The Ballad of Georges Boivin nominated for 3 Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards

The Ballad of Georges Boivin nominated for 3 Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards

The Ballad of Georges Boivin nominated for 3 Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards

We are thrilled to share The Ballad of George Boivin (Western Gold Theatre) has been nominated for three 21/22 Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards – Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Set Design (Glenn Macdonald) and Outstanding Video Design (Joel Grinke).

Theatre is by it’s nature an ensemble based art form and no individual award nomination happens without the work of a great many people. A tremendous thank you to Tanja Dixon-Warren and Western Gold Theatre who supported the project from translation to stage, francophone playwright Martin Bellemare who allowed us to bring his work to English language, the entire Ballad translation, dramaturgy, production and creative teams, and – of course – the wonderful actors Jay Brazeau and John Innes who both returned to the stage for this project.

Bouche workshoped the creative translation through our digital “A Glimpse into New Translation series” and partnered with Western Gold Theatre for Senior Access Design and Creative Translation workshop prior to the producduction.

Congratulations to all the Jessie Richardson Award nominees!

DATES & Times

November 10 – 28, 2021
Evenings: Wed – Sat @ 7:30 pm
Matinees (from Nov. 14): Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun @ 2:00 pm

Location

PAL STUDIO THEATRE
581 CARDERO STREET, VANCOUVER

Website

www.westerngoldtheatre.org

Western Gold Theatre
In association with Bouche Theatre Collectve

WESTERN GOLD:
THE BALLAD OF GEORGES BOIVIN

By Martin Bellemare | Translated by Jack Paterson with Johanna Nutter
Translated from LE CHANT DE GEORGES BOIVIN (Quebec, Canada)

FEATURING
Jay Brazeau and John Innes alternating as Georges Boivin in repertory

At 77, Georges Boivin “gives the dice a roll”. Georges just lost his wife, you see, the “centre of his universe”. He’s terrified “he’s no longer exists for anyone”. But there is life after 70 and it must continue even after great loss. With his three friends, all the same age as he, he sets out on road trip from Québec to Vancouver, in search of his first love who he hasn’t seen in 50 years.

“…explores with great insight thematic territory I’ve never seen covered before…the execution is poetic and the insight genuine…his (John Innes) skill is a joy… a wonderful combination of ease and thoroughness in his technique…he inhabits every word…moments of magic and even transcendence…an intimate — and rewarding — conversation about love.” – Colin Thomas, colinthomas.ca

“…insightful, thoughtful and mind-expanding…Brazeau gives a riveting performance, showing that emotions are still alive – and even volatile – even in your seventies… This is a beautiful play, filled with hope and longing and the realization that yes, there is life and love well into our golden years!” – EntertainmentVancouver.com

“…a heart-warming play that shakes off the myth often associated with old age.” – Reviewvancouver.com

Creating Access, Inter-Gernerational & Cross-Cultural Dialogue

It is no secret that elder artists face barriers to partcipating in the live performing arts due to our professional structures and the natural process of ageing. We have attempted in this project to fuse all elements from scheduling, to rehearsal and design processes, to live performance with access. What has been particularly exciting is how the individual needs, priorities, and theatrical interests of each actor have come to play, creating two district pieces unique to each artist.

Francophone Canadian playwrighting is a uniquely Canadian form and is on the forefront of international practices. Born from different circumstances and cultural needs, the francophone theatre often places metaphor and experience over dramatic arc and the “well-made play”. Cross Cultural collaboration is inherent to bringing this work to English language translation.

One of the great joys of this project was over the pandemic, as we created a Zoom space bringing artists together across cultural, lingual, and physical distances in an intergenerational conversation – with playwright Martin Bellemare and translation collaborator Johanna Nutter joining us from Montreal.

I have had the privilege over the last few months of working with 2 remarkable theatre artists, a wonderfully creative design team, highly supportive producing body in a pan-Canadian conversation. A tremendous thank you to Western Gold Theatre and the Georges Boivin team.

Credits

Writen by Martin Bellemare
Translated by Jack Paterson with Johanna Nutter
Directed by Jack Paterson

FEATURING
Jay Brazeau and John Innes alternating as Georges Boivin in repertory

Assistant Stage Manager: Jessica Adamson
Assistant Lighting Designer: Chengyan Boon
Sound Designer: Stephen Bulat
Artistic Director: Tanja Dixon-Warren
Video & Video Systems Design: Joel Grinke
Costume Designer: Alaia Hamer
Senior’s Access Consultant: Dr. Julia Henderson
Set Designer: Glenn Macdonald
Assistant Director: Hannah Siden
Video & Video Systems Assistant: Vanka Chaitra Salim
Stage Manager: Ingrid Turk
Access And Surtitle Coordinator: Anika Vervecken
Lighting Designer: John Webber

Meet
the Cast

Jay Brazeau (He, Him)

