Hello and Welcome to our GoFundMe Page for Claw Marks Theatre’s 2026/27 Season! As an emerging Toronto theatre company composed of young artists, this is our FIRST FULL SEASON! We are so excited to bring 5 thrilling shows to Toronto stages this year & begin to put our stamp on the Toronto theatre scene! And we need your help to make it happen! <3

WHAT IS CLAW MARKS THEATRE?

Claw Marks Theatre is a new Toronto theatre company seeking to wring the heart of performance. Specializing in feminist theatre that dissects gender roles and many other social constructs, we want to sink our claws into theatre that is liberating– especially to women and those whose systems debilitate instead of embolden them.

Claw Marks was founded by three ambitious theatre school graduates– Aria De Castro, Maggie Tavares & Olivia Sgambelluri. It was during our time studying together in the UTM/Sheridan Theatre and Drama Studies Program that we realized the ways our artistic values aligned, and, post-grad, decided to do something about it! Together we want to create theatre founded by values of honesty, liberation, and compassion above all.

This collective is not an attempt to elbow, or “claw” their way into Toronto’s Indie theatre landscape, but rather a label for the art we make that won’t make us rich. It’s an attempt at a bat signal to other artists who just need a place, a purpose, or people. We are enablers of art for art’s sake: existing as proof that we care enough about life to imagine it in a better, more purposeful way. We want to create a privilege for underserved artists. By carving this space and common ground for the creation of theatre, we are slowly clawing our way to having the same opportunities and quality of life as a citizen in this city who is… a little more valued by capitalism. This is our work. Artwork is work! & We can’t wait to have you along for the ride!

SOOOO, you might be wondering at this point… What’s the season?!

The Claw Marks Theatre 2026/27 Season is as follows:

Woyzeck by Georg Büchner September/October 2026

Three Weird Sisters by Maggie Tavares October/November 2026

4.48 Psychosis by Sarah Kane January/February 2027

This Play Has No Plot by Maggie Tavares March 2027

Musical T.B.A. by ******/******** April/May 2027

Now for the important stuff…

WHAT are we fundraising for?

Rights for the Shows!

While some of this season’s shows are original plays making their LIVE DEBUT in Toronto this year, others are timeless pieces that Claw Marks must require official licensing for in order to produce. We are so excited to be bringing both Sarah Kane’s 4.48 Psychosis and a certain Sondheim musical about art… to the Toronto stage for the first time in years! Because of the social stature, conversion rates (British pounds to CAD), and multifaceted components (i.e. music & script) that both of these pieces come with, the rights are quite expensive! So expensive that we cannot even announce the name of the latter. But with your support, CMT can (legally) sink our claws into these exciting works!

Performance Space Rentals

Renting 4 different theatre spaces for a week each (including our load in, tech, week of shows, and load out) is our second biggest expense. While we haven’t yet confirmed the exact venues, the spaces we are looking to use are Wychwood Barns, The Theatre Centre BMO Incubator, and Geary Ave Warehouse. We cannot wait to use various spectacular spaces to transport audiences to the worlds of 1980s England, the basement of a theatre, and 45 different places in 35 minutes.

Rehearsal Space Rentals

Along with the theatre performance spaces, Claw Marks will have to secure space for us to rehearse these projects over the next year!

Set/Prop/Costume Support

We want to make our shows BEAUTIFUL! And we have an incredible and expansive team of talented young designers who are helping us make that happen! But that will require funding to support their designs!

***NOTE: We are all working as a cooperative. ALL donations will go DIRECTLY to cover season production costs!

So please DONATE! DONATE! DONATE! Every contribution is greatly appreciated! Help us make the art we love! The art YOU love!

“Anything you do, let it come from you. Then it will be new. Give us more to see…”

– Stephen Sondheim

The CMT Team:

Maggie Tavares – Co-Founder & Artistic Director

Aria De Castro – Co-Founder

Olivia Sgambelluri – Co-Founder

Website: https://clawmarkstheatre.com/

Instagram: @clawmarkstheatre

“Everything I let go of has claw marks on it”