By Jessica Dionne for Curtains Up (@maccajess)
If the brutal cold has taught us anything this winter it’s that we’re more than ready to welcome spring, and with it, the renewed energy that it brings to so many theatre artists in Montreal. Though the wait may seem excruciatingly long and the days bitterly cold, the Montreal theatre scene is hot, vibrant, and quickly setting the stage for which shows are not to be missed over the next couple of months. On Monday night, the Quebec Drama Federation launched its 2015 Spring Season to a packed house at Espace 4001, and if the previews were any indication of what’s coming up, we’ve got a lot to look forward to.
Assembled in the small space was an eclectic group of guests passionate about their art and ready to talk about or preview their latest works to a most receptive audience. Kicking off the evening were Guido Cocomello and Shawn Campbell, both cast in Vittorio Rossi’s latest play, The Envelope, which makes its Canadian premiere next Thursday at Centaur Theatre and runs until April 19th. Coincidentally, Centaur Theatre also unveiled its 47th season in ‘luminous’ fashion last week, revealing that its entire line up comprises of works by Canadian artists, and perhaps more note-worthy, four of them were written by women. The first play of the season is a co-production between the National Arts Centre and Black Theatre Workshop and stars Lucinda Davis, who is currently starring in Random, a co-production between Imago Theatre and Black Theatre workshop. Quincy Armorer, Artistic Director of Black Theatre Workshop, took the stage to talk about Random, which runs from now until April 4th at the Mai.
Another notable presence was that of Ellen David, who spoke about Travesties and to preview Love, Loss & What I Wore ahead of its three-night run at Centaur Theatre, starring Sophia Benezra.
Previews included that of Concordia Theatre Department’s Antigone and Persephone Production’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde amongst others.
As for what I’m most excited for? I’ve narrowed it down to the three that I believe shouldn’t be missed.
AcidHawk Theatre’s Trout Stanley by Canadian Playwirght Claudia Dey, running from March 19th to the 29th at Montreal Improv (Theatre B), Travesties by Tom Stoppard at the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts and The Fuddy Collective and InFurnace Theatre’s Fuddy Meers, which runs from April 30th to May 9th at Calixa-Lavallee Theatre.
As we patiently await the arrival of summer and the annual St-Ambroise Fringe Festival, it’s comforting to know that there’s still so much great local theatre to keep us warm. For more information about what’s on, visit http://www.quebecdrama.org/whatson
