by Tom Rachman
bestselling author of The Imperfectionists
the world’s first live staged reading of the audiobook
narrated by Teri Loretto-Valentik, Paul Rainville, David Whiteley, Brad Long and Rachelle Casseus
Two Nights Only: December 7 & 8
Presented in two parts: Part One at 6 p.m. | Part Two at 9 p.m.
Attend either part on its own, or buy tickets for both parts together as a single package:
“Almost true stories for a post-truth world”
British-Canadian author Tom Rachman gives us five funny-scary stories about nasty women and men. Witty, cutting tales of Trump times, portraying Democrats and Republicans in a divided America, Basket of Deplorables is a timely take on the craziness of today. Each story is told by a different narrator sharing their unique view of our Deplorable New World. Originally commissioned to be an audiobook, Basket is meant to be heard, not read. For this first-ever live presentation of Rachman’s work, we’ve lined up a basket of all-star Ottawa talent: Teri Loretto-Valentik (Vanya & Sonia & Masha & Spike), Paul Rainville (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf), David Whiteley (The Norman Conquests), Brad Long (The End of Civilization) and Rachelle Casseus (The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble, GCTC).
Part One: An “Almost True” Present (6 pm both nights)
At 6 pm, Part One shares the first two stories, a pair of biting depictions of our present-day world divided by partisan politics of the last US election and under President Donald Trump. The eponymous first story, “Basket of Deplorables” features socialist socialites at a Manhattan party on election night. Liberal media types gather with big grins and high-end canapés to watch the Trump-Clinton results come in, expecting a smooth victory for Hillary. As the evening wears on, things take more than one deplorable turn. The second story, “Truth Is for Losers”, ioduces a Starbucks barista who dreams of making it big in theatre. Truth goes out the window when he’s forced to plan a memorial for a brother only a mother could love—or mourn.
to Part OnePart Two: The “Post-Truth” Future (9 pm both nights)
At 9 pm, Part Two shares the remaining three stories about a possible, deplorable near future after President Trump. “Leakzilla” predicts a tomorrow where a Wikileaks-style data dump of the whole world’s email has put everyone’s dirty laundry out in the open. A couple’s online date goes bitterly awry in this post-privacy world. “Sad! Wrong! Not Nice!” is—spoilers!—told by the ‘dead’ brother from Part One’s “Truth is for Losers”, a charmingly wicked U.S. businessman living undercover in rural Italy. The final story, “How the End Begins” offers a chilling soupçon of where the world may be headed, with the discovery a website with deplorable content.
All Tickets: $19 + $1 facility fee = $20
Up for the Whole Basket?
With each part running two hours, you may want to opt to attend only one part. The stories stand on their own, so you’ll get a satisfying experience attending just An “Almost True” Present or The “Post-Truth” Future. We’ll have copies of the book for sale on site if you want to read the stories you miss seeing on stage. But if you’ve got the stomach for it, you have two options to experience the whole book live: attend one part on Thursday and the other part Friday OR binge-watch the whole thing in one marathon evening and we’ll feed you during the hour-long break between shows!
to get both parts with a single purchase
Presented by:
Plosive Productions engages under the terms of the INDIE 2.2, professional Artists who are members of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.
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