THE MERKIN SISTERS
Created & Performed by
ingrid hansen
& stephanie morin robert
|
"Wild and unimaginable, and PISS-YOUR-PANTS FUNNY" - Montreal Rampage |
TOUR DATES |
For Adults & Youth Age 13 + 70 minutes, no intermission |
"OUTRAGEOUSLY HILARIOUS!" – The Montreal Gazette
Daughters of the now-defunct Merkin Empire, these formerly-famous sisters leave the house for the first time in a decade as they risk everything to present their Ultimate Work of Art. A mash-up of uncensored comedy, theatre, dance and puppetry, The Merkin Sisters is a vivacious romp sending up our inner caveman
and our ultra-queens, smothered with the unique flavour of absurdity that comes from siblings
surviving childhood together.
“HILARIOUS, TERRIFYING, AND STRANGELY AROUSING.”-Jon Bennett.
"They have the chemistry, synchronized movement, expert choreography and puppet mastery that can’t be found in any other show this year. In thirty years of Fringing, I have never seen anything as good as this at pushing the limits of edgy comedy. You will leave smug and satisfied, with sore sides and wide eyes."
- Lisa Campbell, The Jenny Revue
Daughters of the now-defunct Merkin Empire, these formerly-famous sisters leave the house for the first time in a decade as they risk everything to present their Ultimate Work of Art. A mash-up of uncensored comedy, theatre, dance and puppetry, The Merkin Sisters is a vivacious romp sending up our inner caveman
and our ultra-queens, smothered with the unique flavour of absurdity that comes from siblings
surviving childhood together.
“HILARIOUS, TERRIFYING, AND STRANGELY AROUSING.”-Jon Bennett.
"They have the chemistry, synchronized movement, expert choreography and puppet mastery that can’t be found in any other show this year. In thirty years of Fringing, I have never seen anything as good as this at pushing the limits of edgy comedy. You will leave smug and satisfied, with sore sides and wide eyes."
- Lisa Campbell, The Jenny Revue
“Ingrid Hansen and Stéphanie Morin-Robert are experts at their craft, captivating the audience with their intangible energy. Even better is their ability to poke fun at art that takes itself too seriously. Every hilarious, terrifying and utterly baffling moment will be well worth the ticket.”
- Vue Weekly
"Hansen and Morin-Roberts are fearless in taking this show to places that are wild and unimaginable, but PISS-YOUR-PANTS FUNNY. The woman beside me was orgasming with laughter. What I also appreciate is the freedom the two have in using their full bodies, the avoidance of politicizing or moralizing, and the audacity of what they dream up. When two top performers get together and give it their all, the result is a must-see show."
- Rachel Levine, Montreal Rampage
"Outrageously hilarious!" – Montreal Gazette
“After an hour with these wild, wild women, I hated to see the show end.” – Orlando Sentinel
“If a Salvador Dali painting came to life on stage, it would be The Merkin Sisters.
There’s beauty in the absurd. It’s a must-see!” – Theatre In London
“The Merkin Sisters -- I adore physical comedy and the bushy buffoonery of these bewigged, burgundy beauties does not disappoint. Strangely transfixing. Like Cousin It reveals itself to be a burlesque dancer. But there's two of it. Top notch comedy. Go see.”- Neil Arthur James
"Some of "The Merkin Sisters" is sheer silliness. Some of it is delightfully tawdry. All of it is entertaining. What is their next adventure? Can we come along?” - Susan Mitchell, Orlando Sentinel
"Watching The Merkin Sisters is like taking a glimpse inside a pre-pubescent girl’s brain
when they’re left to their own devices — a world of imagination, frivolity, and
just plain goofy experimentation and play. I remember making up strange games with my best friend when we went on summer vacation. Alone in the woods, you start to explore new reaches of your imagination, making up songs — or even secret languages. That’s what it felt for me watching the two strange sisters act out this outlandish variety show.
Ingrid Hansen and Stephanie Morin-Robert are so much fun to watch. Their movements throughout are perfect and precise. Whether it’s over-elaborately fixing their bathing suits to performing beautifully choreographed, in-sync dances, there is a lot of skill and precise timing in this show. There are moments that you may find graphic, or just plain strange,
but that’s the charm of this show. It turns subjects like sexuality and absurdity into a
new and entertaining form or normal."
★★★★★
- Theatre In London
MEET THE ARTISTS
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Ingrid Hansen
Co-Creator & Co-Performer Ingrid co-founded SNAFU in 2006. Raised by gregarious Danish immigrants, Ingrid loves talking to strangers. She likes to push polite Canadian boundaries with great mutual respect and humour. She has co-created and performed the multi-award-winning touring shows Interstellar Elder, Little Orange Man, Kitt & Jane: An Interactive Survival Guide to the Near-Post-Apocalyptic Future, and Snack Music. Ingrid has created and performed original work with SNAFU at events curated by The Belfry Theatre, the Next Stage Festival, the Gabriola Theatre Festival, the SummerWorks Festival, The Great Canadian Theatre Centre, The Centaur Theatre, the PUSH Festival, and others. Outside of SNAFU, she has performed with Corpus Theatre, Story Theatre, Theatre Direct, The Quickening, Theatre SKAM, Shakespeare in the Ruff, Architect Theatre, Atomic Vaudeville, and Suddenly Dance Theatre. |
For the past seven years, Ingrid has built an ongoing collaboration with the inmates at the prison theatre company William Head on Stage, which operates inside a federal prison near Victoria, BC.
