• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

STAGED READINGS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NATIONAL THEATRE SCHOOL OF CANADA Feb 3 - 6, 2021 Ages 0 - 100! Directors’ WORDS Welcome to our fourth instalment of the Geordie Theatre Fest! What a wild and strange time we are living in. Like the world’s fiercest roller coaster, we have gone through many ups and many downs as we look towards reaching a year in this new reality. But through it all, we are reminded of the people, the stories, and the shared moments that give us strength to move forward and hope for the time we will be together again, in the everyday, and in the theatre. Until then, we are so proud to offer this special event that showcases new pieces and playwrights and new productions in Theatre for Young Audiences. For the second year, we are grateful to provide a space for emerging playwrights to continue the development of new works in TYA and would like to thank Andrea Romaldi, Dean Patrick Fleming and the National Theatre School for their partnership in this initiative. We can’t wait to hear the teens’ responses to the developing works of Jena Maclean (Until Tenth Grade) and Sarah Currie (The Borrowing Man): NTS graduating playwriting students. And, of course, we are so thankful to keep our far-reaching and flagship 2Play Tour alive during these times. Through our adapted live-streaming platform, we have supported our ability to reach schools and their communities in Eastern Canada, making new friends along the way. Already, The Little Mighty Superhero and Celestial Bodies have been seen by over 8,000 young people! Typically, we would be performing these shows to the public live in Montreal during the fest, but this year, we are excited to share these pieces in your home. I want to thank all our artists and collaborators who are truly warriors, keeping the imagination vibrant and inspiring boundless possibility. Thank you for being with us, lots of light and stay safe! Mike Payette Artistic Director Director, Celestial Bodies Little Mighty Superhero is a timely story for me and my family. This is a beautiful story of a boy (Max) who misses his Lola (Grandmother) and is starting to forget the stories she used to tell him. This makes him feel the loss of her all over again. The adventure Max takes with his imaginary friend Jayson is his way of working through and navigating this confusing and profound loss through imagination, play and what most kids are able to do so well, BELIEVE! This story healed my heart and being able to be a part of this story meant the world to me and my own children, who were dealing with the loss of their grandfather. I am so grateful to Marie Barlizo for writing this story, to the GEORDIE Theatre team for letting me be a part of it, the design team for their imagination, and to the talented actors who tell this story with such heart. Hope you enjoy the show and find the joy that I did while working on it in these current circumstances. Hope you feel close to your loved ones and remember the power of imagination and taking adventures with your own imaginary friends! Liz Valdez Director, Little Mighty Superhero Playwrights’Directors’ WORDSWORDS The Little Mighty Superhero is my first professional production, 18 years after graduating from theatre school. Despite the challenges of being a BIPOC playwright, becoming a parent has made it clear why I persist. When my daughter, who is half Asian, told me that she wanted to be Anna from Frozen, it was a heartbreaking moment. I knew that I had to keep writing for her and other Asian children so that there would be stories for them: stories about them, stories in which they see themselves and their experiences reflected. My play was initially inspired by my children’s special relationship with their Lola – which means grandmother in Tagalog – and by my son Max’s fear of the dark. But when my uncle Ben suddenly passed away, the play took on a deeper meaning. When my daughter shared that she was starting to forget uncle Ben, I wondered, “How do we hold onto the memories of our elders and their stories?” As a writer, I have always believed in the power of stories and our imagination. But now I understand how they help us cope with loss and uncertainty, and, most importantly, how they give us the strength to go on. Special thanks to Mike Payette, Emma Tibaldo, Liz Valdez, Geordie Theatre and the creative team for making a dream come true during a very unlikely time. Marie Barlizo Playwright, Little Mighty Superhero At its core, Celestial Bodies is a love letter to my teenage self. (Maybe also a bit of a roast of my teenage self, but a loving one, as if from a dear friend who has watched you grow up.) When I first started writing the giant monologue that would become Celestial Bodies, during