Darren Stewart-Jones

Darren Stewart-Jones is an award winning theatre producer, director and a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada. As the Artistic Director of Baby Gumm Productions, Darren has produced and/or directed several plays at theatres across Ontario and at the United Solo Festival in New York City.

Darren is the Founding Artistic Director of both the Toronto Queer Theatre Festival (Gay Play Day), an annual festival of LGBTQ theatre and the HamilTEN Festival, Hamilton's annual 10 minute play festival. After eight years of hands-on involvement, Darren permanently left both festivals in 2019 to pursue other projects.

Darren's plays include Fade To Black, The Judy Monologues, Sherlock & Watson: Behind Closed Doors and Emerald City - A musical play. Darren is also the screenwriter of three short films - Digging Up Dorothy, Ramblings of a Middle-Aged Drag Queen and Stroke of Fate. Darren also co-produces the Canadian comedy series, Pink Is In, which is currently streaming on Bell Fibe TV1 in Canada and on Amazon Prime Video in the US and the UK.

Darren's favourite past directing credits for the stage include A. R. Gurney's Love Letters starring Sheila McCarthy and David Ferry and Norm Foster's The Christmas Tree featuring Ramona Milano and Marc Bondy.

Darren is a three time nominee for the City of Hamilton Arts Awards for his work in the arts.

Darren is especially committed to encouraging other independent (LGBTQ+) artists to follow their own paths of creative expression.

Stroke of Fate

Stroke of Fate is a short dramatic film starring award-winning Canadian actress Sheila McCarthy (Women Talking) as Shirley and Nathaniel Bacon as Jake. In a hospital waiting room, old family wounds come to the surface as a mother and son wait for news of their loved one's prognosis. The film was awarded Best Narrative Short at the 2021 Louisiana Rainbow LGBT+ Film Festival.

Written by Darren Stewart-Jones, directed by Aharon Jinjihashvili and produced by Lisa Crawford, the film was shot on location in Hamilton, Ontario in 2020. Stroke of Fate premiered on CBC television on March 10, 2022 as part of Canadian Reflections. You can currently stream Stroke of Fate on CBC GEM at the link below. The film can also be viewed on Amazon Prime Video in the UK and worldwide on GayBinge TV.

Stroke of Fate on CBC GEM

Nathaniel Bacon and Sheila McCarthy in Stroke of Fate

 

Digging Up Dorothy

Digging Up Dorothy is a short film from Twenty Twenty Productions. Written by Darren Stewart-Jones, the film follows drag queen Ruby LaRue as she stages a protest in a cemetery after hearing that Judy Garland's (The Wizard of Oz) remains are going to be moved. Based on an actual news event, this fictional short comedy explores superfandom and celebrity.

The film stars Darren Stewart-Jones as Ruby and Paige Locke as news reporter Sandy Sandhurst. Directed by Aharon Jinjihashvili and produced by Lisa Crawford, Digging Up Dorothy is available for streaming on Amazon Prime in the US, UK and Germany. The film is also available for streaming on GayBingeTV.

Darren Stewart-Jones and Paige Locke in Digging Up Dorothy

 "The obsession with Judy Garland builds to a hilarious punchline!"

- MyGayToronto.com

    

      

J.C. Superstar

 

Elley-Ray as Joan Crawford

J.C. Superstar is a short play based on the actual final meeting between Hollywood actress Joan Crawford and her estranged son, Christopher.

Sparks fly when mother and son have a confrontation poolside at Miami's Fontainebleau Hotel. The piece appeared at the 2019 Toronto Queer Theatre Festival, featuring Elley-Ray Hennessy as Crawford and Josh Sanger as Christopher.

Elley-Ray Hennessy thrilled audiences with her biting yet touching portrayal of Crawford. The play was written and directed by Darren Stewart-Jones whose obsession with vintage Hollywood films has also inspired him to create plays about Marilyn Monroe and Judy Garland.

Fade to Black

Fade to Black appeared at the 2018 Toronto Queer Theatre Festival. Written and directed by Darren Stewart-Jones, the play featured Nonnie Griffin as aging former Hollywood superstar Bedelia Blake and Nathaniel Bacon as Jamie, her number one fan. Philip Cairns also appeared as Mr. Johnson. The piece was specifically written with Miss Griffin in mind. The play also received a staged reading with a different cast at South Simcoe Theatre's 2019 Four Play Festival.

"Darren Stewart-Jones' Fade to Black is blessed by the presence of Nonnie Griffin as octogenarian Bedelia Blake, a fictionalized America’s Sweetheart of the Classic Hollywood era now living forgotten in a Bronx rattrap -until her community service-appointed Meals on Wheels deliveryman (Nathaniel Bacon) turns out to be a huge fan. Griffin, who starts the show sleeping under an Uta Hagen acting book, is sharp, cynical, and fiery yet frail, appropriately outmatching everyone else on stage. The play’s premise is charming."

- Toronto's Mooney on Theatre, 2018    
        

Nathaniel Bacon and Nonnie Griffin in Fade to Black

Misfit

Misfit is based entirely on an actual letter written by screen siren Marilyn Monroe after her forced confinement to a psychiatric clinic in 1961. The private and revealing thoughts of a Hollywood legend are revealed as she recounts her harrowing experience. A copy of this letter recently sold at auction for an undisclosed amount.

