Insider Intel

/By Jessica Watson / Nov 15, 2021

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Looking for information about your favourite theatres? We’ve got you covered! Intermission’s Insider Intel articles showcase one theatre at a time to give you all the information you need before your visit.

This week: Theatre Passe Muraille

What kind of theatre do they produce?

Theatre Passe Muraille (TPM) believes there should be a more diverse representation of artists, audience members, and stories in our theatre. TPM aspires to be a leader locally, nationally and internationally in establishing, promoting, and embracing collaborative and inclusive theatre practices. This is so that they can support and ignite the voices of unique artists, communities, and audiences. Their mission is to break down walls by pushing against boundaries; to create art with and for an audience, examining the marginal, the unexplored, and the unforeseen; and to articulate a distinct Canadian voice that reflects the complexity of our intercultural society.

Location

• 16 Ryerson Avenue, Toronto, ON M5T 2P3

Near the Queen/Bathurst intersection, TPM is easily accessible by bus or streetcar, and there is plenty of parking in the vicinity. Check TPM’s website for more information on how to get to the venue.

Venue

TPM operates out of a designated historical building; the former Nasmith Bakery and Stables. But true to name, productions have also taken place “beyond walls,” both digitally and in site-specific locations across Toronto.

Ticket Prices

In 2022, TPM is continuing with their popular Pay-What-You-Can-Afford model. Tickets are $5, $25, and $50 for our Season Productions (and $5, $10, and $20 for their BUZZ Development Series), and regardless of price, all tickets are the same. TPM implemented this ticketing practice last year to further break down financial barriers, and it was a great success. Their audience are invited to make their own choices about what they can afford in order to experience theatre. Those purchasing at the $50 price point will do so with the understanding that their ticket price is helping to subsidise the $5 ticket price, and in doing so, making theatre more accessible for others.

Discount Opportunities

TPM offers subsidised tickets to audience members for whom the PWYCA price points are a financial barrier. Please contact Angela Sun at angelas@passemuraille.on.ca for more information.

COVID-19 Safety Information

• As of Oct 22, 2021, everyone entering TPM must provide proof of vaccination by presenting their Enhanced Vaccine Certificate (QR code) or the receipt of vaccination with a form of government-issued identification
• The theatre is equipped with 4 rooftop HVAC units, and sanitation measures were added to ensure all high touch areas are cleaned frequently
• Theatre Passe Muraille is currently operating at 50% capacity
• Masks are required at all times inside the theatre (with the exception of the artists when they are performing

For more information on Theatre Passe Muraille’s commitment to the health and safety of their staff, patrons, and artists, check their website.

Accessibility

The TPM team strongly believes that increasing theatre accessible makes the entire industry better and leads to more exciting experiences for everyone. Each of their shows has different accessibility features, which will be announced soon!

• The building’s front entrance and single-user washrooms are equipped with automatic push buttons
• All washrooms are designated as Gender Neutral, and each is equipped with an accessible stall.
• Both the Mainspace and the Backspace can accommodate a limited number of wheelchairs or scooters — contact TPM for details on the show you’re looking to see
• All staff, patrons and artists are welcome to bring assistive devices (canes, wheelchairs, walkers, etc.) to the Theatre — TPM’s Front-of-House team will help with the storage and retrieval of your equipment
• TPM has 11 RF assistive hearing device units (9 loop and 2 steto varieties) which can be used in both their spaces — please inquire at the box office when you arrive for either a TPM Season show or any rental production about borrowing a RF transmitter
• Service animals are always welcome at TPM — if you are planning on bringing a support animal with you, please advise a Box Office representative when booking your tickets
• TPM offers complimentary tickets to designated support persons to any of TPM’s productions (support persons being an individual chosen or hired to provide services or assistance to another individual

To learn more about the work TPM is doing to integrate accessibility into artistic processes, visit https://www.passemuraille.ca/accessibilitylabs/. To provide feedback or ask questions, please call 416-504-7529 or email info@passemuraille.on.ca.

Artists You Might Recognise

Theatre Passe Muraille is run by a group of dedicated and passionate theatre artists from across the country and beyond. Whether you’ve seen them onstage or have caught a show in which they were involved, these familiar names are staples, risk-takers, and change-makers within the Toronto theatre community.

