Cast Announced for THREE SISTERS Contemporary Adaptation By The Howland Company And Hart House Theatre

The Howland Company and Hart House Theatre have announced a contemporary adaptation of Chekhov's THREE SISTERS, a co-production appearing this fall on Toronto's historic Hart House stage. Directed and adapted by The Howland Company's Paolo Santalucia (Casimir and Caroline, Prodigal), THREE SISTERS will have its world premiere run from October 26 to November 12, 2022 at Hart House Theatre, 7 Hart House Cir, Toronto, ON. Opening night is November 2, 2022. For tickets and more details, visit howlandcompanytheatre.com/three-sisters/.

This contemporary adaptation of Chekhov's THREE SISTERS explores an endless longing for acceptance and meaning in an uncertain world. "The play confronts what it means to be in love: with each other, with ourselves, and the people we choose to spend our lives with," said Santalucia. "It highlights the tension between the bright future we all long for and the harsh realities of our current and radically changing world. It forces us to question what it was our parents tried to build for us, and whether we want to inherit it."

In keeping with The Howland Company's history of vibrant, award-winning acting ensembles, THREE SISTERS will feature a mix of Toronto's most exciting young actors, alongside veterans of Canadian theatre. The three sisters will be played by Howland's Hallie Seline (Howland's Casimir and Caroline, The Wolves, Punk Rock) as Olga, Caroline Toal (Howland's Casimir and Caroline, YPT's Selfie, Theatre Aquarius' Blackbird) as Masha, and Shauna Thompson (Peggy Baker Dance Project's Beautiful Renegades, Crow's Orphans of the Czar, Shaw's The Devil's Disciple) as Irina, with Ben Yoganathan (Driftwood's King Henry Five, Killing Mixtape Project's Time, CBC Gem's Breaking Up for the Modern Girl) as brother Andrei and Howland's Ruth Goodwin (Netflix's Wedding Season, Global TV's Private Eyes, Howland's Entrances and Exits, The Wolves) as Natasha. Taking on the role of Alex, Vershinin in the original, will be Christine Horne (Showtime's Fellow Travelers, Tarragon's Light, Why Not's Prince Hamlet, Iceland), with Robert Persichini (Netflix/CBC's Alias Grace, Centaur Theatre's The Last Wife, Coal Mine's The Nether) as Ivan, Chebutykin in the original, and Kyra Harper (Theatre Centre's Here Are The Fragments, Soulpepper's Copenhagen, Apple TV's SEE) as Anfisa. Rounding out the cast will be Howland's Cameron Laurie (Blyth Festival's The Drawer Boy, Howland's Casimir and Caroline, Punk Rock), Colin A. Doyle (Coal Mine's The Antipodes, Outside the March/Crow's The Flick, Apple TV's 5 Days In Memorial), Maher Sinno (Edmonton Fringe's The Green Line, Dauntless City Theatre's Richard II, Shahid TV's Shockwave) 郝邦宇 Steven Hao (Tarragon's Cockroach, Outside the March/Factory Theatre's Trojan Girls and Outhouse of Atreus), and Ethan Zuchkan (Toronto Metropolitan University's Spring Awakening & Romeo and Juliet, Terra Firma Festival's Hunger).

This co-production also marks a new partnership between Howland and Hart House Theatre that will have Howland Company Artistic Leaders take on mentorship roles with University of Toronto students, and facilitating educational programming throughout the academic year, full details to be announced.

"The Howland Company has been looking for opportunities to meaningfully expand our training and community initiatives to help support the growth of Toronto's next generation of theatre artists and creatives. We are thrilled to work with the University of Toronto's Hart House Theatre to connect directly with students to provide opportunities and professional connections," said Cameron Laurie, one of The Howland Company's Artistic Leaders. "This partnership is particularly meaningful for us, since many of our Leaders, including myself, are University of Toronto alumni and got our start on the historic Hart House stage."

"Hart House Theatre is delighted to engage U of T students and alumni in THREE SISTERS and honour our mandate of enhancing the student experience through learning opportunities in the rehearsal hall and backstage, assisting professional creatives, and crewing performances; all of which has been foundational to the theatre since its inception," said Doug Floyd, General Manager, Hart House Theatre.

Tickets for THREE SISTERS go on sale August 18, 2022 and run from $15 to $40, with pricing options throughout the run for students, artsworkers, and seniors, plus rush tickets. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit howlandcompanytheatre.com/three-sisters/ or harthouse.ca/theatre

PERFORMANCE DETAILS:

THREE SISTERS
A Co-Production by The Howland Company and Hart House Theatre
Adapted by Paolo Santalucia
After Chekhov
Directed by Paolo Santalucia
Set & Costume Design by Nancy Anne Perrin
Lighting Design by Christian Horoszczak
Stage Management by Kat Chin
October 26 to November 12, 2022

Previews: October 26-November 1, 2022
Opening Night: Wednesday, November 2, 2022 at 7:30pm
Run: November 3-12, 2022

Showtimes:
Evenings at 7:30pm
After opening: Saturday matinees on November 5th and 12th at 1:30pm

Runtime:
2.5 hrs including one intermission

Location:
Hart House Theatre
7 Hart House Cir, Toronto, ON

Ticket Prices:
PREVIEWS, October 26 - November 1:
GA: $32.00
ARTS WORKER / SENIOR: $25.00
STUDENT: $15.00

RUN, November 2 - 12:
GA: $40.00
ARTS WORKER / SENIOR: $32.00
STUDENT: $20.00
RUSH: $15.00

About The Howland Company

The Howland Company strives for innovation on and off the stage. We are an artist-led and art-driven theatre company, dedicated to the production of electric stories that speak to the world and the times in which we live. Through an agile, collective-leadership model, Howland aims to build new operating structures that empower its artists with agency, skills, and growth opportunities. We seek to challenge and inspire our audiences through productions, training and community initiatives like our Reading Group, fostering a new wave of theatre makers and theatre goers.

About Hart House Theatre

Hart House Theatre is often referred to as the cradle of Canadian Theatre. Through authentic artistic partnerships that enhance inclusion, pluralism and representation, Hart House Theatre focuses on the development, training and showcase of youth and emerging artists seeking to create innovative opportunities for expression and exploration. Hart House Theatre is the focal point for the performing arts at the University of Toronto. With over a thousand students participating each year in its extra-curricular season of drama, dance, music and film, Hart House Theatre continues to influence each new generation of performers, designers and audiences.