Alberta Theatre Projects 2022-23 season features 3 world premieres, including The Jungle Book
Alberta Theatre Projects unveiled its upcoming season Tuesday, revealing a lineup that features three world premieres and a pair of Calgary premieres, including an adaptation of Shakespeare's Richard III unlike any other.
The season marks the first curated by incoming artistic and executive director Rohit Chokhani, who was appointed to the position in October 2021.
Chokhani is also the driving force behind ATP's family-friendly holiday world premiere presentation, a contemporary adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book, which opens for previews Nov. 29.
Chokhani adapted the script and directs as well, in a production he says "will offer audiences an escape into the jungles of India with this vibrant reimagining of the legend of the boy raised by wild animals. When a confrontation with a dangerous tiger isolates Mowgli, he is forced to confront the truth: is he a man-cub or a human? Caught between two worlds, with the support of his friends, Mowgli must search for his sense of self in a quest to discover where he truly belongs."
The season opens for previews Oct. 18 with a second world premiere, Anna Chatterton's Cowgirl Up, co-created with Meg Braem and Christine Brubaker. It's a western Canadian fantasy about three cowgirl goddesses who "decide to use their considerable supernatural powers to give rise to a cowgirl revolution."
The third world premiere, The F Word, co-created by Keshia Cheesman and Bianca Miranda, is a deep dive into society's attitudes towards fatness, and how challenging it is to live with the deeply ingrained shame, blame and fear associated with fatness. It starts previews February 9, 2023.
Anosh Irani's Bombay Black, which opens for previews March 7, is set in present day India, and tells the story of a blind man's visit to an exotic dancer. It will also be directed by Chokhani.
The final show of the season, which opens for previews Apr. 18, is Teenage Dick, playwright Mike Lew's take on Richard III. It's set in a contemporary high school, where Richard is bullied because of his disability and is determined to extract revenge through a student council election.
“This season is a balancing of energies,” said Chokhani, in a release. “There is the energy of finally being able to share shows put on hold during the pandemic, mixed with the reveal of new Canadian works and an international sensation. It represents the energy of who we are as a company today, and the kind of programming you can expect from ATP moving forward.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Video shows suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Ex-SNC executive sentenced to prison term in bridge bribery case
The RCMP says a former SNC-Lavalin executive has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in connection with a bribery scheme for a bridge repair contract in Montreal.
What Canadians think of the latest Liberal budget
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.