Lady Sunrise

February 15 – March 8 2020, Mainspace Theatre

#ftLadySunrise

Running Time: 105 minutes
Recommended for ages 18+

Written by Marjorie Chan
Directed by Nina Lee Aquino

A Factory production

Money is ridiculous isn’t it? It gets in the way of everything, it’s everywhere. It can save a life, or ruin it all in the same breath.

Set in Canada’s condo and casino playground of Vancouver, this hard-hitting new play from multi-award winning playwright, Marjorie Chan, is a tale of social climbing and the fraying social fabric among the wealthy and hangers-on of Vancouver’s Asian Canadian community. Inspired by the modern classic, Sunrise by Cao Yu, this exquisite World Premiere features a cast of six powerful Asian Canadian women, and examines the damning effect of today’s hyper-consumerist society. A not-to-be-missed new play sure to speak to Torontonians as our city continues to rise to new heights while forgetting the people who live on the ground.

Tues – Fri Performances

Regular Tickets: $40
Senior Tickets: $30
Student Tickets: $25
Artsworker Tickets: $25

Sat & Sun Performances

Regular Tickets: $50
Senior Tickets: $40
Student Tickets: $30
Artsworker Tickets: $25

Relaxed Performances

For audiences who may benefit from a more relaxed theatre environment, the following performances of Lady Sunrise will be relaxed performances: Wednesday February 26th at 8pm and Sunday March 1 at 2pm

Content Warning

The play is about women, Asian women yes, but really all kinds of women. Women who are rich, women who are poor, women trying to make their way. This play is also about things that could happen to anyone, the good, the sad, and the bad.

Please note, there are specific content warnings available here. The truth is, I write about hard things, and I don’t want you to be surprised by something in the play. I want you to be safe. If being safe for you means that you think you can’t come to this play or can’t stay for the entirety of the play, that is okay. I am happier knowing that you are taking care of yourself. Peace.

– Marjorie Chan, Playwright, Lady Sunrise

If you have any additional questions or concerns about the subject matter in Lady Sunrise, please feel free to reach out to our Box Office at (416) 504-9971 or boxoffice@factorytheatre.ca

Specific content warnings

L to R: Ma-Anne Dionisio, Lindsay Wu. Set Design by Camellia Koo, Costume Design by Jackie Chau, Lighting Design by Michelle Ramsay, Photo by Joseph Michael Photography

L to R: Lindsay Wu, Rosie Simon, Zoé Doyle, Ma-Anne Dionisio, Louisa Zhu, Belinda Corpuz. Set Design by Camellia Koo, Costume Design by Jackie Chau, Lighting Design by Michelle Ramsay, Photo by Joseph Michael Photography

L to R: Belinda Corpuz, Louisa Zhu. Set Design by Camellia Koo, Costume Design by Jackie Chau, Lighting Design by Michelle Ramsay, Photo by Joseph Michael Photography

L to R: Zoé Doyle, Lindsay Wu, Rosie Simon, Ma-Anne Dionisio, Louisa Zhu, Belinda Corpuz. Set Design by Camellia Koo, Costume Design by Jackie Chau, Lighting Design by Michelle Ramsay, Photo by Joseph Michael Photography

About the playwright

Marjorie Chan

Marjorie was born in Toronto to Hong Kong immigrants who arrived in the late 60s. As a theatre and opera artist, she works variously as writer, director and dramaturge as well as in the intersection of these forms and roles. Her work has been seen and performed in the United States, Scotland, Hong Kong, Russia and across Canada. Her full-length works as a playwright include the plays The Madness of the Square, a nanking winter, Tails From the City, as well as the libretti for the operas, Sanctuary Song, The Lesson of Da Ji, M’dea Undone and most recently, The Monkiest King. Some of the companies Marjorie has directed for include: Gateway Theatre, Cahoots Theatre, Native Earth Performing Arts, Theatre Passe Muraille, Obsidian Theatre and Theatre du Pif (Hong Kong). Marjorie has been nominated for 9 Dora Awards and is the recipient of four (3 for libretti, 1 for performance). She has also received the K.M. Hunter Artist’s Award in Theatre, the Entertainment World Award for Best New Work, a Harold Award, as well as the George Luscombe Award for Mentorship. Other notable nominations include the John Hirsch Directors’ Award, the Governor General’s Literary Award for her playwriting debut, China Doll, and the Canadian Citizen Award for her work with Crossing Gibraltar – Cahoots Theatre’s program for newcomers. She is also the Artistic Director of Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto.

About the director

Nina Lee Aquino

With a string of firsts in Asian Canadian theatre, Nina Lee Aquino was the founding Artistic Director of fu-GEN Asian Canadian theatre company, organized the first Asian Canadian theatre conference, edited the first (2-volume) Asian Canadian play anthology, and co-edited the first (award-winning) book on Asian Canadian theatre.

She became Artistic Director of Cahoots Theatre, currently holds the same position at Factory Theatre and is now the youngest President of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres.

She has directed world premieres and revivals at theatres across the country and has won the Ken McDougall Award, the John Hirsch Prize, and three Dora Awards for Outstanding Direction.

Her leadership has extended into mentoring emerging artists and she has directed innovative projects at Humber College, York University, and the National Theatre School. She was the 2019 winner of the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Margo Bindhart and Rita Davies Cultural Leadership Award.