Here for Now Theatre, the “off-Broadway” of the Stratford Festival, is in the full swing of things as the 2024 season, its fifth season, nears.
“Part of me cannot believe that we are entering our fifth annual season,” artistic director Fiona Mongillo wrote in a letter about this year. ”Each year, this little theatre company becomes a bit savvier, a bit more established and a bit more likely to hang in there for the long haul.
“But I assure you, that as we continue to grow, we will maintain the ethos with which we set out – to take risks and to lead with curiosity.”
Curiosity, as Mongillo told StratfordToday, is the main drive for every season of Here for Now and every production it does, to push towards creativity. In her words, it is needed in a city such as Stratford, which is already an arts epicentre in the region.
“Every creative destination needs a variety of voices and styles and energies,” Mongillo said. “What we do is such a nice counterpoint to what the Festival does, because they do world class theatre, huge ensembles, massive production value, and we’re doing bare bones one-acts.”
Mongillo is pleased to be back at the Stratford Perth Museum, where they were last year, especially because they learned a lot about the space and how to improve experiences for the patrons and the actors.
“The actors were getting eaten alive,” Mongillo laughed. “As actors, you want people to be invested in your story and if they’re hitting themselves all the time, it’s taking them out.”
This year, the museum is working with the Upper Thames River Conservation Authority to install drainage to ensure patrons won’t be ankle deep in mud. Additionally, Here for Now will be investing in a mosquito net for the tent.
The theme for this year’s season is self-acceptance. As Mongillo read the countless submissions from playwrights, she saw a through line through the five which would eventually become this season’s roster.
All of the plays feature characters who struggle with self-acceptance, or rather struggle with an external factor wherein self-acceptance is “the ultimate antidote.”
Paul and Linda Plan a Threesome is a hilarious and relatable story for Here for Now’s audience, and a celebration of queerness and joy, said Mongillo, with an uptight Rosedale couple planning a threesome to save their marriage.
Steve Ross wrote his third play for Here for Now with 12 Dinners. The story is essentially autobiographical. Mongillo said that if his first production with them, Goldfish, was a love song to his father, then 12 Dinners is a story about his relationship with his mother.
“I’m pinching myself that we have Rosemary Dunsmore working with us this year,” Mongillo said (Dunsmore plays Maire in The Saviour). “She’s mind-bogglingly talented.”
The Saviour is also the perfect play for Dunsmore, Mongillo said, with a brilliant sharp wit to match her talent. Additionally, Dunsmore will be playing opposite her son.
With Love and a Major Organ is a piece which perfectly balances poetry, metaphor, and style with a story that has enough weight that it doesn’t get lost. Like the other plays in this year’s season, it is grounded in emotional intelligence and truth.
Anyone who missed out on last year’s Casey and Diana at the Stratford Festival, or saw it and wants more from playwright Nick Green, can catch Dinner with the Duchess, a play about a violin virtuoso being interviewed by a reporter.
“It’s an incredible piece of theatre,” Mongillo said.
Those interested can purchase tickets here. The full list of shows are:
Paul and Linda Plan a Threesome – June 19 to July 6
“An uptight Rosedale couple encounter a hilariously disastrous night when they try to open-mindedly plan a threesome to save their marriage.”
Paul and Linda Plan a Threesome is a world premiere by Jane Cooper Ford and directed by Megan Watson.
12 Dinners – July 10 to 27
“Steve has come for the monthly family dinner at the old homestead. It's always nice to see his parents...it's never without conflict. A heartfelt, funny, autobiographical look into one family's journey towards understanding each other...a tall order to say the least.”
12 Dinners is a world premiere by Steve Ross and directed by Jan Alexandra Smith.
The Saviour – July 31 to August 16
“There’s a new man in Máire’s life. But some people aren’t happy. On the morning of her 67th birthday, Máire sits up in bed enjoying a cigarette. There’s a man downstairs. She is blooming.”
The Saviour is a Canadian premiere by Deirdre Kinahan and directed by Brenda Bazinet.
With Love and a Major Organ – August 21 to Sept. 7
“During her morning commute, a young woman falls in love with a total stranger she meets on the subway. After giving the man her actual beating heart, he disappears -leading this unlikely heroine on a quest to retrieve her heart, accidentally cracking open those of others she meets along the way. An eccentric, edgy comedy about what it costs to give your heart away, and what happens when you discover you actually have one.”
With Love and a Major Organ is a Canadian premiere by Julia Lederer and directed by Marie Farsi.
Dinner with the Duchess – Sept. 11 to 28
“At the end of a storied career, violin virtuoso Margaret gives her final interview to a young, savvy reporter. Aided by her ever-charming husband, Margaret must confront secrets and ghosts of the past to face the impossible question: how will she be remembered?”
Dinner with the Duchess is a world premiere by Nick Green and directed by Kelli Fox.
