A collection of artists has come together to present Playing it Forward: Artists
Giving Back (PiF), a music and theatre showcase highlighting exceptional Toronto artists in support of worthwhile causes in their communities. Each of the six presentations will have a connection to a specific charity, not-for-profit or service group, and a fixed portion of the proceeds from each ticket sold will go directly to their organization. The one-off shows run October 11 – 15, 2017, in the intimate Back Space at Theatre Passe Muraille.

Tickets ($10/$20) are available at www.artsboxoffice.ca or by calling (416) 504-7529.

Playing it Forward: Artists Giving Back is the brainchild of Briane Nasimok, assembling a like-minded production team of fellow artists and patrons to realize the project, including Lesley Ballantyne (Herculean Effort), Laurie Murphy (MARRAM) and Tom Carson (Smile Theatre).

Briane is especially pleased with the community support for his PiF vision. “I am very lucky to have worked with many brilliant artists who have immediately embraced the idea,” he says, “It gives us a chance to spotlight some meaningful organizations.”

The Playing it Forward schedule begins on Wednesday, October 11, 7:30 p.m., with
Confessions of an Operatic Mute, a comedy benefiting The Forest Hill Lions Club Holiday Food Fund. Briane Nasimok will be remounting his 2015 hit Fringe show which CBC chose as one the ten shows “not to miss.” Briane boasts the show has “18% new material.”

On Thursday, October 12, 7:30 p.m., Smile Theatre presents its current production, “Sunshine Sketches,” an original musical, based on Stephen Leacock’s writing, from the professional company that tours entertainment to homes for the elderly, with proceeds benefiting Smile.

The Friday October 13, 7:30 p.m., show is “The Gershwin Project.” Musical Theatre Maven Charlotte Moore and her two favourite musicians, Doug Balfour on keys and Bob Hewus on bass, explore the legacy in music and words of both Gershwin Brothers. The show is benefiting Sketch Working Arts.

A matinee on Saturday, October 14, at 1:30 p.m., is “But, That’s Another Story,” Toronto’s
leading storytellers sharing classic tales and personal anecdotes for a family audience. Tickets are $10 per person, with funds raised benefiting Story Telling Toronto.

The evening show on Saturday, October 14, at 7:30 p.m. Joanne O’Sullivan’s Fringe hit “She Grew Funny,” about how her life changed when her daughter turned six, the same age that Joanne was when her mother died. The show is benefitting the Canadian Stomach Cancer Foundation.

Playing it Forward closes with a matinee on Sunday, October 15, 1:30 p.m., an ENCORE
presentation of Briane Nasimok’s “Confessions of an Operatic Mute,” benefiting Gilda’s Club of Greater Toronto.

For more information about Playing it Forward: Artists Giving Back, please contact Briane Nasimok at thenaz3011@gmail.com.

Briane Nasimok, aka the Operatic Mute