HUNGER to Open Alumnae Theatre's All-Canadian Female Playwright Season

Alumnae Theatre will launch its 2026/2027 season, centered around the theme Stories of Survival, with Newfoundland playwright Meghan Greeley's riveting drama, Hunger. Directed by Sarini Kumarasinghe and produced by Kimberley Ann Croscup, the production runs from November 11 to November 22, 2026, in the Studio Theatre.

Hunger marks the opening production in a milestone season for Alumnae Theatre, featuring a lineup written entirely by Canadian female playwrights.

Set in an isolated farmhouse during an unspecified period of war, Hunger explores survival, currency, and the fragile nature of morality. In the midst of a violent conflict, Johanna and Max attempt an act of heroics by hiding three refugees in a tiny alcove behind their walls. As space and food dwindle and the war outside reaches a deafening climax, the couple and their secret guests are pushed to their absolute limits.

First premiered by Newfoundland's White Rooster Theatre in 2019 before embarking on a provincial tour, Greeley's play earned widespread critical acclaim upon its publication by Breakwater Books, where it was named a finalist for the prestigious BMO Winterset Award. Praised by literary reviewers for its "askew dialogue and cutaway violence" reminiscent of the haunting, surrealist works of Caryl Churchill, Hunger delivers a tense, dark examination of human nature under extreme duress.

"We're thrilled to begin our season with a play that so fiercely challenges our understanding of human endurance and compassion," says the production team. "Greeley's voice sets a fitting tone for a season dedicated to extraordinary stories of survival written by some of Canada's most compelling female theatre artists."

Production Information

• Hunger by Meghan Greeley
• Directed by Sarini Kumarasinghe
• Produced by Kimberley Ann Croscup
• Location: Studio Theatre, Alumnae Theatre (70 Berkeley Street, Toronto)

Cast

• Joanna: Yolande Williams
• Max: Ryan Giesen
• Rivka: Kimberly Van Vo
• Isaac: Arya Ashoori
• Helen: Irene Kalogridis

Production Team

• Stage Manager: Luísa Teixeira
• Sound Designer: Ian Ottis Goff
• Lighting Designer: Sephora N'Kosi
• Set Designer: Douglas Tiller
• Costume Designer: Gabe Woo
• Props Designer: Lori Delorme
• Intimacy Director: Jes Wareing