Off The Nose Premieres Existential Rom-Com ZEITGEIST at Toronto Fringe Festival

This July, Off The Nose will debut ZEITGEIST, a razor-sharp new play by writer-director Ben Yoganathan, at the 2025 Toronto Fringe Festival. Running July 2–13 at the newly renovated Cinecycle in the city’s west end, ZEITGEIST offers a biting, heart-on-its-sleeve reflection on love, art, and late capitalism in a world teetering on collapse.

Set in Toronto in the summer of 2025, ZEITGEIST follows two young strangers, Caroline and Anders, who meet amid the chaos of a crumbling world and form an instant, if complicated, connection. What begins as an invitation to a party unfolds into one night of romantic tension, philosophical banter, social awkwardness, and emotional unraveling—complete with trauma-dumping in the kitchen and unsolicited takes on modern art. The play marries existential dread with Gen Z and millennial humor, and ultimately asks: what does it mean to find love—or even connection—when everything else feels like it's falling apart?

This production marks the first-ever live performance at the newly reopened Cinecycle, a beloved underground venue tucked behind Spadina Avenue. Known for its grungy charm and eclectic décor, Cinecycle is a hub of countercultural creativity, with walls lined by bicycles, vintage movie posters, and newspaper clippings. For ZEITGEIST, the venue’s immersive, informal atmosphere adds texture to a story already steeped in authenticity and emotional rawness.

Yoganathan is joined by Movement Director Alli Carry, Intimacy Director Avery Jean Rose, and Lighting Designer Christopher Elizabeth, with Projection Design by Alex Grozdanis, Sound Design by Yoganathan, and Stage Management by Sofia Di Cicco. The show is produced by Jacob Willis, with branding and marketing by Allison MacKenzie.

The cast features Ethan Zuchkan, Elana Milo, Nicholas Eddie, Ali Farhani, Sofia Farahani, and Rachel Cucheron—a dynamic ensemble whose performances bring urgency, humor, and heart to this whirlwind night of emotional contradictions. With a runtime of approximately 75 minutes and no intermission, ZEITGEIST delivers its message with efficiency and punch.

Performances run nightly at 7:00 PM from July 2 through July 12, with a 4:00 PM matinee on July 13. Highlights of the run include a Pay-What-You-Can performance on July 8, and a mask-mandatory night on July 10 to ensure accessibility for immunocompromised audience members.

ZEITGEIST is part of the Toronto Fringe Festival’s Unconventional Venue category and continues Off The Nose’s mission of staging contemporary, formally inventive work that resonates with younger audiences in unexpected spaces.

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