LEVELS THE PLAY
by Abby Grass and Clarence (CJ) Jura
Development Workshop
July 15th – 19th, 2024
Levels the Play is a new play featuring entirely original music. The show explores the lives of six high school drama students over the course of their final year. After the sweet, shy, creative Izzy is sexually assaulted at a party, she is propelled into a journey of healing and finding her voice. Our characters Izzy, Cyrus, Zoe, Bre, JP and Chris all navigate the complexities of adolescence, Queerness, relationships, race and intersectionality, bonded by their shared love of performing. Through truthful comedy and moments of tenderness, Levels the Play honestly investigates and reveals the lives of Toronto youth today.
Public presentation Friday July 19, 3 pm and 8 pm
The Tranzac Club
292 Brunswick Ave, Toronto
Check out the music on Spotify
Final exam question: what do you get when you add six friends in grade twelve, trying to find their identities, a date to prom, and a college program, plus a healthy dose of music, Shakespeare, and voguing? You get Levels the Play! An excellent play with music created and directed by Abby Grass and Clarence (CJ) Jura, Levels the Play delves into the difficult but very real issues facing today’s youth.
While dealing with very heavy and adult material at times, Levels the Play shows the reality of the breadth of issues facing today’s youth. The discussion around sexuality, gender identity, and sexual assault are handled with care by the writers and performers. However, seeing these issues discussed, particularly in the context of young adults, is extremely important and I commend the creators on tackling these subjects. All of this is juxtaposed with the delightful performances in the play; the musical numbers are great fun, and provide the perfect balance for the play.
Levels the Play boasts a wildly talented cast of young artists: Nadia Casandra, Tavaree Daniel-Simms, Annelise Forbes, Luca McPhee, Isaiah Nembhard, Chris Otchere. Throughout the play we see what true triple-threats they are! Chris Otchere’s ballroom performance during the piece is definitely a highlight for me, as well as the history given about the ballroom scene and its importance to queer culture.
Levels the Play is joyful, real, and heartwarming. I highly recommend seeing it during Fringe. And if you love the original music for the piece, like I do, you can download the album on your favourite streaming platform!
JANINE MARLEY,
A VIEW FROM THE BOX, July 7, 2023.
ABBY GRASS
CLARENCE (CJ) JURA
RICHARDO KEENS-DOUGLAS
DRAMATURG
Dora Mavor Moore Award winner Richardo Keens-Douglas’ career spans many disciplines. Actor, Playwright, Director, Choreographer, Dancer, Children’s author. His play The Nutmeg Princess won the Dora Mavor Moore Award, for Outstanding New Musical of 1999. (It had 5 other nominations)
The musical The Obeah Man, which he wrote and had the lead garnered him a Dora Nomination for lead actor in a musical. (1985)
His Book Freedom Child of the Sea was chosen the official book for children for the ( 200 years of the Abolition of slavery - 1807) Bicentennial Year in Canada 2007.
In 2005 he won the Prestigious Golden Oak Award in Canada for his children’s book, Tales from the Isle of Spice. La Diablesse & The Baby won the World Award.
In 2003, Mr. Keens-Douglas was inducted into the Caribbean Hall of Fame for Excellence in Theatre
He wrote and directed the hit sold out show AY YA YAI IVAN, a musical about Hurricane Ivan which successful toured the USA, England and Canada. He has also written and directed plays such as, Kidnap Love-2018, Uncle -2014, The musical Sapodilla (Caribbean Cinderella) 2008, Sparky (Childrens’ musical) 2006, Mas’ Camp - 2002, Full Moon -2001.
He has toured Canada, USA and the Caribbean with his Sterling Award nominated one-man show Once Upon An Island, playing to sold-out audiences.
He made Caribbean history by being the Host of the Caribbean version of the hit show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire.
He has authored 12 Award winning Children’s books that have been translated into six languages.
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1991 to 1994 he achieved national recognition in Canada as the host of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's acclaimed storytelling radio talk show ”Cloud 9. He was also the host of the CBC TV show Sunday Arts Entertainment, which garnered him a 1996 Gemini Award nomination for Best Host in an Arts Program or Series.
He has appeared on a variety of leading Canadian stages, including the prestigious Stratford Shakespearean Festival, St Lawrence Centre, Theatre Plus, Centre Stage, Factory Theatre, TWP, Theatre Fountainhead, The World Famous Apollo Theatre in New York, Harbourfront, Saidye Bronfman Centre, and around the Caribbean.
