COMING: January 2024
Greenhouse Residency and Festival
GREENHOUSE RESIDENCY AND FESTIVAL
Where the next inter-/multidisciplinary opportunity is created
Calling all theatre-creators and theatre-goers alike! Greenhouse is a process-led, inter-/multidisciplinary residency program at Tarragon, beginning in summer 2023 and concluding in January 2024.*
*Greenhouse Residency and Festival aims to support inter-/multidisciplinary projects, not traditional script development. You can also check out Tarragon Theatre’s other development opportunities here.
Call for Submissions
We are seeking ideas and projects that have not previously been publicly presented, and are in early stages of development.
We are especially interested in projects that engage their audience as an active presence in the art-making, and require this performance-based feedback to grow.
The application deadline is Monday, May 15, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.
About Tarragon
Tarragon Theatre creates, develops and produces new Canadian plays and provides the conditions for that new work to thrive through high-quality development, production and administrative infrastructure. We support the exploration of storytelling and artistic forms that champion the scope of theatrical possibility. Tarragon Theatre trains and supports new generation, emerging and established artists through extensive residencies, flexible play development programs and substantial producing capabilities. Its rehearsal halls, studios and theatre spaces are used extensively by the arts community for the creation and production of new work.
What does the residency support?
Greenhouse supports projects from conception to first public sharing. Projects receive:
- a $5000.00 residency fee
- rehearsal/development space and resources at Tarragon Theatre to freely explore
- dramaturgical, marketing, and technical support
- a portion of box-office revenues
- inter-artist collaboration and networking opportunities
- letters of support for grant-writing requests
Who should apply?
We are seeking to support ideas that have not previously been publicly presented, and are in early stages of development. We are especially interested in projects that engage their audience as an active presence in the art-making, and require this performance-based feedback to grow.
We invite playwrights, devisors, dancers, clowns, puppeteers, multi-media artists, drag-kings, -queens, and -things to apply; any artist who is ready to explore, provoke, and play.
How to apply?
Please include:
A 1-page cover letter that explores the following:
- The idea or project you are creating.
- What urgent questions are you asking within your artistic practice?
- What forms are you exploring?
- How will the residency serve you and your process?
- Who is your target audience, and how do you intend to connect with them through performance?*** Please note that you may offer the above in audio or video format (3 mins max)
- A CV
- An artistic sample (eg. video clips; max 5 mins, photos, portfolio link, etc)
The Application Process
To apply, please email your submission materials for review to Justin Miller, Artistic Producer and Greenhouse Festival Director (justin@tarragontheatre.com).
In your application materials, please use the subject: Greenhouse Application – NAME – Project Name (if applicable).
The application deadline is Monday, May 15, 2023 at 5:00 p.m.
Shortlisted artists will be offered follow-up interviews with the Greenhouse curatorial team; all artists will be contacted by July 1, 2023.
Tarragon Theatre believes in a richly inclusive working environment and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates. If you need accommodation pertaining to accessibility at any stage of the application process, please let us know.
Performances In Residence
The Greenhouse Festival is a process-led residency program, focussed on growing vibrant, theatrical ideas and facilitating exchange between artists and audience.
Audiences are encouraged to come and explore new parts of Tarragon as a space, as they explore new works from the celebrated creatives in residence for Greenhouse Festival. Tickets for the festival can be purchased for Single Show performances, or through a Festival Pass.
Festival Pass $35
Provides unlimited access to both weeks of the Greenhouse Festival, including Greenhouse Resident sharings, Special Presentations and micro-performances.*
*Seating is subject to availability.
Single Show Tickets $12
As the name implies, the Single Show ticket is a one-time ticket available for select performances throughout both weeks of the Greenhouse Festival.*
*Seating is subject to availability.
The Collectives
Greenhouse Festival 2023
New to Tarragon in the 2022/2023 season was the performance spectacle of Greenhouse, unique visions were brought to life through a series of never before seen artistic creations.
Emilio’s A Million Chameleons
From Adam Francis Proulx
A family-friendly musical spectacular, about embracing what makes you special and letting that inner sparkle shine.
Multi-award-winning puppeteer Adam F Proulx (THE FAMILY CROW: A Murder Mystery; BAKER’S DOZEN: 12 Angry Puppets) presents a masterful escape of puppetry and theatre.
He has been experimenting with all things sparkle, sequin and glitter in his puppet building for a few years now, and continues to explore how else these materials can be used in a theatrical setting.
Performances
Mass Exodus
With: Amelia Blaine, Sienna Singh, Sara Jarvie Clark, Devlin Flynn
Mass Exodus is a non-verbal, sensorial fairy-tale set on a dying planet.
Tasked by The Government ™ to “be the solution” and save their world, a lone worker wonders: do the animals have other plans?
BadFox Performance creates multi-disciplinary work using shadow puppetry, overhead projectors, movement, original composition and sound design to create immersive, sensory experiences.
Performances
Benevolence
With: Kevin Matthew Wong, Echo Zhou, Chris Ross-Ewart, Noel Pendawa, Sooji Kim
Benevolence examines and celebrates the history of the Hakka (客家) diaspora in Canada, who represent some of the first Chinese in Canada.
Intimate, epic, personal, and playful, this solo-performance by Kevin Matthew Wong (Chemical Valley Project) tells the story of the 2000-year migration, and their struggles and triumphs as early Chinese-Canadians.
The Benevolence Collective seeks to interrogate, expand, and complicate representations of Chinese-Canadians. Centering design and audience connection in their storytelling, the Benevolence Collective seeks to provide audiences with new ways to think about their own journeys and relationships to Canada.
Performances
Jane
With: Camille Intson, Nicole Eun-Ju Bell, Bryn Kennedy
JANE is a speculative fiction drama about three college students caught up in a virtual reality deepfake pornography scandal, inspired by growing ethical concerns around digital consent and content regulation.
Pantheon Projects is an award-winning, queer, feminist, and new generation performance collective. Their work defies traditional theatrical form, by foregrounding emerging technology, new media, and projection-design into live performance.
Performances
These are the Songs That I Sing When I'm Sad
Jane Miller and Brian Quirt
These Are The Songs That I Sing When I’m Sad is an intimate and joyous performance that explores the songs people turn to when they’re sad, the songs that they play to soothe their blues or lift them up out of the depths.
It’s a rare opportunity to hear a superb singer up close and personal, as she delves into the link between deep emotions and the musical elements that make sad songs so addictive.
This special presentation is part of Tarragon’s collaboration with Nightswimming for PURE RESEARCH, bringing innovative research-based process back to Toronto after a four-year hiatus and
opening up a discourse on play development through dramaturgy.
Performance
And Featuring
There is always abundant programming at Tarragon Theatre, here we highlight some of the events we’re really excited about.
MORE ACTIVATIONS AT THE FESTIVAL!
Between shows, a dizzying array of micro-performances and interactive games await.

Soundhole
with Twin Mask

Weird Bingo
with Weird Alice

Kit Kat Mini
with Ryan G. Hinds

Beatnik Madlibs
with Isaac Kessler & Alaine Hutton
SPECIAL APPEARANCES UPSTAIRS
Tarragon Theatre’s Urjo Kareda and Bulmash-Siegel resident artists share their work
Saturdays at 3:30 PM

Ping
by Aaron Jan
Jan 7th 3:30pm

Lettuce Head
by Alyssa Martin & Jacob Vanderham
Jan 14th 3:30pm
CLOSING NIGHT KARAOKE
Join us on closing night for the Festival finale: a no-holds barred musical extravaganza, starring YOU!

Hosted by Fatuma Adar
Saturday Jan 14th – 9:30pm