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)

Eric Noel (they, them) is a Quebecois playwright and graduate of NTS French language writing program. They are the author of Faire des enfants (2009), Tirade pour Henri (2010), Ces regards amoureux de garçons altérés (2015) and L’Amoure Looks Something Like You (2020). They are also the author of a libretto for an opera by Vincent-Olivier Gagnon, Sans électricité, les oiseaux disparaissent (2009), and the children’s theatre piece La Mère, le Père, le Petit et le Grand (2012). They also adapted Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince for Theatre La Roulotte Asteroid B612 (2018).

Related Projects & News

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.

International New Translation Workshop: River Bed

RIVER BED (FAIRE DES ENFANTS) by Eric Noel | Translated by Jordan Arseneault with British Equity WSW London Branch (Vancouver, London UK, Cayman Islands)

International New Translation Workshop: Chienne(S)

CHIENNE(S) By Marie-Ève Milot and Marie-Claude St-Laurent | Translated by Rhiannon Collett with British Equity WSW London Branch (Vancouver, Toronto and London)

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