Jay is seemingly everywhere.  His TV work includes SUPERNATURAL, PSYCH, STARGATE SGI, BATES MOTEL, ROGUE, WEST WING, THE X FILES, AIR BUD and THE KILLING.  Films: DOUBLE JEOPARDY, WATCHMEN, INSOMNIA, BEST IN SHOW, COOL RUNNINGS, WE’RE NO ANGELS, THE POSSESSION, LITTLE WOMEN, ANDRE, HEAD OVER HEELS, HORNS, FATHERS AND SONS and many others.  You’ve HEARD him in countless voice roles for cartoons from “Sabrina: The Animated Series” to “My Little Pony”. Plus voicing the the NFB Oscar-nominated THE BIG SNIT.  Jay’s favourite theatre roles includes: Man in the Chair “The Drowsy Chaperone” (National Arts Centre, Vancouver Playhouse), Tevye “Fiddler on the Roof” (California The Rubicon Theatre), “The Goat”  (Presentation House Theatre), Cyrano (Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers Shakespeare Festival), The Wiz in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s North American Tour of “Wizard of Oz” and the wonderful Edna Turnblad in the Canadian premiere of “Hairspray”.  Jay is writing his own play FORTUNATE SONS and co-writing a screenplay THE PROFESSIONALS.  IMBD

John Innes (He, Him)

John Innes was an early graduate of the National Theatre School (’67). He has performed in every major regional theatre in Canada, including 12 seasons with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival where he received a Tyrone Guthrie Award twice. He has also performed in regional theatres in the United States including 3 seasons with the Denver Center Theatre Company. In all, he has been a working actor for over 55 years.

Meet our Playwrights & Translators

About the playwright

Martin Bellemare

(He, Him, His)

A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada’s writing program, Martin Bellemare was nominated for the 2020 Siminovitch Prize and awarded the 2009 Gratien Gélinas Prize for Le Chant de Georges Boivin. La Liberté was presented at La Rubrique (Jonquière) in 2013 and in Montreal in 2015, and was scheduled to be staged in Ottawa in 2020. Maître Karim la perdrix (2018 Prix SACD de la dramaturgie francophone, awarded by the Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques) will premiere at the Théâtre des Capucins in Luxembourg in 2021. Moule Robert (CNL Scholarship, shortlisted for the 2017 Prix SACD de la dramaturgie francophone and the 2018 Michel Tremblay Prize) was produced simultaneously at La Rubrique and at the POCHE/ GVE in Geneva, then at the Théâtre de Belleville in Paris. Martin is a four-time recipient of the Aide à la création grant from the Centre national du Théâtre/ARTCENA in Paris, and two of his plays are included in the repertoire of the Comédie-Française. Two of his plays for young audiences, Un château sur le dosand Des pieds et des mains, which was first produced at the NAC, have toured in Canada and internationally. In 2019, Extraordinaire et mystérieux and Charlie et le djingpouite were produced, and Cœur minéral premiered at the Francophonies in Limoges. The latter play was scheduled for a Montreal production in 2020.

His work has been produced in Quebec, France, Poland and Switzerland and translated into German, Italian and Lithuanian.

About the translator

Jack Paterson

(He, Him, His)

Jack’s practice has taken him across Canada, the UK and around the world. His work has ranged from contemporary devising, multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural and multi-ligual projects to new works  and contemporary approaches to classical theatre.  He trained at  Circle in the Square (NYC, USA), GITIS (Moscow, RU), SENI  (Denpasar, INA) and received his MFA from The University of Essex and East 15 Acting School (London, UK).  Recent project include devised creation in Italy (Teatro Trieste 34, Piacenza) and Indonsia (SENI, Denpasar), and a deep dive into German innovation with Flausen+ (theatre wrede+, Oldenburg). www.JackPatersonTheatre.com

About the colaborating translator

Johanna Nutter

(Elle, She, Her)

Johanna Nutter (she, euro-settler, multidisciplinary artist) developed her passion for translation through acting: being one of few perfectly bilingual theatre artists, she played leading roles at Centaur (Good People, You Will Remember Me) and La Licorne (Les Événements). The attention of both circles came thanks to the success of her solo my pregnant brother/mon frère est enceinte, which she translated during a residency in Tadoussac, accompanied by Linda Gaboriau. The show toured across Canada and Quebec in both languages, and to the UK and Belgium. Subsequently, she translated the works of Annick Lefebvre (Barbed Wire), Guillaume Corbeil (You’ll Go Looking for Her), and Florence Longpré & Nicolas Michon’s ballet-theatre hybrid CHLORINE, which she also produced and directed at Centaur, with her company creature/creature.

About our Partners

About Western Gold Theatre

Western Gold Theatre is the premier company in the country focused on sharing and celebrating the talents of senior professional theatre artists (age 55+). Western Gold also mentors emerging younger professional artists as they ‘share the boards’ with us. We are a vibrant creative gathering place for artists and audiences, young and old. www.westerngoldtheatre.org

Special

Thank You

Haven World English Language Premiere

Haven World English Language Premiere

DATES & Times

January 28 – February 13, 2022 (Thurs-Sat at 8pm, Sun at 2pm)

Viewing available both in-person and on-line

Location

Jericho Arts Centre
1675 Discovery Street,
Vancouver BC V6R 4K5
Tel: 604-224-8007
Email: info@unitedplayers.com

Website

United Players of Vancouver – Theatre Company

English Language Wold Premiere

UNITED PLAYERS OF VANCOUVER
In association with BoucheWHACKED! Theatre Collective

HAVEN

By Mishka Lavigne | Translated by Neil Blackadder
Directed by Jack Paterson | Featuring  Tina Georgieva and Alexander Lowe

“…a moving and sensitive production of this GG-award-winning play…the perfect play for the pandemic: two lonely figures, reaching out, and discovering they have many points of connection..” – Toph Marshall, Artistic Director, United Players

“…convincing, nuanced performances… a fine example of the resilience of the human spirit.” – reviewvancouver.com

Elsie and Matt meet when a hole opens up in her road. She’s just lost her mother; he is tracing his ancestry in Sarajevo. Both are adults feeling voids concerning their parents, and they find what they need in their memories and each other. ‘Haven’ (Havre) won the 2019 Governor-General’s award for French drama, and is here produced for the first time in English.

