Photo Flash: Meet the Cast of Expect Theatre's AWAKE, Part of Next Stage Festival, Now thru Jan 13

Expect Theatre premieres AWAKE as part of the 2013 Next Stage Theatre Festival which runs today, January 2-13, 2013. AWAKE was one of the most popular and socially relevant plays at the 2011 Fringe as well as a Globe and Mail Hot Ticket Pick. AWAKE gives audiences a glimpse into the lives of those we usually only read about in the headlines and runs at Factory Theatre's Mainspace throug January 13. Meet the cast in the photos below!

AWAKE takes audiences deep into the heart of one of Toronto's most violent neighbourhoods - Jamestown - to explore the ripple effect of gangs within a community. AWAKE was inspired by the infamous 2005 shooting of Amon Beckles when his killer entered a Jamestown church during funeral service, found him, and shot him six times in the chest.

AWAKE, a verbatim script based on interviews with community members gathered by writers/directors Laura Mullin and Chris Tolley, the co-Artistic Directors of Expect, has been rewritten since its workshop outing at the Fringe, and re-focuses the story on Amon's mother, Nadia Beckles, as well as on the aftermath and stress of a community shooting.?Less than eight years later, gun violence continues to plague neighbourhoods across the city, sometimes spilling out into The Common spaces shared by everyone. After high profile gun incidents such as the Eaton Centre and most recently the Danzig shootings this past summer, the message of AWAKE is all the more resonant.

Expect Theatre premieres AWAKE as part of Next Stage Theatre Festival?, written and directed by Laura Mullin and Chris Tolley? and starring Beryl Bain, Lauren Brotman, Quancetia Hamilton, Muoi Nene, Peyson Rock, David Shelley and Richard Stewart. The creative team includes Musical Director Andrew Craig, ?Choreographer Nicola Pantin?, Set & Costume Designer Jackie Chau, Lighting Designer Arun Srinivasan?, Soundscape Ed Hanley, Dramaturge Erica Kopyto and ?Stage Manager Laura Cournoyea.

AWAKE plays the ?Factory Theatre Mainspace, 125 Bathurst Street?. Tickets $15 (7pm onwards start-time); $12 (6:59pm or earlier start-time). ?Tickets can be purchased online at www.expect.org or by phone at 416-966-1062.

Photo Credit: Steve Carty