On May 30th, nine of Montreal’s professional English-language theatre companies announced their artistic programming for the 2019-2020 season in the atrium of the stunning Conseil des arts de Montréal building. And what a line up The Launch MTL has in store for us!
Under the umbrella of community, creativity, shared stories, and daring new approaches, these local theatre companies promise a season filled with unforgettable works and plenty of emotion. Get out your calendar and start planning!
Black Theatre Workshop (BTW)
The 49th season of the Black Theatre Workshop features an impressive line up of 6 public presentations, with a focus on evolving new directions.
Black & Blue Matters is a staged-reading piece by Omari Newton, a follow up to his 2013 play Sal Capone: The Lamentable Tragedy Of, which focused on the death of of an unarmed black man by local police. Black & Blue Matters looks at the incident through the eyes of the white police officer who shot him.
Djennie Laguerre’s Rendez-Vous Lakay returns to the stage, recounting the tale of two sisters on their first journey to Haiti to attend their estranged father’s funeral.
A double bill featuring two playwrights from the Artist Mentorship Program will hit the stage in late 2019: Dark Red by Willow Cioppa and Cry Baby by Kalale Dalton-Lutale.
The world premiere of Christine Rodriguez’s Simone, Half and Half will be touring local schools in February for Black History Month. It is the brave story of Simone, a mixed-race teenage girl struggling to figure out where she fits in a world that judges people on the colour of their skin.
Co-presented with Espace Libre, Tawiah Ben M’Carthy’s Obaaberima features a young man from Ghana, imprisoned in Canada for a violent crime, recounting a story to his cellmates before his release.
And finally, BTW and Centaur Theatre will be presenting August Wilson’s classic American play Fences.
Geordie Theatre
Celebrating 30 years of theatre for young people, Geordie Theatre is launching its new season with the theme of Inside, Out, and All Around!
The Water Chroniclesby Alexandria Haber is a tale about climate change, where a troupe of children in the not-too-distant future set out to save and protect the world’s few remaining water sources. Ages 5 and up. February 8 and 9, 2020.
Award-winning playwright Michaela Di Cesare’s Fear of Missing Out is a coming-of-age piece about a budding journalist’s mission to uncover the truth about the disappearance of teenage girls at a bus stop, tackling issues of consent and cultural identity. Ages 13 and up. February 8 and 9, 2020.
A Greek myth reimagined, Persephone Bound will be presented in collaboration with Imago Theatre, written by and starring Léda Davies in a survival story that follows a young woman’s journey through three dreams: The Underworld, The Court, and The River. This production features poetry, live percussion, and aerial circus work. Ages 13 and up. November 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, and 24, 2019.
Finally, the award-winning children’s story Virginia Wolf by Kyo Maclear has been adapted for the stage by Cole Lewis, inspired by Virginia Wolf’s relationship with her sister, where she helps her learn to care for unwanted emotions. Ages 5 and up. May 1, 2, 3, 9, and 10, 2020.
Hudson Village Theatre
The theatre in a renovated train station has a line up of 3 powerful plays, under the direction of Hudson Village Theatre’s new Artistic Director Dean Patrick Flemig.
Michael’s Healey’s award-winning The Drawer Boy is the story of the effects a young actor has on two Ontario farmers when he shows up one day asking for room, board, and stories in exchange for work. July 2 – 21, 2019.
The funny and touching Marion Bridge by Daniel MacIvor tells the tale of three sisters reunited at their Cape Breton home to care for their mother. August 7 – 25, 2019.
Be sure to catch the two-man musical and Governor General’s Award-winning Billy Bishop Goes to War by John Gray and Eric Peterson. This look at the life of flying ace and irreverent WWI Canadian hero Billy Bishop is told through song and story. October 23 to November 3, 2019.
Imago Theatre
This season at Imago Theatre is filled with great plays, collaborations, and a whole lot more, offering social commentary on issues old and new.
Persephone Bound will be presented in collaboration with Geordie Theatre, featuring poetry, live percussion, aerial circus work. Ages 13 and up. November 15, 16, 17, 21, 22, 23, and 24, 2019.
Latinx playwright Caridad Svich’s Tropic of X is a poetic and moving look at Maura and Mori, two street kids who live at the end of the alphabet, showcasing for audiences what it’s like to find hope and humour in a tourist-infested wasteland. January 29 to February 8, 2020.
Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal
You’re in for a season of innovation and exploration await at Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal:
The Digital and Interdisciplinary Dramaturgy lab will carry out a year-long, cross-Canada investigation of digital art, including the Exploring Practice series in collaboration with Le Centre and Studio 303.
The Queer Reading Series will partner with the Centaur Theatre, looking at three themes of queer identity from distinct points of view. January 31, February 1 2, 2020.
They will also be offering programs for Young Creators Unit, New Stories Project, The Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency, and more.
Repercussion Theatre
An exciting announcement for Repercussion Theatre’s annual Shakespeare-in-the-park tour: the less-produced but immeasurably wonderful “problem” play Measure for Measure. This dark comedy looks at issues of power, corruption, justice, and moral hypocrisy 400 years ago—reflecting much of what we still live with today. July 11 to August 11, 2019.
In collaboration with Tableau d’Hôte, Thy Woman’s Needs is a piece commissioned for and written by award-winning playwright Erin Shields. This exploration of what it means to be a woman working with Shakespeare today centres around a chorus of 7 strong female performers. Spring 2020.
Tableau d’Hôte Theatre
Under the theme of re(claim), the Tableau d’Hôte Theatre will be exploring what lies behind holding space, truth, power, and secrets by looking into what it takes to re(claim) personal and collective narratives.
Jesse Stong’s Winter’s Daughter is inspired by local celebrity barber Gino Chiarella’s family history, where a couple in post World War I Italy struggles with trauma, loss, and how to care for a Jewish child abandoned on their doorstep. November 2019.
Thy Woman’s Needs will also be presented in collaboration with Repercussion Theatre. Spring 2020.
Plus a series of readings in collaboration with Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal will take place, including Mizushōbai by Julie Tamiko Manning (November 2019) and One Week, Last Summer by Anna Burkholder (April 2020).
Tessri Duniya Theatre
This season, titled Are We There Yet, explores themes of race, violence, and social issues through 5 plays from Tessri Duniya Theatre.
Counter Offence by Rahul Varma looks at what happens when the struggle to end racism is in conflict with the struggle to end violence against women.
Nadia Manzoor’s Burq Off is a hilarious, truth-telling show about the promise of Western life versus the realities of a conservative Pakistani family.
Honour: Confession of a Mumbai Courtesan is written and performed by Dipti Mehta, recounting the story of a girl child in a brothel and revealing the truth about sex-trafficked girls around the world.
A look at Syrian refugees and their struggle in a new country is explored in To Stand Again, by Audrey-Anne Bouchard.
And finally Beyond Sight or Au-delà du visual by Audrey-Anne Bouchard is a project that explores how to create and communicate an experience without the sense of sight.
Youtheatre
To mark their 51st season, Youtheatre will take a closer look at the boundary that separates young people and their sense of self from the digital world.
Their 2016 smash hit P@ndora for high-school audiences is back, exploring the life of a 16-year-old girl who turns to the Internet for information about sex and finds her innocent search turned into a disturbing journey through cyber porn.
Elementary-school students will be treated to Molecular Features, a poetic and highly visual piece about a young man born with a hole in his heart who has been searching for the secrets to immortality within the mysteries of molecular biology. It also features workshops where kids will encounter new media tools and techniques.
