CrossCurrents Festival

Cross currents
a high voltage play festival of cultural ideas

Factory Theatre proudly announces a stellar line-up for our third CrossCurrents Festival. This highly successful annual new play festival is devoted to showcasing and developing work by writers of colour. CrossCurrents play readings take place March 8-20, 2004 at the Factory Studio Theatre. This year’s festival includes two writers from Vancouver (Kevin Loring & Anosh Irani), two from Montreal (Marie Barlizo & Vadney S. Haynes), and one from Toronto (David Yee).

In addition to the readings showcase, CrossCurrents will also feature the Tidal Wave series presenting readings by Native Earth and Fu-Gen theatre companies, a poetry reading hosted by The League of Canadian Poets, as well as a free open panel discussion on the topic “Are Artists of Colour Disadvantaged in the Marketplace?”. A gala event to launch the festival with play readings, musical performances, and a reception hosted by Playwrights Guild of Canada will take place on Monday, March 8 at 7:00pm.

SHOWCASE SERIES

Acquiesce by David Yee • March 10
A dying wish brings a young man to Hong Kong to bury the father he never knew. In the days leading up to the funeral, he has to learn about his life, his death, his family ... and himself. Directed by Jean Yoon.

Ballad of Floyd by Kevin Loring • March 13
Floyd wakes up in a bar to find nothing is as he remembers, or as it seems. Trapped in a barroom purgatory, reality begins to unravel around him. Haunted by the memory of his daughter and the ghost of his wife, Floyd struggles to regain some control in the tailspin his life has become. Directed by Jovanni Sy.

The Possession of Fernando Rodriguez by Marie Barlizo • March 17
Mara Rodriguez is reunited with her family in Montreal after a six-year separation. It is more than just language and culture that isolate this Filipino teen -- Mara has also inherited the gift of visions from her ancestors. To fight forces that threaten her family, she uses rituals and traditions passed on from one generation to another, arousing fears and prejudices that threaten to tear her family apart. Directed by Bill Lane.

Blacks Don’t Bowl by Vadney S. Haynes • March 19
As Executive Director of the Montreal Black Association, Frank Simmons was confident about his vision for his community...until he attended a contemporary black art exhibit. What he sees fills him with deep and troubling questions about art, social responsibility, what it means to be black (and whether or not that includes bowling). Directed by Nigel Shawn-Williams.

The Matka King by Anosh Irani • March 20
In a lyrical story that pits human nature against love and chance, a landscape of betrayal and redemption comes to life in the red-light district of Bombay, India. One very powerful eunuch, Top Rani, operates an illicit lottery through his brothel. A gambler who is deeply in debt makes an unexpected wager and the stakes become life and death. Can a fortune-teller and a ten year-old girl beat Top Rani at his own game? Directed by Ken Gass.

The festival launch party will take place on March 8 and will feature readings by Andrew Moodie and Trey Anthony and a musical performance by Nicole Stamp.

In addition to the five public readings, CrossCurrents includes a public forum on March 15, Are Artists of Colour Disadvantaged in the Marketplace? This public round table, hosted by playwright Andrew Moodie, invites discussion on issues of race and gender in the creation and production of theatre. Forum begins at 8pm.

The Tidal Wave series presents readings from Toronto-based companies Native Earth (March 11) and Fu-Gen (March 18). The League of Canadian Poets also presents readings of new works on March 12.

CrossCurrents has been funded by: Heritage Canada and the George Cedric Metcalf Charitable Foundation

Ed Gass-Donnelly
Factory Theatre
125 Bathurst Street
Toronto, ON M5V 2R2
(416) 504-4473 Ext. 224
www.factorytheatre.ca