Why Not Theatre to Present RISER Toronto 2022

Why Not Theatre has announced RISER Toronto will return with three in person productions April 1-May 8, 2022 at The Theatre Centre, BMO Incubator, followed by two online presentations throughout 2022. RISER Toronto 2022, the collaborative producing model for independent theatre artists, will feature a broad range of exciting works including experimental theatre, dance, comedy, and music.

Due to pandemic restrictions, RISER 2020 was cancelled and RISER 2021 supported artists to realize digital creations. For the past 9 years, RISER has presented four new shows each year, but for 2022 it has expanded to support six shows in a variety of online and in person presentations.

RISER Toronto 2022 will present live performances at The Theatre Centre including: An IMM-Permanent Resident, a comedy infused with Bollywood elements by Nauntanki Bazaar; Don Valley Girls, a sketch comedy revue with a strong point of view by Poetic License Creations; and TAOS (The Art of Storytelling), a new multi-disciplinary work in three languages by Creative Mafia.

RISER Toronto 2022 will present digital productions including: What Brings You In, by violinist and multi-disciplinary artist Leslie Ting, from May 5-8, 2022; and Monica vs. The Internet, by Filipina storyteller and comedian Monica Ogden, with dates to be announced later this year.

Originally planned for RISER Toronto, femme and queer-run cross-Canadian theatre company Tiny Bear Jaws will now present their live show Io as part of RISER Edmonton, in partnership with Common Ground Arts Society.

"RISER is all about supporting independent artists. Being an indie artist can feel lonely at the best of times. And the virus-that-shall-not-be-named has made it even more challenging, including for our RISER 2020/21 cohorts who had their projects postponed. Some of the artists this year have been with us since 2020. Some have just joined us in 2022. But all of them have been dealing with the effects of the pandemic. To prioritize the health and safety of the creative teams, we have built a hybrid version of RISER Toronto this year, with some projects happening in person at The Theatre Centre and others pivoting to digital works. Regardless of whether we see you in person or online, we know that you'll be inspired by the work of this incredible group of artists." - Ravi Jain & Miriam Fernandes, Co-Artistic Directors of Why Not Theatre.

RISER is a collaborative producing model for artists and companies to create and present new work. The model allows the artists to overcome challenges of producing independent theatre by working together, sharing resources, and receiving guidance and support from a community of Senior Partners.

RISER Toronto 2022 at The Theatre Centre:

An IMM-Permanent Resident

Nauntanki Bazaar
Director - Miquelon Rodriguez
Writers & Performers - Neha Poduval, Himanshu Sitlani

Dates: April 1-10 (Opening Night: April 2)
All performances at 7pm, except Sundays at 2pm

A comedy infused with Bollywood elements, An IMM-Permanent Resident is a hilarious take on the mundane and tiresome bureaucracy of the Canadian Immigration process, as experienced by playwrights and real-life couple, Himanshu and Neha, as they put their hopes and dreams on pause (indefinitely).

Don Valley Girls

Poetic License Creations
Director - Liza Paul
Producer - Rabiya Mansoor
Writers & Actors - Surer Qaly Deria, Mona Hersi, Andie Hong, Rabiya Mansoor, and Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller
Lighting Designer - André du Toit

Dates: April 15-24 (Opening Night: April 16)
All performances at 8:30pm, except Sundays at 2pm

The Don Valley Girls are living together in a crammed apartment in downtown Toronto and now they've gotta get ready for their final house party hurrah. Join them in this sketch revue as they show you their lives, their dreams, and their failures through fun sketches and musical numbers.

TAOS (The Art of Storytelling)

Creative Mafia
Lead Creator/Performer/Producer - B'atz' Recinos
Director/Dramaturge - Anita La Selva
Producer - Maria Paula Careño
Choreographer - Lilia Leon
Maya Elder - Lajuj Iq' (Bartolo Alvarez)
Lighting Designer - Sebastian Marziali
Scenographer - Rowell Soller
Musical Director/Band - Y Josephine
Band/Performers - Jasmyn Fyffe and Giovanna Galuppo

Dates: April 29-May 8 (Opening Night: April 30)
All performances at 7pm, except Sundays at 2pm

TAOS is a new multi-disciplinary work. A living land acknowledgement. An artistic offering rooted in the ancestral theatre tradition. Infusing Indigenous traditions and culture with music, poetry, oral storytelling, dance, ritual, and performed in three languages: English, Spanish, Maya (K'iche). TAOS brings the audience on a magickal journey through allegory and myth.

RISER Toronto 2022 Online:

Monica vs. The Internet: Tales of a Social Justice Warrior

Rage Sweater Theatre Productions
Writer/Performer - Monica Ogden
Director/Co-Creator - K.P Dennis
Design/Stage Management - Tony Adams

Premiere Date To Be Announced

Award winning Filipina storyteller and comedian Monica Ogden sheds light on activism and disability culture, mixed-race identity, and how white feminism is like Lays chips. Monica vs. The Internet is a multimedia stand-up comedy show that will leave audiences in tears, both the laughy kind and the heart ones.

What Brings You In

Leslie Ting Productions
Creator, Producer, Violinist - Leslie Ting
Producer - Kari Pederson
Percussionist - Germaine Liu
Composers - Linda Catlin Smith, Rose Bolton, and Julia Mermelstein
Audio Engineer, Sound Designer - Matt Smith
User Experience Designer - Marie Claire LeBlanc Flanagan
Web Developer - Ramsey Nassar
Web Accessibility - Inclusive Media
Blind and low vision access and dramaturgy consultant - Jessica Watkin
Outside Eye - Christopher Willes
Stage Manager - Sara Constant

Dates: May 5-8
All performances at 7:30pmET except May 8 at 2pm

A violinist confronts the noise of her psyche in an electroacoustic soundscape. A percussionist sifts through her subconscious in a sandbox. What Brings You In is an interactive digital performance by Leslie Ting, combining live performance elements with sensorial audience experience. Based on interview research, and personal experiences with talk therapy, hypnotherapy, dreamwork, sandplay, somatics, and reiki, this experimental, music-driven work-in-progress is about the many ways we engage with the therapeutic process.

Event Details:

RISER Toronto 2022 In Person:
April 1-May 8, 2022
The Theatre Centre, BMO Incubator at 1115 Queen Street West, Toronto

RISER Toronto 2022 Online:
What Brings You In
May 5-8, 2022 - All performances at 7pmET except May 8 at 2pm

Monica vs. The Internet: Tales of a Social Justice Warrior
Online Presentations Details To Be Announced

Pay What You Can Afford Tickets:
An IMM-Permanent Resident: $12, $20, $35, $60
Don Valley Girls: $10, $15, $20, $25, $30
TAOS (The Art of Storytelling): $5, $25, $50, $75
What Brings You In: $12, $20, $35
Available for purchase online at tickets.theatrecentre.org

www.whynot.theatre
www.whynot.theatre/risertoronto