Toronto Film School acting students will be transported back to 1960s Toronto when their production of David Yee’s Rochdale hits the stage at the Papermill Theatre next month.

Directed by Rosanna Saracino, the 90-minute play delves into the real-life story of a Toronto-based experiment in cooperative housing and alternative education.

“In the throes of this era, the Vietnam War rages, Apollo 11 lands on the moon, Nixon is elected, the original Trudeau is in office, the FLQ bomb the Montreal Stock Exchange, and in Toronto, a group of young people are seeking to redefine education and their lives,” Saracino said of the period in which Rochdale is set.

“(These students) come together and found Rochdale College, a place where new ways of living, being, and learning can thrive. But it can be tricky to strike the balance between idealism and reality, and conflict can arise in the heart of even the best intentions.”

Saracino praised her talented young cast of Acting for Film, TV & the Theatre students for their “passion, conviction, artistry, and professionalism” over the course of the last few months as they’ve worked towards bringing Rochdale to life on the stage.

“They have invested in this process with so much inspiration, and I am so very proud of them,” she said, also thanking stage manager Mau Saldaña for being “dedicated, invested, and thoroughly excellent as a supporter and collaborator throughout the work.”

“Bravo to them all and thank you.”

Rochdale will take to the stage at the Papermill Theatre for a three-performance run from June 17 to 20 as follows:

• Tuesday, June 17 at 7:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, June 18 at 7:30 p.m.
• Friday, June 20 at 7:30 p.m.

The Papermill Theatre is located at Todmorden Mills, 67 Pottery Rd. Tickets are free and available at the door.

The Creative Team Behind Rochdale:

Rosanna Saracino – Director

Mau Saldaña – Stage Manager

Daniel Armand as Zeus

River Eli as Cryer

Joshua Forde as Gil

Youssef Haloui as Hassan

Rodrigo Hernandez as Emmett

Brooklynn Taylor Hines as Kitten

Angelina Marjanovic as Flower

Archisha Sharma as Suvita

Liam DM Sharpe as Dennis

Ash Steeves as Friar

Brooke Webster-Snoad as Whitman

Xander Yip as Harry/Fitch