Favourite roles include his popular portrayal of Ken, the lead in “The Playboy of the West Indies” (at the Du Maurier World Stage Festival)
He has had leading roles in plays such as, Pinocchio, Ain't Misbehavin', Sophisticated Ladies, The Unseen Hand, The Boyfriend, Dames at Sea, The Threepenny Opera, Guys and Dolls, Smile Orange, Twelfth Night, Measure For Measure, Uncle, Souvenirs,
He was the resident choreographer for the Childrens’ Theatre of Montreal for five years.
Keens-Douglas has had leading roles in such films as Zero Patience, Dance to Remember, Fields of Endless Days, Fred Penner series, The Aderley series. He has had leads in numerous radio dramas, including the solo reading of fifteen episodes of Cecil Foster’s “No Man in the House” for CBC Canada.
As a storyteller, Keens-Douglas has thrilled audiences across Canada, England, the USA, the Caribbean and at international storytelling festivals. His one man show, Once Upon An Island was a Sterling Award nominee for Best Touring Production in Edmonton in 1991.
As a Motivational speaker he is in demand across North America and the Caribbean.
KEVIN WONG
MUISC DRAMATURG
Kevin Wong is a composer-lyricist, singer/musician, and dramaturg. His musicals include: Recurring John: A Song Cycle; STAR!(ving): A Collection of Songs; Polly Peel (with Julie Tepperman); Out of Stock; Drama 101 (with Steven Gallagher); In Real Life (with Nick Green); and Soft Magical Tofu Boys. Kevin streams online concerts weekly on the streaming service Twitch (twitch.tv/kevinywong). He is a member of the vocal group Asian Riffing Trio (with Chris Tsujiuchi and Colin Asuncion), is currently part-time faculty at Sheridan College, and is a two-time winner of the Playwrights Guild of Canada’s Tom Hendry Award for Best New Musical. Most recently, he can be heard on the live album, UnCovered: The Music of ABBA (with The Musical Stage Company), and his own albums Small Ways to Move and Covers (available on streaming services everywhere).
Training: Royal Conservatory of Music (Violin/Harmony/Music History); NoteWorthy (The Musical Stage Company, 2014); Composium (Theatre20, 2015).
Selected past musical theatre writing: Recurring John: A Song Cycle (Toronto SummerWorks Festival 2014 / Chicago Musical Theatre Festival 2015); STAR!(ving): A Collection of Songs; Misprint (with bookwriter Lauren Toffan, Women of Musical Theatre Festival 2016); Drama 101 (with bookwriter & co-lyricist Steven Gallagher, Bravo Academy 2017 / Etobicoke School of the Arts 2018 / Stage Door Academy 2018); and Reframed (Musical Stage Company / Art Gallery of Ontario, Dora Nomination – Best New Musical/Opera).
Currently in Development (as Writer): The Preposterous Predicament of Polly Peel (Act One) (with bookwriter Julie Tepperman, most recently a sold-out hit at the 2018 Toronto Fringe Festival and winner of the 2018 Playwrights Guild of Canada Stage West New Musical Award), Believers (with bookwriter and co-lyricist Ali Joy Richardson), In Real Life (with bookwriter & co-lyricist Nick Green, most recently workshopped at Yes Theatre/Sudbury in October 2022), and Soft Magical Tofu Boys (Musical Stage Company Commission).
Other: Kevin streams online concerts of originals and covers three times a week on the streaming service Twitch (twitch.tv/kevinywong). Kevin was the Musical Stage Company’s Associate Artistic Director from 2016-2018. Most recently, he can be heard on the live album, UnCovered: The Music of ABBA (with The Musical Stage Company), and his own albums Small Ways to Move and Covers (available on streaming services everywhere). He is a member of the vocal group Asian Riffing Trio (with Chris Tsujiuchi and Colin Asuncion). He is currently part-time faculty at Sheridan College, and Creative Lead for the UnCovered concert series at The Musical Stage Company.
Dramaturgy: FIRST DRAFTS: Tiny Tenement of Horrors (Aaron Jan & alaska b); Destination Wedding (Jennifer Villaverde, Kodie Rollan, Maria Aragon); Parkdale (Meghan Swaby & Chris Tsujiuchi) (Sheridan College, 2021-2022), FIRST DRAFTS: Kensington (Beau Dixon & Raha Javanfar); Rooted: A Musical Poem (Jewelle Blackman); Nobody Asked to Be Here (Avery-Jean Brennan & Camila Diaz-Varela) (Sheridan College, 2022-2023, UnCovered: Queen & Bowie (The Musical Stage Company, 2016), UnCovered: Dylan & Springsteen (The Musical Stage Company, 2017), UnCovered: Prince & Stevie Wonder (The Musical Stage Company, 2019), Kabilang Buhay (August 2022 Workshop).
