The U of T Drama Coalition, in conjunction with York University, is taking a major step in reviving a dormant theatrical tradition. The York-U of T Double Bill will showcase two plays (The Golden Ball and Fine Dining) this weekend at the George Ignatieff Theatre. Both original student works have been showcased in separate festivals prior to this weekend, and are guaranteed to entertain.
Apart from having already performed in the Scarborough Campus festivals Act One, Scene Two and UNISON, The Golden Ball is coming from the intra-college, professionally adjudicated U. of T. Drama Festival, which ran from January 23-26.
Directed by Keith Fernandes, The Golden Ball boasts many awards for best production, costume design, direction and technical achievement.
Challenging its audience to imagine the creation of the world and the universe, The Golden Ball presents its own non-verbal creation story.
On the other hand, Free Dining, written by Lief Strong, participated in last year’s PlayGround Festival, a showcase festival for student productions.
Originally workshopped as a 10-minute piece entitled Kosher, the show has been expanded into a one-act play, described by Strong as “a raw look at the stressful environment…of the food industry. The play reveals a day in the life of the staff of a high-class restaurant that is on the verge of falling apart.”
This is the first serious attempt in years to re-establish the former intra-university Varsity Drama Festival.
The festival was started in the 1940s shortly after the creation of the U of T Drama Festival in 1937, but where the latter promoted student productions from within the different U of T colleges, the former encouraged rival universities to mount plays in the same festival. Many hope this year’s Double Bill will be the first step towards a permanent renewal of the event. For more information visit: http://DoubleBill.itgo.com or call (416) 978-8668.
