National Network for Equitable Library Service

In the early fall of 1885, P.T. Barnum's Greatest Show on Earth toured southwestern Ontario, playing to sold-out crowds. On the bill, along with the snake charmer, the tightrope walkers, the contortionist, and the bearded lady, were 28 elephants, led by the world-renowned Jumbo. Between their stops in Guelph and London, the circus played the bustling railroad town of St. Thomas to standing ovations. But on that fateful night, as circus crews were packing up, an unscheduled freight train came hurtling down the track and ended the life of the most famous pachyderm in the world.

Luba Goy, an original member of Canada's popular comedy troupe, Royal Canadian Air Farce, is one of this country's most beloved comedic actors. In Luba, Simply Luba, we are invited into her colourful and astonishing life. From her Ukrainian childhood to high honours at Rideau Hall, Luba Goy's journey has been filled with both comedy and tragedy. This one-woman show features glimpses of Luba at various ages along with forty-plus other characters -- including her family and friends, Canadian prime ministers and other famous personalities, and even a few animals.

Sarena Parmar's The Orchard (After Chekhov) is an adaptation of Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, told through the lens of a Punjabi-Sikh family in the Okanagan Valley. With The Okanagan Valley, Canada, 1967. A Punjabi-Sikh family in a rural farming community.Still grieving the loss of her youngest son, the matriarch of the Basran family returns home after five years abroad in India. But all is not well; the beloved family orchard has fallen into foreclosure.

To a conservative church in a south-western Ontario town comes Jonah Arias - a troubled, left-leaning, pill-popping United Church minister.

Big dreams, risk takers, a sexy sports car: what more could you want in a musical? With catchy 1970’s pop and funk inspired tunes, The Bricklin takes audiences on a fantastical and wild ride through politics, business, antics, and controversy … as it explores on of Canada’s most colourful stories.

Keeper is a powerful, intriguing story about a connection between two women–the memory of which carries such weight from each of their pasts that the only means of self-preservation has been to try to shut it down. We witness an evening in the lives of Avalon and Constance–the former in her early 20s, the latter 16 years older–who have been bonded and blistered by death, doubt and distance. As the details of their shared history emerge, long-buried feelings and hidden truths rise to the surface.

Amanda is a genius. Ily is a drug dealer. Kit is a runaway. Mutt is a mess. Will is a shit disturber. Daniel doesn't know what he's doing there. It's a high school garage party. Everyone's a bit too drunk and a bit too stoned and a bit uncomfortable in their own skin. It's an explosive combination, but it's better than being alone on a Friday night in suburbia.

Moishe Yukle Bernstein was a poor pedlar who bought land near Pontypool, Ontario, a tiny Protestant town outside Toronto. The spot became a summer getaway for Jewish garment workers from Kensington Market-and for six decades, families made their way to the small village, where they shared dreams, memories, and a pathetic waterfront. With a vast array of characters, songs, and a healthy dose of humour, The Right Road to Pontypool is a unique and moving depiction of the Jewish experience in Canada.

Vitals is a solo show presenting the story of Anna, a Toronto paramedic. Anna’s daily routine is life, death, bureaucracy. Every call she receives is an emergency. How much trouble is our city in? Based on real interviews conducted with Local EMS workers, Vitals weaves together a canvas of affecting, poignant and disturbing emergency stories and explores their impact on the responders to these calls.

These two powerful plays by Ahmad Meree examine the effects of war and the refugee experience. Suitcase considers the lives of refugees and the spaces they inhabit. The play urges the audience to reassess the significance of their possessions, the relationships they value, and all of the things they have left behind. Adrenaline follows Jaber, a refugee getting ready to celebrate his first New Year's Eve in Canada after leaving his war-torn home in Syria.