Creative Team

Directed by Jack Paterson | Assistant Directed by Hannah Siden | Stage Managed by Maria Denhole | Technical Direction by Karen Chiang | Set & Projections Design by Joel Grinke | Lighting Design by Vanka Chaitra Salim | Set Decoration & Props by Alis B | Sound Desiign & Comosition by Georgia Couver | Costume Design by Shasta Lily Barkman | Head Carpentery by Bruce Suttie | Produced by Fran Burnside

Gallery

HAVEN By Mishka Lavigne & Translated by Neil Blackadder, United Players of Vancouver (2022)
Directed by Jack Paterson | Featuring Tina Georgieva and Alexander Lowe
Photos by Nancy Cadwell

Rencontre / Encounter

Mishka Lavigne

Join us for a Digital / Live post show chat with multiple GG Award winning francophone  playwright Mishka Lavigne and translator Neil Blackadder

Mishka Lavigne (she, her) is a playwright and literary translator. Her play, Havre, won a Governor General’s Literary Award (Drama – French, 2019). Her newest work, Copeaux, a poetic movement theatre creation developed with director Éric Perron, was produced in Ottawa in March 2020. It won the Prix littéraire Jacques-Poirier in February 2021 and a Governor General’s Literary Award in November 2021, and it was a finalist for the Prix Marcel-Dubé. Albumen, Lavigne’s first English-language work, won the Prix Rideau Award for best new creation in 2019 and the Quebec Writers’ Federation Playwriting Prize in 2020. Her works have been produced and developed in Canada, Europe, Australia, Haiti and the United States. She is currently working on a bilingual chamber opera libretto with Montréal composer Tim Brady, and her work, Shorelines, will soon be published by Playwrights Canada Press. Mishka Lavigne lives in the Ottawa/Gatineau area.

PRE & POST SHOW SHORT FILM SERIES

CONNECTORS

Conceived of by Jack Paterson | Curated by Hannah Siden

A series of local, national and international short films and media created over the pandemic.

Sunset in Spring, Wuhan | A film by: Haylin Cai. Shot when lockdown was lifted after the first wave in Wuhan, China.

Vancouver April 2020 18:59:30 PT | A film by: Ann Marie Fleming. Commissioned by “Greetings From Isolation”.

Óljós | Director/ Cinematographer: Ash Tailor-Jones. Shot in self-isolation in Toronto, Canada.

Plastic Wings | Music: David Beckingham. Choreographer: Emily Chessa. Director: Hannah Siden. In collaboration with Ballet BC.

Isolations | Director: Talia Shea Levin. Choreographer: MUDA/Maritza Navarro. Music: Amanda Leigh Jerry. In loving memory of Kat Devoe-Peterson.

East Vancouver April 7 2021 | A film by: Ann Marie Fleming. Commissioned by “Greetings From Isolation”.

We Rise Again – Cross Canada Virtual Choir Tour | Featuring: The Elmer Iseler Singers joined by Agincourt Madrigal Singers, Cape Breton Chorale, Thunder Bay Symphony Chorus, Whitehorse Community Choir, Wiarton Concert Choir.

A Glimpse into New Translation: Facelift

A Glimpse into New Translation: Facelift

Facelift

By Nathalie Boisvert | Translated by Johanna Nutter

A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE IS A DIFFERENT VISION OF LIFE

A glimpse into
new translation

Join us online for our English language new translation development workshop series.

Discover the leading new works of francophone Canadian theatre, meet the playwrights and their translators, and play a part in the new translation process.

FREE EVENT

DATE

Sunday July 18, 2021

TIME

PT (Vancouver): 12PM
MT (Calgary): 1PM
CT (Regina): 2PM
ET (Montreal): 3PM
AT (Halifax): 4PM
GMT (London UK): 20:00 hrs
CET (Berlin EU): 21:00 hrs

RUNNING TIME

2 hrs including Intermission and conversation with the playwright

In Association with The Canadian Play Thing, PHT Creative Hub Co-operative,  Ruby Slippers Theatre & Théâtre la Seizième

FACELIFT

By Nathalie Boisvert | Translated by Johanna Nutter
Translated from FACELIFT (Quebec, Canada)

Featuring Nimet Kanji, Lisa C. Ravensbergen and Gwynyth Walsh
Q&A moderated by Catherine Ballachey

A woman in her fifties leads us in a makeup tutorial: first the foundation, then the eyes and finally the mouth… As she constructs the perfect face, she shares with us the secrets of successful make-up, her thoughts on the necessity of this camouflage, the dangers of age, loneliness and failure. As she drifts away from the female ideal, she enters into a dialogue with Nelly Arcan and Simone de Beauvoir. The activity of daily make-up turns into a examination a woman’s life, questioning the relationship between women and beauty, seduction, ageing and the subject of women’s freedom in the face of social diktats.

A brand new work, Facelift was featured at TEAMTHEATER TANKSTELLE e.V (Munich) and TeamTheatreGlobal:Quebec 2019

This translation and workshop is made possible by a grant from Canada Council for the Arts.  This project is produced with the co-operation of the UBCP/ACTRA.

