Author: Playwrights' Workshop Montréal

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Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal Welcomes New Managing Director Alanna Wrenshall

PWM is delighted to formally announce that our Board of Directors and hiring committee have appointed Alanna Wrenshall, more commonly known as Alan, as our new Managing Director.

Alan Wrenshall is a Queer, neurodivergent Arts Administrator and former Stage Manager. Born and raised in Robinson-Huron Treaty territory and the traditional territory of the Atikameksheng Anishnawbek, they graduated from Queen’s University with honours and began working behind the scenes at many theatres in Ontario including 4th Line Theatre, the Port Hope Capitol Theatre, and the Sudbury Theatre Centre. After a whirlwind move to Tio’tia:ke/Montreal in 2023, they joined PWM’s administration team, where they have had the opportunity to witness the vibrancy of Montreal’s theatre community. Their favourite kind of plant is all of them, and they can often be found trying to keep their dog, Boomer, out of the garden.

Alan was appointed to the position earlier this year following the departure of former Managing Director Anne-Sophie Grenier in 2023. With Alan’s background of hands-on theatre leadership and their time working within PWM’s administrative team, we’re eager to see the impact they will bring to the organization and the Montréal theatre community.

“Alan, who has served as our general manager prior to this appointment, brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record to their new role. Their understanding of the theatre industry, combined with a commitment to our mission of supporting dramaturgy, makes them uniquely qualified to lead our organization.

Please join me in congratulating Alan on their well-deserved appointment; I look forward to their continued contributions and to the future of Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal under their leadership.”

– Jason Poirier Lavoie, President of the Board of Directors at PWM

Playwrights' Workshop Montréal Board of Director_Jason Poirier Lavoie

After a year of transitions and adaptations following the  pandemic, we look hopefully to the future of our organization under the new co-leadership team of Sarah and Alan. This new chapter will yield fruitful collaborations and creative processes that we are excited to realize!

Playwrights' Workshop Montreal Artistic Director Fatma Sarah Elkashef.

“I am very excited to finally formally welcome Alan to PWM as the MD. Since the departure of former MD, Anne-Sophie Grenier, Alan has grown from their former position on the PWM team and flourished into the responsibilities of the MD role. They are a brilliant leader and partner and I am thrilled to be co-leading PWM into its next phase with them.”

– Fatma Sarah Elkashef, Artistic Director of PWM

“I am so thrilled, and honoured, to be representing PWM as the Managing Director. Having joined the Admin team last February, I have had the opportunity to learn so much about Montreal’s incredible community, and the invaluable support PWM provides to the artists we work with. For the past few months I have had the opportunity to bring my experience and love of theatre to the position of MD. I am very grateful to my co-leader, Sarah, and the entire PWM team for their hard work and dedication. I look forward to building on the strong foundation we have and continuing to foster vibrant and supportive environments for all artists.” 

– Alanna Wrenshall, Managing Director of PWM

A PDF of this announcement can be found here:

PWM Managing Director – Alanna WrenshallDOWNLOAD
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JOB POSTING: Professional Development and Training Coordinator

Pour lire l’offre d’emploi en français, CLIQUEZ ICI. Pour consulter l’annonce sur le site du CEAD, CLIQUEZ ICI.

Position Summary

Since 2019, le Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD) and PWM have worked in partnership, with the support of  Compétence Culture, to pool their professional development resources. The Professional Development and Training Coordinator will be a mutualized employee of both partner organizations, however the employment contract will be held with CEAD and the employee will be governed by CEAD’s policy on working conditions and staff conduct. The tenure of this position will be granted following a three-month probationary period, but will always be conditional on the renewal of the mutualization agreement between CEAD and PWM, and the Compétence Culture wage subsidy.

Note: The responsibilities and duties of the Professional Development and Training Coordinator require that they are bilingual (French, English) and that they work mainly in-person in the CEAD or PWM offices, as well as in other locations where training activities may take place (this does not exclude the occasional flexibility to work from home).

Salary and Benefits
  • Part-time position (7 hours per day, 28 hours per week), divided equally between PWM and CEAD
  • Shared office with work computer at CEAD; laptop and shared workspace at PWM 
  • Standard office hours  9:00am-5:00pm with some flexibility to adjust on request
  • 22 – 25 $ per hour + benefits : 
    • Four weeks paid summer vacation while CEAD office closes in July
    • Two weeks off during the holiday season, according to the CEAD schedule
    • Two additional hours of paid lunch per week on PWM days
    • Bank of 5 paid wellness days
    • Access to CEAD group insurance plan after 3 months
Applications and Inquiries

Please submit your application by email to:  rh@cead.qc.ca with the subject line “Professional Development and Training Coordinator Application”.

Applications should include:

  • Cover letter explaining your interest in working at CEAD and PWM and how your experience is relevant to this position
  • CV or resume
  • Earliest possible start date

We encourage applicants to send in their application as soon as possible. For best consideration, please apply before August 4, 11:59pm. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted. Interviews will take place on August 14 – 16. Applications will remain open until the position is filled.

PWM and CEAD are committed to creating an environment where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect. We are continuously working to make all of our programs accessible and inclusive. We value diversity in our workforces and encourage applications from all qualified individuals. While recognizing that the identity of each person is fundamentally plural and multidimensional, we strongly encourage applications from people who are: Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit), Black, POC, racialized (including recent immigrants), 2SLGBTQQIPAA+, neurodivergent, disabled, living with chronic illness and/or chronic pain.

