Montreal Indie Theatre Community Launch 2016
random. Black Theatre Workshop. Lucinda Davis
The Montreal theatre community is thriving, in spite of funding deficits, (especially at CALQ) and the inevitable talent drain to points west, film and video games. The launch at the Monument National café was fantastic.
Cat Lemieux hosted and interviewed the Artistic Directors of ten Montreal independent theatres, including Black Theatre Workshop and Tableau D’Hôte. She kept everything moving with grace and humour as she spoke with Teesri Duniya’s Artistic Director. Hudson Village Theatre was represented as was the Talisman Theatre. Geordie’s outgoing Artistic Director was on hand, as well as Repercussion Theatre’s.
Launch Host Catherine Lemieux and Repercussion Theatre’s Artistic Director Amanda Kellock. Photo Gabriel Saltiel
The upcoming season will be fantastic, innovative and extremely exciting. It includes Angelique, an historical drama about the burning of Montreal co-produced by the Black Theatre Workshop and Tableau D’Hôte, as well as An Intractable Woman by Imago. Teesri Duniya’s offering, The Refugee Hotel really sounds amazing. Repercussion Theatre’s Shakespeare-in-the-Park will be doing an all female cast for Julius Caesar. Tabeleau D’Hôte’s Hosanna is being re-mounted at the Centaur, and I am hoping this is going to be a trend.
Talisman Theatre Genevieve Blais & Lyne Paquette AD. Photo G. Saltiel.
Playwrights Workshop Montreal, which was co-founded by Norma Springford, (who established the theatre department at Sir George Williams University, and designed the original D.B. Clarke Theatre) will be celebrating fifty years of play development. This makes Playwrights Workshop Montreal the longest running play development centre in the country.
Geordie Productions Outgoing & Incoming Artistic Director Dean Fleming & Mike Payette. Photo Gabriel Saltiel
In conclusion we have a fabulous season ahead of us. I want also to point out that the health of the community has been greatly served by ELAN, the English Language Arts Network, which has been tirelessly lobbying on the behalf of English language artists in Quebec. A special shout out to Guy Rogers, its director.
