Theater of War: The Long-Term Care Trilogy

Bryan Doerries, Margaret Atwood, David Strathairn, The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Vanessa Sears, Jani Lauzon, Deena Aziz, Araya Mengesha, Evan Buliung, R.H. Thomson, Daren A. Herbert, Laura Condlln, Dee Hope, Michael Booth and Carol Lemen

Theater of War: The Long-Term Care Trilogy

Bryan Doerries, Margaret Atwood, David Strathairn, The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson, Vanessa Sears, Jani Lauzon, Deena Aziz, Araya Mengesha, Evan Buliung, R.H. Thomson, Daren A. Herbert, Laura Condlln, Dee Hope, Michael Booth and Carol Lemen

7:00pm

Thursday, October 27, 2022

A series of free, interconnected, hybrid events, The Long-Term Care Trilogy will bring together actors, activists, authors, public figures and caregivers to perform readings of plays by Sophocles and Shakespeare as a catalyst for engaging diverse audiences – both in-person and on Zoom – in conversations about the challenges of caring for those our society has marginalized and left behind, especially elders. The Long-Term Care Trilogy will be broadcast live out of Tranzac, a community-oriented performance space in Toronto, in front of a small in-person audience. Using Zoom to join audiences – both physical and digital – in global dialogue, the project will also engage participants on their personal devices and gathering at “ground sites” linked to long-term care facilities throughout Ontario.

Featuring performances by Margaret AtwoodDavid Strathairn, The Rt. Hon. Adrienne ClarksonVanessa SearsJani LauzonDeena AzizAraya MengeshaEvan BuliungR.H. ThomsonDaren A. HerbertLaura Condlln and a Chorus of Caregivers: Dee HopeMichael Booth and Carol Lemen.

Event Info:
Date & Time: October 26 to 28, 7–9:30pm ET
Where: Online via Zoom
These events are free to watch with registration.

Register to watch online

The Long-Term Care Trilogy will include:

October 26, 2022, 7–9:30pm ET

Theater of War: Philoctetes presents readings of Sophocles’ Philoctetes—an ancient Greek play about a warrior who abandoned by his friends on a desolate island on account of a chronic illness—as a catalyst for facilitated discussions about the challenges of witnessing suffering and healing wounds, both visible and invisible.

October 27, 2022, 7–9:30pm ET

The Oedipus at Colonus Project presents readings of scenes from Sophocles’ final play, Oedipus at Colonus, as a catalyst for powerful, community-driven conversations about the challenges of eldercare during and after the pandemic.

October 28, 2022, 7–9:30pm ET

The King Lear Project presents streamlined realigns of scenes from Shakespeare’s King Lear to engage diverse audiences—including older adults, caregivers, and family members—in open, healing, constructive discussions about the challenges of aging, dementia, and caring for friends and loved ones.

Each presentation will consist of three components:

  • The Performance: A dramatic reading of scenes from plays by Sophocles or Shakespeare, performed by professional actors and community members. (45–70 minutes).
  • The Panel: Comments from a panel of community members—caregivers, health care workers, family members, advocates, activists, patients, etc.—relating the ancient plays to their personal and professional experiences (15 minutes).
  • Audience Discussion: A facilitated discussion about each play, its core themes, and how they relate to the challenges of caregiving and long-term care (60 minutes).

About Theater of War:

Theater of War Productions works with leading film, theater, and television actors to present dramatic readings of seminal texts—from classical Greek tragedies to sermons, books, speeches, and modern works of poetry— to provide a framework for engaging communities in powerful discussions about critical subjects, such as the visible and invisible wounds of war, political violence, genocide, the challenges faced by refugees and immigrants, homelessness, the pandemic, and the climate crisis. The company uses a combination of theater and guided dialogue to help diverse communities address pressing public health and social issues, helping break down stigmas and foster empathy, compassion, and a deeper understanding of complex issues. Learn more here.

Presented by Theater of War Productions, the Toronto International Festival of Authors, Family Councils Ontario and Writers Collective of Canada.

Theater of War logo       TIFA Logo    Family Councils Ontario logo   Writers Collective of Canada logo

The Long-Term Care Trilogy is generously supported by Canada Council for the Arts and TD Bank – The Ready Commitment.

Canada Council for the Arts logo       TD The Ready Commitment logo

Support for Theater of War Productions’ digital programming is provided, in part, by the Mellon Foundation.

Translated, directed, and facilitated by Bryan Doerries. Produced by Marjolaine Goldsmith.

A series of free, interconnected, hybrid events, The Long-Term Care Trilogy will bring together actors, activists, authors, public figures and caregivers to perform readings of plays by Sophocles and Shakespeare as a catalyst for engaging diverse audiences – both in-person and on Zoom – in conversations about the challenges of caring for those our society has marginalized and left behind, especially elders. The Long-Term Care Trilogy will be broadcast live out of Tranzac, a community-oriented performance space in Toronto, in front of a small in-person audience. Using Zoom to join audiences – both physical and digital – in global dialogue, the project will also engage participants on their personal devices and gathering at “ground sites” linked to long-term care facilities throughout Ontario.