Organizations Overview

Founded in 1963, Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal (PWM) is a dramaturgically-focused theatre creation and development company based in Montréal.

PWM is led by a team of experienced dramaturgs and arts administrators. With a focus on dramaturgy, its mission is to collaborate with artists in the development of new works of theatre and performance. Its collaborative process draws on the team’s unique expertise and is tailored to the artist’s individual needs.

At PWM, playwrights, dramaturgs, translators, directors, performance artists, and theatre companies across the country find a creative accomplice willing to invest deeply in the development of meaningful work. Through PWM’s programming and activities, individual artists and companies meet and make new connections. By fostering these artistic connections, PWM acts as a community hub for theatre-makers in Montreal and beyond.

Founded in 1965, the Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD) is a centre for the support, promotion and dissemination of works by francophone playwrights, and now has more than 300 francophone members in Quebec and Canada. It occupies a unique position in terms of both the amount of opportunities it offers to authors as well as the quality and innovation it pursues.

Primary Responsibilities 

Your main tasks will be to support both CEAD and PWM in managing annual budget envelopes and organizing training activities specific to each organization. As the Professional Development & Training Coordinator you will play an important role within the CEAD and PWM teams as a position dedicated to professional development of artists we serve.  Training activities may take the form of dramaturgical collaborations or labs, workshops, co-development sessions for various creator roles, residencies, master classes, dramaturgical mentoring, and any other professional development activity for playwriting and theatre creation in French or English in Quebec. This is an essential role in the cultural training community, representing both organizations to Compétence Culture and a network of other Professional Development and Training Coordinators. 

Your two main areas of responsibilities will be: 

1) Contribute to the sound management of professional training funding envelopes, including budgeting and reporting. You will be responsible for maintaining positive and lasting working relationships with financial partners that support continuing education, such as Intervention-Compétences and Compétence Culture, and other colleagues in the Quebec Continuing Education network. The Professional Development & Training Coordinator will participate in consultation and training activities held by Compétence Culture.

2) Ensure that professional development activities are carried out according to CEAD and PWM policies and procedures, and within the limits of budgets and criteria imposed by the various grant programs.  Your main tasks will be administrative (contracts, registrations, payments, data entry, internal reports and accounting), and logistical (schedules, studio rental, planning).  This position is a unique opportunity to develop your knowledge in the field of continuing education in culture and, more specifically, in theater.

Professional training and development coordinator tasks 

In support of the CEAD and PWM management teams,  the Professional Development & Training Coordinator will perform the following:

Administrative tasks:

  • Prepare all documents and information required for funding application submission and reporting in accordance with the requirements of the Interventions-Compétences grant program.
  • Attend meetings and information-sessions offered by Compétence Culture funding bodies to gather information and provide summaries with updates and deadlines to each organization;
  • Support the administration and coordination of the programming funded by Compétence Culture, in the following ways:
    • Communicate with the selected playwrights, dramaturgs, actors (or agencies), and other artists for the administration and coordination of professional development activities; 
    • Create and send contracts for signature and ensure receipt;
    • Follow-up on registration fees and receipts; Issue or follow-up on payment of invoices and artistic fees;
    • Monitor and record updates of programming and budgets using tracking tables; ensure filing of all documents required for reporting; 
    • Enter administrative data according to tools specific to each organization (contact information, tax numbers, statistics);
    • Coordinate satisfaction surveys and feedback sessions from participants;
    • Ensure compliance with requirements of Intervention-Compétences and Compétence Culture allocated envelopes at all times;
    • Research and follow up on funding opportunities through Intervention-Compétences;
    • Managing registration of participants in public workshops or activities;
    • Perform all related administrative tasks.

Logistical Tasks:

  • Communicate with the co-workers, trainers, and participants involved in planning the schedule and logistics for each training activity;
  • Inform artists, trainers, and participants about CEAD and PWM policies and procedures; ensure adherence to prevention policies to ensure a safe space for artists  taking part in the training; 
  • Communicate with Compétence Culture, l’Union des Artistes, PACT, and Canadian Actors Equity regarding contracts and reports; 
  • Work with the communications departments of CEAD and PWM to provide information about the training activities, and support in the creation of written outreach materials; personal outreach to appropriate artists for specific programs and residencies based on the requests of the management teams; 
  • Coordinate the travel and accommodations of trainers and participants, taking into account allocated budgets; 
  • Print texts and other documents required for training activities;
  • Compile a list of all participants present or absent at each meeting and have required attendance sheets signed by trainers and participants;
  • Ensure the best possible reception conditions on the training site and respond to the needs or requests of trainers and participants (access, beverages, temperature, materials, etc.).
Skills and Characteristics
  • Organizational skills, autonomy, initiative;
  • Flexibility and comfort in adapting to changing priorities; 
  • Ability to work in a team and communicate with management, ability to work under pressure;
  • Ability to anticipate needs;
  • Knowledge of the Quebec cultural milieu and of Quebec and Canadian theatre (an asset).
qualifications
  • Degree in dramatic arts (production) or in management of cultural organizations OR two years experience in project coordination;
  • Good knowledge of business softwares, including GSuite and MS Office Suite;
  • Strong communication and writing skills in both French* and English.

