Michelle Urbano, Artistic Director of Crossroads Theatre, has announced the programming for Summer in the Park, three days of free community entertainment and events that takes place from August 22 to 24 in Weston’s Little Avenue Memorial Park.
“Summer in the Park is our joyful offering to engage audiences of all ages and backgrounds, exploring the theme of Resilience through theatre, storytelling, music, dance, poetry, and by gathering as a community,” says Urbano in a statement. “At Crossroads Theatre, access is central to everything that we do, and the entire festival is created to invite discovery and play. We invite all folks from the Weston neighbourhood and beyond to join us this August for our second-annual summer program.”
The theme for this year is Resilience, and the lineup includes everything from R&B to storytelling, dance, spoken word, and theatre. It’s all free, and family-friendly. The programming is presented in a Relaxed Environment Approach.
The Lineup
August 22
- Summer in the Park launches with an Opening Night Celebration, including live music, and a community meal in partnership with the Creative Commons Collective. (6 to 7:30 p.m.)
- Rooted in Weston, hosted by Replay Storytelling: Paul Aflalo and Chantal Lim of Replay hosted a series of workshops that resulted in the true stories that will be shared at this event. (7:30 to 8:30 p.m.)
August 23
- Tribal Vision Dance present a showcase and interactive workshop in First Nations social dances. (1 to 2:30 p.m.)
- Weston’s Bright Futures celebrates identity and self-empowerment in an event led by Weston artist Najla Nubyanluv, and featuring a group of IBPOC young women and non-binary youth in an original performance. (3:30 to 4:30 p.m.)
- Replay Storytelling presents Stories of Resilience, featuring a cast of Toronto’s best storytellers relating true stories from their own lives. (6 to 7:15 p.m.)
- Irmão (Martin Gomes & Matheus Coelho) present spoken word and music. (7:45 to 8?05 p.m.)
- Toronto-based R&B and Soul artist Kibra presents her brand of original music. (8:15 to 9 p.m.)
August 24
- The Adventures of the Little Rooster by The Grand Salto — Myque Franz and Zita Nyarady, who specialize in a playful combination of theatre, physical theatre, clown and circus, present a beloved Hungarian folktale with music, dance, circus… and cabbage! (1 to 2 p.m.)
- The festival closes with Crossroads Theatre and Party in the Park, in partnership with the Weston Village Community Association, offering food, games, music, and fun. (2 to 4 p.m.)
Crossroads Theatre (formerly Shakespeare in Action) was formed over 30 years ago with a mandate of using professional theatre and education initiatives to introduce young audiences to Shakespeare. The company has evolved into an engaged community theatre company providing relevant and accessible theatre and education for the whole Weston community, with growth opportunities for early-career theatremakers.
- Events take place August 22 to 24 in Weston’s Little Avenue Memorial Park at 22 Little Ave.; more info [HERE].
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