MADGEN Theatre Festival returns to the Danforth

Theatre of the Beat is returning with the third edition of the MADGEN Theatre Festival, supporting emerging theatre producers.

In April, the company selected four producers under the age of 30 to receive paid mentorship from Toronto theatre-makers including Laura McCallum of Outside the March and Kevin Matthew Wong of Why Not Theatre. 

From August 20 to 22, each member of the cohort mounts a new one-act Canadian play at Theatre of the Beat’s home base on the Danforth. The festival’s curated lineup features intimate narratives centring personal identity within a Canadian context. 

Here’s what’s on:

I Have a Dream in Chinese

Produced by Eric Trudell
Written by Irene Yi
Directed by Huirui Zhang

I Have a Dream in Chinese is a solo performance that follows a Chinese immigrant traveling on a long-haul flight from Hong Kong to Vancouver. As the journey unfolds, the protagonist moves between different names, time periods, and cultural worlds.

Peaches

Produced by Emily Paterson
Written by Elio Zarrillo
Directed by Sofia “Stevie” Garcia

Peaches explores the stories we grow for survival. In the midst of their daily harvest, peach farmer Greg and his apprentice Prince make a startling discovery: a play has grown from one of their trees, destroying the crop.

Problematic History Teacher

Produced by Jenylle Rufin
Written by MJ Kang
Directed by Himanshi Sitlani

Problematic History Teacher investigates the complexities that arise when ethnic studies courses are taught by those without lived experiences in the respective culture. Mike, a white man, teaches Asian Canadian studies at a private arts boarding high school; on open house day, he presents his teaching methodology.

Uprooted

Produced by Rais Clarke-Mendes
Written by Kabrena Robinson
Directed by Khadijah Roberts–Abdullah

Uprooted is a surreal solo show about Crystal Wataz, a young Jamaican woman navigating the realities of migration in Canada. As the weight of displacement unravels her sense of self, the veil between dreams and reality dissolves, drawing her into a liminal world of folklore and ancestral spirits.

The MADGEN Theatre Festival runs from August 20 to 22. More information is available here.

Theatre of the Beat is an Intermission partner. Learn more about Intermission’s partnership model here.

WRITTEN BY

Liam Donovan

Liam is Intermission’s senior editor. He lives in Toronto. His Substack newsletter is available at loamdonovan.substack.com.

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