* This position requires regular communication with CEAD’s francophone staff and artists, as well as government bodies that operate exclusively in French. 

We thank all candidates for their interest in joining PWM and CEAD, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. Interviews will be held August 14-16. There may be more than one round of interviews. 

If you have any questions, please contact CEAD at rh@cead.qc.ca or our Managing Director, Alanna Wrenshall at alanna@playwrights.ca.

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The 2023-2024 Young Creators Unit Showcase

PWM’S YOUNG CREATORS UNIT IS NOW IN ITS 9TH YEAR, FEATURING AN EXCITING GROUP OF MONTRÉAL THEATRE ARTISTS. 

With a focus on building a home for artistic risk and discovery, this year’s YCU Cohort is preparing for our annual showcase! This private event will take place at the PWM Studio on Tuesday May 28 and Wednesday May 29 from 7:00-8:30 PM.

Learn more about each cohort member by clicking the “show more” button under their names.

This year’s showcase will be a private event due to limited seating capacity. If you are interested in being added to an attendance wait list, please contact leila@playwrights.ca. 

Thank you for supporting the exciting new works of emerging artists!

TUESDAY, MAY 28

SAM LEMIEUX (he/him) | CANMORE, AB

Sam Lemieux (he/him)

Email: samlemieux@live.com

Artistic Pillars:
• Family
• Memory
• Generational baggage

bio:

Sam Lemieux is a bilingual actor, writer and creator from small-town Coaticook, QC, and is  currently living in big-city Montreal. Originally from a French speaking, blue-collar background, Sam made the move to Montreal to become an actor and study at Dawson College’s  Professional Theatre Program, which he graduated from in 2021. During his time there, Sam  developed a love for writing which eventually led with his first written work titled Saltzman’s  Antiques; a one-act play about a woman trying to pass off her family owned antique store for  free, which premiered at the Montreal Theatre Fringe Festival in 2022. Since then, Sam has  gone on to write two more projects: A short film titled The Mother Is Dead, Which he also  produced and acted in (Currently in Post-Production); and now Canmore, AB, which he hopes to one day produce as well.

Play description:

Barb suddenly invites her niece along on her romantic getaway with her boyfriend to the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, where she’ll have to make a decision on either reminiscing on her past, or forgetting it entirely. But how do you forget what’s a part of you?

“That river. It followed me. It followed me all the way here.”

HWAAN HAN (she/her) | WILLOW

Hwaan Han (she, her)

Email: heyanhan02@gmail.com

Artistic Pillars:
• Deconstruction of binaries
• Breaking the fourth wall
• The five senses; bridging the gap between body and world

bio:

Hwaan Han is a theatre maker based in Montreal. She received her B.A. in English Drama and Theatre from McGill University (2023) and completed Imago theatre’s ARTISTA mentorship program (2022). She is a performer, researcher, and emerging playwright preoccupied with the way we understand and act upon our relationship with Earth, and themes of existence, belonging, and mortality.

play description:

Willow is about the distance humanity has created with Earth. The play is set inside this very gap, a metaphorical space made entirely of concrete, a liminal space between life and death. The title character finds herself trapped there and longs to break free. But does the world still exist beyond those concrete walls?

“I am a willow tree in the middle of a desert. No wind blows through my branches. No water seeps into my roots. I reach deeper and deeper. Nothing. Dry, dead sand. So I cry to water my own roots. That’s all there is for me to do. A lonely weeping willow in the desert, who weeps to keep weeping.”

ANNA MORREALE (they/them) | DYLAN’S SONG

Anna Morreale (they, them)

Email: anna.morreale.work@gmail.com

Artistic Pillars:
• Curiosity
• Patience
• Poetics

bio:

Anna Morreale is a multidisciplinary actor and artist, originally from Hamilton, Ontario. Currently based in Montreal, Anna is inspired by theatre that is surreal, unconventional and collaborative. Their practice reflects this through the employment of movement, performance art and collective creation as focal points in their work. Since graduating from the National Theatre School of Canada in 2021, Anna has been working professionally in the theatre, film and voice acting industries, whilst also developing their practice as a producer and writer of theatre. Anna is the artistic producer for Scaredy Cat Theatre, an emerging company helmed by Chelsea Dab Hilke and Cole Hayley. Outside of performing, Anna enjoys creating with other mediums such as film photography, collaging and poetry. You can also find them in their kitchen kneading bread dough. Have you eaten yet?

play description:

After a big night out, rumoured to be this party-girl’s last hurrah, Dylan prepares to tell you her story. Joined on stage by a chorus known as ‘The Bodies’, Dylan’s memories unravel faster than she can handle, exposing a darker side to her desire.

“I was growing spores on my thighs and elbows my hair was falling off my skin was melting away to expose the origin of the poison suffocating them was in fact just me lying dead in a clawfoot bathtub in the middle of an abandoned warehouse rave. 

Long pause 

I want out.

I want out of my body.”

JOSHUA BILBAO (he/him) | GOD HAS ADHD

Joshua Bilbao (he/him)

Email: josh.bilbao1996@gmail.com

Artistic Pillars:
• Passion
• Curiosity
• Humility

“If someone had told me that my most memorable experience while studying theater in New York City would have been working as an illegal dishwasher, I wouldn’t have believed it. And yet, it was.”

