Riding The Dolphin

Coming soon.

Chantria Tram: Someone Between

I can't think of a better way to celebrate spring than with some new and exciting talents. Cambodia and Canada are both highlighted, as a young girl is caught between two worlds; old vs new, family and the individual, in Someone Between.
Produced by Apsara Theatre Company .

Written by: Chantria Tram. Directed by: Milena Buziak

Playing at Le Monument National
May 15 - 17, 2009.

Box office: 514- 871-2224.

Montreal Welcomes New York's - The Living Theatre

The Living Theatre is coming to Montreal.


Photo courtesy of www.livingtheatre.org

The 4th annual Montreal International Anarchist Theatre Festival (MIATF) presents, New York's legendary, The Living Theatre . Performing two night's at Concordia University's D.B. Clarke Theatre . (Guy-Concordia) metro station

May 13 & 14, 2009. 1455 de Maisoneuve West at 7:30pm.
Tickets $15 available at the door or in advance at L'Insoumise bookstore 2033 boulevard St- Laurent (514) 313-3489.

Opening Acts

May 13 - Maiken, an Innu giant puppet theatre troupe from the Mani - Utenam reserve will showcase a mythical piece, Tshakapesh.

May 14 - Genevieve Letarte will perform a bilingual solo performance
titled, 'Still There.' Also performing this night will be the music and voices of,
La Chorale de la Maison La Virevolte et ses musiciens et musiciennes.

Community Theatre Artist: Rachael Van Fossen

Photo courtesy of www.goddard.edu

The Theatre Department at Concordia University would not be the same without it including Theatre & Development programme teacher Rachael Van Fossen. In fact it would be downright sinful not to have her on board. An accomplished theatre director, professional playwright, and artistic director, Rachael Van Fossen is dedicated in producing participatory arts, interdisciplinary arts , collaborative and community play based theatre.

Ka'ma'mo'pi cik/The Gathering

The Calling Lakes Community Play project was co-written and co-directed by Rachael Van Fossen and Darrel Wildcat in Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan in 1992. This community play (which was published in an anthology) project involved professional theatre artists working side by side with many non theatre people from within the community. Rachael says, "The play was far from exclusive, that's for sure. The process was very collaborative."

Working on some difficult issues concerning both the Native and non- Native community members, The Gathering which was staged promenade style , was based on actual stories from the town's people. Rachael says, " ... the play was a departure point for discussion and dialogue, showing people the actual stories of the "Other" group, and in that way getting rid of some commonly held assumptions."

The Gathering won the National Race Unity Award in March 1993.

Other Creative Endeavors

- Founder and artistic director of Common Weal Community Arts in Regina. 1992 - 1999.
- Artistic director of Black Theatre Workshop. 2001 - 2005.
- Co - authored with Ruth Howard, "Easy to Say: Reflections on the roles of art and the artist in Canadian adaptations of the Colway Community Play form."
- Member of Stand Firm Quebec.
- Produced and directed several radio dramas for the CBC.
- Goddard College Professor in interdisciplinary arts.
- Dramaturge and panelist (Armenian heritage) for Untold Histories. Presented by Teesri Dunyia, "Courageous life stories of making home anew in Montreal."

Rachael Van Fossen lives in Montreal with her partner of over 20 years, Gordan Fisch, and their children Caitlin and Elijah.

Local French Theatre Events

French Theatre

36(Les). By Simon Boulerice, Olivier Choiniere, Julie Vincent, etc. Dir. Catherine Vallee-Gregoire, To Apr 11. Theatre La Chapelle. 3700 St-Dominique St, Mtl. (514) 843-7738.


Photo courtesy of www.stick.com

Edmond. By David Mamet, Dir. Germain Pitre, trans. Pierre Laville, Apr 1-4. Studio-d'essai Claude-Gauvreau . 405 Ste- Catherine E, Mtl. (514) 987-3456.


Photo courtesy of www.estuqam.ca

Charge de l'orignal epormyable (La). By Claude Gauveau. Dir. Lorraine Pintal. To Apr 4. Theatre du Nouveau Monde. 84 Ste-Catherine W, Mtl. (514) 866-8668.


Photo courtesy of www.quartierdesspectacles.com

Deni (Le). By Arnold Wesker. Dir. Martine Beaulne. Trans. Genevieve Lefebre. to Apr 11. Theatre Jean - Duceppe , PdA. 173 Ste- Catherine W. Mtl. (514) 842-2112.


Photo courtesy of www.tourisme-montreal.org

Alice sureXposee. Dir.Patrice Trembly. To Apr 4.Geordie theatre . 4001 Berri St. Mtl.

Bruit des qui craquent (Le). By Suzanne Lebeau. Dir. Gervais Gandreault. To Apr 25.Theatre d'Aujourd'hui . 3900 St-Denis, Mtl. (514) 282-3900.


Photo courtesy of camerapolaroid.blogspot.com

Local English Theatre Events

English Theatre

Le Code Noir By George Boyd, Dir. Richard Donat. To Apr 5. Segal Centre for Performing Arts , 5170 Cote-Ste-Catherine Rd, MtL. (514) 739-7944.Presented by: Black Theatre Workshop . Box Office:(514) 932-1104 ext. 225.


Photo courtesy of Black Theatre Workshop

City of Wine/Oedipus By Ned Dickens. Dir. Ulla Neuerburg-Denzer . Presented by Concordia University Department of Theatre . Apr 2-5. F.C. Smith Auditorium, Loyola Campus,7141 Sherbrooke Street West. Ticket purchase in person only at the Oscar Peterson Concert Hall (7141 Sherbrooke Street West, SC01-10). Box Office: (514) 848-2424, ext. 4742.