Featuring performances by Margaret AtwoodDavid Strathairn, The Rt. Hon. Adrienne ClarksonVanessa SearsJani LauzonDeena AzizAraya MengeshaEvan BuliungR.H. ThomsonDaren A. HerbertLaura Condlln and a Chorus of Caregivers: Dee HopeMichael Booth and Carol Lemen.

Event Info:
Date & Time: October 26 to 28, 7–9:30pm ET
Where: Online via Zoom
These events are free to watch with registration.

Register to watch online

The Long-Term Care Trilogy will include:

October 26, 2022, 7–9:30pm ET

Theater of War: Philoctetes presents readings of Sophocles’ Philoctetes—an ancient Greek play about a warrior who abandoned by his friends on a desolate island on account of a chronic illness—as a catalyst for facilitated discussions about the challenges of witnessing suffering and healing wounds, both visible and invisible.

October 27, 2022, 7–9:30pm ET

The Oedipus at Colonus Project presents readings of scenes from Sophocles’ final play, Oedipus at Colonus, as a catalyst for powerful, community-driven conversations about the challenges of eldercare during and after the pandemic.

October 28, 2022, 7–9:30pm ET

The King Lear Project presents streamlined realigns of scenes from Shakespeare’s King Lear to engage diverse audiences—including older adults, caregivers, and family members—in open, healing, constructive discussions about the challenges of aging, dementia, and caring for friends and loved ones.

Each presentation will consist of three components:

  • The Performance: A dramatic reading of scenes from plays by Sophocles or Shakespeare, performed by professional actors and community members. (45–70 minutes).
  • The Panel: Comments from a panel of community members—caregivers, health care workers, family members, advocates, activists, patients, etc.—relating the ancient plays to their personal and professional experiences (15 minutes).
  • Audience Discussion: A facilitated discussion about each play, its core themes, and how they relate to the challenges of caregiving and long-term care (60 minutes).

About Theater of War:

Theater of War Productions works with leading film, theater, and television actors to present dramatic readings of seminal texts—from classical Greek tragedies to sermons, books, speeches, and modern works of poetry— to provide a framework for engaging communities in powerful discussions about critical subjects, such as the visible and invisible wounds of war, political violence, genocide, the challenges faced by refugees and immigrants, homelessness, the pandemic, and the climate crisis. The company uses a combination of theater and guided dialogue to help diverse communities address pressing public health and social issues, helping break down stigmas and foster empathy, compassion, and a deeper understanding of complex issues. Learn more here.

Presented by Theater of War Productions, the Toronto International Festival of Authors, Family Councils Ontario and Writers Collective of Canada.

Theater of War logo       TIFA Logo    Family Councils Ontario logo   Writers Collective of Canada logo

The Long-Term Care Trilogy is generously supported by Canada Council for the Arts and TD Bank – The Ready Commitment.

Canada Council for the Arts logo       TD The Ready Commitment logo

Support for Theater of War Productions’ digital programming is provided, in part, by the Mellon Foundation.

Translated, directed, and facilitated by Bryan Doerries. Produced by Marjolaine Goldsmith.

Featured Authors

Bryan Doerries is a New York-based writer, director, and translator who currently serves as Artistic Director of Theater of War Productions, a company that presents dramatic readings of seminal plays and texts to frame community conversations about pressing issues of public health and social justice. A self-described evangelist for ancient stories and their relevance to our lives today, Doerries uses age-old approaches to help individuals and communities heal from trauma and loss. He is the author of: The Theater of War: What Ancient Greek Tragedies Can Teach Us Today; All That You've Seen Here Is God; and The Odyssey of Sergeant Jack Brennan.

Read more about Bryan Doerries

Margaret Atwood, whose work has been published in more than forty-five countries, is the author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry, critical essays, and graphic novels. In addition to The Handmaid’s Tale, now an award-winning TV series, her novels include Cat’s Eye, short-listed for the 1989 Booker Prize; Alias Grace, which won the Giller Prize in Canada and the Premio Mondello in Italy; The Blind Assassin, winner of the 2000 Booker Prize; Oryx and Crake, short-listed for the 2003 Man Booker Prize; The Year of the Flood, MaddAddam; and Hag-Seed. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, the Franz Kafka Prize, the PEN Center USA Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Los Angeles Times Innovator’s Award. In 2019, she was made a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour for services to literature.

Read more about Margaret Atwood

David Strathairn’s theatre credits include: NY: The Birthday Party, CSC; Dance of Death, Salome, The Heiress, B’way; Hapgood, Lincoln Center; A Lie of the Mind, Second Stage; Eyes for Consuela, Manhattan Theatre Club; Ashes to Ashes, Roundabout; Conversations at Tusculum, Public Theater. REGIONAL credits include: The Tempest, Scorched, Underneath the Lintel, ACT/SF; I’m Not Rappaport, Ghosts, Seattle Rep; Remember This: The Lesson of Jan Karski, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, IMKA Theater, Warsaw Poland, Shakespeare Theatre DC. FILM credits include: Nomadland, Nightmare Alley, Lincoln, Good Night and Good Luck, Sneakers, A League of Their Own, Eight Men Out, Matewan, and Beyond the Call. Since 2009 he has been a company member of Theater of War Productions.

