Play Reading Week

Two Japan-based theatre artists, Marissa (International Artist in Residence at Tarragon Theatre) and Kyohei Irie (Fellowship Artist at Corpus), invite you to their Wrapping-Up Night, featuring a reading of Marissa’s solo show and Kyohei’s presentation on the discoveries made through comparing the theatre cultures of Canada and Japan, followed by a reception with Japanese food and drinks.
Marissa and Kyohei extend their sincere thanks to Tarragon Theatre, Corpus Dance Projects, and the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, for their support of the ”Program of Overseas Study for Upcoming Artists”.

Schedule

Monday, June 8, 2026

• Reading begins at 6:30PM

Mainspace Theatre

Genatonomy
Examining the boundaries we unconsciously draw in the name of order from the perspective of a sister of a person with a disability, this solo play features a woman in her mid-thirties who tries to seize her sense of ‘typical’, which is increasingly rattled. How and why do we measure the ‘value’ of a work of art and the ‘value’ of a human life?

Context
Forty-five people were killed or injured at a group home for people with intellectual disabilities in Japan on July 26th, 2016. The perpetrator, who was sentenced to death, began to paint and continued to inscribe the same words on his canvases as those in his statement about the crime, which had attracted people’s attention. Far from being hidden away, these paintings are exhibited at the ‘Exhibition of Death Row Inmates’ in Tokyo.

Our Young Playwrights Units are a paid training experience for young artists, who are curious and passionate about playwriting. These playwrights will work on their new plays with professional dramaturgs, and present readings of their work at our Play Reading Week.

Schedule

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

• Doors 7:00PM
• Reading Begins 7:30PM

Mainspace Theatre

LYDIA

Maia Woods

The newly-orphaned Ricky seeks out the services of Replicata, a company that  specializes in creating robot clones of deceased loved ones.

Director – Alison Wong
Ricky – Ziska Louis
Liz – Janelle Cooper
Stage Directions – jonnie lombard

Wrecking Crew

Shayagi Kirupakaran

After a separation is announced, a family is thrown out of orbit and must face reality during a week where everyone, invited or not, happens to be brought back together. 

Director – Rahaf Fasheh
Anu – Ellora Patnaik
Bonnie – Marium Masood
Megan – Leon Tsai
Brin – Summer Mahmud
Ralph – Sam Khalilieh
Val – to be read by other members of the cast
Stage Directions – jonnie lombard

Shiro for the soul

Negede Kaffa

3 sisters for the first time in years come together after the death of their mother. Her one wish is to have her daughters run her once successful restaurant. With no money, guidance or recipe.

Director – Donna-Michelle St. Bernard
Saba – AKOSUA AMO-ADEM
Sina – Makambe K. Simamba
Nigist – Yvonne Addai
Attorney/ Uncle Teddy/ Random Ass Person – Aaron MacPherson
Stage Directions – jonnie lombard

Mamma Mafiosa

Jules Spizzirri

Seemingly simple suburban moms Loretta and her best friend Janice front as Avon ladies to smuggle drugs for the mob. When whispers of a rat threaten to bring down the organization, the ladies navigate trust, control, and sacrifice.

Director – Anita La Selva
Loretta – Diane Flacks 
Janice – Breanne Tice
Julia – Christine Horne
Roz – Monica Garrido Huerta
Stage Directions – jonnie lombard

Snake Island

Ethan Keyes

Old and new faces come together for the annual powwow with a looming tribal election on its way. Two days of drum, dance, stories, tiktoks, secrets, reconnection, betrayals…and what’s going on with that island, seriously?

Director – Yolanda Bonnell

Workshop Cast:
BARB – Monique Mojica
CLEMENTINE –  Brefny Caribou
TAMMY – Mariya Khomutova
HARLEY – Kole Durnford
DARRYL / MC – Jeremy Proulx
Stage Directions – Emmet Logue

Reading Cast:
HARLEY – Kole Durnford
DARRYL – Jeremy Proulx
CLEMENTINE – Brefny Caribou
TAMMY – Mariya Khomutova
Stage Directions / CAMPER – Emmet Logue