Meet our Playwright & Translator

About the playwright

Nathalie Boisvert

Nathalie Boisvert (she, her, hers) holds a bachelor’s degree in acting and a master’s degree in drama from the University of Quebec in Montreal (1993). In 1997, her first play, The Sordid Story of Conrad B., was performed at the Festival ide Spa (Belgium), remounted in Brussels and translated into English by Bobby Theodore. In 1999, her work, L’été des Martiens (Lansman) premiered simultaneously in Quebec (Théâtre Niveau Parking) and France (La Comédie de la Mandoune) and again produced simultaneously in 2006 in Dusseldorf (Landstheatre) and Berlin (Grips) in German translation by Frank Heibert. Translated into English by Bobby Theodore, it was also produced in 2002 by Theatre Direct (Toronto). In 2006, her play Vie et Mort d’un village, received lauréate des Journées de Lyon (Éditions Comp’Act) and she received le Prix Gratien-Gélinas in 2007 for Buffet chinois. Her Antigone au printemps was a finalist for the 2018 Governor General’s Award French Language Drama and received the Prix Émile-Augier.

About the translator

Johanna Nutter

Johanna Nutter (she, euro-settler, multidisciplinary artist) developed her passion for translation through acting: being one of few perfectly bilingual theatre artists, she played leading roles at Centaur (Good People, You Will Remember Me) and La Licorne (Les Événements). The attention of both circles came thanks to the success of her solo my pregnant brother/mon frère est enceinte, which she translated during a residency in Tadoussac, accompanied by Linda Gaboriau. The show toured across Canada and Quebec in both languages, and to the UK and Belgium. Subsequently, she translated the works of Annick Lefebvre (Barbed Wire), Guillaume Corbeil (You’ll Go Looking for Her), and Florence Longpré & Nicolas Michon’s ballet-theatre hybrid CHLORINE, which she also produced and directed at Centaur, with her company creature/creature.

Meet the workshop team

Nimet Kanji (She, her, hers)

Nimet is an award winning Theatre and TV/Film actor and has had the pleasure of working with Edward James Olmos (Battlestar Galactica), Kevin Sorbo (Paradox) and John Cusack (Martian Child) amongst other notable names. Her theatre credits include ‘Sultans of the Street’ (Carousel Theatre), ‘9 Parts of Desire’ (The Maggie Tree) and ‘Victim Impact’ (Theatre Conspiracy).

Lisa C. Ravensbergen (She, Her, Hers)

A tawny mix of Ojibwe/Swampy Cree and English/Irish, Lisa is an award-winning, multi-hyphenate theatre artist and emerging scholar. Her work is rooted in Indigenous protocol, ontologies, and decolonial methodologies and is recognized nationally and internationally for its rigour and artistic excellence. Lisa resides on unceded Coast Salish territory. lisacr.com

Gwynyth Walsh (She, Her, Hers)

Well versed on stage and screen, Gwynyth is happy to be working with Jack Paterson again. Screen credits include Virgin River, Man in the High Castle and Black Summer. Stage credits include The Tempest ( with Jack! ), Mary Stuart, King Charles III, and Barefoot in the Park.

Guest Dramaturg: Diane Brown (She, Her, Hers)

Diane is a multi award-winning director, actor, and Artistic Director of Ruby Slippers Theatre (RST). In 2017, she received the prestigious Bra D’Or Award from Playwrights Guild of Canada and was a 2018 Nominee for the Women of Distinction Awards, in recognition of her years of empowering the voices of diverse female-identifying artists. She and RST earned the reputation as Vancouver’s finest producers of crucial Quebec works in English, translations commissioned by RST. Diane has a BFA from SFU and an MFA in Directing from UBC.

Creative Producer: Jack Paterson (He, Him, his)

Jack is an award winning theatre maker whose work and practice has taken him across Canada, UK, EU and around the world. Work has ranged from devising creation, multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural and multi-ligual projects to new works & texts, contemporary approaches to classical theatre. www.jackpatersontheatre.com

About our Partners

About The Canadian Play Thing

The Canadian Play Thing is a playwright-centred virtual theatre that shares live readings of new and under-produced Canadian plays online. The goal is to support and celebrate the work of playwrights, and to connect our theatre family across the country. Artists and audiences around the world are welcome. www.plaything.ca

About The PHT Creative Hub
Co-operative

The PHT Creative Hub Co-operative has transformed how we collaborate and share performing arts with our communities. Co-op artist members from across performance disciplines fill our spaces, work on their own creative projects, and share their skills and expertise with each other. The PHT Creative Hub Co-operative

 

About Ruby Slippers Theatre

Ruby Slippers Theatre imagines a world where diversity is celebrated through a deeper understanding of each other. www.rubyslippers.ca

Francophone Canadian Theatre Resources

About Centre des auteurs dramatique

An association of authors serving authors, CEAD is a centre for the support, promotion and dissemination of French-language dramaturgy here. It occupies a unique place both in terms of the number of authors it brings together and the objectives of quality and innovation it pursues. www.cead.qc.ca

About Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal

Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal is a new creation development centre. PWM gives artists the opportunity to create and experiment, dream and take risks, fail and try again. Our dynamic collaborative process draws on our team’s unique expertise and is tailored to the artist’s individual needs. At PWM, playwrights, dramaturgs, translators, directors, performance artists, and theatre companies across the country find a creative accomplice willing to invest deeply in the development of meaningful work. www.playwrights.ca

