will include Jeanne Beker, Barbara Budd and Sheila McCarthy as well as two additional cast members to be announced. That cast will perform through Oct. 2.

For tix and info, call 416-872-1212.