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Balls

by Rob Salerno

Two best friends learn what it takes to be a man as they confront testicular cancer.

When Bastian's best friend Paul gets testicular cancer, they find out that sometimes being a man feels a lot like getting kicked in the nuts, in Balls, a unique coming-of-age story that took Canada by storm on the Fringe Festival circuit.

Rob Salerno was inspired to write Balls when he lost a close friend to testicular cancer.

Starring: Rob Salerno and Garett Watson

Directed by: Cole J. Alvis and Rob Salerno

Awards for Balls:

Best New Play -- Hamilton Fringe

Best Original Production -- London Fringe

Patron's Pick -- Ottawa Fringe

Brickenden Award for Best Touring Production

The Critics Say:

5 Stars -- "This is theatre at its best" -- Planet S

4.5 Stars -- "An honest and sincere tale of friendship" -- Winnipeg Sun

4.5 Stars -- "Very serious, seriously hilarious" -- See Magazine (Edmonton)

4 Stars -- "Funny and surprisingly affecting" -- Vue Weekly (Edmonton)

4 Stars -- "Clever and expertly staged... Salerno shines" -- Ottawa Sun

"You'd be nuts to miss this one!" -- Saskatoon Star Phoenix

"The Full Package" -- Hamilton View

"Must See" -- Ottawa Citizen

Showtimes and Tickets

Balls plays from May 5-17 at the Lower Ossington Theatre. Tues-Sat 9pm and Sun at 3:30pm.

100A Ossington St. -- One block north of Queen St. W.

Tickets are $19

2-Play Package: Balls and Giant Invisible Robot or Balls and The Sputniks on the same night for only $29.

Best Deal: Buy the Show Us Yours Package, and see all three plays for only $38!

Tickets are available at the door, by phone at 416-915-6747

or online at: lowerossingtontheatre.com

Cast and Crew

Rob Salerno -- playwright, co-director, actor (Paul Tulio)

Rob Salerno is a Toronto-born writer and theatre artist. Salerno completed an MA in Drama at University of Toronto and a Joint-Hon. BA (English/Political Science) at McGill University, and has studied acting at the Lyric School for Acting, Theatresports, and the Impatient Theatre Company. He also recently completed a residency in the Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Young Creators Unit. His major stage credits include Fucking Stephen Harper (Rhubarb Festival), True Irish Hearts (FOOT Festival), The True Tragedy of Richard III (Poculi Ludique Societas), and Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind (Tuesday Night Cafe) and as director of Clevinger's Trial at Tuesday Night Cafe Theatre, Montreal. Salerno is also an accomplished writer and journalist.

Salerno's other playwrighting credits include Fucking Stephen Harper: How I Sexually Assaulted the 22nd Prime Minister of Canada and Where It Got Me, which will play at this year's Montreal and Toronto Fringe Festivals.

Rob is excited that Balls is finally getting its professional debut and is thrilled to reprise the role of Paul Tulio.

Garett Watson -- actor (Bastian Faerber)

Garett Watson hails from the vast landscape of the prairies. He completed his BFA at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon in 2006. In the summer of 2007 he had the privilege to attend the prestigious One Yellow Rabbit Summer Lab Intensive. Garett is a founding member of Press Play Players, a comedic theatre troupe based in Saskatoon. Press Play Players has produced such Fringe circuit hits as Moosekunckle Stew and We Is Blunderstuck! The latter most recently toured the circuit in 2008 and was featured at the 2008 Toronto Festival of Clowns. Garett has also spent a little time with the Saskatoon Soaps, Saskatoon's premiere Improv troupe. Garett's major stage credits include We Is Blunderstruck! (Pittstop Pete), The Bombitty of Errors (DJ G-Spot), Cosi (Henry), Mad Forest (Radu), The Rivals (Bob Acres), Bash (John), as well as many others.

Garett is extremely excited to be a part of this production and would like to thank Ten Foot Pole productions and Rob for this opportunity.

Cole J. Alvis -- co-director

Originally from rural Alberta, Cole's directing credits include The Kente Cloth by Tawiah M'carthy in the SummerWorks Theatre Festival (plural productions), CHAT on the solo-stage at the Rhubarb! Festival (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre), Auto-Da-Fe by Tennesse Williams (Red Deer College), a reading of The Dreamer Examines His Pillow by John Patrick Shanley and a new play workshop of There You Go And Here You Are by Natalia Goodwin (Theatre Best/Before).

Cole's recent acting credits include: Travis in his first play, Disciple (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre), Ryan in Four Ways 'Til Rain by T. Berto (Toronto Fringe), Private Wicks in The Fort At York (Crate Productions), the lead role in Nelly Boy (SummerWorks - Outstanding Performance, NOW Magazine) and member of the creative ensemble in the Dora nominated Gorey Story (The Thistle Project).

Upcoming: Directing Address to the Jury by David Hughes in the Toronto Fringe and playing LeFranc in Jean Genet's Haute Surveillance.

Cole is the Co-Artistic Director of (plural productions) and holds a BFA in Acting from York University.

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