Baby Gumm Productions presented Darren Stewart-Jones' stage production of Misfit at the 2016 London One Act Festival and the 2017 Hamilton Fringe Festival, featuring Paige Locke as Marilyn Monroe.

The piece was adapted into a short film entitled Misfit M, released in 2019, also starring Paige Locke as Marilyn.

Paige Locke as Marilyn Monroe in Misfit

Sister Annunciata's Secret by Nonnie Griffin

Baby Gumm Productions presented award winning Canadian theatre legend Nonnie Griffin in her solo show, Sister Annunciata's Secret, at the 2016 Hamilton Fringe Festival.

Sister Annunciata's Secret is based on the true story of a Catholic nun's forbidden passion and the price she payed for yielding to its temptation. Written and performed by Nonnie Griffin, Sister Annunciata's Secret was directed by Darren Stewart-Jones.

In Sister Annunciata's Secret, Griffin portrayed all 5 roles in a story about guilt, redemption and salvation set against the backdrop of the Catholic church in the 1930s. The play previously appeared at the 2012 Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.

Nonnie Griffin in Sister Annunciata's Secret

Marilyn-After by Nonnie Griffin

Baby Gumm Productions was pleased to present Canadian theatre legend Nonnie Griffin in her one-woman show, Marilyn-After. The play imagines Marilyn Monroe coming back to life fifty years after her death to tell us about her life, her loves and her untimely passing.

Nonnie Griffin has been praised for her portrayal of Marilyn Monroe.  The play was originally directed by Peggy Mahon. Darren Stewart-Jones produced the 2015 tour of Marilyn-After, which culminated at the United Solo Festival in New York.

Griffin, who bore a striking resemblance to Monroe, brought her effortlessly to life in an evening of shocking truths, mitigated by touches of wit and humour, for which Monroe was famous.

Nonnie Griffin is indelibly remembered for her performances in such Toronto stage productions as Hello Dolly!, Waiting For The Parade and The Sea. Canadian television audiences may recognize Nonnie from her guest starring roles on numerous series, including King of Kensington, Doc, RoboCop, Forever Knight and Street Legal. She was also a favourite on the children's television series, Polka Dot Door.

Marilyn-After played to enthusiastic crowds and standing ovations in Hamilton, Stratford, London, Kitchener, Collingwood and Toronto. In 2015,  Ms. Griffin wowed the audience with her performance in Marilyn-After on Theatre Row in New York City as part of the United Solo Theatre Festival, winning the award for Best International Show.

Nonnie Griffin in Marilyn-After

"Quite remarkable!" 
- Gary Smith, The Hamilton Spectator


Sadly, Nonnie Griffin passed away in June of 2019 just days before she was meant to perform her latest solo show based on the life of Gone With The Wind author Margaret Mitchell.

The Christmas Tree by Norm Foster

A tree lot. Christmas Eve. One man. One woman. One tree. Who should get it? Each gives reasons through tales of woe as to why they are more deserving of the tree and each seems unmoved by the other's predicament.

In December, 2015, Baby Gumm Productions presented both the Toronto and Hamilton premieres of Norm Foster's hilarious Yuletide comedy, The Christmas Tree.

Ramona Milano (Due South, Degrassi) and Marc Bondy (Stratford Festival) starred in this Canadian Christmas comedy, directed by Darren Stewart-Jones.

"The Christmas Tree, written by Norm Foster and directed by Darren Stewart-Jones, is a short and sweet play. The plot doesn’t really go anywhere, but Marc R. Bondy and Ramona Milano are so entertaining that I didn’t care that I had just watched two pathological liars flirt for an hour. It’s a weird premise, but it’s charming and a good laugh. It was a really sweet way to start off the holidays."

- Toronto's Mooney On Theatre

Ramona Milano and Marc Bondy

Love Letters by A. R. Gurney

Before emails and text messages, people actually exchanged letters with one another!

A. R. Gurney's Love Letters is comprised of correspondence exchanged over a lifetime between two people who grew up together, went their separate ways, but continued to share confidences.

As the actors read the letters aloud, what is created is an evocative, touching, frequently funny but always telling pair of character studies in which what is implied is as revealing and meaningful as what is actually written.

In October of 2015, Baby Gumm Productions presented Sheila McCarthy (Little Mosque, The Umbrella Academy) and David Ferry (Republic of Doyle, Dan For Mayor) in this revival of A. R. Gurney's Pulitzer Prize nominated love story. The production, directed by Darren Stewart-Jones, played to sold-out audiences at Hamilton's Staircase Theatre.

Emerald City - A musical play

Emerald City - A musical play premiered at the 2014 Toronto Fringe Festival. A sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, the show features songs from the American Songbook of the early 20th Century.

