JOHNNIE WALKER
Co-Artistic Producer
Johnnie is a Toronto-based playwright, actor and director. He has written every play that Nobody's Business has produced so far. His writing can also be found on popular local blog Torontoist. He is a member of The Upstarts, Theatre Passe Muraille's new Creator's Unit. Johnnie is also an Artistic Associate of BoylesqueTO, and can be seen co-hosting their shows under the stage name "Ginger Darling."
Nobody's Business Theatre is an independent company of young artists from Toronto. We make plays that tell stories about our city, our lives and our world.
COMING SOON
Morgan Norwich directs Haley McGee's Oh My Irma at Theatre Passe Muraille's BUZZ Festival on Wednesday, October 7, 2009.
OUR COMPANY
Johnnie Walker, Morgan Norwich and Caitlin McCarthy began collaborating when they were all students at the University of Toronto. Nobody's Business Theatre was founded in 2005 with their inaugural production The Zoo-Keeper's Love Song. They make the kind of theatre that they like seeing: contemporary, eccentric and very, very funny.
LEARN ABOUT JOHNNIE
LEARN ABOUT CAITLIN
LEARN ABOUT MORGAN
CAITLIN MCCARTHY
Co-Artistic Producer
Caitlin is an actor and director based out of Toronto and Vancouver. She has performed on stages in Toronto and Milan. She is also a founding member of Theatre Revolve and collaborated on their collective piece I Think of You, Erendira at the CrossCurrents Festival (Factory Theatre), and at the Hysteria Festival (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre). She was Associate Artistic Producer of the Paprika Festival in 2007. Caitlin currently studies acting at Studio 58.
Co-Artistic Producer
Caitlin is an actor and director based out of Toronto and Vancouver. She has performed on stages in Toronto and Milan. She is also a founding member of Theatre Revolve and collaborated on their collective piece I Think of You, Erendira at the CrossCurrents Festival (Factory Theatre), and at the Hysteria Festival (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre). She was Associate Artistic Producer of the Paprika Festival in 2007. Caitlin currently studies acting at Studio 58.
MORGAN NORWICH
Co-Artistic Producer
Morgan works in Toronto as an actor, director, and producer. She has performed in pieces for Diaspora Dialogues and the Luminato festival. Recently she was nominated for a Dora as part of the ensemble in George F. Walker's Tough! at Factory Theatre. She has worked as an assistant director on Beyond Mozambique (Factory Theatre) and The Patient Hour (Tarragon Theatre), and was Associate Artistic Producer of the Paprika Festival in 2008. Morgan also co-hosts performances by BoylesqueTO under the stage name "Balonia Wry."
Co-Artistic Producer
Morgan works in Toronto as an actor, director, and producer. She has performed in pieces for Diaspora Dialogues and the Luminato festival. Recently she was nominated for a Dora as part of the ensemble in George F. Walker's Tough! at Factory Theatre. She has worked as an assistant director on Beyond Mozambique (Factory Theatre) and The Patient Hour (Tarragon Theatre), and was Associate Artistic Producer of the Paprika Festival in 2008. Morgan also co-hosts performances by BoylesqueTO under the stage name "Balonia Wry."
OUR HISTORY
Past shows from Nobody's Business ..
8 GIRLS WITHOUT BOYFRIENDSGRETCHEN'S CABARET
MUHAMMAD OF YORKVILLE
THE ZOO-KEEPER'S DUET
THE JOHNNIE & MORGAN MYSTERY HOUR
THE ZOO-KEEPER'S LOVE SONG
8 Girls Without Boyfriends
Written by Johnnie Walker and Courtney Walker
Eight girls with one important thing in common confront the problems that affect today's young and modern woman, like grad school, sexually transmitted infections, and recycling. This reluctant cabaret combines traditional theatre with burlesque, electroclash, thesis presentation, musical theatre, slam poetry, performance art, stand-up comedy, and country music to create an exciting new kind of show for neurotic twentysomethings everywhere. All the single ladies, put your hands up!
August 2009 at Bread & Circus Theatre Bar.
Written by Johnnie Walker and Courtney Walker
Eight girls with one important thing in common confront the problems that affect today's young and modern woman, like grad school, sexually transmitted infections, and recycling. This reluctant cabaret combines traditional theatre with burlesque, electroclash, thesis presentation, musical theatre, slam poetry, performance art, stand-up comedy, and country music to create an exciting new kind of show for neurotic twentysomethings everywhere. All the single ladies, put your hands up!
August 2009 at Bread & Circus Theatre Bar.
Gretchen's Cabaret
Conceived by Johnnie Walker, Courtney Walker & Morgan Norwich
"Always say no to cabaret," is my only principle, and tonight: you see me break it. Despite having a family from Berlin, Gretchen is no fan of cabaret, but as an avant-garde performance artist, she feels the need to move beyond her comfort zone. In this solo performance taken from the world of 8 Girls Without Boyfriends, we introduce you to Gretchen "Berlin" Wahl, and maybe give you some clues as to why she is currently single.
Performed at Elephants in the Room's inaugural 2009 Crapshoot at Theatre Passe Muraille.
Conceived by Johnnie Walker, Courtney Walker & Morgan Norwich
"Always say no to cabaret," is my only principle, and tonight: you see me break it. Despite having a family from Berlin, Gretchen is no fan of cabaret, but as an avant-garde performance artist, she feels the need to move beyond her comfort zone. In this solo performance taken from the world of 8 Girls Without Boyfriends, we introduce you to Gretchen "Berlin" Wahl, and maybe give you some clues as to why she is currently single.
Performed at Elephants in the Room's inaugural 2009 Crapshoot at Theatre Passe Muraille.
