Tracey Erin Smith Steps Out at The Fringe with 2 shows!

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Toronto actor/producer Tracey Erin Smith who last performed at The Toronto Fringe in 2007, returns to the 2012 festival with two new theatre works: her site-specific one-woman show snug harbor, presented by Burning Bush Productions and SOULO, directed by Smith for The Fringe mainstage series, presented by her SoulOTheatre.

Site Specific snug harbor July 4-15 at The Centre

Burning Bush Productions presents snug harbor, a one-woman show written and performed by Tracey Erin Smith and directed by Anita La Selva, who directed Smith previously in her award-winning shows The Burning Bush and Two in the Bush.

Tracey and her Dad did everything together and couldn't have been closer.  They camped together, partied together, volunteered together – and ate chocolate pudding. Then one day he performed the ultimate unspeakable "magic trick" and disappeared. Forever.

One of The Fringe's site-specific shows, snug harbor takes place at The Centre, a building used for psychotherapy and the training of psychotherapists.  The show is presented as if the audience are members of a "Survivors of Suicide Support Group" and in this meeting of the group, we hear Tracey's story of losing her father and how she re-found hope to carry on.

Recently CBC Radio's The Current produced a documentary about Smith and the effect of her father's suicide. snug harbor was also selected to have its world premiere at the Solo Performance Festival in Santa Fe, New Mexico in September of 2011 where it met with peels of laughter, tears and a standing ovation. Audiences raved: "her evocative performance is filled with compassion, irreverence, side-splitting humor and poignant insight.  A truly intimate invitation and presentation," said Michelle Baker Vest; "a stunning show about love, coming to terms with our imperfections and our deep affection for our loved ones.  It's heartbreaking and hilarious.  Moving and profound," offered Jacob Fischer.

SOULO July 6-14 at the Robert Gill Theatre
The world premiere of SOULO is presented by SoulOTheatre, Tracey Erin Smith's company that teaches actors and non-actors how to use material from their own lives to create short solo theatre pieces. A collective creation by The Soul Circus Collective, directed by Smith, SOULO is a magical soul-circus featuring three hilarious queer-identified men sharing their personal stories of love, loss and how cross-dressing saves lives.  SOULO has its own float in Toronto's upcoming Pride Parade on July 1.

Mckenzi Scott (the female ring leader) along with Marco Bernardi (nominated for the 2010 Tim Sims Encouragement Fund, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre's Homo Night in Canada), Terrence Bryant (Almeda Theatre's The Refugee Hotel, Theatre Passe Muraille's My Fellow Creatures) and DJ Edwards (a character comedian and Drag Queen who has performed at Second City, Yuk Yuk's, and more) star as a sparkly funny-boy turned guardian angel, Terry the Fairy saved by applause and a Gorge-ganic Queen who devours convention and poops glitter. 3 different men, 3 unique soul stories and one message: You are the one you've been waiting for.

Burning Bush Productions presents snug harbor

written and performed by Tracey Erin Smith,
directed by Anita La Selva
at The Centre, 316 Dupont Street
Wednesday July 4 – Sunday July 15, 2012
Tues-Sat at 7:30pm except July 12 when the show is at 9:30pm, Sun at 3pm

SoulOTheatre presents SOULO conceived and directed by Tracey Erin Smith, created by The Soul Circus Collective starring Marco Bernardi, Terrence Bryant,  DJ Edwards and Mckenzi Scott at The Robert Gill Theatre, 214 College Street (use St. George St. Entrance only)
Friday July 6- Saturday July 14, 2012
Friday, July 6 at 3pm, Sunday, July 8, at 8pm, Monday, July 9 at 2:30pm, Tuesday July 10 at 6:45pm, Wednesday July 11 at 4pm, Thursday July 12 at 2:45pm and Saturday July 14 at 7pm.

Tickets for both snug harbor and SOULO:  $10 / $11 in advance.
Call The Fringe Box Office 416-966-1062 or visit www.fringetoronto.com
Further information: www.fringetoronto.com              www.soulo.ca

Bios below.

Tracey Erin Smith is Artistic Director of both Toronto's Burning Bush Productions and SoulOTheatre. She is an award-winning solo performer whose shows have had critical acclaim across Canada and in New York City. Her hit one-woman shows The Burning Bush and Two in the Bush received the Critic's Pick in New York's Backstage Magazine, won the Audience Choice Award in New York City's Frigid Festival, and were named 'Best of the Toronto Fringe Festival.'  Smith is the only solo performer to win Best of the Toronto Fringe and the Audience Choice Award in New York's Frigid Festival for two years in a row.  Smith was nominated for a Jessie Richardson Award (Vancouver's Dora's) for her performance in the world premiere of The Electric Company's The One That Got Away at Vancouver's Chutzpah! Festival. This past fall, Smith was invited as the headline artist at the Sante Fe Solo Performance Festival in New Mexico with her latest solo show, snug harbor. Smith is also a popular instructor at Ryerson University's ACT II STUDIO. "Tracey Erin Smith has the art of entertainment refined to the point of hypnotism," said Eye Weekly of her show The Burning Bush! while New York's Backstage Magazine said of Two in the Bush!, "Smith's 60 minute exploration of faith, humanity, and love deserves a broad congregation."

Anita La Selva directs snug harbor, her third collaboration working as director/dramaturge with Tracey Erin Smith. Past shows include snug harbor (Santa Fe Solo Performance Festival), The Burning Bush (Young Centre for Performing Arts, NYC Frigid Festival, Vancouver Chutzpah Festival and The Festival of Jewish Theatre and Ideas in NYC), and Two In the Bush (Toronto Fringe, NYC Frigid Fringe).  Other recent directing credits include The Witch of Edmonton (York University), Igor Stravinsky's A Soldier's Story (SummerWorks), Shiksas Sit Shiva (Toronto Fringe) and MUD (SummmerWorks). Anita holds an MFA in Directing from York University and is a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art (LAMDA).

Cast of SOULO:

Marco Bernardi is a stand-up comic and storyteller who performs all around the Toronto area. He was nominated for the 2010 Tim Sims Encouragement Fund and was apart of the Cream of Comedy showcase at Second City. He recently performed at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre for their annual pride show entitled Homo Night in Canada. He has plans on going back to school this fall to study community work.

DJ Edwards grew up as a shy small-town boy in the mountains of BC. Now, he is a gorg-gantic queen devouring convention whilst terrorizing the Toronto streets with his pelvis of sass! A graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts and Humber College's Comedy Program, DJ is a character comedian having performed at Second City, Yuk Yuk's, The Rivoli, Zelda's, Bad Dog Theatre, Factory Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. As a singer/rapper, movement interpreter, and certified Llama/Alpaca trainer, DJ intends on becoming Canada's premier drag monster as his creation Vicki Lix.

Terrence Bryant's recent theatre credits include The Dining Room (Campbell House Museum), The Refugee Hotel (Almeda Theatre Company), My Fellow Creatures (Theatre Passe Muraille), No Man's Land (Winnipeg Pinterfest), The Return of the Prodigal, His Majesty (Shaw Festival) and The Kabbalistic Psyhoanalysis of Adam R. Tzaddik (Theatre Passe Muraille). Film and tv credits include Covert Affairs, X111, Crash and Burn, Testees, Degrassi: The Next Generation and This is Wonderland.

Mckenzi Scott (the female Ring Leader) studied at the Sydney Actors Centre in her homeland Australia, before coming to Canada over 10 years ago. She has worked in film and television with the likes of Megan Follows, Tom Selleck, and David Boreanaz of "Bones."

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