BIO:

Joshua Bilbao is a multidisciplinary Mexican/Canadian artist born in Taiwan and raised all throughout North America. Jumping into the world of show business in his early twenties has led him to train under the direction of coaches such as Bernard Hiller, Miriam Silverman, Austin Pendleton and Mary Lou Rosato. Bilbao also completed a 2-year acting program at the Tom Todoroff Conservatory with extensive work on voice, speech, movement & Shakespeare in New York City. In addition to his training, Bilbao has always taken pride in being a creator. He produced and starred in his first theater production ( “Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train”) that won “best direction” at the Broadway World awards.  He has also produced, directed, written, and starred in a number of short films and music videos.

One of his most recent projects was producing and acting in the critically acclaimed play called “The Motherf*cker With The Hat”  written by Stephen Adly Guirgis.

PLAY DESCRIPTION:

God has ADHD is a one man show that centers around Jose, a young Mexican actor studying in New York City, who takes up a demanding dishwashing job at a Peruvian restaurant in Jackson Heights to support himself. His story reflects on immigrant experiences and the enduring impact of unexpected friendships forged amid life’s trials.

TIERNAN CORNFORD (she/her) | THE ANDRIELLE SHOW

Tiernan Cornford (she/her)

Email: tiernancornford@gmail.com

Artistic Pillars:
• Intersectionality
• Musical storytelling
• Genre & popular culture

“A life as simple as bubbles
you quickly learn how to dance
But when I’d finally grown in my scales
I’d feel tension in my hands”

BIO:

Realizing her passion at an early age, Tiernan has been intuitively molding as an artist for nearly a decade. Born and based in Tiohtià:ke Montréal, Tiernan has worked and trained as a creator in the city, brought on by companies such as Imago, Repercussion, Black Theatre Workshop and garnering her BFA at Concordia University in 2020. As a playwright, Tiernan been able to work with Concordia, Teesri Duniya and most recently Half Twin Theatre, Cowriting “Hey B*tch, Love You” for the 2023 Montreal Fringe. As an artist, she enjoys theater for its call towards presence and the ephemeral. She believes in connection, communication and heart through interdisciplinary means.

PLAY DESCRIPTION:

Splash into the world of Greatlands Aquarium & Water Park! Meet Andrielle, a beloved mermaid on an adventure of finding home. With newfound friends, Finnley the puffer fish and Kerri the clam, will she find the place where she belongs?

*Access the Shelltacular Package ($61.01) and Swim into the aftershow as Andrielle answers questions from guests. Uncover the magic of Greatlands and sink deeper with Andrielle and Friends, as they unwillingly unravel and address underlying controversies within the park itself. There will be scarves!

WEDNESDAY, MAY 29

GABRIELLE BANVILLE (she/her) | MY SISTER’S DEAD… HAHA

Gabrielle Banville (she/her)

Email: gabriellemb28@gmail.com

Artistic Pillars:
• Nonchronological and overlapping storylines
• Memory of music
• Dualities of womanhood

“This is one of those moments where I’m glad she’s dead, because I would’ve never let her name my nephew fucking Chad.”

BIO:

Gabrielle (she/her) is a bilingual performer and collaborator originally from Ottawa, and currently based in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. Since graduating in 2020 from Concordia University’s Acting for the Theatre program, she has been actively pursuing her talents in performance, movement-based storytelling and playwriting. She continues to expand her skills, having taken part of ACTRA’s Performance Capture & Voice for Video Games Workshop and Dubbing Workshop. She is the founder of Half Twin Theatre, a company which tells the stories of forgotten people. Through her theatre collective, Gabrielle has collaboratively written and produced two critically acclaimed Montréal Fringe shows: A Paisley Mind in 2022, and Hey B*tch, Love You in 2023. She is excited to bring her newest play to the 2024 edition of the festival. She is thrilled to be collaborating with artists in the community, and hopes to both perform in and produce a professional or independent production within the next year.

PLAY DESCRIPTION:

Briar and May are navigating life right after the loss of their sister, June. After discovering their sister had left a voice note before her death, Briar and May attempt to tackle June’s requests, such as living together in her condo, fostering her diabetic cat Bacon, and putting her ashes in a teapot. This dramedy asks the question few of us want to ponder; what happens when our sibling dies and leaves us too soon?

BANAFSHEH HASSANI (any, all pronouns) | شرقی

Banafsheh Hassani (any/all pronouns)

Email: banafsheh.hsn@gmail.com

Artistic Pillars:
• Truth
• The whole truth
• Battling isolation with art –
for, by, and about the isolated

“An arm, waving frantically in the air, in an endless landscape of crying heads and shoulders. The head and shoulder attached to this arm are not visible, but they don’t need to be for Parto to recognize her dad. She hopes she can reach him one last time:

بابایی من رفتم! خدافظ!”

BIO:

Banafsheh Hassani بنفشه حسنی (any/all pronouns) is an Iranian, Montreal-based, feminist theatre wrighter and producer. They are graduating from Concordia University with a BFA Specialization in Performance Creation in Spring 2024. She is preoccupied with home, memory, dreams, identity, un/changing and relations (blood and otherwise), and all that would happen if only home was not the mouth of a shark. Banafsheh co-founded The Sky is the Limit Theatre in 2022, where they have produced four new shows since, focusing on collaborative art-making, experimentation, listening, community building and speaking loud to reach for ceilings and skies. Recent credits include: Wine & Halva (Toronto Laboratory Theatre, dir. Art Babayants, 2024), 100% Human Error (The Sky is the Limit Theatre, 2024), if only (Concordia Theatre Department, 2024) and À Confirmer / T.B.C. (The Sky is the Limit Theatre, Montreal Fringe Festival, 2023).

