Ross Manson

A circus arrives at the edge of a city.
A tightrope stretches across the dark.
For a moment, anything feels possible.

Volcano presents the first English language performance of Half of the Moon by Roland Schimmelpfennig, one of the most influential playwrights of our time.

This reading marks a continuation of a long artistic relationship between Schimmelpfennig and Ross Manson, who first introduced the German superstar’s work to Toronto at SummerWorks in 2004. Over two decades, their collaboration has shaped some of the city’s most memorable productions.

In Half of the Moon, the travelling circus Narva offers audiences something rare: the chance to believe in transformation. But when the moment of magic takes an unpredictable turn, what remains?

A meditation on expectation, illusion, and the fragile space between hope and reality, this work invites us to consider how more than one thing can be true at the same time.

Stay after the performance for a reception with the cast and company!

Company: Volcano
Performers: Ins Choi, Sébastien Heins, Oyin Oladejo, Anand Rajaram & Bahia Watson
Playwright: Roland Schimmelpfennig
Director: Ross Manson
Sound Designer: John Gzowski