Volcano History

Volcano is an international award-winning theatre company based in Toronto. Using innovations in global and intercultural performance practice, Volcano seeks to create theatre that is stylistically and socially modern, a theatre that explores identity, politics, history, and the contemporary human condition. Volcano is both cosmopolitan and uniquely Canadian, bringing this country the latest in international theatre trends while touring Canadian artists and works around the world. Led by Artistic Director Ross Manson, Volcano has been a vital contributor to the independent theatre scene since 1994, and continues to question what it means to be a purveyor of outward-looking, rigorous Canadian theatre.

Major projects over the years include:

White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, by Nassim Soleimanpour
Another Africa/The Africa Trilogy, world premiere in 2010 at Luminato, Toronto Festival of Arts and Creativity.
The Four Horsemen Project, created by Kate Alton and Ross Manson, with animator Bruce Alcock
Goodness, by Michael Redhill
Hedda Gabler, by Henrik Ibsen (adapted by Judith Thompson)
The Arabian Night, by Roland Schimmelpfennig
Variete, a vaudeville based on the music of Mauricio Kagel, with text by Heather McHugh.
Weather, by Rebecca Hope Terry
Two Words for Snow, by Richard Sanger
Mortality, by Carol Shields, Tomson Highway, Paul Quarrington & Stephen Dobyns
Building Jerusalem, by Michael Redhill
Cherry Docs, by David Gow
Lambton Kent, by Andre Alexis
The Third Land, by Suzanne Fritz

The majority of Volcano's work has been original, Canadian, and experimental.

Since 2002, Volcano has developed a unique relationship with the Traverse Theatre, Scotland's award winning new writing theatre in Edinburgh. Four of Volcano's productions have performed at the Traverse for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe - Lambton Kent, Weather, My Pyramids and Goodness. Building Jerusalem toured to Halifax in 1999; Lambton Kent to Peterborough in 2000; and Weather to England in 2003. To date The Four Horsemen Project has toured to Ottawa (GCTC, 2007), Victoria (Intrepid Theatre, 2008), Vancouver (PuSh Festival, 2008), Gananoque (Thousand Island Playhouse, 2008), the Dublin Fringe Festival (2008), and Berlin's Poesie Festival (2009). Volcano also made its American debut also in 2007, with a two-week season of Goodness at Performance Space 122 in New York City. In the fall of 2009, Goodness toured to the Arts Azimuts Festival in Huye and Kigali, Rwanda.

Stage works that Volcano originated or commissioned have gone on to receive productions around the world: Goodness in Helsinki and Barcelona, Cherry Docs across Canada, the USA, Israel and Eastern Europe; Building Jerusalem in university productions across the USA. Volcano also produced a popular, multi-disciplinary arts salon called Short Stuff from 1994 to 2004.

 

Volcano Awards

Eleven Dora Mavor Moore Awards - Toronto's Theatre Awards
Building Jerusalem: Outstanding Play and Outstanding Production
Two Words for Snow: Outstanding Actor, Outstanding Set and Outstanding Lighting
Variété: Outstanding Music
Hedda Gabler: Outstanding Costume Design
The Four Horsemen Project: Outstanding New Play, Outstanding Production, Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Lighting Design

Thirty Three Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations

Chalmers National Play Award: Building Jerusalem

Best New Performance Text: Summerworks Festival, Toronto: for White Rabbit Red Rabbit

NOW People's Choice Award: The Arabian Night - Summerworks Festival "Best Production"

2 Governor General's Award nominations: Building Jerusalem and Two Words for Snow

Two KM Hunter Foundation Artist Awards: for frequent Volcano collaborators Kate Alton and Ross Manson

Four Harold Awards for Service to the Toronto Arts Community: for frequent Volcano collaborators Kate Alton, Camilla Holland, Ross Manson and JP Robichaud

Arches Brick Award for Emerging Talent - Edinburgh: for White Rabbit Red Rabbit

Dublin International Fringe Best Design Award: for The Four Horsemen Project

U Win Tin Freedom of Expression Award Shortlist, Edinburgh Fringe, 2005: My Pyramids

A Fringe First Award, Edinburgh Fringe 2006: Goodness

Carol Tambor "Best of Edinburgh" Award 2006, Edinburgh Fringe: Goodness