my time in the playwriting program at the National Theatre School of Canada, I asked myself, “What have I learned that I wish I’d known when I was young? Could I even have accepted that knowledge at the time?” I wanted to write a story about a character discovering small joys, compassion, and how to give and receive support -- all essential at every age to find a way to thrive in a world that tells you to be smaller, to be less. Remembering that you deserve respect no matter the details of the body you inhabit, to say “yes” to trying things that scare you, and that it’s okay (and probably important) to do things you aren’t good at when they make you happy. Many thanks to Dean Patrick Fleming, Andrea Romaldi, and everyone who helped Celestial Bodies’ development at NTS; to Mike Payette, Kathryn Westoll, and everyone at Geordie who made this production possible; and to Wahsonti:io and Alyssa for carrying Stella in their bodies with such kindness, humour, and grace. Jacob Margaret Archer Playwright, Celestial Bodies fest CALENDAR W T F S/S 03 FEF 0 0 06 10am/10h 10am/10h 10:45am/10h45 Te g Te Seg Man Ge Ws GTS Staged Readings (offered exclusively for schools) 12pm/12h Te Le g See b ee 1:45pm/13h45 Ce Ce Ws GTS 3pm & 5 pm/15h & 17h Cees es b ees ABOUT Geordie Geordie Theatre is Montreal’s leading English-language professional Theatre for Young Audiences Company, fest entertaining and engaging the imaginations of children and their families since 1980! Geordie celebrates the art of theatre and its impact by working with emerging and established artists from various disciplines and cultural backgrounds to create work that is provocative, relevant and enchanting; inspiring dialogue between CALENDAR communities, children and parents as well as teachers and students of all ages. W T F S/S BOARD OF DIRECTORS GEORDIE’S STAFF 03 FEF 0 0 06 President Artistic Director MIKE PAYETTE 10am/10h 10am/10h 10:45am/10h45 BRETT HOOTON Managing Director KATHRYN WESTOLL Te g Te Seg McGill University Man Ge Ws GTS Artistic Associate JESSICA ABDALLAH Communications and Marketing Manager FARIDA BADRAWY Vice President Audience and Development Manager MICHAEL J. ZERNITZ Staged Readings (offered exclusively for schools) CAROL-ANN HOYTE 12pm/12h Selwyn House School Associate Producer/Schools Liaison KIERAN DUNCH Te Le g See Administrative Coordinator VIOLETTE KAY b ee Treasurer SEBASTIEN BOYER Bookkeeper PATRICIA SAXTON Analysis Group 1:45pm/13h45 Tour Manager REBECCA DUROCHER Secretary Ce Ce Ws Founding Artistic Director ELSA BOLAM GTS AVA SARAH NOURAEYAN High School and Adult Educator ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE: 3pm & 5 pm/15h & 17h Members BOYANA ANDRIC, Novo Nordisk Canada Inc 550 Delinelle, Montreal, QC, H4C 3B1 Cees es GERALD CADET, McGill University b ees EDWARD CHAN, Sama T: (514) 845-9810 F: (514) 845-3634 MATT GOLDBERG, Vanier College [email protected] BENJAMIN HERRERA, Stikeman Elliott LLP Geordie Theatre is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT), the Quebec Drama Federation, La Maison Théâtre, the International Association of Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY), le Conseil québécois du théâtre (CQT) and ASSITEJ Canada. CAST AND CREATIVE Team STAGED READINGS (OFFERED EXCLUSIVELY FOR SCHOOLS) THE BORROWING MAN Written by Sarah Currie Directed by Mike Payette Developed in partnership with the National Theatre School of Canada Featuring Alyssa Angelucci-Wall, Samantha Bitonti, Alexandra Laferriere UNTIL TENTH GRADE Written by Jena McLean Directed by Dean Patrick Fleming Developed in partnership with the National Theatre School of Canada Featuring Samantha Bitonti, Wahsonti:io Kirby, Anton May, Douglas Peerless, Jennifer Roberts, Espoir Segbeaya and Dakota Jamal Wellman EACH READING WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A TALKBACK WITH THE ARTISTS BIOGRAPHIES SARAH CURRIE - PLAYWRIGHT (THE BORROWING MAN) Sarah Currie is a playwright and actor primarily based out of Montreal, with roots in Oshawa and Kingston, Ontario. In 2018, she completed an undergraduate degree at Queen’s University, graduating from The Dan School of Drama and Music. She is primarily known for her work as a playwright and performer for two seasons with the Queen’s University Barefoot Players, a TYA troupe that tours the Kingston and Gananoque region. Most recently, Currie partnered with Doorstop Theatre Project in order to create Justin Eddy and the Great Cosmic Crisis, which toured summer 2020, and opened Centaur Theatre’s TD Saturday Morning Children’s Series. She is currently enrolled in her third year of the playwriting. program at The National Theatre School of Canada. JENA MCLEAN - PLAYWRIGHT (UNTIL TENTH GRADE) Jena McLean is a queer playwright with roots in New Brunswick and Alberta.

Load more

  16

Copy Link