By Jessy Ardern
Conceived by The Fox Den Collective
Directed by Suzie Martin
SEPTEMBER 8-20, 2026 – Prairie Theatre Exchange
An interactive love letter to live theatre. R+J: Closing Night features two concurrent plays; Romeo and Juliet, and a new script based on the relationships of a fictionalized cast and crew backstage.
Audiences are split in half, changing locations at intermission as the production “rewinds” to the beginning.
When the production of Romeo and Juliet goes awry, the backstage audience members are invited to actively participate in problem-solving, involving them in the action of the production.
Please note: This production involves some audience participation. Please fill out the form on the checkout page to indicate your comfortability level with this aspect. Not everyone will be called upon.
You can change your mind at any time before the performance by contacting the box office. If you are buying tickets for more than one person, please send the form to all attendees.
Special Performances
Pay What You Can Previews: Tuesday, September 8th and Wednesday, September 9th @ 7:30pm.
Talkback Performance: Sunday, September 13th @ 2:00pm.
Relaxed Environment Performance: Wednesday, September 16th @ 7:30pm.
Audio-Described Performance: Saturday, September 19th @ 7:30pm.
Relaxed performances are meant to be sensory-friendly and inclusive for patrons who may benefit from a casual environment in the theatre.
R +J: Closing Night will have a relaxed environment performance because we will be adopting some, but not all, of the aspects of a traditional relaxed performance.
We will have more information about this coming soon, complete with a visual guide and the features we will be implementing!
From VIEW Winnipeg:
Audio description is the process of describing the key visual elements of an event (eg. a play, film, dance performance), so that blind/low vision audience members can fully enjoy and participate in the story. Before the show begins, our describers give a rich and detailed description of the setting, costumes, and performers, as well as any other important visual details. During the show, our describers fill in key visual information so audiences can follow the story and feel the full impact of the art, while taking care not to speak over the dialogue.
How does it work?
Our describers sit in the back of the theatre and describe the show live into a microphone. The microphone is equipped with a rubber mouthpiece that creates a seal so that the rest of the audience can’t hear them speaking. When patrons arrive at the event, they are given an earpiece and a receiver with adjustable volume. Patrons can also use their own earbuds if they so choose. This receiver connects to the microphone, so the patrons can hear the describer in one ear and can hear the show through the other.
To be announced!
To be announced!