About Théâtre la Seizième

Founded in 1974, Théâtre la Seizième is the main French language, professional theatre company in British Columbia. Since its creation, la Seizième contributes to the richness and diversity of the performing arts through its activities in new play development, production, presentation, and touring in French. Through powerful experiences that reflect the very best of francophone performing arts, from here and elsewhere, our company aims to inspire, enrich, and bring together diverse audiences. www.seizieme.ca

Special

Thank You

Land Acknowledgement

Bouche’s activities take place on and are launched from the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish People: the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. We recognize and honour the recommendations from the Truth and Reconciliation commission and acknowledge the importance of Indigenous sovereignty on this unceded territory.

*A territorial or land acknowledgement is an act of reconciliation that involves making a statement recognizing the traditional territory of the Indigenous people who called the land home before the arrival of settlers, and in many cases still do call it home.
For more information on the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada click here.

CRFO Arts Rational Interview with Nathalie Boisvert

CRFO Arts Rational Interview with Nathalie Boisvert

CRFO Arts Rational Interview with Nathalie Boisvert

Listen to award winning francophone playwright Nathalie Boisvert and John Jack Paterson on Vancouver Co-op Radio CFRO’s Arts Rational to discussing francophone theatre and her play Facelift.

Available on all following platforms:

http://www.coopradio.org/content/arts-rational-874

ABOUT NATHALIE BOISVERT (ELLE, SHE, HER, HERS) | PLAYWRIGHT: FACELIFT

Nathalie Boisvert holds a BA in acting and a MA in drama from the University of Quebec. In 1997, her first play, L’histoire sordide de Conrad B., was performed at the Festival de Spa (Belgium), remounted in Brussels and translated into English by Bobby Theodore. In 1999, her work, L’été des Martiens (Lansman) premiered simultaneously in Quebec (Théâtre Niveau Parking) and France (La Comédie de la Mandoune) and again produced simultaneously in 2006 in Dusseldorf (Landstheatre) and Berlin (Grips). In 2006, her play Vie et Mort d’un village, received lauréate des Journées de Lyon (Éditions Comp’Act) and she received le Prix Gratien-Gélinas in 2007 for Buffet chinois. Her Antigone au printemps was shortlisted for the 2018 Governor General’s Award French Language Drama and received the Prix Émile-Augier. Antigone is currently being translated to English by Hugh Hazelton.

A Glimpse into New Translation: Tales of the Sun

A Glimpse into New Translation: Tales of the Sun

A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE IS A DIFFERENT VISION OF LIFE

A glimpse into
new translation

Join us online for our English language new translation development workshop series.

Discover the leading new works of francophone Canadian theatre, meet the playwrights and their translators, and play a part in the new translation process.

FREE EVENT

In association with Axis Theatre, The Canadian Play Thing,
Presentation House Theatre, & The PHT Creative Hub Co-operative

TRILOGY OF AN EMIGRATION

“…the clear skies of hope, and poetry able to chase away the darkest clouds and the deepest suffering…a celebration of beauty.” – Le Soleil

Phillipe Soldevila’s award winning emigration trilogy is a deeply personal work taking us on a journey of two continents, and four generations. From Spain to Quebec, from 1917 to 2017, the tales of this trilogy explores identity, the encounter between cultures, and the search for belonging in Canadian culture.

Sunday March 28, 2021 | 12 pm Pacific / 3 pm Eastern / 8 pm GMT

Tales of the Sun

By Philippe Soldevila | Translated by Leanna Brodie
Translated from Conte du soleil (Quebec, Canada)

“…a brilliant conclusion to his trilogy on emigration, identity and resilience…
as humorous as it is moving…”
– MonThéâtre.qc.ca

Étienne, 10, and Octavio, his father, have isolated themselves from each oher. Étienne prefers his screens, his father takes refuge in his work. Exploring Etienne’s Spanish great-grandmother’s childhood, in the land of the Sun, these two may yet find a way back to each other and connect the worlds of multiple generations. The last chapter of a generational and deeply personal trilogy on the immigrant journey.

Featuring Rick Dobran, Allegra Fulton & Julie Leung

HOW TO ATTEND
Click this link at showtime:
http://bit.ly/Tales-Sun

Online venue opens 5 minutes prior to start. Latecomers welcome – audience does not appear on screen. Capacity 100.

This translatation was commissioned by Bouche Theatre Collective and made possible by a grant from Canada Council for the Arts.

Conte de la lune, Conte de la neige & Conte du soleil. Produced by Théâtre les Confettis with le Théâtre Sortie de Secours.  Photography by Louise Leblanc.

Meet our Playwright & Translator

About the playwright

Philippe Soldevila

(He, Him, His)

“I’m born of Quebec, both feet in the snow. My parents are born of nations under the sun. ” – Phillipe Soldevila

Philippe Soldevila is a leading francophone director, playwright, author, and translator. With a BA in French literature (Université Laval) and Theatre (University of Ottawa), he studied at the Conservatory of dramatic art of Quebec. He is the artistic director of Théâtre Sortie de Secours. In May 1998, he received the John Hirsch Award from the Canada Council for the Arts in recognition of his work as a director. He wrote and directed Tale of the Moon (Mask 2006 for Best Production for Young Audiences, Éloizes 2007 Production of the Year Award and ZOF Award of the French Cultural Federation and SAIC). His artistic approach is guided by his fascination with cultural intermingling and identity issues.

