Worlds of drama and comedy; fear and bravery; Heaven and Hell collide on stage during this year’s Canadian College of the Performing Arts live theater season. The College’s ever-adaptable community welcomes nationally recognized directors to reinvigorate students and audiences once again with live performances.

“When Worlds Collide takes the stage, it creates an engaging theater that will trigger dialogue and reflection on the infinity of human adaptability,” General Artistic Director Caleb Marshall said of the season’s theme. With an audience capacity reduced by 50%, the masked and vaccinated audience will be safely welcomed in five exciting productions, concerts and a festival, while the home audience will be able to share multi-camera live streaming options.

For those who can’t wait to relive the live performance, the CCPA Studio Ensemble kicks off the season with a live cabaret, THE ONE: true love … but faster, on Saturday September 25 at 7:30 p.m. at the CCPA Performance Hall, and broadcast live in line. Tickets range from $ 10 to $ 30 and are available at ccpacanada.com/tickets/.

The season officially kicks off from October 21 to 24 with the unique Secret Love in the Land of Peach Blossoms by Stan Lai (Lai Sheng-chuan), a Chinese masterpiece where comedy and drama clash. Can two disparate groups vying for control of the same space be convinced to share it? Directed by Hong Kong native Derek Chan, the play depicts a topical theme in our increasingly polarized world. “As someone who has found it hard to believe that stories from my part of the world are equally valid here, the prospect of sharing the secret love with you turns me on endlessly,” Chan said.

Then, from December 5-7, award-winning director Cherissa Richards has Heaven and Hell in a downtown New York City courtroom in Pulitzer Prize-winning Stephen Adly Guirgis’ The Last Days of Judas Iscariot. The forces of good and evil are not woven into whether the most famous sinner in history was the master deceiver of his own destiny, a pawn who suffered greatly, or simply a man who made a mistake. Richards sees in it “a deeply moving look at the difficulty of virtue and the need for mercy in an imperfect world”.

Fifty Worlds Collide for sophomores in Love and Information by Caryl Churchill, directed by Christopher Weddell, faculty member and director of Falseworks last season. From January 13 to 15, this show is a unique piece of theatrical and stimulating short films exploring the fun and complex intersections of knowledge, technology, communication and our ability to love in a rapidly changing world.

Bravery and friendship collide in a new Canadian musical, The Quest, created by Murray Foster (Moxy Fruvous, Great Big Sea) and Kieren MacMillan (MA in Music Composition, Rice University), where the comfort of imaginative play must bravely face the harsh realities of high school. This show offers students the opportunity to deepen the development process, work directly with the creators, and imbue their own voices in a play specially designed for audiences of their generation. The Quest, which runs February 11-19, is directed by one of Canada’s most sought-after musical theater directors, Stephanie Graham. “The themes of self-discovery and the value of friendship are one that many of us can relate to, and this musical reminds us that being brave and facing our fears can often lead to amazing things. Graham said.

This dynamic and diverse selection of productions is only part of the exciting year ahead for CCPA. The remaining performances, including the year-end musical, Festival of New Works and Concert of Remembrance, will be announced later as the College adjusts to the changing landscape of the theater’s new normal. To receive advance notice of CCPA’s performance schedule and exclusive discounts, be sure to subscribe to all three Studio Ensemble productions or the entire season, ranging from $ 42 to $ 126, available now by emailing at [email protected], by calling 250 595 9970 ext. 100, or by visiting ccpacanada.com.

After a very successful 20-21 season, as one of the few performing arts colleges to continually adapt to function in person, General Artistic Director Caleb Marshall said, “How great is the community of the? ‘ACCP appreciated the flexibility that the public continually shows in supporting an art form that has been so contested over the past 18 months, yet remains so essential to reflect, inspire and nourish our world. “