Puzzles will return in a reimagined production at the 2025 Toronto Fringe Festival. After a sister’s disappearance fractures a family, Gwen returns home to uncover what really happened, only to discover more questions than answers. Puzzles is a gripping psychological mystery and emotionally charged family drama, playing at the Alumnae Theatre Mainspace from July 2 to 13, 2025, as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival.
Written by Ottawa playwright Joanne John and directed by Lisa Meuser, Puzzles first premiered at the Ottawa Fringe Festival in 2022, where it captivated audiences and earned four Prix Rideau Award nominations, including Best New Creation. This new 2025 staging dives deeper into the characters, secrets, and emotional tension that left audiences moved and breathless.
Andrea Holstein stars as Gwen. A stage and screen actor, her credits include Orphan Black: Echoes (AMC), Children Ruin Everything (CTV), and Devil in Disguise (Peacock). She is joined by Anna Tharyan as Mavis and Rob Scavone as Arthur, with Mladen Obradovic stage managing and Micah Jondel DeShazer serving as production manager.
Playwright Joanne John has an accomplished background in poetry, fiction, and theatre. Her work has been supported by the National Arts Centre, the Great Canadian Theatre Company, and TACTICS. Her vivid storytelling and poetic depth shine through in Puzzles, a play that explores grief, guilt, and the fragile threads of memory.
Lisa Meuser, director and founder of Meus Productions, brings over 20 years of experience to the stage. Her work often blends bold emotion with sharp theatricality, as seen in her 2024 Ottawa Fringe hit Drinking With Plants.
Don’t miss this intimate, thought-provoking play that reminds us: some puzzles are never meant to be solved—but we still have to try.
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