She spent four summers performing as a lead puppeteer and voice actor on the children’s television series Tiga Talk on APTN. She has toured across the country performing her solo show Little Orange Man at festivals and schools, and worked as a designer on the Dora-Award-Winning Ride the Cyclone with Atomic Vaudeville. Ingrid loves to teach students of all backgrounds, and has taught theatre workshops for children, adults, actors, dancers, puppeteers, and prison inmates.
She spent four summers performing as a lead puppeteer and voice actor on the children’s television series Tiga Talk on APTN. She has toured across the country performing her solo show Little Orange Man at festivals and schools, and worked as a designer on the Dora-Award-Winning Ride the Cyclone with Atomic Vaudeville. Ingrid loves to teach students of all backgrounds, and has taught theatre workshops for children, adults, actors, dancers, puppeteers, and prison inmates.
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Stephanie Morin-Robert
Co-creator & Co-Performer Stephanie is a critically acclaimed Canadian artist who successfully and extensively tours to recognized festivals and venues across Canada. Her work as a performing artist has been celebrated by a wide range of audiences, critics and producers with sold out runs, raving 5 star reviews, and multiple awards underlining her outstanding talent, professionalism and charm. Graduating from Concordia University with a degree in Performance and Contemporary Dance, Stephanie was rewarded as the most outstanding graduate for her expansive interpretation of choreography and her ability to cultivate an interest in creating work that merges physical comedy and dance to enhance her audiences theatrical experience. |
Shortly after graduation, Stephanie’s work was programmed in professional theatres and well reputed festival lineups alongside other high caliber artists, such as Edgy Women with Studio 303, Phenomena Festival and WildSide Festival at the Centaur Theatre in Montreal, Chinook Series and Next Fest at the Westbury Theatre and Convergence at the L’Uni Theatre in Edmonton, BC BUDS at the Fire Hall Theatre in Vancouver, as well as Uno Fest at the Metro Theatre in Victoria.
Co-producer and host of Dirty Feet, a Montreal-based podcast, Stephanie orchestrates a modern discourse on dance and physical theatre. Her interviews and reviews have been heard by thousands of Canadians across the country and beyond our borders. She has been granted media accreditation and invited as a jury member for major performing arts festival in Montreal, emphasizing her reputation as a critical eye within the milieu.
As the artist director, performer and choreographer for the company For Body And Light, she has created three productions that merge storytelling and dance to portray the might of Canada’s climate and the perseverance of Canadians. Since debuting at Montreal’s Tangente, Coming And Going, Bear Dreams and Within | Between have been celebrated at festivals in every major Canadian city and have left critics talking in superlatives.
Stephanie is known throughout the Canadian arts-community for her vibrant spirit and talent to inspire. When she was 2 years-old she lost her left eye to Cancer and has had a glass eye ever since. Thought her performances, she establishes a trusting and save environment by sharing her very own experiences with Bullying and how she managed to work through her insecurities and come to terms with her disability. She also generates inspirational discussions and workshops where she helps her students transform their personal life experiences into performance with students, theatres and parents.
Her performances and creativity have been celebrated with awards from Theatre Festivals across the country, such as “Most Outstanding Production”, “Best-Cast” and “Fringiest Show” in London, “Most Original Work” in Ottawa, “Best-Choreography” alongside nominations for “Best-Clown” and “Best Theatre English Production” in Montreal and nominated for “Best-Physical Theatre” in Victoria.
Her upcoming Canadian, European and American tours demonstrate her great dedication to share her work internationally. She was recently invited to perform her solo artist at the International Vault Festival in London, UK.
Co-producer and host of Dirty Feet, a Montreal-based podcast, Stephanie orchestrates a modern discourse on dance and physical theatre. Her interviews and reviews have been heard by thousands of Canadians across the country and beyond our borders. She has been granted media accreditation and invited as a jury member for major performing arts festival in Montreal, emphasizing her reputation as a critical eye within the milieu.
As the artist director, performer and choreographer for the company For Body And Light, she has created three productions that merge storytelling and dance to portray the might of Canada’s climate and the perseverance of Canadians. Since debuting at Montreal’s Tangente, Coming And Going, Bear Dreams and Within | Between have been celebrated at festivals in every major Canadian city and have left critics talking in superlatives.
Stephanie is known throughout the Canadian arts-community for her vibrant spirit and talent to inspire. When she was 2 years-old she lost her left eye to Cancer and has had a glass eye ever since. Thought her performances, she establishes a trusting and save environment by sharing her very own experiences with Bullying and how she managed to work through her insecurities and come to terms with her disability. She also generates inspirational discussions and workshops where she helps her students transform their personal life experiences into performance with students, theatres and parents.
Her performances and creativity have been celebrated with awards from Theatre Festivals across the country, such as “Most Outstanding Production”, “Best-Cast” and “Fringiest Show” in London, “Most Original Work” in Ottawa, “Best-Choreography” alongside nominations for “Best-Clown” and “Best Theatre English Production” in Montreal and nominated for “Best-Physical Theatre” in Victoria.
Her upcoming Canadian, European and American tours demonstrate her great dedication to share her work internationally. She was recently invited to perform her solo artist at the International Vault Festival in London, UK.
