Concord Floral | Theatre Production Archive

Written by Jordan Tannahill in 2015, Concord Floral explored themes of alienation, sexuality, dislocation, loneliness and exclusion. All the characters were teenagers, offering the young generation the unique opportunity to have their world reflected back at themselves by an ensemble of young, talented and diverse performers.

The confusion of growing up was portrayed with sensitivity and openness, but also comments on the collective anxiety and fear that is so rampant in our world today, especially for young people. A menacing tale of vengeance that deals with disaffected suburban teen life honestly and directly; Concord Floral is intelligent, humorous and full of theatrical spectacle.

Guest director, Vikki Anderson (Artistic Director of Theatrefront) worked with the cast of 10 (7 women & 3 men) to create a choral structure, where the actors stretched their bodies, voices and minds to tell this beautiful and haunting urban legend.

Check out our Dramaturgy Hub for more info on the production and the history of Concord Floral.

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Concord Floral is a million square foot abandoned greenhouse and a hangout for neighbourhood kids. But something has happened there. Something nobody wants to talk about. Concord Floral re-imagines Giovanni Boccaccio's medieval allegory The Decameron in a contemporary Canadian suburb, in which ten teens must flee a plague they have brought upon themselves.

Note from the Dramaturgy Team

Welcome to Vaughan, Ontario. Abandoned just beyond this suburb, Concord Floral is a greenhouse where teenagers come to hide their secrets. When one of these secrets is unearthed, ten characters must come to terms with the power of the greenhouse’s past.

Dramaturgy is the practice of researching a theatrical production’s social and historical contexts so that the cast and production members can effectively reflect the world of a play in their creative work. We, the dramaturgy team, researched the contextual facets of Concord Floral, from its parallels with The Decameron, Giovanni Boccaccio’s
medieval allegory, to the psychological, sociological, and geographic isolation of suburbia. We now give this haunting urban myth to you, so you can help us unravel the mystery behind it.

You will be asked to question what it means to remember, to feel guilt, and to be young. While this production cannot provide concrete answers, it continues to ask questions. We hope you enjoy this contemporary Canadian play and ask questions alongside it.

Prepared by Joanna Cleary on behalf of the Fall 2017 Dramaturgy Team