About the translator

Leanna Brodie

(She, Her, Hers)

Leanna Brodie is an actor, playwright, and translator whose passions include lifting up the stories and voices of women, and championing a new generation of French-Canadian playwrights by transmitting their extraordinary theatrical visions into the English language. Her original plays The Vic, For Home and Country, The Book of Esther, and Schoolhouse (Talon Books) have been performed across Canada. Her translations include Christian Bégin’s After Me and Why Are You Crying?; Louise Bombardier’s My Mother Dog; Annie Brocoli’s Stardust; Rébecca Déraspe’s You Are Happy, I Am William, and Gametes; Amélie Dumoulin’s Violette; Sébastien Harrisson’s From Alaska and Two-Part Inventions; Catherine Léger’s Opium_37 and I Lost My Husband!; David Paquet’s Wildfire and The Shoe; Olivier Sylvestre’s The Paradise Arms; Philippe Soldevila’s Tales of the Moon; Larry Tremblay’s Panda Panda; and multiple plays by Hélène Ducharme of Théâtre Motus, whose acclaimed, Dora Award-winning Baobab continues to tour China and the Americas after more than 600 performances.

Meet the workshop team

Tales of the Sun

RICK DOBRAN (HE, HIM, HIS)

Rick Dobran is an actor and writer living in Vancouver, BC. Rick is very excited to be able to contribute to this creative effort even through the pandemic.

Allegra Fulton (she, her, hers)

Allegra Fulton is an award winning actor and director, whose distinguished career has taken her across Canada, the U.S. and Europe winning accolades and critical praise portraying iconoclasts, sexy and dangerous women. She is proud to have shepherded the Catalan translation of THE LIST by Jennifer Tremblay, and directed the Catalan premiere of LA LLISTA in Barcelona’s prestigious LLuire Theatre, after having performed the English premiere of this wonderful play in Toronto. Her great grandfather, Jesus Garcia, having left Asturias settled in Australia, making a life for himself and his family, and at 40 years of age, returned to fight against Franco in the Spanish Civil War. He was caught in Barcelona and hidden by a family who helped him get back to Australia.  Grateful to be part of a play educating us all about a war that still is not easily, or often, spoken of. www.allegrafulton.com

Julie Leung (She, Her, Hers)

Julie is an actor and theatre artist from the Unceded Coast Salish Territories (Vancouver) and is currently residing in the Kulin Nations of the Boon Wurrung First Peoples (Melbourne). She has worked for numerous companies across Canada including Belfry Theatre, Arts Club Theatre, Western Canada Theatre, Green Thumb Theatre and Caravan Farm Theatre. Julie is a graduate of Studio 58.

Guest Dramaturgs

Chris McGregor (HE, HIM, HIS)

Chris McGregor has a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from Bishop’s University and a Masters in Theatre in Directing from the University of British Columbia. Chris has taught physical theatre, Commedia dell’arte, mask and Red Nose Clown at the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Bishop’s University and Studio 58. He has directed more than 60 productions across Canada and has won four Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards and nominated for four Ovation Awards for directing. Chris began as the Artistic Associate with Axis Theatre Company in 2014 and was appointed Artistic Director in 2015.

Kim Selody (HE, HIM, HIS)

Kim Selody has worked as a writer, director, and actor in Canada and internationally for over 30 years. He has directed more than 100 productions, many world premieres for youth and young audiences. Playwriting credits include Silverwing, The Hobbit, Fool’s Angel, Synthetic Energy, Suddenly Shakespeare and The Last Drop. His reach as a dramaturg has spanned decades, countless projects in many countries. Kim has served as Artistic Director of the Playwrights Theatre Centre, Carousel Players in Southern Ontario, and at Presentation House Theatre since 2011

Creative Producer: Jack Paterson (He, Him, his) *

Jack is an award winning theatre maker whose work and practice has taken him across Canada, UK, EU and around the world. Work has ranged from devising creation, multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural and multi-ligual projects to new works & texts, contemporary approaches to classical theatre. www.jackpatersontheatre.com

Learn more about gender affirming language here

This project is produced with the co-operation of the UBCP/ACTRA.

About our Partners

About Axis Theatre

Axis Theatre is an entertaining, smart and inspirational company focused on engaging young and young-at-heart audiences. In the age of “looking down,” Axis draws young eyes up to engage them in interactive experiences that educate, inspire and transform.  www.axistheatre.com

 

About The Presentation House Theatre

Presentation House Theatre (PHT) is the north shore’s professional theatre company, where ideas play and grow into quality performing arts for all ages. For more than 40 years, friends and strangers have gathered in this welcoming space to enjoy innovative programming and quality professional shows.  www.phtheatre.org 

About Théâtre Sortie de secours

Since its founding in 1989, Sortie de Secours has devoted itself to the creation of original theatrical works, most often in collaboration with artists from outside its immediate milieu. These encounters being both drive and fuel the approach. The theatrical act is an medium to explore the complexity of identity issues and experience the diversity and marriage of voices. Sortie de Secours is also devoted to creating work inspired by art, literature, myths and international practices, with the aim of generating, through this “cultural distance”, a critical look at our own individual and collective behaviors, both among creators and spectators. Théâtre Sortie de Secours