PLAY DESCRIPTION:

An Irani immigrant, insurmountable moving and growing mountains, too many languages, a bright new life ahead. Will a شرقی ever really be free from the weight of being from that side of the world? What if they get really close to the top of that mountain? Could they break free then? Will they want to?

TOBY WALMA (he/him) | COTTAGE TIME

Toby Walma (he/him)

Email: toby.walma@gmail.com

Artistic Pillars:
• Humour
• Compassion
• Enthusiasm

BIO:

Toby Walma is studying at Concordia University in the Honours English & Creative Writing program, with a passion for studying early drama from the medieval and Renaissance periods. He writes in a variety of genres and has worked in theatre onstage, backstage, and in the tech booth. He was described by the Canada Council for the Arts as “still in school” and having “not yet demonstrated an outside artistic practice.” In his spare time, he rereads the middle grade fiction he read as a kid to see where it all went wrong.

PLAY DESCRIPTION:

Inspired by As You Like It, Cottage Time follows Orlando and Ross, as they help prepare for the wedding of their respective siblings at a family cottage. During the preparations, Ross struggles balancing wedding planning while concealing his own history at the cottage. What was supposed to be a weekend escape forces Ross and Orlando to confront different versions of their past, both real and imagined, and come to terms with memories that exceed multiple decades (and possibly centuries).

“Mom said maybe I am ophiophobic. It’s hard to spell but it means “scared of snakes”. Mom is making quesadillas with Mrs. K for dinner. We are going to watch Despicable Me later.”

RANA LIU (she/her) | YOU TAUGHT ME LOVE

Rana Liu (she/her)

Email: ranaliu0@gmail.com

Artistic Pillars:
• Collaboration
• Honesty
• Safety

“Mother: Home is here. You and me. This is home. Home is eating the food you love. Home is reading a great book. Home is eating with loved ones. When you look for it, you’ll find that home is right here (pointing to her heart).

Beat 

Daughter: I miss you.”

BIO:

Rana Liu is an Asian Canadian multidisciplinary arts creator, and lover of bagels & dumplings. Her principle goal is to (re)vitalize diversity and cultural understanding through shared perspectives. To not just tell these stories, but to celebrate them. A theatre maker in Montreal, Rana has had the chance to work & perform in New York, Toronto, Chicago, and Shanghai. For the last two years, Rana has been directing A Little Bit Pregnant, recently having its international premiere at the New York City Fringe Festival (April 2024). The show has also been performed in Toronto (Toronto Fringe Festival 2023) and Montreal. In 2021, Rana wrote and directed Generations, which premiered at the Montreal Fringe Festival. She also co-founded the ‘Blowfish Theatre Company’ in 2016, producing Matt & Ben (2016), Paani (2017), A Love Song for Insomniacs(2018) and Generations (2021). Rana earned her BA at McGill University, double majoring in Political Science and English: Drama & Theatre, and completed her MA at Columbia College Chicago in Arts Management. For her 9 to 5, she works at CBC as a communications link between the community and the newsroom, coordinating efforts to engage diverse audiences and amplify their stories. She currently splits her work with the CBC Quebec Communications team and the CBC Podcast team. As a storyteller, her mission is to provide a platform for people to tell their stories. You can find more of her work here: ranaliu.com.

Play description:

How do you thank your immigrant parents for their sacrifices? In You Taught Me Love, this intergenerational piece explores the complex relationship between an immigrant mother and her Canadian daughter. This play intimately portrays the generational and cultural gaps that the ‘unspoken ones’ experience. You Taught Me Love is a thank-you letter to our immigrant mothers. For their love, wisdom and sacrifices.

ANTON MAY (he/him) | A BOY’S Love

Anton May (he/him)

Email: anton.may94@hotmail.com

Artistic Pillars:
• The importance of QBIPOC stories and representation
• Tending to my inner child’s dreams and aspirations
• My family; honouring my ancestors

“ I try. To hide behind the mask that protected me from the vultures of my childhood. That circled above my head waiting for my walls to fall so they could pick away at my imperfections. But my mask is beginning to crack. My walls  are eroding from years of self doubt. The void. I. Try to fill.  Unsuccessful. Remains void. ”

BIO:

Anton May (he/him) is a British born, now Montreal based Creator/Performer, an honours graduate from Dawson College’s Professional Theatre Program and alumni of Black Theatre Workshop’s Artist Mentorship Program in the acting discipline (2016-17). He has had the privilege to perform across eastern Canada as well as in New York as a singer and actor. In 2018, he was the recipient of the META for Outstanding Emerging Artist (performance). The pandemic allowed him to focus on his writing. Something he’s always been passionate about, but never had the time to pursue. In his writing, he focuses on QPOC (queer people of color) struggles. He tackles these themes through poetry/spoken word. He continues to seek out opportunities to tell stories through the black queer gaze through song, dance, and poetry. His latest digital work An Account Of Many was showcased in BTW’s Belonging Project (2021) alongside many powerful queer black stories. He is also a proud member of the Montreal Kiki Ballroom scene (as Godfather Broadway Mulan) where he frequently competes and emcees for the dwolls at Balls in both Toronto and Montreal. When he’s not acting, he’s voguing or performing in concerts and Cabarets singing or moving audiences with his poetry. He is thrilled to be a part of this year’s cohort. 

