This translation was made possible by a grant from Canada Council for the Arts.
Wasp
By Rhiannon Collett
Translated to French by Eric Noel
In a town ruled by a shadowy cult, outliers Wasp and Janey nurture a dwindling community of queer resistance. Faced with social isolation and medical barriers, they remain determined to make things work and defend their home. Meanwhile, the Prophet’s daughters grapple with their own sense of home. True-believer Caroline anticipates a lavish future in the cult, but Rachel pushes back at its narrow-minded structures. When birth control is banned and Wasp’s ex-boyfriend Isaac turns up with a suspiciously generous offer, all of their lives are thrown into disarray. Suddenly the clock is ticking, and the cult is closing in. Who can they trust? And who’s in on the game? An electrifying exploration of body autonomy and reproductive rights, Wasp will leave you ready to fight.
WASP was commissioned by Nightswimming as part of their 5X25 program and produced as an audio drama by safeword in affiliation with Nightswimming and Harlot X, in February 2023.
Meet the Playwright & Translator
About the playwright
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
About the translator
Eric Noel
(Iel)
Related Projects & News
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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: River Bed
By Eric Noel | Translated by Jordan Arseneault
Translated from FAIRE DES ENFANTS (Quebec, Canada)
FREE EVENT | Sunday Feb. 28, 2021
Time: 12 pm Pacific | 3 pm Eastern | 8 pm GMT
Where: www.plaything.ca
“…With an urgency to speak that gripes us from the very first lines… touches us right to the heart… Pure and sublime.” –Le Devoir
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Translated from Chienne(s) (Quebec, Canada)
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