Bouche Theatre Collective

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La Coalition de la robe

La Coalition de la robe

by | | Marie-Claude St-Laurent, Marie-Ève Milot, News, Rhiannon Collett, Translation Commisions

This translation was made possible by a grant from Canada Council for the Arts.

LA COALITION DE LA ROBE

By Marie-Claude Garneau, Marie-Ève Milot & Marie-Claude St-Laurent
Published by Éditions du remue-ménage
Translated by Rhiannon Collett

“…the revival of Quebec’s feminist theatre, a vibrant homage to art, the place of women to challenge everything, to move from the shadows to the light, from death to life, from imprisonment to freedom.” – Le Devoir

“These creators, who advocate for the place of women in theatre, present unique work, of incandescent intelligence.” – Urban Bible

They appeared from the shadows, like from a horror movie, the invisible armed with all their crumpled and scraped ideas. In their hands were their stillborn dreams & characters.

Make room for LA COALITION DE LA ROBE – infiltrating the theatre to get women in, and they will not leave. Marie-Claude Garneau, Marie-Eve Milot and Marie-Claude St-Laurent investigate a story of invisibility and anonymity.

This interdisciplinary document records the writers’ political awakening, and their discovery of a heritage not taught in school – the works of Quebecois women. They share their personal journeys, their theatre knowledge, their liberating anger in a collection of scenes, essays and manifestos. A new generation of writers, performers, and audiences is here to shake off their chains and take their rightful place.

Chienne(s) (2018), Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui and Théâtre de l’Affamée.
Photo by Dominic LaChance

Meet the Playwrights

Marie-Ève Milot & Marie-Claude St-Laurent are the Artistic Directors of Théâtre de l’Affamée. Mandated to invest in a (re) new Feminist/feminine theatre, they create complex characters that can be identified outside the binary mode of gender, question normativity and provoke new possibilities. Active members of Femmes pour l’Équité en Théâtre (F.E.T.), they co-wrote the Jeu magazine cry t action, addressing the under-representation of women in theatre, and created reference documents for students and faculty about the under-representation of women and the systems that marginalize them. They have written 8 works together including Cour à scrap – Portrait d’une famille reconstituée, Débranchée (Unplugged) (shortlisted for the prix Louise-LaHaye 2017) and Guérilla de l’ordinaire, (shortlisted for the prix Michel-Tremblay 2020). Their essay La coalition de la robe, co-written with Marie-Claude Garneau, was published in Editions du remue-ménage in 2017. 
Théâtre de l’Affamée

Marie-Ève Milot

(Elle)

Since graduating l’École de théâtre du Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe, Marie-Eve Milot has been deeply involved in the theatre world. As an actress, she has collaborated with Hugo Bélanger (Princess Turandot, Pinocchio, Peter et Alice), Marc Beaupré (Ce samedi il pleuvait), Serge Denoncourt (Thérèse et Pierrette à l’École des Saints-Anges), Geneviève L. Blais (Si les oiseaux, Local B-1717) and Sébastien David Scratch. She was seen le Petit Théâtre de La Colline in Paris, in Les barbelés by Annick Lefebvre, staged by Alexia Boerger, and then remounted the show at the Théâtre de Quat’Sous. She can be seen on large and small screen (Les pays d’en haut, 5e rang).

Marie-Claude St-Laurent

(Elle)

Marie-Claude St-Laurent is an actor, author, feminist activist, co-editor of La Nef aux Éditions du remue-ménage. On the small screen, she was seen in the popular youth show Vrak La vie and is more recently as a cast member in L’écrivain public III and des Sioui-Bacon V. On stage, she produced Guérilla de l’ordinaire, Chienne(s), Toc Toc, Grease and Aller chercher demain. A member of the steering committee of Espace Go, and collaborated in the research study conducted by the RéQEF.

Marie-Claude Garneau

(Elle)

MARIE-CLAUDE GARNEAU trained at the Cégep de Saint-Hyacinthe Theatre School. As an end-of-study internship, she participated in the UNESCO-IIT International Chair Workshops in Sinaia, Romania. She is a graduate of the University of Ottawa with her research focused on feminist dramaturgy, critical and feminist theories, women’s theatre, Quebec theatre, research-creation and socio-criticism. An actor and director, she is known for the role of Leena Babin in the popular youth series RamDam.

