Infinitheatre's Upcoming Season
Encouraging playwrights to free the dramaturge inside of them
Infinitheatre has been around for almost 25 years, and has a very Montreal mandate.
Founded under another name in 1988, Infinitheatre promotes and produces Quebec plays and writers. That doesn’t only mean plays in either French, English, or both, but sometimes other languages as well, reflecting the multicultural community that is Montreal.
In fact, Infinitheatre seeks out new plays and new writers, mining different professions to find would-be playwrights, encouraging them to free the dramaturge inside them. Add to that a classic or two, and you have a season of theatre with sell-out crowds and awards that speak for themselves.
Operations Director Barbara Ford was excited to tell me about their upcoming season, but also about how they manage to find new plays and writers: an innovative contest called Write-on-Q. Past winners have earned other kudos and taken their plays to other stages. Their last season was made up entirely of plays from the contest.
The 2011-12 season features a new play from one past entrant, along with 2 other plays, both translations, one of which is a collaboration with another local theatre troupe, Teesri Duniya Theatre. Their play, The Poster, is controversial and, in keeping with their mandate, raises socio-political issues that affect us all. As a French play translated into English, The Poster fits in nicely with Infinitheatre’s vision.
Playwright Arthur Holden came through the Write-on-Q program. Holden is an actor who’s worked with the company in the past. His Ars Poetica, “a comedy about poetry, wireless communication and the wayward impulses of love,” is a brand new play, the second of his to be staged by Infinitheatre.
Photo by infinitheatre.com
Ellen David is one of Montreal’s most recognizable actors. But this time she steps off the stage to direct. As an actor, David has many stage credits to her name, has starred in the TV series 18 to Life, appeared on an episode of Being Human, and some years ago starred in the highly successful play Mom’s The Word at the Just For Laughs Festival (in which she ran across the stage naked, but that’s a whole other story). She is directing a translation of Francois Archamault’s The Leisure Society, a comedy hit on the French stage, produced for the first time in English.
The season opens on November 17th at Bain St. Michel, “the most amazing venue,” says Ford,“an old swimming pool that had fallen to rack and ruin,” but a great place to put on a play. Infinitheatre would like to turn the Plateau Mont Royal site, built in 1909, into their permanent home, which they’d share with other theatre companies. As with all matters of heritage in Montreal, there are some hoops to jump through. But putting on what promises to be a great season of plays will surely help.
Barbara Ford is also very excited about the 6-pack, a great new way to get audiences out to shows. And bringing in new members could work in your favour.
Details at 514-987-1774.
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Myles Beeby said:
On Aug 19, 2011 - 13:26
Great writing as Always... Ive had a long debate with a good friend over wether or not a Female Actor should be referred to as an Actress. I find the word less than nice and never really understood why you need to "sexualize" a profession. There are female firefighters that have every right call themselves Firemen in my opinion . Im glad you refer to Ellen David as an Actor, because Acting is her trade.
Cheers Dan.