WOMEN AT PLAY(S) 8 Festival to Showcase Canadian Women in Theatre
Plays include "Daddy's Girl" by Emma Donoghue, "Aging in Place" by Barbara Ellison and more.
By: Chloe Rabinowitz Feb. 18, 2026
Toronto: Women at Play(s) 8 is a festival of original short one-act plays written, directed and performed by Canadian women-identifying playwrights, directors and actors. Women at Play(s) 2026 will take you on a journey from a young woman's life-changing discovery in New York in 1901 ("Daddy's Girl" by Emma Donoghue) to tough life decisions for contemporary seniors in Vancouver ("Aging in Place" by Barbara Ellison) or to a forest where nature and religion collide ("The Mary Tree" by Brenda Kamino). Seven new plays ponder beginnings ("Waiting for Love" by Lindsay Ellis), celebrate achievements ("And the Oscar Goes To..." by Colleen Curran and "The Circle" by Rebecca Singh) and remembers survivors ("A Violation of Violets" by Marni Walsh). Surprises, secrets and lies abound in stories that will make you laugh, cry, dream and think.
History of the festival: Women At Play(s) produces one act plays of original works to create opportunities for women. It is meant to inspire artistic achievements in theatrical production for people who identify as women of varied ages, abilities, racial and cultural backgrounds, appearances, sexualities, and life experiences for an audience of all. It's a grass roots group and it is a Canadian Actors' Equity Association approved festival under the Festival Policy.
Founded by Marianne Sawchuk, WaP(s) held its first festival at Carousel Theatre's rehearsal space on Granville Island in Vancouver January 6, 2006, with folding chairs for the audience members and 2 stage lights. Since then, the festival has produced 46 plays by 31 Canadian women playwrights with 31 Canadian women directors and 90 women-identifying actors. 173 artists have honed their craft on WaP(s) stages with 3 festivals in Vancouver before moving to Toronto in 2019. In 2023, Artistic Director, Marianne Sawchuk, was honored with a Playwrights Guild of Canada Tom Hendry "Bra D'Or" nomination for her ongoing support of women playwrights in Canada.
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