PLAY DESCRIPTION:

A play and choreo-poem about the struggles that come with finding love and acceptance as a QBIPOC. Through movement (dance), spoken word (poetry), A Boy’s Love explores the healing process that is necessary when faced with the hardships of love. Phil, Patrick and Gerard are co-collaborators on a dance project. Due to an injury leading up to performance night, Phil has no choice but recast the show with prodigy dancer Jerome. However, this young new energy threatens the dynamic of the group. Is history repeating itself?

CHLOE GIDDINGS (she/her) | SOFT PROJECT

Chloe Giddings (she, her)

Email: chloegiddings@gmail.com

Artistic Pillars:
• Accessibility
• Silliness
• Truth

bio:

Chloe is a bilingual theatre creator in Montreal. She began as an actor, most recently appearing in La Campagne, a french translation of Martin Crimp’s The Country, directed by Jérémie Niel at the NAC. In spring, she finished an internship in cultural mediation and theatre education for young audiences with the Petit Théâtre de Sherbrooke. That’s where she was inspired to begin writing for young audiences, which is what has brought her to YCU.

play description:

Lach is a little boy just like all the other little boys in his class, except that he has tentacles. Together with his Mom and his good friend Ema, he finds his way through a world that was not made for him. Will he finally figure out how to ride the school bus?

“Like a cow in an alien’s tractor beam, Lach is pulled towards the bus. With much effort, he manages to shove his tentacles through the door of the bus and up the steps. His tentacles are pressed up against his body in a claustrophobic sensory nightmare. He pushes down the aisle, tentacles spilling into each seat he passes, until he finally finds his friend Ema and sits next to her.”

Headshots by Emelia Hellman.

This program is facilitated by YCU Dramaturg, Leila Ghaemi.

Leila Ghaemi (she/elle) is a dramaturg, director and teaching artist. Her artistic pillars include responsible MENASA representation, radical theatre empowerment, and new play development. She received her BFA in Theatre Arts and MFA in Theatre Education & Direction from Boston University’s School of Theatre, where she grew her love for and skills in dramaturgical methods. She currently serves as the board president for Persephone Productions Montreal. 

Recent external credits include: Creative Consultant, POTUS (The Segal Centre); Cultural Consultant & Audience Engagement, English (The Segal Centre for the Performing Arts); Senior School Drama Teacher, The Study School; Co-Director, Pool (No Water) (Persephone Productions Montreal); Director, Romeo & Juliet (Classic Repertory Theatre); Director, The Scarlet Letter (Classic Repertory Theatre); Artistic Associate, New Repertory Theatre; Dramaturg & Director, The Tragic Ecstasy of Girlhood (Boston Playwrights’ Theatre); and Script Reader & Conservatory Associate, American Conservatory Theater.

THE YOUNG CREATORS UNIT IS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED BY:
Wordmark of the Government of Canada
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The Residency Creators of the 2024 Glassco Translation Residency in Tadoussac

The Glassco Translation Residency in Tadoussac is taking place from June 1st to the 12th!

The residency is known for encouraging a nuanced and generative translation process, through the collaborative unearthing of ideas embedded within plays.

Unique au pays, cette résidence, qui a lieu dans l’historique Maison Fletcher à Tadoussac, au Québec, donne aux traducteurs le temps, l’espace et le soutien dramaturgique nécessaires pour la traduction d’une pièce de théâtre.

The program plays a vital role in Canada’s theatre-making landscape, and we’re pleased to announce this year’s playwright-translator pairs. You can click on each resident’s photo to learn more about their work.

La dernière cassette | Translation from French to English

Inspired by Beckett’s Krapp’s Last Tape, La Dernière Cassette is a portrait of a once renowned and respected director AB, aka André Brassard. AB now spends his days in a wheelchair, sitting in front of a computer – his only window to the world. Alone in his apartment, AB listens to recordings he’s made over the years, searching for the defining moment of his life, before deciding to record one last tape. Translating La Dernière Cassette brings a major, forgotten artist back to life in English while introducing this relatable and insightful character to as wide an audience as possible.

Bobby Theodore

Translator

Olivier Choinière

Playwright

Bonnes Bonnes | Translation from French to English

In a combination of documentary theatre, on-stage cooking and projections, three Chinese women come together to watch a video adaptation of Jean Genet’s classic Les Bonnes. The friends speak candidly about their feelings around identity and internalized racism, especially in a world where China’s financial and political power continues to grow. And why do an adaptation of a play by a dead white guy anyway? Differences amongst the women emerge and tensions grow until the desire for revenge boils over. 

The show is also a middle finger to those who made fun of the smell of their lunches at school.

Sophie Gee

Translator & Playwright

Tamara Nguyen

Playwright

Le traitement de la nuit  | Translation from French to English

During the Glassco Residency, I hope to complete a rough draft of my English translation of Evelyne de la Chenelière’s play, LE TRAITEMENT DE LA NUIT. The narration/action of the play is non-linear, elliptical, enigmatic. The unsaid colours everything the characters say, and say repeatedly. It feels like an exorcism is taking place around this dysfunctional family’s dinner table. Spending time with the playwright, being able to unravel the unspoken strands of the script with her, will make all the difference. Our conversations will illuminate my understanding and rendering of the play in English.

