David Rakoff's final work to be staged in a special one-night event

TORONTO, June 19, 2015 /CNW/ - The acclaimed company Studio 180 Theatre (The Normal Heart, Stuff Happens, Clybourne Park), in co-presentation with PANAMANIA presented by CIBC, will stage a very special one-night concert reading of beloved writer and humorist David Rakoff's final work Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish on Thursday, July 16 at the Fleck Dance Theatre

The adaption of Rakoff's novel-in-verse was commissioned by the TORONTO 2015 Pan Am/Parapan Am Games arts and culture festival, PANAMANIA presented by CIBC. The staging is in association with the International Festival of Authors.

With David Rakoff's untimely death in August, 2012, the world lost a remarkable talent. His incredible humour, brilliant intellect, and generous spirit made him one of the great essayists of our time. Born in Montreal and raised in Toronto, Rakoff's career flourished in New York City ("the great love of my life" is how Rakoff often referred to his adopted home base). His popular contributions to NPR's This American Life earned him a devoted legion of fans across North America and he became the "go-to" writer for such publications as the New York Times Magazine, Outside and GQ when they were looking for a truly unique take on a story. His three collections of essays (Fraud, Don't Get Too Comfortable and Half Empty) were all critically-acclaimed national bestsellers.

Rakoff's final work, Love Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish, leaps cities and decades, spanning the 20^th century, as Rakoff sings the song of an America whose freedoms can be intoxicating, or brutal.  Part novel, part epic poem, Rakoff's biting, incisive and compassionate work explores human fallibility and redemption, through the lives of men and women who are linked by acts of generosity and cruelty. Rakoff's insistence on beauty and the necessity of kindness in a selfish world raises the novel far above mere satire. 

Adapted and directed by Mark McGrinder, and featuring original music by Tom Bellman and illustrations by internationally-renowned cartoonist Seth, this unique performance of Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish promises to be a one-of-a-kind event.

ABOUT STUDIO 180

Studio 180 Theatre began in March of 2002, when its five co-founders came together with the collective notion of "putting on a show." Less than a year later, they launched with the acclaimed Canadian premiere of The Laramie Project.

For over a decade, Studio 180 has been introducing Toronto audiences to socially-relevant theatre that provokes public discourse and promotes community engagement. They have evolved from an informal artistic collective into one of Toronto's most respected independent professional theatre companies, responsible for the Canadian premieres of renowned international works like NSFW, Cock, Clybourne Park, The Arab-Israeli Cookbook, Stuff Happens, Blackbird, The Overwhelming and Our Class.

Between 2008/09 and 2011/12, they were founding partners of the Berkeley Street Project, producing one show annually as part of the Canadian Stage subscriber season. In 2012/13 and 2013/14, Studio180 helped launch "OFF-MIRVISH: The Second Stage Series" with Mirvish Productions, staging Clybourne Park and God of Carnage at the Panasonic Theatre. In 2015/16, they will partner with Tarragon Theatre to co-produce You Will Remember Me, by Governor General's Award–Winner François Archambault, translated by Bobby Theodore.

Since 2008/09, Studio 180 has produced two shows per season and developed a program of Beyond the Stage activities to enhance each production with opportunities for public dialogue. They have also created an innovative and fast-growing education program called Studio 180     IN CLASS, which brings artist educators into high school classrooms to work with students of any discipline.

Visit www.studio180theatre.com  for a detailed production history and to learn more.

Tickets for Love, Dishonor, Marry, Die, Cherish, Perish are $25.00 and available by phoning [phone] or by visiting www.studio180theatre.com.

SOURCE Penguin Random House Canada Limited

Scott Sellers at [phone] or [email protected].