Hey Friends.
It's me - Colleen Snell, the Artistic Director of Frog in Hand. I know, I look different... my hair is long, and it's been a long winter. We've been hibernating... but now... We're back, baby! And HOLY POLLYWOGS do I have an thrilling season of activities to share with you. We've been working around the clock to organize a packed summer season, and it's my pleasure to finally announce our upcoming projects. We've got LIVE performances (yes, live!), filmed dances and recorded audio projects. We've got science fiction, joyful physical theatre, powerful dancing and lots of new faces in our 2021 Summer Company. My friends, lace up those running shoes and follow me as I give you a tour of our season.
Image of Colleen by Andrew Gaboury
June 2021 The 2021 Summer Company
On June 16th we begin our Summer Company. It's a training and performance initiative funded by Canada Summer Jobs. The Company, now in it's fourth year, received over 60 applications during our virtual auditions. Our 2021 iteration will showcase the tremendous skill of 10 dancers, a production assistant and an assistant costume designer. The Summer Company joins us for nine weeks to train, perform, and research new work. The 2021 Summer Company dancers are: Stephanie Harkness Ankita Alemona Eilish Shin-Culhane Zoe Kwan Maria Riano Sierra Goldak Annalise Grammacione Kaitlyn Seibold Erin Eldershaw & Daniela Jezerinac With Production Assistant Angela Xu & Assistant Costume Designer Mariana Sandoval-Angel July 2021 Cyclops (working title)
This quirky, playful new creation will travel through Port Credit to spark joy and engage the imagination. Alice Cavanagh, Andrew Gaboury and the Summer Company are teaming up with Clay and Paper Theatre to create new characters using clown, voice work and puppetry. The production will involve a parade, glowing lights and storytelling. (Above image of Andrew Gaboury in "Cyclops" 2020, photo Tamara Romanchuk). Free performances in Port Credit: July 9, 17, 24, 31
The Algonquin Tapes, Toronto Fringe (online festival)
We're back at Fringe! This time we're sharing The Algonquin Tapes, a radio drama inspired by H. G. Wells' War of the Worlds. A voice recorder found in the Algonquin Highlands holds a story of friendship, a search for peace and an encounter with the unnatural. This is part 1 of Frog in Hand's 3-part War of the Worlds Reimagined radio play; it is a response to crisis fuelled by science fiction. The Algonquin Tapes is written and directed by Andrew Gaboury with voice acting by Alice Cavanagh & Lizzie Moffatt.
Tickets on sale July 7th! Catch the Algonquin Tapes Online: July 21st-31st
Learn more: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/about
The Bollywood Monster Mashup (online festival)
The Summer Company will perform in MonsterARTity’s Bollywood Monster Mashup - a live stream, online experience. Four dancers from the Summer Company will work with Colleen Snell and Ankita Alemona to create 2 new, 5-minute Bollywood-inspired works. These playful, fun pieces will represent a fusion of dance forms. Online livestream date tbd
Learn more Image of Rohan Dhupar by Captive Camera (BMM 2020)
August 2021 Stories in the Woods
Stories in the Woods is an eerie, poetic site-specific contemporary dance-theatre performance; it premiered in October 2019. We're remounting this piece to accommodate restrictions for the pandemic. Audiences will be led in small groups through paths in the woods at night. This is tale is inspired by science fiction and climate change (“cli-fi”).
Shows August 5, 6, 7, 13, 14, 2021 at the Small Arms Inspection Building
Tickets on sale soon!
September 2021
War of the Worlds Reimagined Responding to crisis and fuelled by science fiction, War of the Worlds Reimagined is a thrilling 3-part radio drama with a full cast, full foley and original music. This production is inspired by War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. Part one (The Algonquin Tapes) will premiere in the Toronto Fringe (online festival) in July. Join us for listening parties every Friday and Saturday in September 2021.
Ongoing
The Frog in Hand Book Club Begun in 2020, the Frog in Hand book club was created to act in solidarity to support BIPOC folks, artists and communities. 12 books were purchased from “A Different Booklist,” a BIPOC run book store in Toronto. These books will be circulated to spark conversations about civil rights, social justice and the arts, and to make space for intersectional dialogue. We will experience books and content by BIPOC authors, reflect and consider individual action plans.
Thanks to our 2021 Summer Season Supporters