EVENT: SIA (Factory Theatre March 24-April 15)

WORLD PREMIERE OF CAHOOTS THEATRE COMPANY’S

SIA BY MATTHEW MACKENZIE

TORONTO, ON… Cahoots Theatre Company, founded on February 11, 1986, celebrates its 25^th Anniversary Season with the world première of SIA, by recent National Theatre School of Canada graduate Matthew MacKenzie, playing March 24 – April 15, 2012 in the Factory Studio Theatre. The opening night is Tuesday, March 27. Cahoots Theatre Company Artistic Director Nina Lee Aquino directs the young cast of TV and stage performing artists: Jajube Mandiela (Chantay Black in  CTV/Muchmusic’s Degrassi:The Next Generation; Yolande in Disney’s Jump In!; Theatre Direct’s Binti’s Journey; Canadian Stage’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream) as  the title character,“Sia Wonleh;” Thomas Olajide (National Arts Centre’s Oliver! and Belfry Theatre/NAC’s And Slowly Beauty; Theatre Direct’s Binti’s Journey; Obsidian Theatre’s Ruined; Canadian Stage’s The Winter’s Tale)  as “Saa Abraham Wonleh;” and, Brendan McMurtry-Howlett (Gesumtkunstwerk/NYC’s …and stockings for the ladies; Canadian Stage’s The Winter’s Tale and Canadian Stage/Studio 180’s The Overwhelming;  NextStage’s Dora Mavor Moore Award-nominated The Apology; CTV/Muchmusic’s Degrassi:The Next Generation; Fox’s  Nikita) as “Nicholas Summers.” 

                   

“SIA is a Canadian story about our First World views of Africa – the beauty and kindness of our sensibility but also the cruelty and ugliness of our illusions,” says Aquino, “Matthew’s stark, honest take—that we want to save the world, but don’t really know how—is that we are hostages of our own entitlement.” The day Canadian volunteer Nick Summers is scheduled to fly home from Ghana, he wakes up hung over and tied to a chair. His new friend, Abraham, a former child soldier from Liberia, has taken him hostage in a desperate bid to stop a war crimes trial at the International Criminal Court. If Abraham does not succeed, Nick will not survive. This is the story of how personal choices can have global consequences. (http://www.cahoots.ca/productions/present/sia/).

Assisting Aquino in imagining SIA for its world première production are Set and Costume Designer Lindsay Anne Black, Lighting Designer Michelle Ramsay, Sound Designer Reza Jacobs and Dramaturge Iris Turcott. The production’s Stage Manager is Kai-Yueh Chen. This fast-paced show runs 90 minutes, with no intermission.

The opening night, on Tuesday, March 27, is also a fundraiser for Cahoots with tickets at $60 per person ($30 tax deductable receipt).  These tickets are available by emailing sandra@cahoots.ca.  For all other tickets, call the Factory Theatre Box Office at (416) 504 - 9971 during hours of operation, or buy online 24/7 at www.factorytheatre.ca.  Preview tickets are $11.50 per person for Saturday, March 24 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 25 at 2:30 p.m.  Tuesday to Saturday, 8p.m., tickets are $30 / Student, Senior, Arts Workers $25; Saturday and Sunday (advance) matinee, 2:30 p.m. tickets are $18.75 / Student, Senior, Arts Workers $13.75, and Sunday matinee PWYC tickets are available the day of show, at the door. T.O. TIX day of tickets are also available at half (½) price. hip TIX are available on selected dates; contact www.totix.ca. Note – ticket prices include HMF and tax, and exclude credit card charges.

For Cahoots Blog posts during the rehearsal process, see http://www.cahoots.ca/blog/. Like on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CahootsTheatre, follow on Twitter @cahootstheatre.