The original Baby Gumm production featured Christie Stewart as Dorothy. Christie was previously a top twenty finalist for the role of Dorothy on Andrew Lloyd Webber's CBC television series Over The Rainbow.  Emerald City also featured Matthew Fuller as Tin Man, Dillan Chiblow as Lion, Chris Vergara as Scarecrow and Rory Bray as Glinda. Darren Stewart-Jones directed the production and choreography was by Allison Beula. Nicole Byblow was musical director with Henry Keeler designing the set and costumes.

Written by Darren Stewart-Jones, Emerald CIty follows Dorothy and her friends as they take a detour off the yellow brick road and find themselves in group therapy with Dr. Oz, Psychiatrist.

Christie Stewart as Dorothy and Rory Bray as Glinda

Dorothy has lost Toto, Scarecrow has ADHD, Tin Man is depressed and Lion is seeking the courage to come out to his friends. Oh, and Glinda is now a top model with her picture on the cover of Ozmopolitan magazine.

Featuring such classic songs as After You've Gone, I Ain't Got Nobody and I'm Always Chasing Rainbows, this new Oz-inspired show is fun for the whole family.

Emerald City was nominated for a 2014 BroadwayWorld Toronto award in the category of Best Fringe Festival Production - Musical. Christie Stewart (Dorothy), Rory Bray (Glinda), Matthew Fuller (Tin Man) and Dillan Chiblow (Lion) were also each nominated for Fringe Festival Breakout Performance.

NOW magazine review by Jon Kaplan

Sherlock & Watson: Behind Closed Doors

Sherlock & Watson: Behind Closed Doors is a short play that re-imagines the world's greatest detective and his trusted sidekick as more than just friends. Based on characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, this new take on the classic duo was written by Darren Stewart-Jones.

The play premiered in 2013 at the Toronto Queer Theatre Festival (Gay Play Day). The original production was directed by the playwright and featured Nathaniel Bacon as Sherlock and Nick May as Dr. Watson. Toronto's Mooney On Theatre said the piece was "written and directed with careful attention to period detail" while Nathaniel Bacon's Holmes was "sexy, witty and endearing".

Nathaniel Bacon played Sherlock opposite Nick May as Watson

In 2014, Baby Gumm Productions produced the play as part of the Gallery Mini-Series at the Hamilton Fringe Festival with Mark Keller as Sherlock and Louis Adams as Dr. Watson. Set and costumes were again designed by Henry Keeler. Hamilton's VIEW Magazine lauded the "excellent writing" while the Hamilton Spectator said the play "offered an intriguing climax" to the relationship between Sherlock & Watson.

Louis Adams as Watson and Mark Keller as Sherlock

Sherlock & Watson: Behind Closed Doors also appeared at the 2014 London One Act Festival in London, Ontario, where it was given a special award by the festival's adjudicator for "Overall Elegance and Design".

The script for Sherlock & Watson: Behind Closed Doors is available online at most E-book retailers.

The Judy Monologues

The Judy Monologues is a multimedia docudrama based entirely upon rare voice tapes recorded by Judy Garland in the years leading up to her untimely death in 1969 at age 47 from an accidental overdose of barbiturates. Conceived and directed by Darren Stewart-Jones, the production features vintage film clips of Garland from her Hollywood heyday.

The Judy Monologues premiered at Buddies In Bad Times Theatre in Toronto, Ontario in September of 2010 and subsequently played The Pearl Company in Hamilton, Ontario. Performed by three male actors as a tribute to Garland's influence on the gay community, the original cast included Philip Cairns, Ryan Fisher and Darren Stewart-Jones. Nigel Gough (1982-2010) was the understudy. A Garland lookalike, Kimberly Roberts, also appeared in silent vignettes. Sadly, soon after coming off the stage from his one and only performance in The Judy Monologues, actor Nigel Gough was killed in a traffic accident while riding his bicycle. He was just 28 years old.

An abridged version of The Judy Monologues was performed in London, Ontario as part of the London One Act Festival in April, 2011. Philip Cairns won Best Actor at the festival's awards ceremony. The play also received two additional awards - special mentions for the concept and the audio/visual content.

The Judy Monologues enjoyed a successful run at the 2012 Toronto Fringe Festival with Michael Hughes replacing Ryan Fisher in his role. Michael's own Garland-influenced solo show, Mickey & Judy, was awarded Best of Toronto Fringe the previous year.

 "These three formidable actors perform a polished rendition of the recordings. They become Judy’s voice. Re-instating her status as gay icon – and honouring her fame."

- Toronto's Mooney On Theatre 

Elley-Ray as Garland in The Judy Monologues

In 2013, director Darren Stewart-Jones revamped The Judy Monologues into a one-woman show. Elley-Ray Hennessy played the role of Garland to rave reviews at the 2013 Hamilton Fringe Festival. That same production also played The One More Night Festival at The Box Toronto. The Hamilton Spectator's theatre critic called Elley-Ray "Garland reborn".

"What playwright Darren Stewart-Jones and actress Elley-Ray Hennessy have captured brilliantly in The Judy Monologues is the essence of a great star confronting her past."

- Gary Smith, The Hamilton Spectator

Elley-Ray reprised her role as Garland in The Judy Monologues at the 2015 SpringWorks Festival in Stratford, Ontario.

The script for The Judy Monologues is available at most online E-book retailers.