About the translator

Rhiannon Collett

(They, Them)

Rhiannon Collett is an award-winning non-binary playwright, performer, director and translator based in Montreal and Toronto. Their work explores the ritualization of grief, gender performativity, queer/trans identity and the psychological effects of sexual objectification. Selected playwriting credits include Miranda & Dave Begin Again (2016 Playwrights Guild of Canada RBC Emerging Playwright Award); Wasp; The Kissing Game); Tragic Queens; La Somnambule (an immersive, site-specific adaptation of Djuna Barnes’ Nightwood); The Revolutions (commissioned and produced by Spiderwebshow, a cross-country collaboration featuring artists broadcast live from Montreal, Toronto, Kingston and Vancouver); There are No Rats in Alberta. Their theatre criticism has been featured in The Globe and Mail, Now Magazine, Intermission Magazine and HowlRound. www.rhiannoncollett.com

Related Projects & News 

International New Translation and Exchange: La Coalition de la robe

International New Translation and Exchange: La Coalition de la robe

By Marie-Claude Garneau, Marie-Ève Milot & Marie-Claude St-Laurent |
Translated to Italian by Carolina Migli

“…the revival of Quebec’s feminist theatre, a vibrant homage to art, the place of women to challenge everything, to move from the shadows to the light, from death to life, from imprisonment to freedom.” – Le Devoir

La Coalition de la robe

La Coalition de la robe

By Marie-Claude Garneau, Marie-Ève Milot & Marie-Claude St-Laurent
Translated by Rhiannon Collett

They appeared from the shadows, their stillborn dreams & characters in their arms. This interdisciplinary document records the writers’ political awakening, and their discovery of a heritage not taught in school – the works of Quebecois women. They share their personal journeys, their theatre knowledge, their liberating anger in a collection of scenes, essays and manifestos.

A Glimpse into New Translation: Still Life

A Glimpse into New Translation: Still Life

By Marie-Ève Milot & Marie-Claude St-Laurent
Translated by Rhiannon Collett
Translated from Chienne(s) (Quebec, Canada)

“…this show crystallizes the revival of Quebec’s feminist theatre, it is a vibrant homage to art, the place of women to challenge everything, to turn everything upside down, to move from imprisonment to freedom.” – Le Devoir

Artists in Conversation – Contemporary Writing in Canada & USA

Artists in Conversation – Contemporary Writing in Canada & USA

Tues, Feb 23 at 14:30 PST | Free
Co-writers Marie-Ève Milot and Marie-Claude St-Laurent with translator Rhiannon Collett join Brittany K. Allen (Studio Theatre, Washington USA) and Keith Barker (Playwrights Guild of Canada) in conversation and introduce excerpts from their latest works.

Antigone in the Spring

Antigone in the Spring

by | | Antigone in the spring, Hugh Hazelton, Nathalie Boisvert, Translation Commisions

Antigone in the Spring

By Nathalie Boisvert | Translated by Hugh Hazelton

 

Running Time:
1 hr 15

Characters:
1 F / 2 M

This translation was made possible by a grant from Canada Council for the Arts.

Antigone in the Spring

By Nathalie Boisvert
Translated by Hugh Hazelton
Translated from Antigone en printemps (Quebec, Canada)

“The character of Antigone in Nathalie Boisvert’s beautiful text is so close to us. The young woman’s personality echoes through Rivière-Éternité in her rejection of all authority…It’s impossible not to feel the contemporary connections such as the student demonstrations of the spring of 2012, a rebellion that is now part of Quebec’s history.” – Sorstu.ca

In this contemporary reimagining of Antigone, in a Montreal of now and myth, birds fall from the sky in the thousands and rot under the sun of an early spring. Antigone and her two brothers, Étéocle and Polynice, are swept up the popular revolution rumbling through the city. Each must chooses a side: Polynice and Antigone join the protesters and the people, Étéocle, joins the repressive forces of Creon and the state. During a riot, the two brothers clash and kill each other. Polynice’s body becomes evidence to incriminate the protesters. How can Antigone, despite all the obstacles, escape the fury of power? In times of unrest, how do you stay whole, and true?

Antigone au printemps was first produced in 2017 (Théâtre Fred-Barry) in Montreal by Le Dôme créations théâtrales, directed by Frédéric Sasseville-Painchaud. It received the Prix Émilie Augier from the Académie Française; and was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award for French Language Drama. In May 2019, it received a dramatic reading at the Teamtheatre Global Quebec event in Munich, Germany.

This translation was made possible by a grant from Canada Cousil for the Arts.

