Productions:

• Toronto Fringe Festival, Edge of the Sky Theatre, June 2015

• Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts, May 2014

Casting information:

• 15 speaking roles, ages 15-25

• One role may be played by an adult female (any age).

• Intended for large ensemble ( past productions have featured casts of 40+ )

SUMMERLAND

By Johnson, Johnston and Wilde

Synopsis:

The Breakfast Club meets Peter Pan meets Lord of The Flies in this ground-breaking musical about a group of high school students who find themselves stranded between worlds after a bus accident. Incredibly moving, often hilarious and compelling from start to finish, Summerland explores and celebrates what it is to be a teen today.

Creation:

The musical Summerland was born of necessity. In 2013, when Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts (Wexford) was contemplating their next big musical, they kept returning to the same classics. Determined to develop new creative possibilities for their students, program director Ann Merriam turned to musical theatre writers Anika Johnson, Barbara Johnston and Suzy Wilde. The trio set out to create an original musical by working directly with students from Wexford to find an authentic voice for the show. It was through this process that Summerland was born. Summerland premiered at Wexford in 2014 and, after a year of workshopping, the show was revamped for the 2015 Toronto Fringe Festival. Under the direction of Ann Merriam, with dramaturgical assistance from Bob Foster and Aaron Willis, the cast of over a hundred talented young performers from the four prominent performing arts schools of Toronto (Wexford, Etobicoke School for the Arts, Sheridan College and Randolph Academy’s Pre-College Program) brought this new musical to life. The production’s size and scope set it apart from anything else at the Toronto Fringe and very quickly became a fan favourite, winning over sold-out audiences and earning five star reviews throughout the run.

FeatureD song: