Intrepid Theatre

Announcing UNO Fest Online! The Book of My Shames will be presented as a part of the Week 1 online offerings. You can see exclusive video clips from this new show in development, and join Isaiah for a free Facebook Live on May 1. 

The Book of My Shames is a “comic, wrenchingly personal tour-de-force” that fuses opera, stand-up comedy, and the cabaret-confessional. Singer-composer Isaiah Bell explores a history fraught with shame and longing to reveal our universal potential for transformation in this funny and tender solo show.

This impossibly beautiful one-person show is created by and stars Tenor and Composer Isaiah Bell, who has performed everywhere from Carnegie Hall to the National Arts Centre, and directed by Sean Guist, founding Curator of Intrepid Theatre’s OUTstages queer theatre festival. The show had a sold out premiere at Tapestry Opera as part of Toronto Pride in 2019.

Co-creators Isaiah & Sean are interviews by Rebecca Hass on Pacific Opera Victoria’s Listening Party Podcast, listen to it HERE.

UNO Fest Online Meet the Artists – Isaiah Bell

“The flexibility on display, the ease with which Bell could connect, have us laughing our heads off?… wow.” – Leslie Barcza

“Poignant, thoughtful, raw and honest… go see it.” – Confluence Concerts

“Bell’s tale is one of small answers that speak bravely of truths that are bigger than all of us.” ★★★★(of 4) – The Star

Credits:
Co-created and performed by Isaiah Bell
Co-created and directed by Sean Guist

An Intrepid Theatre and Pacific Opera Victoria co-presentation as part of UNO Fest. The Book of My Shames has been developed with support from Pacific Opera Victoria and Intrepid Theatre.

Photo: Dahlia Katz

About the artists:

Isaiah Bell’s work as a singer is characterized by his “beautiful tenor, command of style, and natural stage presence” (Broadway World) and by performances of “haunting beauty… and glowing vocal skill” (New York Times). He recently created the role of Antinous, opposite Thomas Hampson as Hadrian, in the world premiere of Rufus Wainwright and Daniel MacIvor’s Hadrian at the Canadian Opera Company. As a writer and composer, he has created four operas, and is the composer behind the touring drag-cabaret show Cocktales with Maria.

This season, Isaiah makes his debut at Vancouver Opera (The Barber of Seville), and returns to sing with Opera Atelier and the Toronto Symphony, and at Carnegie Hall. Recent performance highlights include the Madwoman in Curlew River (directed by Mark Morris, at BAM), Britten’s War Requiem at the National Arts Centre, Owen Wingrave at the Aldeburgh and Edinburgh festivals, and Acis and Galatea at Lincoln Center.

Arts administrator, director, performer, producer and queer artist, Sean Guist is the founding curator of Intrepid Theatre’s queer theatre festival, OUTstages, and is the Co-Artistic & Marketing Director at Intrepid. He holds his MFA (2012) in Directing and BFA in Performance from the University of Lethbridge. Recent credits include: directing Sunday in Sodom (playreading at The Belfry’s SPARK Festival), Tom at the Farm (Puente Theatre’s WorldPlay), Side by Side by Sondheim (Saltwater Inc), Down Dangerous Passes Road (independent), Menotti’s The Telephone (U of L), and Michel Marc Bouchard’s The Madonna Painter (MFA project); producing (and performing in) Pretty, Witty and GAY! (2007-2009). Sean is also on the Board of Directors for indie dance company Broken Rhythms and Pacific Opera Victoria and can be seen on drag stages as the bearded queen, Woofie Goldberg.