CBC and Crow’s Theatre Partner to Offer New Five-Part Talk Series, ‘Ideas at Crow’s Theatre’

CBC Radio’s IDEAS and Toronto’s Crow’s Theatre are announcing a new collaboration to explore the ideas that animate great art and the crucial questions that shape our world. IDEAS AT CROW’S THEATRE=11pt is a five-part talk series to be recorded at Crow’s Theatre in Toronto from January to June 2024, inspired by five plays in the Theatre’s 2023/24 40th anniversary season. This series is a forum for artists and scholars to develop new ideas, and for audiences to engage directly with the pressing questions of our time. 

Each IDEAS AT CROW’S THEATRE event will feature a 45-minute talk followed by an onstage interview conducted by IDEAS host Nahlah Ayed, and will take place on a Sunday morning prior to a matinee performance and be recorded for later broadcast on IDEAS. 

The IDEAS AT CROW’S THEATRE series will begin on January 7, 2024, with McGill professor and world literature scholar=11pt Sandeep Banerjee delivering a talk on love and art in times of war, inspired by NATASHA, PIERRE & THE GREAT COMET OF 1812 by Dave Malloy. 

On February 25, 2024, Giller Prize-winning novelist and poet Ian Williams (Reproduction) will explore the relationship between the past and future, inspired by the Crow’s Theatre’s production of Anton Chekhov’s timeless classic UNCLE VANYA being presented by David Mirvish at the CAA Theatre.

The series continues March 24, 2024, when Social Justice Education scholar Miglena Todorova explores the roots of patriarchy and violence against women in a talk inspired by Lucas Hnath’s DANA H., the true story of his mother’s abduction.

On Sunday April 28, 2024, Anishinaabe scholar Riley Yesno will explore Indigenous futurism and the connection between dreams and new realities, inspired by Governor General Award-winning playwright Cliff Cardinal’s HUFF, his solo show about how three brothers cope with the death of their mother and struggle with solvent abuse.

CBC IDEAS Host Nahlah Ayed: 

“At a time of polarization and division, we are proud to be part of an effort aimed at bringing meaningful conversations to audiences old and new. Theatre has long been one of the best venues for fostering debate and discussion, where plays tell stories that resonate deeply with our lives.

“These five thinkers will bring deep knowledge and wide curiosity to our collective stage, bringing fresh perspectives to some of the most urgent problems of our time.”

Crow’s Theatre Associate Artistic Director Paolo Santalucia:

“This partnership captures the importance theatre holds in modern culture. It serves as a powerful platform through which the questions shaping our time find meaningful discourse, hopefully fostering a deeper understanding of each other and the world around us.

“Through these interviews, patrons will be granted the opportunity to engage more deeply with our productions and the themes that drive them. I hope the impact of these conversations will resonate long after the final curtain falls and leave audiences with a heightened appreciation of the enduring value of our craft.”

The 2024 IDEAS AT CROW’S THEATRE series concludes on June 2, 2024, when novelist and immigration and refugee lawyer Jamie Chai Yun Liew explores how our ideas of kinship and family shape the way we understand community, citizenship, and belonging. Her talk will accompany THE WRONG BASHIR, a laugh-out-loud farce that explores personal freedoms, familial expectations, and cultural traditions, by Zahida Rahemtulla.

To reserve a free ticket to an IDEAS AT CROW’S THEATRE broadcast taping, visit https://www.crowstheatre.com/about-crows/news/ideas-at-crows-theatre.

PLEASE NOTE: The free ticket is for the talk series only and is available to anyone who wishes to participate. A separate ticket must be purchased for each play performance in order to attend the show as well.

• Sunday January 7, Sandeep Banerjee at Streetcar Crowsnest: Singing in Dark Times

• Sunday February 25, Ian Williams at the CAA Theatre: The Endless Procession of Days

• Sunday March 24, Miglena Todorova at Streetcar Crowsnest: The Making and Unmaking of Violent Men

• Sunday April 28, Riley Yesno at Streetcar Crowsnest: (Land) Back to the Future

• Sunday June 2, Jamie Chai Yun Liew at Streetcar Crowsnest: Community, Citizenship and Belonging

All talks take place from 10.30am-12.00 noon in advance of the afternoon play performances. All events take place at Streetcar Crowsnest (345 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto) except for the Feb 25th talk and play being presented at the CAA Theatre (651 Yonge Street, Toronto).

IDEAS streams free anytime on  CBC Listen, and can be heard weekdays at 8 p.m. (8:30 NT) on CBC Radio. IDEAS AT CROW’S THEATRE will broadcast on CBC’s IDEAS throughout the 2024 season. For more information visit www.cbc.ca/ideas and subscribe to the weekly IDEAS newsletter. 

ABOUT CROW’S THEATRE

For 40 years, Crow’s Theatre has been a leading force in the Canadian theatre landscape, recognized for provocative and award-winning new theatre works that premiere in Toronto often followed by national and international tours. Crow’s Theatre is distinguished as a preeminent cultural destination for its far-reaching imagination, ideas, exchange, diversity, and grassroots belief that the arts are essential to healthy and thriving communities.

Led by Artistic and General Director, Chris Abraham and Executive Director Sherrie Johnson, Crow’s Theatre is located at the corner of Carlaw Avenue and Dundas Street East in Toronto’s east end. Our home at Streetcar Crowsnest is comprised of four venues for dynamic cultural and community programming: the Guloien Theatre (200 seats); Studio Theatre (80 seats); the Nada Ristich Studio Gallery (80 seats); the full-service Lobby Bar; as well as an onsite restaurant which can accommodate 60 seated indoors and 75 on the outdoor patio. crowstheatre.com

ABOUT CBC IDEAS 

Launched in 1965 as "The Best Ideas You’ll Hear Tonight,” and soon shortened to its present name, CBC Radio’s IDEAS is a deep dive into contemporary thought and intellectual history. Anchored in a powerful legacy and expansive archive spanning over five decades, its topics are boundless. The nature of consciousness. The history of toilets. The roots and rise of authoritarianism. Near death experiences. No idea is off-limits. Each episode cracks open a concept to see how it’s played out over place and time — and uncovers why it still matters today.

IDEAS is hosted by Nahlah Ayed, an award-winning veteran of foreign reporting. A former parliamentary reporter for The Canadian Press, Nahlah is a graduate of Carleton University’s Master of Journalism program. She also holds a Master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies (Philosophy, English, and Science), and a Bachelor of Science in genetics from the University of Manitoba.www.cbc.ca/ideas

ABOUT CBC/RADIO-CANADA

CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs, and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi, and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.