Here For Now Theatre's 2027 season explores the stories we tell, the lives we lead and the legacies we leave behind
By: Galen Simmons
What makes a life meaningful, and what sort of legacy do we leave behind when our time on this planet comes to an end?
Those are the questions at the heart of Here For Now Theatre's 2027 season, which will explore the stories we tell about ourselves, the stories we inherit and the marks we leave on the world through seven mainstage productions, two limited engagements and three public readings of new Canadian plays.
And while those questions may seem rather heavy, founding artistic director Fiona Mongillo says audiences can expect plenty of laughter along the way, with five of the seven mainstage productions being comedies.
"I read a lot of plays this past year. We had a lot of submissions, like a record-breaking number of submissions to the company, and I just chose plays that really moved me, that I felt had a deeply authentic voice," Mongillo said.
"I didn't program with the theme of legacy in mind. But when I sat down to write my note, I realized that actually it is a very strong through line in the plays."
Mongillo said the number of comedies is unusual for Here For Now, but she was surprised by the quality of comedic writing submitted this year. While comedy can be difficult to write and direct effectively, she said it also provides an opportunity to explore difficult subjects by allowing audiences to lower their emotional defences through laughter.
"I think you feel a lot more when you laugh. ... Those gut punches really hit because you open your heart up through your laughter."
The season features three world premieres, two Canadian premieres and one Ontario premiere, continuing the company's commitment to presenting new and underproduced work by Canadian playwrights.
The mainstage season opens April 27 to May 12, 2027, with the world premiere of Dancing on the Elephant, written by Lisa Hagen and directed by Sheila McCarthy, who also starred in the play's film adaptation.
The comedy follows two elderly women, Nora and Edna, whose unlikely friendship at a retirement home brings laughter, mischief and renewed meaning to their lives. Mongillo said she was particularly drawn to the opportunity to tell a story centered on older women, whose experiences are too often overlooked onstage.
Next is Love Story, running May 25 to June 9. Written by Stratford-born playwright Aurora Stewart de Peña and directed by Sabryn Rock, the Canadian premiere follows a young woman who, despite having died, continues to appear at rehearsals as she attempts to reclaim the narrative of her life.
Mongillo said the play's emotional depth and unconventional structure moved her to tears, while its surprisingly light touch prevents the subject matter from becoming overwhelming. Having premiered in New York, the production also represents something of a homecoming for Stewart de Peña.
The Canadian premiere of The Shoe, by award-winning Québécois playwright David Paquet and translated by Leanna Brodie, follows from June 22 to July 7. Directed by Bob White, the dark comedy uses the meltdown of an eight-year-old boy to explore mental health, caregiving and the complexities of human relationships.
Mongillo said the play's unusual style and humour immediately captured her attention. She also hopes presenting Paquet's work will help bridge the divide between English- and French-language theatre in Canada.
"There's so many interesting Québécois playwrights, and it would be great to start having more cross-pollination with that world as well," she said.
The Last Days of Jude, by east coast playwright Jody Stevens McCluskey, makes its world premiere July 20 to Aug. 4 under the direction of Rosemary Dunsmore.
Set in Nova Scotia, the play follows a family gathering during the final days of a father's life, exploring the complicated relationships, unresolved issues, memories and moments of laughter that emerge when loved ones come together to say goodbye.
Mongillo described it as a surprisingly hilarious and deeply moving comedy about death, where the ordinary concerns of daily life fall away to reveal what really matters.
The Ontario premiere of Daniel MacIvor's An Ordinary Afternoon in 1974, directed by Fiona Highet, runs Aug. 17 to Sept. 1.
Set in a suburban kitchen, the intimate two-person drama follows two women confronting the ends of their marriages and the expectations placed on women in the 1970s. Mongillo said the production will explore the sacrifices women were once expected to make and provide an opportunity for two actors to shine in Here For Now's intimate performance space.
Just in time for Halloween, The Last Hanging at Redbridge, by Paul Van Dyck and directed by Peter Hinton-Davis, makes its world premiere Oct. 26 to Nov. 10, 2027.
Set against the political tensions of 1830s Upper Canada, the historical comedic thriller blends murder, rebellion, revenge and competing accounts of the truth. Mongillo hopes its irreverent humour, mystery and Halloween timing will attract younger audiences and people who might not otherwise attend live theatre.
Finally, Mark Crawford's Ruby and the Reindeer returns Dec. 7-22, 2027, with Irene Poole directing once again. The Christmas comedy, set in 1989 Perth County, follows a young girl's discovery of a reindeer in her family's barn.
Following its popular 2025 run, Mongillo said the return is something of an experiment, with the long-term possibility of rotating newly commissioned Canadian Christmas productions and building a holiday theatre tradition in Stratford.
Beyond the mainstage, Here For Now will present two limited engagements: DORA MAAR: Picasso's Wicked One, June 14-17, returning after its 2026 engagement, and Monks, July 12-15, an award-winning interactive clown comedy created and performed by Annie Luján and Veronica Hortigüela.
The company's play-development reading series will also feature Talking Sex on Sunday, a musical comedy by Sara-Jeanne Hosie and Nico Rhodes, Aug. 9; What Did You See?, by Paul Dunn, Aug. 30; and Listen, by Steve Ross, Nov. 1.
Mongillo said the readings are an important part of Here For Now's role in supporting playwrights from the earliest seeds of an idea through to full productions.
Playwrights spend three mornings working with actors and afternoons developing their scripts with Mongillo and a facilitator before presenting a pay-what-you-will public reading, followed by audience discussion.
The experience allows writers to discover what works, what doesn't and where their scripts might go next, while giving local audiences a rare opportunity to participate in the creative process.
"Even without the talkback ... you can feel when the audience is really with a story and when they are not. And that's so clarifying," Mongillo said.
"They're kind of invited into the process of theatre, not just the production."
For tickets and more information about the 2027 season, visit www.herefornowtheatre.com.
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