 

About The Canadian Play Thing

The Canadian Play Thing is a playwright-centred virtual theatre that shares live readings of new and under-produced Canadian plays online. The goal is to support and celebrate the work of playwrights, and to connect our theatre family across the country. Artists and audiences around the world are welcome. www.plaything.ca

About The PHT Creative Hub
Co-operative

The PHT Creative Hub Co-operative has transformed how we collaborate and share performing arts with our communities. Co-op artist members from across performance disciplines fill our spaces, work on their own creative projects, and share their skills and expertise with each other. The PHT Creative Hub Co-operative

 

Francophone Canadian Theatre Resources

About Centre des auteurs dramatique

An association of authors serving authors, CEAD is a centre for the support, promotion and dissemination of French-language dramaturgy here. It occupies a unique place both in terms of the number of authors it brings together and the objectives of quality and innovation it pursues. www.cead.qc.ca

About Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal

Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal is a new creation development centre. PWM gives artists the opportunity to create and experiment, dream and take risks, fail and try again. Our dynamic collaborative process draws on our team’s unique expertise and is tailored to the artist’s individual needs. At PWM, playwrights, dramaturgs, translators, directors, performance artists, and theatre companies across the country find a creative accomplice willing to invest deeply in the development of meaningful work. www.playwrights.ca

Special

Thank You

A Glimpse into New Translation: Tales of the Snow

A Glimpse into New Translation: Tales of the Snow

A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE IS A DIFFERENT VISION OF LIFE

A glimpse into
new translation

Join us online for our English language new translation development workshop series.

Discover the leading new works of francophone Canadian theatre, meet the playwrights and their translators, and play a part in the new translation process.

FREE EVENT

In association with Axis Theatre, The Canadian Play Thing,
Presentation House Theatre, & The PHT Creative Hub Co-operative

TRILOGY OF AN EMIGRATION

“…the clear skies of hope, and poetry able to chase away the darkest clouds and the deepest suffering…a celebration of beauty.” – Le Soleil

Phillipe Soldevila’s award winning emigration trilogy is a deeply personal work taking us on a journey of two continents, and four generations. From Spain to Quebec, from 1917 to 2017, the tales of this trilogy explores identity, the encounter between cultures, and the search for belonging in Canadian culture.

HOW TO ATTEND
Click this link at showtime:
http://bit.ly/Tales-Snow

Online venue opens 5 minutes prior to start. Latecomers welcome – audience does not appear on screen. Capacity 100.

 

Sunday March 21, 2021 | 12 pm Pacific / 3 pm Eastern / 8 pm GMT

Tales of the Snow

By Philippe Soldevila | Translated by Leanna Brodie
Translated from Conte de la neige (Quebec, Canada)

“A moving play on family, separation and resilience.”
– ICI Radio-Canada

Nothing is more natural for a 10 year old boy born in Quebec in the early 1970s to dream of skating like Guy Lafleur. And our young hero is no exception to this rule. Except that, for more great and only woe, his name is Octavio Casesnoves-Ruiz. For Octavio, this difference is a weight that he refuses to bear. The old stories and values of his Spanish father, a victim of the Spanish cvil war, are of no interest to him until his grandmother gives him a pathway to understanding.

Featuring Lucia Frangione, Ming Hudson & Michael Scholar, Jr.

This translatation was commissioned by Bouche Theatre Collective and made possible by a grant from Canada Council for the Arts.

Conte de la lune, Conte de la neige & Conte du soleil. Produced by Théâtre les Confettis with le Théâtre Sortie de Secours.  Photography by Louise Leblanc.

Meet our Playwright & Translator

About the playwright

Philippe Soldevila

(He, Him, His)

“I’m born of Quebec, both feet in the snow. My parents are born of nations under the sun. ” – Phillipe Soldevila

Philippe Soldevila is a leading francophone director, playwright, author, and translator. With a BA in French literature (Université Laval) and Theatre (University of Ottawa), he studied at the Conservatory of dramatic art of Quebec. He is the artistic director of Théâtre Sortie de Secours. In May 1998, he received the John Hirsch Award from the Canada Council for the Arts in recognition of his work as a director. He wrote and directed Tale of the Moon (Mask 2006 for Best Production for Young Audiences, Éloizes 2007 Production of the Year Award and ZOF Award of the French Cultural Federation and SAIC). His artistic approach is guided by his fascination with cultural intermingling and identity issues.

About the translator

Leanna Brodie

(She, Her, Hers)

Leanna Brodie is an actor, playwright, and translator whose passions include lifting up the stories and voices of women, and championing a new generation of French-Canadian playwrights by transmitting their extraordinary theatrical visions into the English language. Her original plays The Vic, For Home and Country, The Book of Esther, and Schoolhouse (Talon Books) have been performed across Canada. Her translations include Christian Bégin’s After Me and Why Are You Crying?; Louise Bombardier’s My Mother Dog; Annie Brocoli’s Stardust; Rébecca Déraspe’s You Are Happy, I Am William, and Gametes; Amélie Dumoulin’s Violette; Sébastien Harrisson’s From Alaska and Two-Part Inventions; Catherine Léger’s Opium_37 and I Lost My Husband!; David Paquet’s Wildfire and The Shoe; Olivier Sylvestre’s The Paradise Arms; Philippe Soldevila’s Tales of the Moon; Larry Tremblay’s Panda Panda; and multiple plays by Hélène Ducharme of Théâtre Motus, whose acclaimed, Dora Award-winning Baobab continues to tour China and the Americas after more than 600 performances.