MUHAMMAD OF YORKVILLE
Written by Johnnie Walker. Directed by Morgan Norwich.
When a Yorkville art gallery decides to exhibit a painting of the Prophet Muhammad, it sparks a string of controversies ranging from the thought-provoking to the absurd. Religion, politics, ideology and sexuality clash as the gallery owner, her assistant, a Muslim protestor, a pushy reporter, a wealthy patron, an angsty teen and the artist himself all say what they think and hear what they want.
2007 SummerWorks Festival, remounted in 2008 as part of HOLY FUSS
"Highly recommended" - The Toronto Star
"Very clever" - NOW Magazine
Photos provided by ISTOICA
Written by Johnnie Walker. Directed by Morgan Norwich.
When a Yorkville art gallery decides to exhibit a painting of the Prophet Muhammad, it sparks a string of controversies ranging from the thought-provoking to the absurd. Religion, politics, ideology and sexuality clash as the gallery owner, her assistant, a Muslim protestor, a pushy reporter, a wealthy patron, an angsty teen and the artist himself all say what they think and hear what they want.
2007 SummerWorks Festival, remounted in 2008 as part of HOLY FUSS
"Highly recommended" - The Toronto Star
"Very clever" - NOW Magazine
Photos provided by ISTOICA
THE ZOO-KEEPER'S LOVE SONG
Written and directed by Johnnie Walker.
A bored record store clerk who watches horror movies and dreams about his favourite scream queen. A teenage girl, hopelessly devoted to her imaginary boyfriends. A woman who carefully prepares a birthday party for her dead husband. A washed-up movie star who moves to Toronto and starts stalking one of her fans. They all meet in... THE ZOO-KEEPER'S LOVE SONG! Please, don't feed the animals.
2005 Paprika Festival, 2005 Toronto Fringe
"Witty and insightful... sharply funny" - eye weekly
"Most entertaining" - NOW Magazine
Written and directed by Johnnie Walker.
A bored record store clerk who watches horror movies and dreams about his favourite scream queen. A teenage girl, hopelessly devoted to her imaginary boyfriends. A woman who carefully prepares a birthday party for her dead husband. A washed-up movie star who moves to Toronto and starts stalking one of her fans. They all meet in... THE ZOO-KEEPER'S LOVE SONG! Please, don't feed the animals.
2005 Paprika Festival, 2005 Toronto Fringe
"Witty and insightful... sharply funny" - eye weekly
"Most entertaining" - NOW Magazine
THE JOHNNIE & MORGAN MYSTERY HOUR
Written by Johnnie Walker. Directed by Caitlin McCarthy.
A midnight phone call informs Sarah that her uncle has been murdered. But what does that have to do with a boozy nightclub singer who has an extensive wig collection? And who is the man leaving threatening poems on Sarah's answering machine? And, most importantly, where is her father? Two actors play all fourteen characters in this madcap noir mystery caper.
2006 Beg, Borrow & Steal Festival, remounted in 2007 Winner of Beg, Borrow & Steal's Audience Choice Award.
"The hardest I've ever laughed in a theatre." - Torontoist
"A virtual tour-de-force of theatrical dexterity and adaptability... incisively witty and fiercely intelligent." - The Strand
Written by Johnnie Walker. Directed by Caitlin McCarthy.
A midnight phone call informs Sarah that her uncle has been murdered. But what does that have to do with a boozy nightclub singer who has an extensive wig collection? And who is the man leaving threatening poems on Sarah's answering machine? And, most importantly, where is her father? Two actors play all fourteen characters in this madcap noir mystery caper.
2006 Beg, Borrow & Steal Festival, remounted in 2007 Winner of Beg, Borrow & Steal's Audience Choice Award.
"The hardest I've ever laughed in a theatre." - Torontoist
"A virtual tour-de-force of theatrical dexterity and adaptability... incisively witty and fiercely intelligent." - The Strand
THE ZOO-KEEPER'S DUET
Written and directed by Johnnie Walker.
Nobody's Business Theatre returns to familiar territory with this two-hander exploring the nature of love. And obsession. Ten years ago, Jocasta Ste-Jacqueline's biggest concern was high school humiliation and the misery of Ensemble Night, but then has-been movie star Jennifer Michelle Parker entered her family's life, and nothing was ever the same. Now, a recently-acquitted JMP has booked an appearance on a talk show to finally tell her side of the story... but has she bought more than she bargained for?
2008 reading as part of PARTY LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS
Written and directed by Johnnie Walker.
Nobody's Business Theatre returns to familiar territory with this two-hander exploring the nature of love. And obsession. Ten years ago, Jocasta Ste-Jacqueline's biggest concern was high school humiliation and the misery of Ensemble Night, but then has-been movie star Jennifer Michelle Parker entered her family's life, and nothing was ever the same. Now, a recently-acquitted JMP has booked an appearance on a talk show to finally tell her side of the story... but has she bought more than she bargained for?
2008 reading as part of PARTY LIKE NOBODY'S BUSINESS
PRESS
BlogTO gives 8 reasons to see 8 Girls
EYE Weekly interviews Johnnie & Courtney about 8 Girls
EYE Weekly Reviews Muhammad of Yorkville at *Hotshot Gallery
Toronto Life calls Muhammad one of "11 Reasons to Stay in T.O. This Weekend"
Johnnie included in The Varsity's "Top 25 Torontopians Under 25"
Now Magazine includes Muhammad in "Best Ensemble" category of their SummerWorks wrap-up
The Toronto Star deems Muhammad "Highly Recommended"
Torontoist loves The Johnnie & Morgan Mystery Hour
Now Magazine interviews Johnnie about The Zoo-Keeper's Love Song