• Marjorie Chan, Artistic Director
• Indrit Kasapi, Associate Artistic Director
• David Fisher, Mainspace Technician
• Angela Sun, Community Engagement Coordinator
• Eric Read, Facilities & Production Manager

Where to Eat and Drink

• Food Art Music for some Creole Crab Cakes, Chicken & Waffles, and Chicken Sandwich (occasionally run into some really cool events)
• Saku Sushi on Queen St West has really good sushi (especially the rolls) and the perfect ambience for a pre-show meal
• Pat’s Homestyle Jamaican Restaurant on Queen St W is open late for takeout only — perfect for a post-show bite
• Café Forget Me Not on Portland/Adelaide is a great spot for pre- or post-show coffee & chats (they also have a great pastry section and gift shop)

Iconic Past Productions:

New Magic Valley Fun Town

RECIPIENT OF THE TORONTO THEATRE CRITICS AWARD FOR "BEST NEW PLAY"

Cape Bretoner Dougie hasn't seen his best childhood pal Allen in twenty-five years, so it's no surprise that their reunion is a boisterous night of memories, laughter, drinking and dancing. But as evening becomes day, as the smiles begin to fade and the bottles sit empty, the old friends revisit other memories, uncomfortable ones that force them to confront the realities of who — and what — they really are.

Image courtesy of Tarragon Theatre

May I Take Your Arm

A LIVE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY, AT-HOME EXPERIENCE

Blind artist Alex Bulmer takes the arm of people in her new neighbourhood. Together, they walk, listen, and share life stories — an architecture of place emerges. Experience their journeys through these multi-sensory moving-portraits that consider the past, illuminate the present, and evoke possible futures. Originally created in 2018 as a live, interactive, performance installation, May I Take Your Arm? has been re-imagined into a 7-part multidisciplinary follow-at-home experience.

Image courtesy of Theatre Passe Muraille

The Yoko Ono Project

AN INTERACTIVE EXPLORATION OF AN AHEAD-OF-HER-TIME, OFTEN DEMONISED ARTIST

”Hey, Yoko! Yoko Ono!”

Jean Yoon's examination of what it means to be an Asian woman in contemporary North America is a groundbreaking experience. Using dance, video stills, and quotations from Ono's own personal poetry, The Yoko Ono project invites audiences to explore the identity and being of one of pop-culture's most controversial figures.

Image courtesy of Theatre Passe Muraille

Life, Death and the Blues

OVER 100 PERFORMANCES ACROSS 5 CANADIAN CITIES

Immerse yourself in the world of the Blues in concert/theatre hybrid experience from Theatre Passe Muraille. Created by Gemini nominated and award-winning actor/musician Raoul Bhaneja, featuring Juno winner Divine Brown, Life, Death and The Blues culminates with an interview and jam session with different living Blues legends including John Mays, Rita Chiarelli, Danny Marks and more!

Image courtesy of Theatre Passe Muraille

Wolf Boy

AN ORIGINAL PLAY FROM ONE OF CANADA'S MOST FAMOUS PLAYWRIGHTS

A tale of a highly amusing, sometimes funny, sometimes terrifying relationship between a boy who thinks he's a werewolf and a boy who wants to die. A combination of the darkly bizarre moments and the light, often poignant ones young people experience while being forced to grow up. TPM's 1984 production of Brad Fraser's Wolf Boy was one of Keanu Reeves' first significant acting roles.

Image courtesy of Theatre Passe Muraille

The Farm Show

A COLLECTIVE CREATION FROM THEATRE PASSE MURAILLE

In the summer of '72, troupe of actors from Theatre Passe Muraille went out to the countryside near Clinton, Ontario one summer to talk to local farmers about their lives. In pairs, the actors knocked on every farm door in the Clinton district, often helping with farm chores and paging through wedding albums over tea. A monologue about the pains of stacking hay bales; a song about a farming dynasty; the end result is The Farm Show, one of the landmarks of Canadian theatre history.

Image courtesy of Theatre Passe Muraille

WRITTEN BY

Jessica Watson

Jessica is a former associate editor at Intermission, as well as a writer, classically-trained actor, and plant enthusiast. Since graduating from LAMDA in the UK with her MA in acting, you can often find her writing screenplays and short plays in the park, writing extensive lists of plant care tips, or working on stage and screen (though she uses a stage name). Jessica freelances with various companies across Canada, but her passion lies in working with theatre artists and enthusiasts.

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