Of Mice and Morro and JaspNamed one of the Top Ten Plays of 2014 by the Globe & Mail2013 Canadian comedy award NomineeMorro and Jasp feel the pinch of the recent economic downturn and arts cuts and decide to make ends meet by tackling John Steinbeck's classic tale. The desperate clown sisters seek to stick to the story but will they both make it out alive?
Of Mice and Morro and Jasp spins Steinbeck's classic tale into an interactive clown play. Performed and created by Heather Marie Annis and Amy Lee Direction and Dramaturgy by Byron Laviolette Clown Direction by John Turner of Mump and Smoot |
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Production History
Manitoba Theatre for Young People, Winnipeg, Winter 2017 (Upcoming)
clownin Festival, Vienna, December 2015
The Great Hall/Bell TV, Toronto, April 2014
Factory Studio Theatre, Toronto, February 2014
Canadian Comedy Awards Festival, Ottawa, October 2013
Edmonton Fringe Festival, Edmonton, August 2012
Winnipeg Fringe Festival, Winnipeg, July 2012
Toronto Fringe Festival, Toronto, July 2012
clownin Festival, Vienna, December 2015
The Great Hall/Bell TV, Toronto, April 2014
Factory Studio Theatre, Toronto, February 2014
Canadian Comedy Awards Festival, Ottawa, October 2013
Edmonton Fringe Festival, Edmonton, August 2012
Winnipeg Fringe Festival, Winnipeg, July 2012
Toronto Fringe Festival, Toronto, July 2012
Press and Praise
Named one of the Top Ten Toronto Theatre Productions of 2014 by the Globe and Mail
"Heather Marie Annis and Amy Lee have done a clown sister act as Morro and Jasp for ages, but they (and director Byron Laviolette) thickened their shtick with this lampoon of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Funny and sweet, but it also cleverly skewered an underfunded theatre scene whose obsession with classics can make it tolerate old prejudices."
Globe and Mail
"Outstanding New Play" "Outstanding Production" "Outstanding Ensemble" NOW Magazine 2012
"A delight from start to finish under Byron Laviolette's direction, with an ending that'll make you laugh and cry simultaneously" NNNNN
NOW Magazine
"As enchanting as they are funny. They grabbed my attention by the throat the moment they came onstage singing for dimes with a pink ukulele, and kept me absorbed through to the...finale...Best thing I've seen at the Fringe" ★★★★★
Edmonton Journal
"Unexpected charm and subtlety. The two work together flawlessly, recreating the story with their own brand of physical comedy and contemporary references...amidst the humour, the show is deeply touching and cathartic" ★★★★
VUE Weekly
"Hilarious and endearing, Morro and Jasp manage to turn even the most disheartening of situations into a comical adventure. Filled with adorable props, well-timed literary references and audience participation, Of Mice and Morro and Jasp is a surprisingly moving interpretation of an American classic." ★★★★★
Theatromania
"Morro and Jasp are the current rock stars of their field...their strongest performances yet...a brilliant take on the John Steinbeck novel...hilarious and poignant."
"Best of Fringe 2012" ★★★★★
Torontoist
"They make Of Mice and Men twice as funny as it originally was...positively giggle-inducing... But what really makes Morro and Jasp shows click is the utter commitment Annis and Lee (with director Byron Laviolette) bring to their lovably innocent characters. The show's aimed at adults, but it will bring out your gleeful inner kid" ★★★★
"Outstanding Comedy Duo"
CBC
"As adept as ever at evoking real pathos through their hilarious antics...You'll have to laugh at this show, even if you haven't read Of Mice And Men, or barely remember it from your high school curriculum. Their dynamic is irresistibly engaging, and they are fantastic physical comedians...Get your tickets now, this show will sell out."
Mooney on Theatre
"Such a magical, delightful, and surprising twist... theatre doesn't get much better than this: it's real, and full of artifice, and belly-laugh funny, and sad, and all about what's visible, and all about what's only implied."