Meet the workshop team

Tales of the Snow

Lucia Frangione (She, her, hers)

Lucia Frangione is an award winning actor and internationally produced playwright from Vancouver. Favourite roles include Annie in Misery for the Arts Club, Rosa in Espresso for The Belfry and Estelle in No Exit for the Electric Theatre Co/Virtual Stage. www.LuciaFrangione.com

MING HUDSON (SHE, HER, HERS)

Ming is a performer, director, deviser, facilitator, and teacher who specializes in physical theatre and the creation of new work as a collective ensemble. She has worked with The Arts Club, Bard on the Beach, Theatre Replacement, Atomic Vaudeville, The Firehall, and Boca del Lupo, and is currently a faculty member at CCPA.

MICHAEL SCHOLAR, JR. (HE, HIM, HIS)

Michael is the Artistic Director of November Theatre, whose notable productions include The Black Rider (National Tour) and Hard Core Logo: Live (PuSh Festival). Michael has directed and acted with companies across North America including La Mama (NY), Globe Theatre (Regina), Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ex Machina (Quebec), Tarragon (Toronto), Arts Club Theatre (Vancouver), Catalyst Theatre (Edmonton) and Belfry Theatre (Victoria) to name a few.  www.novembertheatre.com

Guest Dramaturgs

Chris McGregor (HE, HIM, HIS)

Chris McGregor has a Bachelor of Arts in Drama from Bishop’s University and a Masters in Theatre in Directing from the University of British Columbia. Chris has taught physical theatre, Commedia dell’arte, mask and Red Nose Clown at the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Bishop’s University and Studio 58. He has directed more than 60 productions across Canada and has won four Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards and nominated for four Ovation Awards for directing. Chris began as the Artistic Associate with Axis Theatre Company in 2014 and was appointed Artistic Director in 2015.

Kim Selody (HE, HIM, HIS)

Kim Selody has worked as a writer, director, and actor in Canada and internationally for over 30 years. He has directed more than 100 productions, many world premieres for youth and young audiences. Playwriting credits include Silverwing, The Hobbit, Fool’s Angel, Synthetic Energy, Suddenly Shakespeare and The Last Drop. His reach as a dramaturg has spanned decades, countless projects in many countries. Kim has served as Artistic Director of the Playwrights Theatre Centre, Carousel Players in Southern Ontario, and at Presentation House Theatre since 2011

Creative Producer: Jack Paterson (He, Him, his) *

Jack is an award winning theatre maker whose work and practice has taken him across Canada, UK, EU and around the world. Work has ranged from devising creation, multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural and multi-ligual projects to new works & texts, contemporary approaches to classical theatre. www.jackpatersontheatre.com

Learn more about gender affirming language here

This project is produced with the co-operation of the UBCP/ACTRA.

About our Partners

About Axis Theatre

Axis Theatre is an entertaining, smart and inspirational company focused on engaging young and young-at-heart audiences. In the age of “looking down,” Axis draws young eyes up to engage them in interactive experiences that educate, inspire and transform.  www.axistheatre.com

 

About The Presentation House Theatre

Presentation House Theatre (PHT) is the north shore’s professional theatre company, where ideas play and grow into quality performing arts for all ages. For more than 40 years, friends and strangers have gathered in this welcoming space to enjoy innovative programming and quality professional shows.  www.phtheatre.org 

About Théâtre Sortie de secours

Since its founding in 1989, Sortie de Secours has devoted itself to the creation of original theatrical works, most often in collaboration with artists from outside its immediate milieu. These encounters being both drive and fuel the approach. The theatrical act is an medium to explore the complexity of identity issues and experience the diversity and marriage of voices. Sortie de Secours is also devoted to creating work inspired by art, literature, myths and international practices, with the aim of generating, through this “cultural distance”, a critical look at our own individual and collective behaviors, both among creators and spectators. Théâtre Sortie de Secours

 

About The Canadian Play Thing

The Canadian Play Thing is a playwright-centred virtual theatre that shares live readings of new and under-produced Canadian plays online. The goal is to support and celebrate the work of playwrights, and to connect our theatre family across the country. Artists and audiences around the world are welcome. www.plaything.ca

About The PHT Creative Hub
Co-operative

The PHT Creative Hub Co-operative has transformed how we collaborate and share performing arts with our communities. Co-op artist members from across performance disciplines fill our spaces, work on their own creative projects, and share their skills and expertise with each other. The PHT Creative Hub Co-operative

 

Francophone Canadian Theatre Resources

About Centre des auteurs dramatique

An association of authors serving authors, CEAD is a centre for the support, promotion and dissemination of French-language dramaturgy here. It occupies a unique place both in terms of the number of authors it brings together and the objectives of quality and innovation it pursues. www.cead.qc.ca

About Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal

Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal is a new creation development centre. PWM gives artists the opportunity to create and experiment, dream and take risks, fail and try again. Our dynamic collaborative process draws on our team’s unique expertise and is tailored to the artist’s individual needs. At PWM, playwrights, dramaturgs, translators, directors, performance artists, and theatre companies across the country find a creative accomplice willing to invest deeply in the development of meaningful work. www.playwrights.ca

Special

Thank You