Diane Flacks' GUILT (A Love Story) to Open at Tarragon in February

The world premiere of GUILT (A Love Story, a one-woman show, written by Emmy nominee Diane Flacks, runs in the Mainspace at Tarragon from February 6 - March 3, 2024 (opening February 14). 

Coming to Tarragon for its world premiere following a lauded workshop appearance at High Performance Rodeo, GUILT (A Love Story) is Flack's fifth solo show - her first in 10 years - and offers a return  to her celebrated comic style that is as funny as it is wrought with guilt. In it, she offers up her most autobiographical work to-date, a relatable reflection of being submerged in the long, lingering, uncomfortable feelings of guilt she experienced after ending her marriage. With GUILT, Flacks offers audiences the chance to dig deeper into the emotion with her, exploring the struggle and the comedy that can be found in our feelings of guilt and the acute awareness that she has caused others pain. 

Is guilt productive, or would it be better to be shameless and forgo the idea of accountability? Are people - especially parents - even capable of living without feelings of guilt? Audiences will be able to join in Flacks' inner dialogue - laughing, pondering and grappling with this most long standing of emotions. 

“What happens when you take that ever-present feeling of guilt and match that with the effervescence of comedy?” asks Artistic Director Mike Payette. “You get an insightful glimpse at humanity, penned and performed by the brilliance of Diane Flacks' signature style.  We're so excited to welcome Diane back to her theatre home at the Tarragon, embracing the strange things we hold onto when life gives us lemons.”

Guilt (A Love Story) is written and performed by Diane Flacks (Tarragon's Waiting Room). GUILT (A Love Story) features choreography and intimacy coordination by Rebecca Harper (National Theatre School of Canada's Director of Movement), set and costume design by Jung-Hye Kim (Tarragon's If We Were Birds), lighting design by Leigh Ann Vardy (Tarragon debut, The Theatre Centre/The SLOM Collective's Secret Life of a Mother) and sound design by Deanna H Choi (Tarragon's Cockroach). With direction from Alisa Palmer (Tarragon's Sibs). 

A sneak preview of the work-in-progress GUILT originally appeared at Tarragon's 50th Birthday Bash in 2022 to incredible excitement, and is now returning to Tarragon in its fully realized form.

GUILT (A Love Story) runs in the Mainspace, February 6 - March 3, 2024, opening February 14. Guilt: A Love Story was developed by Mything Inc, with support from the Canada Arts Council, Tarragon Theatre (Toronto, ON) and One Yellow Rabbit (Calgary, AB), which presented a limited run workshop production in 2022. Following its premiere run in Toronto, GUILT(A Love Story)  will appear at Centaur Theatre in Montreal, and Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg. 

GUILT (A Love Story) [World Premiere]
Written and performed by Diane Flacks
Directed by Alisa Palmer
Mainspace
February 6 - March 3 (opening February 14)

An all-new play about pathos; the “unshakable monster that is guilt,” and the things we're not supposed to talk about.

GUILT (A Love Story) is a deep dive into a complex, uncomfortable, and highly human feeling. A state of being that most of us, especially parents, wrestle with inelegantly. Focusing on Flacks' personal odyssey, Guilt brings the perspective of a self-sacrificing Jewish mother who becomes the instigator of a family's dissolution. Societal effects, causes and casualties and the feeling that we have when we've profoundly hurt others. This exploration may not pull punches, but don't worry, it's accompanied by laughs – because how else do we get through anything?

Diane Flacks returns to Tarragon Theatre with GUILT (A Love Story), her 5th one-woman show.

CAST + CREW
written and performed by Diane Flacks
directed by Alisa Palmer
choreography and intimacy coordination by Rebecca Harper
set and costume design by Jung-Hye Kim
lighting design by Leigh Ann Vardy
sound design by Deanna H Choi
stage management by Sandy Plunkett
apprentice stage management by Angela Mae Bago

To confirm performance times for GUILT (A Love Story) check the full schedule here.

Single Tickets range from $15 - $65 and can be purchased online at www.tarragontheatre.com, or by phone at 416-531-1827. Discounts are available for students, groups and arts workers. Contact the box office for more information.

Tarragon offers the most flexible subscription packages in the city with significant discounts on subscription pricing. Plus, allowing patrons to choose their productions, change their dates free of charge. Visit the website or call Patron Services today for more information.

Rush tickets are sold for $25, by phone, in person or online via tickets.tarragontheatre.com starting 3 hours before  the performance. Rush tickets are subject to availability.

For more information on Tarragon's events and activities, visit www.tarragontheatre.com.
Tarragon Theatre's 2023/2024 Season Sponsor is BMO Financial Group. 

Tarragon Theatre gratefully acknowledges annual operating support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council. 
 

ABOUT TARRAGON THEATRE

 

Tarragon Theatre is a creation and playwrights' theatre. We develop, produce and present works that investigate artistic form, which may incorporate non-traditional practices and methods of storytelling, and often integrating other performance disciplines such as movement, music or non-text based performance – all toward creating enriching and provocative theatre experiences for the artist and audience. Our philosophy is to offer an environment that fosters artistic discourse within the ecology of Canadian theatre, new play development and dramaturgy practice. We open our doors to celebrate and learn from the scope of voices that make up our country and the various artistic practices that resonate within them. To that end, Tarragon is equally a hub for creation and development as it is a production company, with the ultimate goal of inviting a meaningful experience for our artists to thrive and bridge their ideas from concept to realization.