Dispositio
"A wonderful twist on the Depression-era novella... it brings a smile to everyone's face and a tear to this reviewer's eye. With performers like Morro and Jasp around, maybe life isn't so tragical, after all."
Rhymes with Dramaturg
"There are frequent big laughs and as always, watching Morro and Jasp interact with a game audience is a joy."
Theatre Isn't Dead
"Lots of fantastic moments (and also just the whole premise) keep me in constant awe of these theatre-makers."
Around the World in 80 Plays
"Poignant and bitter-sweet... It's a brilliant show: risky high-stakes work from two fine performers at the top of their game. The ending moved me to tears and laughter as these two so often do. I'm glad I went when I did because this show is certain to sell out."
Sprockets and Greasepaint
"Bonafide Canadian starlets... perfect, hysterical and somehow incredibly moving.... Heather and Amy have created a comic team that is just about impossible to dislike"
The Visitorium
"Heather Marie Annis and Amy Lee have done a clown sister act as Morro and Jasp for ages, but they (and director Byron Laviolette) thickened their shtick with this lampoon of John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. Funny and sweet, but it also cleverly skewered an underfunded theatre scene whose obsession with classics can make it tolerate old prejudices."
Globe and Mail
"Outstanding New Play" "Outstanding Production" "Outstanding Ensemble" NOW Magazine 2012
"A delight from start to finish under Byron Laviolette's direction, with an ending that'll make you laugh and cry simultaneously" NNNNN
NOW Magazine
"As enchanting as they are funny. They grabbed my attention by the throat the moment they came onstage singing for dimes with a pink ukulele, and kept me absorbed through to the...finale...Best thing I've seen at the Fringe" ★★★★★
Edmonton Journal
"Unexpected charm and subtlety. The two work together flawlessly, recreating the story with their own brand of physical comedy and contemporary references...amidst the humour, the show is deeply touching and cathartic" ★★★★
VUE Weekly
"Hilarious and endearing, Morro and Jasp manage to turn even the most disheartening of situations into a comical adventure. Filled with adorable props, well-timed literary references and audience participation, Of Mice and Morro and Jasp is a surprisingly moving interpretation of an American classic." ★★★★★
Theatromania
"Morro and Jasp are the current rock stars of their field...their strongest performances yet...a brilliant take on the John Steinbeck novel...hilarious and poignant."
"Best of Fringe 2012" ★★★★★
Torontoist
"They make Of Mice and Men twice as funny as it originally was...positively giggle-inducing... But what really makes Morro and Jasp shows click is the utter commitment Annis and Lee (with director Byron Laviolette) bring to their lovably innocent characters. The show's aimed at adults, but it will bring out your gleeful inner kid" ★★★★
"Outstanding Comedy Duo"
CBC
"As adept as ever at evoking real pathos through their hilarious antics...You'll have to laugh at this show, even if you haven't read Of Mice And Men, or barely remember it from your high school curriculum. Their dynamic is irresistibly engaging, and they are fantastic physical comedians...Get your tickets now, this show will sell out."
Mooney on Theatre
"Such a magical, delightful, and surprising twist... theatre doesn't get much better than this: it's real, and full of artifice, and belly-laugh funny, and sad, and all about what's visible, and all about what's only implied."
Dispositio
"A wonderful twist on the Depression-era novella... it brings a smile to everyone's face and a tear to this reviewer's eye. With performers like Morro and Jasp around, maybe life isn't so tragical, after all."
Rhymes with Dramaturg
"There are frequent big laughs and as always, watching Morro and Jasp interact with a game audience is a joy."
Theatre Isn't Dead
"Lots of fantastic moments (and also just the whole premise) keep me in constant awe of these theatre-makers."
Around the World in 80 Plays
"Poignant and bitter-sweet... It's a brilliant show: risky high-stakes work from two fine performers at the top of their game. The ending moved me to tears and laughter as these two so often do. I'm glad I went when I did because this show is certain to sell out."
Sprockets and Greasepaint
"Bonafide Canadian starlets... perfect, hysterical and somehow incredibly moving.... Heather and Amy have created a comic team that is just about impossible to dislike"
The Visitorium