Crow’s Theatre to Premiere MARY, MARY, MARY, MARY by Erin Shields

Crow’s Theatre will present the world premiere of MARY, MARY, MARY, MARY, a new commission by Governor General’s Award-winning playwright Erin Shields. Directed by UK theatre director Ellen McDougall with set and costume design by Moi Tran, the production will run April 7 through May 3 in the Guloien Theatre at Streetcar Crowsnest in Toronto.

The play features Belinda Corpuz, Michelle Monteith, Nancy Palk, Sabryn Rock, and Amaka Umeh. In the story, four women emerge from the desert, each bearing the same name: Mary. As history folds in on itself, the characters recount a story of faith, sacrifice, and rebellion, drawing on the biblical figures Mary, Mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalene; Mary, Mother of John Salome; and Mary, the Sister of Lazarus.

“The spark for this play was the peculiar fact that nearly every woman in the New Testament is named Mary,” said Shields. “History has a habit of tidying women up when they get too interesting, and in the Gospels a group of bold, influential revolutionaries are gently filed under the same name. Mary. Mary. Mary. And Mary. These were women who were the backbone of a movement, witnessed executions, defied authority, and stayed when others fled. I found myself wanting to know who they were before they were consolidated into a single name.”

Crow’s Theatre Artistic Director Chris Abraham described the play as part of Shields’ ongoing exploration of overlooked perspectives within classical and historical texts.

“Erin has made a habit of slipping into the western canon, rearranging the furniture, and giving the microphone to the people history left in the margins,” said Abraham. “Her work is fearless, funny, and razor sharp. She is one of the most distinctive playwrights in this country, and here she brings that incisive intelligence to one of the most foundational texts in human history.”

He added that the production represents an international collaboration between Canadian and UK artists, bringing together Shields, McDougall, and Tran.

Shields is known for reimagining classical works and highlighting overlooked female voices. Her works include Paradise Lost, If We Were Birds, Here We Are, and Queen Goneril, among others. Her play If We Were Birds received the 2011 Governor General’s Award for playwriting.

Director Ellen McDougall is a British theatre director recognized for productions including As You Like It at Shakespeare’s Globe and Watch on the Rhine at The Donmar Warehouse. She previously served as Artistic Director of The Gate Theatre from 2017 to 2022 and has adapted works including Valeria Luiselli’s Faces in the Crowd and José Saramago’s The Tale of the Unknown Island for the stage.

Designer Moi Tran is a Vietnamese-Chinese multidisciplinary artist based in the United Kingdom whose work spans theatre, opera, dance, and film. Tran has previously collaborated with McDougall on projects including The Letters Project, In the Blood, and Dear Elizabeth.

The creative team also includes choreographer Esie Mensah, lighting designer Christian Horoszczak, sound designer Olivia Wheeler, and assistant director Chantelle Han.

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