Something To Look Forward To
Program

Writer/Performer: Joanne O’Sullivan 
Welcome to my 4th Solo show! I am thrilled to be back at the Toronto Fringe after last appearing 8 years ago (!!) with She Grew Funny,  (Factory Theatre Studio Patrons’ Pick and one of Now Magazine’s Outstanding New Plays.)
Since then I've worked as a contributing writer for the Baroness von Sketch Show and began my career as a storytelling coach and podcast producer.  I was invited to record three episodes of my recent podcast, Happy Funny Amazing in front of a live audience as part of the 2022 Meighen Forum at the Stratford Festival. Most recently, I've been working as a podcast producer and writer at Toronto-based production company, Antica Productions - where I'm currently working on their award winning podcast Exile, hosted by Mandy Patinkin.
I  send all my love to Cyrus and Eliza who were so patient and supportive while I created this show.  Special shouts outs to Kasie and Brendan who came on board sight unseen and script unfinished (!) Cyrus for not only producing this show but encouraging me to apply for the Fringe as it would "give me something to look forward to", my daughter Eliza for her photography skills and help with my lines  - and Allana  for her crucial dramaturgy - without which this show would have never crossed the finish line. 

Podcast Guest: Barry O'Sullivan  
Phone Line Technician, Volunteer Firefighter, Paramedic, Coach, Referee, Joanne's Dad. 


Director/Dramaturg: Allana Harkin
Allana is an Emmy Award–winning director, writer, and producer whose career spans television, film, and theatre. Most recently, she directed her play Real Estate for 2 Hoops Productions at The Atlantis Theatre in Nassau, Bahamas. Her theatre work includes writing, directing, and performing with leading companies such as Centaur Theatre, Thousand Islands Playhouse, Canadian Stage, Theatre Aquarius, and The Flatrock Playhouse in North Carolina. She also co-wrote and co-directed the SummerWorks
musical The Review, and appeared in the New York Fringe Festival production of First Hand Woman.
Allana is best known for her work on the critically acclaimed series Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, where she served as director, correspondent, and co-executive producer for seven seasons. Her work on the show earned her 10 Primetime Emmy nominations and a nomination from the Producers Guild of America. She won a Primetime Emmy Award for executive
producing the series Once Upon a Time in Late Night. She wrote and directed the award-winning short film The Godmother and was nominated for a 2024 Banff World Media Festival Award for her work on the Crave original series Nesting. Allana
began her comedy career as a writer, performer, and founding member of the acclaimed sketch troupe The Atomic Fireballs. Follow her on socials @allanaharkin

Producer: Cyrus Lane
Cyrus Lane (producer) Cyrus Lane is a Dora Award winning actor with over 25 years of experience. He has played leads at the Stratford Festival, including the NY Times lauded Wedding Band, Mitchell Cushman's production of Possible Worlds, and the world premiere of Hannah Moscovitch's Bunny. Most recently, Cyrus has played Nick in Come from Away (Gander,
Newfoundland), Albert in Necessary Angel's Winter Solstice and Ray in Talk is Free Theatre's Blackbird. He has also performed at Tarragon Theatre, Factory Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Canadian Stage, and the Shaw Festival. He won the Dora for Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical for Judge Turpin in Talk is Free Theatre’s production of Sweeney Todd (Toronto and Buenos Aires) and also shares 3 Doras for Best Ensemble.
On TV, he plays obnoxious fan favourite Rupert Newsome on CBC's Murdoch Mysteries and appears in Fox TV’s Accused.
Coming up, Cyrus is playing Buddy in the Segal Centre/Mirvish production of the Tony Award winning musical Kimberly Akimbo. He trained at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in London, England.  

Stage Manager: Kasie Rayner
I am thrilled to be a part of another year of Toronto Fringe! Since graduating from Sheridan College, I have worked with amazing companies such as Shakespeare in the Ruff and The Unbridled Theatre Collective, as well as on shows like The Last Timbit and Small Gods the Musical. Shout out to my friends and family for their continued support, and to the theatre community around me for always embracing me and helping me grow. I am eager to continue pursuing new opportunities as an artist in Canadian Theatre!

Sound Design: Brendan Wong
Brendan is a theatrical sound designer based in Toronto, ON. A proud student of Toronto Metropolitan University's Performance: Production program, he specializes in ambient interludes, immersive effects, and musical composition. Select credits
include: Danielle Tea's Infernal Latte (Toronto Fringe, 2023, directed by Victoria Sullivan), The Nether (Toronto Metropolitan University, 2025, directed by Rouvan Silogix), and Vitals (Doormouse Productions, 2024, directed by Naomi Kaplan). Brendan is very happy to be joining the team!

Poster Design: Kurt Firla
Poster Photography: Eliza Lane





Special Thanks:  Joanne's extended family, Borrel Bar and Restaurant, Michael Lagimodiere, Cathy MacKinnon,  everyone who came to the Something to Look Forward To fundraiser or contributed to the buy Joanne a coffee campaign. The Toronto Fringe and it's tireless volunteers, Video Cabaret staff, technicians, FOH and volunteers. The audience! Thank you for coming.

Something To Look Forward To
is dedicated to the memory of
Sean, David and Doug.

Land Acknowledgement
The ‘Something To Look Forward To’ team are honoured to be performing at Videocabaret, with its long history of shining a light on Canada’s colonial past and present. Here in its new space, we feel it’s vital to acknowledge and thank the original caretakers, storytellers, and knowledge keepers of the territory on which we stand, here in the eastend of Tkaronto: the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnebeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples. We honour the Nations recorded and unrecorded, acknowledged and unacknowledged, who hold rights to this land.   We encourage you to learn more about the land we live on by exploring native-land.ca, to read the Truth and Reconciliation Report at trc.ca, and to support up-and-coming generations of indigenous theatre artists by donating to the Centre for Indigenous Theatre at www.indigenoustheatre.com.