Linda Gaboriau

Translator

Evelyne de la Chenelière

Playwright

Bénévolat | Translation from French to English

Amaryllis étudie en sciences à l’université. Anthony est incarcéré dans un pénitencier. Chacun aurait dû mener sa vie en parallèle, sans se croiser. Ils aboutiront pourtant dans le même petit local terne où, deux heures par semaine, Amaryllis se transformera en professeure de français et, Anthony, en élève du secondaire. Au fil de ces rencontres hebdomadaires, ils devront, malgré eux, apprendre à se connaître.

Danielle Le Saux-Farmer

Translator

Maud de Palma-Duquet

Playwright

Meet the Translation Dramaturg

We’re pleased to have Maryse Warda as the Glassco Residency’s translation dramaturg and residency host. 

Born in Egypt, where she spent her childhood, Maryse Warda has been active on Quebec stages since 1992, and has translated more than seventy plays. Her work has helped introduce French-speaking audiences to many Canadian authors such as John Mighton, Morris Panych and George F. Walker. She has also translated for many American, British, Scottish and Irish authors including Howard Barker, Margaret Edson, David Greig, David Hare, David Ives, Cindy Lou Johnson, David Mamet, Arthur Miller and Harold Pinter.

In 2011, she received the Governor General’s Award for her translation of the play The Toxic Bus Incident by Greg MacArthur. Her translation of Anthony Black’s One Discordant Violin – inspired by a short story by Yann Martel – was the subject of her work at the Glassco Translation Residency in 2019 and was  presented at La Licorne in the fall of 2022. Since January 2024, she’s had three translations presented in Montreal : Lucy Kirkwood’s Chimerica, at Duceppe; and at Théâtre du Rideau Vert a Québécois adaptation of Benoit Solès’ La Machine de Turing, as well as a translation of Kendall Feaver’s The Almighty Sometimes, consecutively between January and April. 

Since 2006, Maryse has benefited from the wonderful Glassco Translation Residency in Tadoussac on nine occasions. This is the third summer she serves as translation dramaturg and host.

About the Residency

The Glassco Translation Residency in Tadoussac is dedicated to the art of translation for the stage.

Tout au long de son histoire remarquable, cette résidence a servi de cadre à la traduction de pièces de théâtre en plusieurs langues, notamment en cri, en cantonais, en espagnol, en catalan, en portugais, en tagalog, en anglais et en français.

The Glassco Residency logo -- a hand-drawn line underneath two thick pathways.

The Glassco Translation Residency in Tadoussac is made possible through our partnership with the Cole Foundation’s Intercultural Conversations Program, the dedication of Residency Producer Briony Glassco, and the support of the friends and family of the great Canadian theatre artist, Bill Glassco. We are also grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and the Conseil des arts de Montréal for their ongoing support.

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The 2024 Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency is now accepting applications.

The Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency is a dual-lingual residency that welcomes writers from across Canada to Gros Morne, Newfoundland and Labrador.

Created by Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal (PWM) and Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD), this Residency is held in partnership with Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland, Creative Gros Morne, the Bonne Bay Aquarium & Research Station and with the vital support of the Cole Foundation.

Les candidats souhaitant postuler à la résidence d’auteurs dramatiques Gros Morne en français doivent se rendre sur le site web du CEAD et faire la demande auprès d’eux.

Application deadline: May 6, 2024
Selected applicants will be contacted by June 17, 2024.

If you have any questions regarding accessibility, require assistance with this application, or would like to discuss alternative methods of applying, please contact accessibility@playwrights.ca.

About the Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency

The Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency will bring together seven playwrights living in Canada over a twelve-day period, from September 26 to October 7, 2024. This unique dual-lingual residency takes place at the Bonne Bay Aquarium & Research Station in Norris Point, located in Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland and Labrador.

English language playwrights should apply through PWM and French language playwrights through the CEAD. Applications will be considered from across the country; three English and three French applications will be selected. A seventh spot is reserved for a playwright from Newfoundland and Labrador working in English.

The residency will be led by Fatma Sarah Elkashef, Artistic Director of PWM, Aki Matsushita, dramaturg at PWM, Sasha Dion, dramaturg at CEAD, and Robert Chafe, Artistic Director of Artistic Fraud. The residency is an opportunity for solo writing, punctuated with moments of exchange and reading work in progress as a group. The host dramaturgs are available to read your work and engage in one-on-one conversations centred around your process and questions.

The Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency provides playwrights with transportation, accommodation at Bonne Bay Aquarium & Research Station (private bedroom and bathroom), meals, an honorarium of $800.00, and dramaturgical support.

How to Apply

You can apply for the 2024 Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency via our Google form, by May 6, 2024. Audio and video answers to some of the questions in the form are also welcomed.

In the form, you’ll be asked to provide the following information:

  • Your name, pronouns (optional), and contact information; 
  • Geographical location you will be departing from to get to Gros Morne;
  • A statement of your interest in the residency and how it will benefit your process (written, video or audio); 
  • A description of the play in progress (written, video or audio);
  • An excerpt of the play in progress (10 – 12 pages);
  • A CV (2 pages maximum) and a bio;
  • A copy of your last published, workshopped or produced play.

