Blog by Jonathan Seinen, Director & Producer | Iphigenia and the Furies (on Taurian Land)
Jonathan Seinen is a John Hirsch Prize-winning director and theatre artist. Collaborative projects included: Saga Collecif’s Black Boys, Boys In Chairs’ Access Me, Architect Theatre’s Highway 63: The Fort Mac Show. He also works as an actor, appearing in Body Politic (lemonTree/Buddies), A God In Need Of Help (Tarragon) and The Normal Heart (Studio 180/Buddies).
Assistant Directing credits include: Tristan Und Isolde with Anne Bogart at the Croatian National Theatre and Timon of Athenswith Stephen Ouimette at the Stratford Festival. He is a graduate of University of Alberta, the National Theatre School, and Columbia University.
Theatre Passe Muraille is, in a way, my first “home” in Toronto theatre. In 2011, former Artistic Director Andy McKim programmed Architect Theatre’s Highway 63: The Fort Mac Show, and in 2012, we presented This Must Be The Place: The CN Tower Show, a TPM commission.
There’s something very healing, even during these difficult times, to work on a play together. It has been a pleasure to re-imagine the TPM main space for our upcoming show, Iphigenia and the Furies (on Taurian Land): a Saga Collectif, Architect Theatre, and Theatre Passe Muraille Digital co-production. I hope you will join us as we welcome you digitally, February 23-26.
In March of 2021, we workshopped the script with our new cast; in this 2022 iteration, you will see a different Orestes (played by Kwaku Okyere) and Pylades (played by Nathaniel Hanula-James) than in our first 2019 Saga Collectif production at Aki Studio.
Set and Costume design by Christine Ting – Huan 挺欢 Urquhart / Lighting design by Jareth Li / Photo by Dahlia Katz
Jeff Ho’s brilliant script continues to centre a generous opportunity for change, a chance to break out of cycles of violence, revenge, and patriarchy. So the question that this play throws out is also as important as ever:
When we are faced with an opportunity to change, do we have the courage to step into the unknown?
Okyere’s performance connects with the vulnerability of someone faced with that question. Once again, and this time so importantly, Jeff Ho’s text demonstrates the metaphoric possibilities of theatre, and I think our storytelling is richer for it.
PJ Prudat as “Chorus” / Photo by Dahlia Katz
I am very excited to be able to open Theatre Passe Muraille’s 21.22 season with Iphigenia and the Furies (on Taurian Land), and I cannot wait to reunite and meet with you (digitally) with this story!
Iphigenia and the Furies (On Taurian Land) by Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho) — A Saga Collectif, Architect Theatre & Theatre Passe Muraille Co-Production
Running digitally, February 23rd-26th, 2022
Accessibility: Audio descriptions, Digital Relaxed Performances, and Captioned Performances are available. Please see show page for more info, or call our box office at 416-504-7529
Add it to your bookshelf! Iphigenia and the Furies (On Taurian Land) & Antigone: 方 will soon be available as a shiny new book, available from Playwrights Canada Press. order your copy now.