Insider Intel

What to Expect at…Tarragon Theatre

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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: Tarragon Theatre

What kind of theatre do they produce?

Tarragon Theatre is Canada’s home for groundbreaking contemporary plays. Their mission is to create, develop, and produce new plays while fostering an environment where new work can thrive. To that end, the Tarragon Theatre engages the best theatre artists and craftspeople to interpret new work; presents each new work with high quality production value; provides an administrative structure to support new work; develops marketing strategies to promote new work; and continually generates an audience for new work. As a complement to the new work they create, Tarragon presents new work from all parts of the country, revives significant Canadian plays, and produces international work, both contemporary and classical.

Location

Tarragon Theatre is located in the heart of Tarragon Village just north of The Annex in Toronto, ON. Their venue is accessible by transit with walking access from Dupont Subway station, and is easy to access via bus at Bridgman and Bathurst. There is paid parking across the street for patrons who choose to drive.

The exterior of Tarragon Theatre, located just north of The Annex. Image provided by Tarragon Theatre.
The exterior of Tarragon Theatre, located just north of The Annex. Image provided by Tarragon Theatre.

Venue

Tarragon Theatre is home to two performance venues; the Mainspace, which seats approximately 205, and the Extraspace venue, which seats approximately 110. The theatre also boasts a creation space that is available to artists and companies to develop their works in progress, as part of their effort to provide support to independent and emerging artists and foster new work development.

COVID-19 Safety Information

  • All visitors and staff must present their confirmation of vaccination to enter Tarragon Theatre; exceptions may be made for those with medical barriers to vaccination and vaccination exemption certificates
  • Currently, Tarragon Theatre continues to operate at a reduced capacity in all theatre spaces, and ensures the their venue is thoroughly cleaned between performances

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

The cast of Tarragon Theatre's 2017 production of Undercover. Image provided by Tarragon Theatre.
The cast of Tarragon Theatre’s 2017 production of Undercover. Image provided by Tarragon Theatre.

Ticket Prices

  • Single tickets for the 2021/22 season are $50.00 for adults and seniors, with discounts available for artsworkers and students
  • Tarragon Theatre offers a variety of Pay What You Can subscription packages; patrons have the freedom to select which shows they would like to see, and can select packages that include Tarragon’s series of Acoustic audio-recorded performances

Discount Opportunities

Artsworkers can enjoy Tarragon Theatre’s productions at a reduced price point of $25.00, while students with valid student ID cards can attend performances for $15.00. Tarragon Theatre has comprehensive and flexible ticket policies, with a range of options for patrons who are unable to attend their show.

Accessibility

Tarragon Theatre is proud to offer completely accessible venues in regards to mobility, with a family washroom that is accessible via elevator. Both of the company’s performance venues and its creative Workspace are wheelchair accessible, and they offer assistive listening devices for all performances in the two main performance spaces. Tarragon is an Access2 Venue, and offers a complimentary companion ticket for any patrons living with a disability who require assistance to use their space.

To learn more about the work Tarragon Theatre is doing to integrate accessibility into their artistic processes, visit their website here. To provide feedback or ask questions, please call 416-531-1827 or email patronservices@tarragontheatre.com.

The stage in Tarragon Theatre's Mainspace venue, set up for a show. Image courtesy of Tarragon Theatre.
The stage in Tarragon Theatre’s Mainspace venue, set up for a show. Image courtesy of Tarragon Theatre.

Artists You Might Recognise

Many audience members will recognise Tarragon Theatre’s Artistic Director Mike Payette, and their Director of Patron Services, Natasha Parsons. Aside from their fantastic administrative and creative leadership team, many notable artists are staples at the company:

Workshops and Classes

Tarragon Theatre offers a variety of courses, workshops, and training opportunities throughout the year. With opportunities for actors, playwrights, directors, dramaturges, and anyone else looking to develop as a performing artist, there is truly something for everyone! To find out about Tarragon’s current and future development opportunities, visit their website.

Iconic Past Productions:

A production still from Tarragon Theatre's 2019 production of Daniel MacIvor's "New Magic Valley Fun Town" - actors Caroline Gillis, Andrew Moodie, Daniel MacIvor, and Stephanie MacDonald dance onstage.
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New Magic Valley Fun Town

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

In a new play from Daniel MacIvor, 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 by Cylla von Tiedemann, courtesy of Tarragon Theatre

A production still from Tarragon Theatre's 2019 production of Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman's "Guarded Girls" - actors Virgilia Griffith and Vivien Endicott-Douglas sit onstage, wearing green prison jumpsuits.
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Guarded Girls

PRODUCED WITH GREEN LIGHT ARTS - DORA AWARD WINNER FOR OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY

The psychological destruction brought on by solitary confinement is at the heart of this wrenching and powerful new play. When 19-year-old Sid is transferred to a new prison, she finds friendship with Britt — but also forms a complicated relationship with the guard who seems to be watching their every move. Soon, it’s the guard who’s being watched, and this playful, theatrical, mysterious work heads toward its shocking conclusion.

Image by Cylla von Tiedemann, courtesy of Tarragon Theatre

Actor Anand Rajaram in a production still from Tarragon Theatre's 2019 production of "Buffoon" by Anosh Irani.
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Buffoon

DORA AWARD WINNER FOR OUTSTANDING NEW PLAY

Born to circus folk who prefer trapezing over parenting, Felix quickly learns to turn life’s misfortunes into jokes. His longing for family and home is piqued at the tender age of seven when he falls hopelessly in love with an older woman, the beguiling Aja, who is eight. In the process, a clown is born, and we watch him grow into a middle-aged buffoon. Over time, Felix stops waiting for someone else to love him; his journey becomes one of loving himself. A story of love, loss, and the fate that binds us, Buffoon is a gut-wrenching one-man show that expertly walks the tightrope between heartbreak and hilarity.

Image by Cylla von Tiedemann, courtesy of Tarragon Theatre

A production still from Tarragon Theatre's 2019 production of Hannah Moscovitch's "Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes" - actors Alice Snaden and Matthew Edison sit on a carpet onstage.
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Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes

WINNER OF THE 2021 GOVERNOR GENERAL’S LITERARY AWARD

An author and star professor, wracked with self-loathing after a third divorce, catches himself admiring a student – a girl in a red coat. Turns out the girl is a huge fan of his work. She also lives just down the street and gets locked out one afternoon… Hannah Moscovitch takes an archetypal scenario, the ‘student-teacher romance’, and turns it on its head, re-envisioning it for our post-#MeToo era.

Image by Cylla von Tiedemann, courtesy of Tarragon Theatre

A production still from Tarragon Theatre's touring production of Drew Hayden Taylor's "Cottagers and Indians" - actor Herbie Barnes perches on the edge of a canoe while Philippa Domville watches from a lounge chair.
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Cottagers and Indians

A TOURING PRODUCTION

Wild rice sparks a battle royal between a native farmer and a white cottager, whose increasingly bitter dispute becomes a microcosm for reconciliation. Told with warmth and humour, and encompassing issues of community, respect and ownership, Cottagers and Indians is a tale for our times – and a food fight for the ages.

Image by Cylla von Tiedemann, courtesy of Tarragon Theatre

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Written By

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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