Photo courtesy of fineartsconcordia.ca

Julius Caesar By William Shakespear. To April 4. No show March 29-April 1. Moyse Hall 853 Sherbrooke W. (McGill Arts Building) . (514) 398-6070.


Photo courtesy of www.mcgill.ca

The Mystery of Edwin Drood. To Apr 4. Dir. Andrew Cuk & Jason Howell. Presented by John Abbott College Theatre Workshop . Casgrain Theatre 21275 Lakeshore, Ste-Anne-de Bellevue . Box Office (514)457-2447. Tickets also available at the door.


Photo courtesy of www.memphis.edu

OPENINGS

Age of Arousal By Linda Griffiths, Dir. Sarah Stanley . To Apr 19. Centaur Theatre, 53 St-Francois Xavier. (514) 288-3161.


Photo courtesy of Centaur Theatre

Rumors By Neil Simon. Dir. Irene Arseneault. To Apr 5. Hudson Village Theatre . 28 Wharf, Hudson. (514) 979-3570. Box Office: (450) 485-5361.


Photo courtesy of roslynschools.org

Hudson Village Theatre

Photo courtesy of www.themonitor.ca

Hudson Village Theatre was founded in 1993 by Concordia Theatre graduate Heather Markgraf-Lowe . The plays were originally produced in a large tent beside the Mon Village Restaurant in beautiful St. Lazare .

In 2000, under Markgraf-Lowe's leadership , loving guidance, fundraising extravagances and encouraged by their growing audience, moved the productions into their newly renovated , air conditioned theatre , the Hudson train station .

Artistic Directors

- Heather Markgraf 1993 - 2003
- Andrew Johnston 2004 - to present


Photo courtesy of Hudson-village.com

With over 25 successful productions, children's productions, comedy gigs , concerts, and fundraising events brought to the stage thus far, Hudson Village Theatre continues to draw loyal audiences from Montreal, Ottawa , and surrounding areas.


Coming Attractions

- Yonder Hill in Concert May 30th, 2009

- The Dik & Mitzi Anniversary Show. August 27th - 30th, 2009. Written & Performed by Wayne Doba and Andrea Conway. Directed by Mary Harvey.


Photo courtesy of www.villagetheatre.ca


Box office - 450-458-5361
www.villagetheatre.ca
Free parking and wheelchair accessible.

to Sea in a Sieve: Jumblies Theatre comes to Montreal

Photo courtesy of www.jumbliestheatre.org

What a special treat it was to have taken a workshop taught by Ruth Howard of Jumblies Theatre . Concordia theatre students were introduced to creating art collaboratively based on our own life experiences. These were created with pastels and passed onward to our classmates, hence becoming an artful team effort . With our stories colourfully illustrated it was time to build the script.

Given some time to organize ourselves and given a set of prepared questions we began the process of interviewing our classmates. Equipped with our new scripts we then formed groups or worked alone on our stories to present.

As the Concordia weekend was coming to a close we all presented our pieces authentically and creatively. Taking the designated time, patiently in exploring and listening to each other tell our stories was an especially favorite part of mine in the weekend's Jumblies Theatre workshop.

Jumblies Theatre


Photo courtesy ofwww.collectionx.museum
"Makes art in everyday and unexpected places for, about and with the people and stories found there." - Ruth Howard

Contact at www.jumbliestheatre.org
Telephone: 416-203-8428.

Theatre Ste Catherine

Photo courtesy of www.theatrestecatherine.com

Now Playing


Photo courtesy ofwww.blackmontreal.com

Cherry Docs - By: David Gow. A Persephone Production . Directed by: Gabrielle Suskin April 16 - 26, 2009.
Reservations call: 514- 481-1327.
www.persephoneproductions.org


Photo courtesy ofwww.persephoneproductions.org

Theatre Ste Catherine
264 Ste. Catherine E.
514-284-3939.
Berri UQAM Metro.

Porte Parole: Documentary theatre

Photo courtesy of www.porteparole.org

Co-founded in 1998 by Annabel Soutar and Alex Ivanovici , Porte Parole aims to draw attention to, and shed much needed light on serious social and political issues. Through their bilingual documentary plays, Porte Parole explores, interviews, researches, and challenges the information given in government and other official documents.

It is going beyond the spoken word to find the conflicts, searching for that moment that strikes you, the gestures, pauses, and the natural rhythm's of a person's speech patterns that contributes most to the story.

It is the breaking down in the person's syntax of speech , with the umm's and the aahhh's that play a major role in finding some of the real connections. The real story emerges behind the words and the gestures, the true feelings come through with the pauses and the breaking down in the syntax patterns. This is an important element at the center of creating authentic documentary theatre .

Up Coming Productions


Courtesy of www.porteparole.org

Sexy Beton - By Annabel Soutar and Carole Frechette . June 2009 - January 2010. There will be five shows which will be presented as one - act plays.

Past Works

Seeds - Schmeiser vs Monsanto - Written by Annabel Soutar. 2005.


Photo courtesy of www.montrealmirror.com

Montreal La Blanche - Written by Bachir Bensaddek. 2004.


Photo courtesy of www.porteparole.org

Sante! - Writers: Annabel Soutar, Angela Read, Chris Clark, Peter Farbridge, Alex Ivanovici, Giovanna Nicolo, Catherine Tasse, and Jacob Richmond. 2003. Presented in a seven part series. 2003.

2000 Questions - Written by Annabel Soutar. 2002.


Photo courtesy of www.porteparole.org

Novembre - Written by Annbel Soutar. 2000.

Contact Information

4060 St-Laurent Blvd, Suite 704
Montreal, Quebec H2W 1Y9

Telephone: 514-842-8883
info@porteparole.org