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Glitz, Glamour and Grit: Local Theatre Company Fundraises For Future

Grit is a word that gets used a lot in Hamilton. Its definition of a little dirt, or a lot of courage is one that we, as a city, take to heart. And it’s an attitude that Gritty City Theatre lives through its work. 

The company was founded in 2019, and began performing in Hamilton Fringe Festivals. Their first year, as a “Bring Your Own Venue,” where a duo performed David Auburn’s Lost Lake.  

“A questionnaire required a company name and thus our company was born.” Recalls Melissa Murray-Mutch via email. “Both my theatre partner Jason Hugh Thompson and I live in Central Hamilton (North-end-ish) and wanted a name that reflected our love for the area and a mission that’s dedicated to deal with race and class theatrically.”

In 2020, the company participated in the Festival through a show for young children. But in 2021, with the pandemic raging around them, the company took inspiration from reality and created a digital short about a couple who moved into a new home, only to find themselves prisoners within walls as tensions and a powerful racist organization rose outside. Entitled Hammered, the company had so much fun that in 2022, they created a sequel. Hammered 2.0 was also a digital short for the Hamilton Fringe Festival, which in retrospect, Murray-Mutch notes as a “terrible miscalculation on our part because last summer all the theatre spaces were open. Who wants to be at home?”

The project continued to be so much fun for the troupe that they’re working on launching a “short films” division. Murray-Mutch is also a Garden Project Award winner through Porch Light Theatre and Industry, which provides mentorship and funding. 

It’s hard to keep up with everything that Gritty City Theatre Company has going on- from original works, solo performances, children’s shows and digital productions. And that’s just a snippet of what the company has been able to accomplish while in the midst of a pandemic. 

To celebrate their many past successes, as well as the future projects, the Company is holding a fundraising event on February 10 beginning at 7pm. Themed for Valentine’s Day, the event is entitled “Gritty City Steels Your Heart” and will be held at the Spice Factory on Hughson Street North. Tickets are $20. 

The evening will include performances showcasing the talents of company members, screenings of Hammered and Hammered 2.0, a raffle and live music by bands Badnew and Art the Boy.

Murray-Mutch is particularly excited to contribute a play-reading to the event. While working in New York with the American Slavery Project, she discovered that slavery took place in Canada and wanted to talk about it in a theatrical way.

“What inspires me about this project in New York are the stories of the “unknown” stories or the “unheard voices” of African people who were enslaved and American Blacks throughout history.” noted Murray-Mutch. “We always hear the stories of the victors but not the stories of the laborers of the victors. I also want to pay homage to Black Canadians who endured 200 years of enslavement.”

At the fundraiser, Murray-Mutch will present an excerpt from Unwanted; her work-in-progress based on a fugitive slave ad. Her hope is to complete the work by the end of 2023 or early 2024. Gritty City Theatre also plans to announce a community theatre project in the near future. 

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