Read more about David Strathairn

The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson arrived in Canada from Hong Kong with her family in 1942 and made the astonishing journey from penniless child refugee to accomplished broadcaster, journalist and distinguished public servant in a multi-faceted lifetime. Madame Clarkson was Canada’s 26th Governor General from 1999-2005. When she left Rideau Hall, she co-founded the Institute for Canadian Citizenship which helps new citizens to feel involved and included in Canadian life. The ICC offers a one-of-a-kind program, Canoo Cultural Access Pass, an app that gives newcomers free VIP access to +1,400 of Canada’s best cultural and outdoor experiences along with exclusive deals from exclusive brands. As well, the ICC has hosted 6 Degrees events — a global forum on citizenship, immigration, inclusion, and diversity in the 21st century – across many cities including Toronto, Mexico City, Berlin, Montreal and Calgary. Among her many merits and awards, Madame Clarkson is a Companion of the Order of Canada and has received 26 Honorary Degrees from universities in Canada and abroad. She is also an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, the Royal Conservatory of Music, and Trinity College. Recently, Madame Clarkson received the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. Madame Clarkson is the bestselling author of the 2014 CBC Massey Lectures Belonging: The Paradox of Citizenship; Room for All of Us: Surprising Stories of Loss and Transformation; Heart Matters: A Memoir; and Extraordinary Canadians: Norman Bethune a biography of Dr. Norman Bethune.

Read more about The Right Honourable Adrienne Clarkson

Vanessa Sears is an actress, known for Suits (2011), The Beaverton (2016) and Canadoodaday (2017). Vanessa was born and raised in Deep River, Ontario. She began performing in school and in community theatre productions from a young age and was encouraged to pursue her passion professionally. This led her to audition for the prestigious Bachelor of Music Theatre Performance program at Sheridan College. After graduating with High Honours and beginning her career, Vanessa is now an award-winning actor based out of Toronto.

Read more about Vanessa Sears

Jani Lauzon is a multidisciplinary artists of Métis/French/Finnish ancestry. She is a 9 time Dora Mavor Moore nominated actress, a three time Juno nominated singer/songwriter, a Gemini Award winning puppeteer, an award winning director, and an artist educator. Her company Paper Canoe Projects was created to support production of her own work including: A Side of Dreams, I Call myself Princess and Prophecy Fog. For more information on those shows please visit papercanoeprojects.com

Read more about Jani Lauzon

Deena Aziz is known for Transplant (2020), This Life (2015) and Being Human (2011).

Read more about Deena Aziz

Araya Mengesha is known for Nobody (2021), Anne with an E (2017) and Defund (2021).

Read more about Araya Mengesha

Evan Buliung is known for Holly Hobbie (2018), Damnation (2017) and Departure (2019).

Read more about Evan Buliung

R.H. Thomson was born 1947 in Richmond Hill, Ontario. He studied at the University of Toronto, Ontario, the National Theatre School and in England. He is now one of the Canada's leading film, television and stage actors. R.H. Thomson has played lead roles in many of the country's major venues including Manitoba Theatre Centre (Death and the Maiden), Canadian Stage (Oleanna, Inexpressible Island), Theatre Passe Muraille (The Little Years), Tarragon Theatre (Daylight Saving), Toronto Free Theatre (Hamlet), Toronto Workshop Productions (The Jail Diary of Albie Sachs), Stratford Festival (Julius Caesar, Merry Wives of Windsor, Mary Stuart), Theatre New Brunswick (Waiting for Godot) and Bastion Theatre (Comedians). More recently he appeared in David Young's Clout at the National Arts Centre (January, 2001). Mr. Thomson has also directed at Neptune Theatre, Theatre Plus, for Bard on the Beach, Ship's Company (recently, autumn/summer 1999, David French's Salt-Water Moon) and Theatre in the Park. Also, his own play, The Lost Boys, (a solo in which he performs) was presented at Great Canadian Theatre Company in March, 2000 and at Canadian Stage in February, 2002.

Read more about R.H. Thomson

Daren A. Herbert is a stage and screen artist, whose love for acting continues to grow. Recent television appearances include recurring roles on CBC series Kim's Convenience and Pretty Hard Cases. His theatre work includes Dora and Toronto Theatre Critics Award winning roles in The Brothers Size and Jesus Hopped the A Train at Soulpepper, as well as, The Wild Party with Musical Stage Co. Daren has practiced at LS&Co. Studios + Gracemoon Arts Company for over a decade, serves as an artist liaison for The Black Pledge Collective and is a Musical Stage Co. board member.

Read more about Daren A. Herbert

Laura Condlln is known for Othello (2020), Murdoch Mysteries (2008) and The Lake (2022).

Read more about Laura Condlln

Dee Hope is a Program and Community Services Coordinator at Sound Times.

Read more about Dee Hope

Michael Booth is a caregiver and Tranzac board member.

Read more about Michael Booth

Carol Lemen is a Caseworker, City of Toronto.

Read more about Carol Lemen

7:00pm

Thursday, October 27

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