Original Production: Frédéric Millaire-Zouvi (left), Xavier Huard (right) et Léane Labrèche-Dor (center)
Photo credit: @Francis Sercia

About the playwright

Nathalie Boisvert

Nathalie Boisvert 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

Hugh Hazelton

Hugh Hazelton is a Montreal writer and translator who specializes in Quebec and Latin American literature. He has written four books of poetry, including Antimatter (Broken Jaw Press, 2nd edition, with CD, 2010), as well as Latinocanadá: A Critical Study of Ten Latin American Writers of Canada (McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2007), which received the Best Book of the Year award from the Canadian Association of Hispanists. He has translated twenty works of poetry, theatre and fiction from French, Spanish and Portuguese into English. His latest translations are Volume I of the complete works of the Argentine avant-garde poet Oliverio Girondo (Wolsak & Wynn, 2018), and The Doorman of Windsor Station, a play by Julie Vincent (Playwrights Canada Press, 2017). His translation of Vétiver, a book of poems by Joël Des Rosiers, won the Governor General’s award for French-English translation in 2006. He is a professor emeritus of Spanish at Concordia University in Montreal and former co-director of the Banff International Literary Translation Centre. In 2016 he received the Linda Garboriau Award from the Banff Centre for his work on behalf of literary translation in Canada, and in 2018 he was awarded the Prix de poésie Lèvres urbaines by Les Écrits des Forges for his dedication to the advancement of poetry. He is an honorary member of the Literary Translators’ Association of Canada.

Translation Showcase

A Glimpse into New Translation: Facelift

A Glimpse into New Translation: Facelift

By Nathalie Boisvert | Translated by Johanna Nutter

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

SUNDAY JULY 18, 2021
12 PM PACIFIC / 3 PM EASTERN / 8 PM GMT

IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE CANADIAN PLAY THING, PRESENTATION HOUSE THEATRE, RUBY SLIPPERS THEATRE & THÉÂTRE LA SEIZIÈME

read more
Antigone in the Spring

Antigone in the Spring

By Nathalie Boisvert
Translated by Hugh Hazelton

In this contemporary reimagining – in a city of now and myth – Antigone and her brothers, are swept up in the popular revolution sweeping the city.

“Nathalie Boisvert’s beautiful text is so close to us…It’s impossible not to feel the contemporary resonance.” – Sorstu.ca

read more

AND IF ONE NIGHT

AND IF ONE NIGHT

by | | Translation Commisions

And If One Night

By Lisa L’Heureux | Translated by Mishka Lavigne

Running Time:
1 hr 20 min

Characters:
1 M | 3 F

This translation was made possible by a grant from Canada Council for the Arts.

And If One Night

By Lisa L’Heureux | Translated by Mishka Lavigne
Translated from ET SI UN SOIR (Quebec, Canada)

“Modern and poetic…four characters whose desires for true human contact seek to transcend the virtuality of screens and the superficiality of online relationships…Lisa L’Heureux’s characters use the darkness of night to reveal their true colors. Even if they’re hide behind an avatar or keyboard to communicate…Mia, Danielle, Anita and Joseph emerge from the shadows with courage and clumsiness as believable as it is touching. Her pen rich with accuracy and affection, Lisa L’Heureux portrays a generation in search of self and real, concrete meaning to give to its intimacy. “ – ici.radio-canada.ca

In a grey apartment building, four characters live in a dreamlike space in which time moves forward without moving, sometimes in an offbeat and unsettling way. Written as a fragmented dream, this choral piece draws its inspiration from the night to dive into zones of human intimacy that are often hidden. Here, inaction, the moment that precedes the act, is the root of all tension.

Et si un soir was directed by Lisa L’Heureux, produced by Théâtre Rouge Écarlate with the support of Théâtre du Trillium, Nouvelle Scène Gilles-Desjardins in Ottawa, 2018 and received a residency at Chartreuse-lez-Avignon, France, 2015. It was a shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award French Language Drama 2019, the Prix du livre d’Ottawa (2019) and the Emerging Author Award Prix littéraire Émergence de l’AAOF (2019).

It was the recipient of the Prix littéraire Trillium (2019) and Lisa’s production won the Prix Rideau, Outstanding Production Award.

This translation was made possible by a grant from Canada Council for the Arts.

Et si un soir (2018) | A Théâtre Rouge Écarlate production, with the support of Théâtre du Trillium,
presented at La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins. | Photo credit: Jonathan Lorange

About the playwright

LISA L’HEUREUX

LISA L’HEUREUX (She, her, hers) is an Ottawa-based playwright, director, and dramaturg. She is a graduate of  University of Ottawa (B.A. in Theatre and History) and of University of British Columbia (M.A. in Theatre Research). With her company, Théâtre Rouge Écarlate, she has created Ciseaux, Pour l’hiver (Prix Jacques-Poirier 2017), and Et si un soir, cocreated Proximité and directed Projet D. She has had playwright residencies in Belgium (Mariemont, CED-WB), France (La Chartreuse de Villeneuve les Avignon) and with Théâtre du Trillium (Ottawa). She has contributed to many collaborative pieces, such as À quoi ça sert d’être brillant si t’éclaires personne (NAC French Theatre). As a dramaturg, Lisa worked with Satellite Théâtre (Moncton) and with Sudbury playwright Antoine Côté Legault. She is completed a podcast version of Et si un soir.

