A young woman’s audition takes a dark turn, when the director demands that she strip down for the role. The production explores the question, is fiction stranger than truth? Find out thirty years later, in this sadly still relevant to our current life, theatrical exploration of misogyny, and sexual harassment, in this the era of #metoo.
“EQUITY RULES” is an original play by Jason Sherman, the Governor General’s Award winning playwright of “THREE IN THE BACK, TWO IN THE HEAD.” According to the playwright, the play, which was written in 1993, is a personal story. “Many years ago a friend of mine told me about a recent audition experience of hers: she had been asked by a director to prove her mettle for a particular role by exposing her breasts. My friend declined the invitation, pointing out that there were union rules around such things, and that asking her to remove her shirt and bra on the spot (and with only her and the director in the room) ran counter to those rules. Rumours soon began to circulate that the director was at it again, only this time with non-union women, to whom the written code of conduct did not apply. I wrote the play, in one outrage-fuelled session. It came out whole cloth, and I haven’t changed a word since. Sadly, I haven’t needed to.”
Jason Sherman, is a multi-award winning playwright and screenwriter. His television credits include the mini-series “THE BEST LAID PLANS” (CBC), “BLOODLETTING & MIRACULOUS CURES” (TMN) and “ZOS: ZONE OF SEPARATION” (TMN), as well as lauded docudramas “JONESTOWN” and “WE WERE CHILDREN”. He executive produced “THE LISTENER” (CTV) and “BLOODLETTING”, and wrote for “MURDOCH MYSTERIES” and “RE-GENESIS”, which he also co-developed. He created a number of CBC radio dramas, including two long running shows, “NATIONAL AFFAIRS”, and “AFGHANADA”. Among his plays are “PATIENCE”, “READING HEBRON”, “THE LEAGUE OF NATHANS”, and “THREE IN THE BACK, TWO IN THE HEAD”, which won the Governor General’s Award for Drama. His most recent play “THE MESSAGE”, premiered at the Tarragon Theatre in November 2018.
The Theatre Erebus production of “EQUITY RULES”, features Cortnee Pope, and Joshua Perry Fleming in its cast. It is produced and directed by Brian Morton, the winner of the 2013 City of Hamilton Arts Award for Theatre; it will be stage-managed by Larry Smith.
Incorporated in 1991 as a non-profit charitable foundation; Theatre Erebus Inc. is the brainchild of Artistic Director Brian Morton to fill a need in Hamilton for a company that entertains, but also provokes thought, explores contemporary Canadian realities, and is unafraid to challenge its audience’s perceptions.
Past projects have included David B. Fraser’s play “MARY, I HAVE HIS PANTS!” which was part of the Hamilton Fringe in 2016. The company is perhaps, best known for, “NEW TALENT” by Brian Morton, which was the highest grossing show at the 2008 Hamilton Fringe and in 2010 toured to the London and Toronto Fringe Festivals. The most recent, featured in the 2018 Hamilton Fringe Festival. Brian Morton’s original musical, “UNDER THE APPLE TREE”, about a shooting that happened backstage, at the Lyric theatre on Mary street in November 1921, debuted in the 2018 Hamilton Fringe Festival, and was presented at the 300-seat Zoetic Theatre; it got a second run at the Pearl Company, this past November.
In 1988, Brian Morton was the founder and first Artistic Director of Theatre Terra Nova, which operated out of a 100 seat theatre on Dundurn Street, and in 1990 he was a partner in the Evelyn Group which reopened the historic Tivoli Theatre as a venue for live performance with a production of Douglas Rodger’s play “HOW COULD YOU, MRS DICK?”, which dramatized the story of Hamilton’s notorious Evelyn Dick. His other plays, include his stage adaptation of Sylvia Fraser’s “MY FATHER’S HOUSE”, which has had five productions to date, most recently at the Pearl Company Theatre this past June, in a production that starred Hamilton film star Lisa Langlois.
“EQUITY RULES”, is one of fifty-eight productions featured in the 2019 Hamilton Fringe Festival. The play will be presented at Tourism Hamilton, 28 James Street North. The performance schedule is:
Thursday July 18 @ 9:00 pm
Friday July 19 @ 7:00 pm
Saturday July 20 @ 8:00 pm
Sunday July 21 @ 3:00 pm
Thursday July 25 @ 6:00 pm
Saturday July 27 @ 2:00 pm
Sunday July 28 @ 8:00 pm
All tickets are $9 at the door, (a $5 Fringe Backer button is required in order to purchase a ticket). Book in advance by calling the Fringe Info Line at 289-698-2234 or online at http://www.hamiltonfringe.ca, For show information please visit http://www.theatre-erebus.ca
EQUITY RULES, contains mature content, and adult language:
As per Hamilton Fringe Festival rules – Latecomers will not be admitted to any performance. Please arrive early to avoid disappointment.
theatreerebus 