Alexander Thomas has spent decades captivating audiences worldwide – from London’s West End to Barrie, Berlin and beyond. And he has at last returned to Toronto with Talk Is Free Theatre (TIFT)’s For Both Resting and Breeding, a futuristic play by Adam Meisner. Running in the house at 164 Cowan Avenue until January 31, 2025, this Toronto premiere marks another milestone in the production’s tours of Australia, Chile, and Argentina, following its 2018 run in Barrie.
Set in the year 2150, For Both Resting and Breeding imagines a genderless society where individuals use the pronoun “Ish.” As two future historians attempt to transform an old house into a museum celebrating Millennials, they unwittingly rekindle the outmoded behaviours they are seeking to preserve. Directed by Maja Ardal, the site-specific production explores the tensions between memory, language, identity, and the cyclical nature of history. Since the play takes place in an actual house, the audience steps directly into the set upon entering the venue and becomes part of the play itself. Meanwhile, the actors treat this house as an ancient relic, blurring the lines between reality and performance to create a uniquely immersive experience – a TIFT specialty.
For Thomas, returning to this play is meaningful and slyly pragmatic: “On a practical level, Arkady [Spivak] has a penchant for putting together these wonderful tours: Australia, Chile, Argentina, and now Japan. That would draw almost anyone back,” he says with a laugh, before turning to the richness of the work. He likens it to “an organic self-aware organism that keeps getting deeper each time we approach it.” Specifically, “it was one play pre-pandemic. And it seemed to have more riches after the pandemic. Things we did not see before. And in the light of the current shifting political tides we are experiencing, it makes even more sense how we might get from where we are now to the world of the Ishes.”
Ultimately, Thomas sees For Both Resting and Breeding as both a futuristic thought experiment and a layered exploration of the forces that shape identity: “I probably connect more with the speculations about history than I do specifically with identity,” he notes, “because I believe that history – and who shapes and passes it down – control identity.” And these ideas are refracted further by the way “the play also adds memory to the explorations of history and identity, creating something even more layered.”
When it comes to his own identity, Thomas is quick to credit his global experiences: “Living and working in other countries, experiencing on a visceral, day-to-day interactive level, our universal humanity, has been transformative. Especially coming from America, where, let’s face it, you can really develop a myopic view of who you are in relation to the rest of the world.” And this universal perspective adds both depth and perspective to Thomas’ work, particularly in a production like For Both Resting and Breeding, which grapples with the echoes of history. He recalls performing the play in Argentina and Chile, noting, “The play’s themes about history – and not repeating the past – had deep resonance with the audiences. You could feel it.” He nods, recalling the cast’s discussions at the time. “It was different. We all agreed.”
Thomas’ career has been celebrated both locally and internationally, with highlights that include winning a Dora Award in 2020 for Outstanding Performance in the Independent Theatre Division for Coal Mine Theatre’s Between Riverside and Crazy. Yet despite his many accolades, Thomas remains humble – perhaps thanks to his uniquely personal perspective on the unpredictability and need for adaptability in life as an artist: “I get to live and work around the world because my spouse works for the German Foreign Service, and every four to five years, she is posted in a different city in a different country. I am always the ‘new kid on the block’ and have no idea if I will even work as an actor. So I’ve become a Jedi at letting go and turning it over to the universe.” He smiles, “As my character Ish84 says, ‘Will see.’”
As audiences cross the threshold of 164 Cowan Avenue for the Toronto run of For Both Resting and Breeding, they are in for a treat. They will experience an intriguing speculative glimpse into a genderless future, paired with twin challenges to confront their relationship with history and identity, and explore the delicate balance between preserving the past and learning from it.
For Both Resting and Breeding is one of two productions TIFT is presenting in Toronto. Mike Bartlett’s comedy Cock runs at Artists Play Studio Carlaw Industrial Complex. Both productions continue until January 31, 2025. Reserve tickets on tift.ca.
And after its Toronto run, For Both Resting and Breeding will head to Japan, reaffirming its power to transcend cultures and time.
© Arpita Ghosal, Sesaya Arts Magazine, 2025