About the translator

Mishka Lavigne

Mishka Lavigne (She,her, hers) is a playwright and literary translator based in Ottawa/Gatineau. Her translation work for theatre has been seen in Ottawa, Montreal, and France. Héritage, her translation of Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun opened the 2019-2020 season at Duceppe in Montreal.  She is currently working on a French translation of Karen Hines’ All The Little Animals I Have Eaten. Her translations of poetry were published in Ontario and Québec, included the recently published Cette blessure est un territoire, a French translation of Billy-Ray Belcourt’s Griffin Poetry Prize winning collection This Wound is a World. Her own works include Cinéma (Théâtre la Catapulte and Théâtre Belvédère.), Vigile (Théâtre Rouge Écarlate). Her play Havre recently won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama (French) and was shortlisted for the Prix Michel-Tremblay.

Translation Showcase

Podcast: Et si un soir

Podcast: Et si un soir

Listen to French language podcast version of Et si un soir. Produced by Lisa L’Heureux in partnership with Transistor Média, Prise de Parole and Théâtre Rouge Écarlate.

read more

5 Faces of Camille Brunelle (UK)

5 Faces of Camille Brunelle (UK)

by | | 3.Development, News, Translation Commisions

5 Faces of Camille Brunelle

By Guillaume Corbeil | Translated by Jack Paterson

Running Time:
1 hr 30 min

Characters:
2 M | 3 F

5 Faces of Camille Brunelle

By Guillaume Corbeil
Translated by Jack Paterson

Who are we? What are we? What defines identity, language, and human interaction in the era of online social networking? Five online personalities create their tastes, their knowledge, and everything what they have seen, thought, experienced or imagined in a battle to define their personalities and place in the world.

This play is the recipient of The Prix Michel-Tremblay, Le Prix De La Critique: Outstanding New Text, and Audience Choice Award, Primeurs Festival in Saarbrücken, Germany.

“…the highlight of last season…”
Philippe Couture, Voir

“A brilliant text by Guillaume Corbeil…a reflection on our disturbing need for attention, our desire for a stage, our indifference, and especially our solitude .”
Natalia Wysocka, Métro

This translation was workshoped in London UK with East 15 Acting School and in Vancouver Canada with PTC.  It was presented in stage reading format at Vancouver’s rEvolver Festival (The Cultch) and at London UK’s Lador Space with the Canadian F(EH)stival.

Gallery

About the playwright

Guillaume Corbeil

In 2008, Guillaume Corbeil (he, him, his) published a collection of short stories entitled L’art de la fugue (éditions L’Instant Même) that was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award and recipient of the prix Adrienne-Choquette. In 2009, he published his first novel, Pleurer comme dans les films published by Leméac then in 2010 for Libre Expression, he wrote Brassard, a biography of the famous Director André Brassard. In 2011, he completed his training in playwriting at the National Theatre School of Canada. Since then, he has written for the stage Le Mécanicien, Tu iras la chercher, Unité modèle – which will be presented in 2016 Centre du théâtre d’aujourd’hui. Nous voir nous produced in 2013 by Pap theatre under the title Cinq visages pour Camille Brunelle and presented at Espace Go in Montréal, at the Théâtre de la Manufacture in Avignon and at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The play has been awarded le prix de la critique for Outstanding New Text, le prix Micheal Tremblay.

JACK PATERSON

Jack Paterson’s (he/him) practice ranges from devised creation, multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural, and multi-lingual projects to new works, and contemporary approaches to classical theatre in Canada and internationally. He’s a recipient of The Ray Michal Body of Work Award, The Cole Foundation Emerging Translator Award, and The John Moffat and Larry Lillo Award for Outstanding West Coast Artist. He co-founded Vancouver’s Mad Duck Theatre (2001-2009), Vancouver’s only theatre groupe with a gender equity mandate. In 2012, he co-founded Bouche Theatre Collective, bridging local, national, and international artists separated by distance, language, and culture. In 2017, he co-founded Global Hive Labs., a collective of international theatre practitioners working together in devised creation. He has trained at leading international theatrical institutions including Circle in the Square (NYC, USA), GITIS The University of Performing Arts (Moscow, RU), SENI Indonesian Institute of the Arts (Bali, INA) and received his Masters in Fine Arts from the renown East 15 Acting School and University of Essex (London, UK). www.JackPatersonTheatre.com

Translation Showcase

Translation Workshop: Nous voir nous

“A brilliant text by Guillaume Corbeil…a reflection on our disturbing need for attention, our desire for a stage, our indifference, and especially our solitude .” – Natalia Wysocka, Métro

West Coast
English Language Premiere