Factory Theatre to Present World Premiere of 6 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS by Priscila Uppal, 3/1-30

FACTORY THEATRE presents the World Premiere of Priscila Uppal's 6 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS a runaway mother, an estranged daughter,an undead grandmother, and a semi-invisible uncle on stage at the Factory Theatre, March 1-30, 2014.

6 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS is the debut play from poet, novelist and academic, Priscila Uppal. Based on her 2013 critically acclaimed memoir, Projection: Encounters with My Runaway Mother, 6 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS is the story of Renata as she travels to Brazil to see the mother that abandoned her when she was five years old.

In Rio, Renata reconnects with her mother and discovers that, well, some dreams are meant to die. "How do I tell my brother that yes, yes, I found our mother and she's about as lovely as an electrical storm when you're naked and tied to the highest tree in the county?"

A poetic, powerful carnival of theatre, 6 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS is directed by Leah Cherniak, co-founder of Theatre Columbus and well known for work with new Canadian plays and the genre of physical theatre. Mina James (Taming of the Shrew and Macbeth/Shakespeare in High Park/Canadian Stage) plays Renata, ElizaBeth Saunders (In the Next Room or the Vibrator Play/Tarragon Theatre) plays her mother, Maggie Huculak (Divisadero/Necessary Angel Theatre Company; Travesties/Soulpepper) plays her grandmother, and Richard Zeppieri (Lady in the Red Dress/fu-GEN Asian-Canadian Theatre Company) plays her uncle.

"Canada's Coolest Poet" (Time Out London UK), Priscila Uppal is an internationally celebrated poet and the 2012 Canadian Olympics poet laureate. Born in Ottawa, Uppal currently lives in Toronto and teaches at York University, unless she is writing at a retreat in Barbados. She is an active and avid sports fan; she runs, plays tennis and basketball, and fences among others. Priscila created and held the positions of Poet-in-Residence for Canadian Athletes Now for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Games, the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games, and the 2011 Rogers Cup Tennis Tournament.