Hypothetical Baby
September 2 - 13, 2026
Written and Performed by Rachel Cairns
In Hypothetical Baby, Rachel Cairns mixes data and drama to present an autobiographical work that dares to publicly talk about abortion the way we do privately — with neurotic vulnerability, unflinching honesty, and frank irreverence.
This darkly hilarious one-person show grapples with the personal and societal factors that shape our reproductive lives and the intricate relationship between choice, change, and loss. Cairns—named “one of the country’s most original actors” by The Globe & Mail and recognized with the publications Critic’s Pick—offers up a searingly honest, laugh-out-loud, and nuanced exploration of the practical and existential considerations involved in deciding whether to be, or not to be, a parent.
CREATIVE TEAM
Rachel Cairns - Writer/Performer
Courtney Ch'ng Lancaster - Director
Julia Howman - Production Designer
Cosette Pin - Sound Designer
Taylor Young - Production Stage Manager
The Limited Engagement Series is sponsored by: Laura Dinner and Richard Rooney
Meet the Hypothetical Baby Team
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Rachel Cairns is a Toronto-based creator currently developing both the memoir and film adaptations of her critically acclaimed play Hypothetical Baby, in partnership with ECW Press and with support from Telefilm. She is the creator and host of Aborsh, a Planned Parenthood Choice Award–winning podcast exploring abortion in Canada through conversations with experts, activists, and people across the country. Rachel teaches at George Brown’s School of Media and Performing Arts and directs audiobooks for Penguin Random House. She is also a recent alum of the Broadbent Institute’s Emerging Leaders Program a national fellowship for emerging progressive leaders
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Cosette Pin is a multidisciplinary artist specializing in sound, lighting, projection, and scenic design for theatre and live performance. Their recent Off-Broadway credits include Stranger Sings! (sound design) and The Big Reveal: Live Show! (production design, La MaMa). Select design credits include Hypothetical Baby (Tarragon), 1999 (WAM Theatre), Shedding a Skin (Nightwood), Velour: A Drag Spectacular (Tectonic Theatre Project), Box 4901 (Buddies in Bad Times), and Third Law (WWTNS?). They are a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada and have received nominations for the Craig Noel Award and Dora Mavor Moore Award.
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Courtney Ch’ng Lancaster is a director, performer, and artistic leader of The Howland Company. She recently served as Assistant Artistic Director at Tarragon Theatre and is a former resident artist with Soulpepper Theatre. Her directing credits include The Wolves (Howland/Crow’s – Toronto Theatre Critics Award for Outstanding Ensemble), Three Women of Swatow (Tarragon – Dora Nomination for Outstanding Direction), The Home Project (Howland/Native Earth/Soulpepper – 5 Dora nominations), and Cannibal (Next Stage Festival). Courtney has performed extensively across Canada, winning multiple Dora Awards for Best Ensemble and appearing twice on Now Magazine’s Top Ten Theatre Artists list. She is also a co-creator of the children’s musical podcast Stillwater School for Mosquitos and teaches at York University.
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Julia Howman is a multidisciplinary designer and production manager with a special interest in projection design and the integration of video with live performance. She has served as Production and Facilities Manager at Native Earth Performing Arts since 2023. Recent design credits include Hypothetical Baby (The Howland Company/ Nightwood Theatre, 2023/2025), The Chemical Valley Project (various productions, 2017–2024), Access Me (Boys in Chairs Collective), and Distant Early Warning (Buddies in Bad Times). Julia is a settler on Turtle Island, was raised in Doha, Qatar, and lives in Tkaronto.
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Taylor Zalik-Young is a Toronto-based Stage Manager, originally from Calgary, AB. He holds a BFA from TMU in Performance Production and is currently the Arts Encounters Producer at dance: made in canada.
Some of his recent projects include: Stage Manager, CAMP! Mixtape Projects at Toronto Fringe & TO Live's Best of Fringe, 2026; Production Stage Manager, The Room Upstairs, Holla Jazz, Toronto Dance Theatre, DanceWorks, 2026; Stage Manager, Who Will Save the Night Sky, Awaken Festival at Gwaandak Theatre, 2026; Stage Manager, Buoyancy of Light, pounds per square inch performance, 2025; Production Stage Manager, 2025 Fall Season, ProArteDanza; Stage/Tour Manager, les Moutons, BoucharDanse at DIG Festivaler, 2025; Stage Manager, Firehorse & Shadow, Dreamwalker Dance Company & Citadel + Compagnie, 2025; and Stage Manager, Reina, Buddies in Bad Times & Pencil Kit Productions, 2025.
GALLERY
Photos by Dahlia Katz
