The wait is over...we are so delighted to announce our upcoming 24/25 season.

For our 45th anniversary, we are excited to present a season of three shows, a workshop production, and our annual Groundswell Festival. This year's productions touch on vital issues like political engagement, body sovereignty, power, presence, and transformation -- all from a feminist lens. Our popular Groundswell Festival of New Play Readings will return in November with fresh works from our Write From The Hip playwrights.

Not only is this an anniversary year for Nightwood, but for the first time ever, we will be presenting productions both at our partners' venues across the city as well as in our brand new home at 877 Yonge in collaboration with Tapestry Opera and St. Clare’s.

We hope you will join us for this upcoming season of great feminist works because it's going to be a special one!

WHAT THE CONSTITUTION MEANS TO ME

A Soulpepper and Nightwood Theatre co-production, in association with Necessary Angel and Talk Is Free Theatre.

Written by Heidi Schreck

Directed by Weyni Mengesha

October 31 – November 9, 2024

Soulpepper Theatre – Michael Young Theatre (50 Tank House Lane)

“The Constitution can be thought of as a boiling pot in which we are thrown together in sizzling and steamy conflict to find out what it is we truly believe.”

What the Constitution Means to Me took Broadway by storm when it premiered in 2019, and was a Tony nominee for Best Play and a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Now, five years later and timed to overlap with the US election, playwright Heidi Schreck re-imagines the play specifically for Canadian audiences in this exclusive and limited run.

Featuring a tour-de-force performance by Amy Rutherford as Heidi Schreck, What the Constitution Means To Me allows audiences to explore the dynamic relationship between individuals and the foundational principles of their country, sparking conversations around citizenship, rights, and democracy.

Schreck is a wonder who earned her American college tuition by winning constitutional debate competitions across the United States. In her invigorating and hilarious play, she traces the profound relationship between four generations of women in her family and the founding document that shaped all of their lives.

GROUNDSWELL FESTIVAL 2024

November 18-21, 2024

Buddies in Bad Times – Cabaret Space (12 Alexander St)

Tickets: PWYC tickets will be available at the door before the performance, or folks can pre-book tickets for $10 when single tickets become available.

Join us as we celebrate creation, conversation and community at our 39th annual Groundswell Festival! This November our annual Groundswell Festival is coming to the Buddies in Bad Times Cabaret Space to spotlight brand new works from Nightwood Theatre’s Write From The Hip playwright’s unit (WFTH) led by Interim Program Director Keshia Palm and Program Associate Jan Alicia Jennings. Hear new plays from Kijo Gatama, Meara Khanna, Mily Mumford, Pesch Nepoose, and Hilary Smith.

Check back in October for the full festival schedule!

WHERE THE SPIRITS SIT

A Nightwood Theatre Workshop Production

Written by Tamara Podemski

Directed by Andrea Donaldson

Winter 2025

Where the Spirits Sit is a musical journey based on Tamara Podemski’s twelve songs for the twelve moons of the Anishinaabe calendar. Through her soulful melodies and poignant lyrics, Tamara probes the intersection of prayer and performance, asking if it is possible to sing her most deeply personal songs without falling apart.

With a celebrated career spanning over three decades in theatre, music and film, Tamara Podemski has captivated audiences with her compelling storytelling and emotional depth. As an Anishinaabe/Ashkenazi multi-disciplinary performer, Tamara infuses her work with a rich cultural heritage, creating a profound and authentic connection with her listeners. Join Tamara for this one-of-a-kind workshop presentation that promises laughter, inspiration and raw vulnerability.

HYPOTHETICAL BABY

A Nightwood Theatre production in association with The Howland Company

Written by Rachel Cairns

Directed by Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster

February 23 – March 9, 2025

877 Yonge Street

Hypothetical Baby is a time-travelling exploration that grapples with the personal and societal factors that shape our reproductive lives and the intricate relationship between choice, change, and loss.

From the creator of the award-winning Aborsh podcast, Rachel Cairns mixes data and drama in this autobiographical work to publicly talk about abortion the way we do privately — with neurotic vulnerability, unflinching honesty, and frank irreverence. This will be our first collaboration with The Howland Company and the inaugural production in our new space.

SHEDDING A SKIN

A Nightwood Theatre production in association with Buddies In Bad Times

Written by Amanda Wilkin

Directed by Cherissa Richards

April 22 – May 4, 2025

Buddies in Bad Times – Mainspace (12 Alexander St)

On the 15th floor of a London tower block, a revolution takes place. Myah has ejected herself from a corporate hellscape only to crash-land in the spare room of an elder named Mildred—an evasive auntie with laminated house rules and hidden wounds. But healing takes many shapes, and sometimes it looks like sneaking your roommate’s duckanoo.

Shedding a Skin is a one-woman buddy comedy for the heartbroken—a series of exquisitely observed, quietly radical scenes that offers a hand to those feeling the weight of the world. Drop your baggage at the door. Connection is resistance.

To book a season pass visit www.nightwoodtheatre.net.