Incomplete applications will not be considered. Selection will be made by a committee set up by PWM and CEAD. All applicants will be notified by June 17, 2024.  

If you have any questions regarding the Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency, please contact heather@playwrights.ca.

PWM welcomes all applications. While recognizing that the identity of each person is fundamentally plural, and multidimensional, we strongly encourage applications from artists who are: Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit), Black, POC, racialized (including recent immigrants), 2SLGBTQQIPAA+, neurodivergent, disabled, living with chronic illness and/or chronic pain. PWM is strongly committed to supporting a wide range of cultural identities and lived experiences, therefore we encourage applicants to self-identify in their application if they are comfortable doing so.

If you have any questions regarding accessibility, require assistance with this application, or would like to discuss alternative methods of applying, please contact accessibility@playwrights.ca.

Click here to preview the application form as a PDF.

Eligibility

  • Be a playwright, writing in English, and have had at least one dramatic work workshopped, published, or professionally produced;
  • The play should ideally be in the early stages of development (first draft or slightly beyond);
  • Be available for the whole residency;
  • Be willing to participate in group activities prepared during the residency;
  • For playwrights writing in French, please visit the CEAD website. Please note that the CEAD only accepts applications from their members.

Schedule for the Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency

September 26, 2024

Travel via plane and taxi to Norris Point, Newfoundland and Labrador (anyone departing West of Ontario will have to add a day of travel).

PWM organizes the travel for the artists, from their point of departure to the residency, and back again. 

September 27 – October 6, 2024 

  • Unstructured writing time at Bonne Bay Aquarium & Research Station;
  • Individual sessions with residency dramaturgs as determined in collaboration with the playwright;
  • Daily sixty-minute group meetings to read and discuss the process;
  • 2 presentations by local artists; 
  • Shared catered dinner every evening;
  • A public reading of excerpts from the plays in progress with the local community.

October 7, 2024

Departure for home.

Places to create during the Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency

Bonne Bay Aquarium & Research Station

Since 2002, the Bonne Bay Aquarium & Research Station, located on the magnificent west coast of Newfoundland and Labrador, has had the primary mission of expanding knowledge in marine ecology. In addition, the station also engages in community and artistic activities. Nestled in the small coastal community of Norris Point and with breathtaking views, it is equipped with laboratories, offices, a library, a multimedia theatre, an aquarium, and an attached building with individual bedrooms.

The residence is wheelchair accessible. However, the library and theatre space at the Bonne Bay Aquarium & Research Station, which is often used by the playwrights, requires the participant in a wheelchair to leave the residence, travel across the parking lot, into the main lobby entrance to access the library/theatre space.

Gros Morne National Park

Soaring fjords and moody mountains tower above a diverse panorama of beaches and bogs, forests and barren cliffs. Shaped by colliding continents and grinding glaciers, the ancient landscape of Gros Morne national park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

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Queer Reading Series 2024

JOIN US IN CELEBRATING QUEER THEATRE AT THE 2024 QUEER READING SERIES.

Produced by Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal in partnership with Centaur theatre, the Queer Reading Series continues for its 5th year showcasing the works of emerging Queer playwrights. Taking place on April 5th and 6th at 7:30PM at Centaur Theatre, and curated by Jesse Stong, this two-day event will feature public readings of two works in progress by Tyson Fraleigh and Corbeau Sandoval. A community panel discussion with panelists Kyng Rose, Murdoch Schon, and Mael Cheff, exploring the interplay between 2SLGBTQQIPAA+ identities and art-making, will take place April 6th at 5PM.

Both readings will be presented with live captioning, and the panel and talkbacks will be presented with auto-generated captioning, for accessibility purposes.

The Queer Reading Series is offered free of charge. Donations are accepted at the door.

Join us to celebrate the power of queer storytelling in the theatre and support emerging Queer artists.

Visit Centaur Theatre’s website to book your free tickets.

Follow this link to respond to our Facebook event.

Schedule

Friday, April 5th at 7:30PM:

The Mentorship
by Tyson Fraleigh (they/them)
Directed by Jesse Stong

With Anna Morreale, Johanna Nutter, and Andromeda Wang.

A queer director on the rise is invited to dinner with a legendary female filmmaker.  An innocent interview dissolves into an evening of intense psychological abuse.

Content warning:
This play contains depictions of antisemitism, discussions of the Holocaust, abuse perpetrated against and abandonment of queer folx, forced abortion, and violence. Viewer discretion is advised.

Saturday, April 6th at 5:00PM:

Queer Leadership Panel

Why We Need Transgender Stories.

A community-paneled discussion with panelists Kyng Rose, Murdoch Schon, and Mael Cheff, exploring the interplay between 2SLGBTQQIPAA+ identities and art-making. Moderated by Jesse Stong.

Saturday, April 6th at 7:30PM:

It Sticks to the Ryver
by Corbeau Sandoval (he/they)
Directed by Joshua Bilbao

With Ravyn R. Bekh and Symantha Stewart.

The Person and The Other graze over a pristine field.  In the distance, waves crash and a phone rings, unanswered. Two bodies rest against each other- a story about burnout, unmasking, and sandwiches.

This reading is designed to be neuro-divergent friendly. Please feel free to bring and wear noise cancelling headphones during the performance if this will enhance your comfort and enjoyment of the reading. Some quiet stim toys will be made available for the reading.

Letter from QRS Curator Jesse Stong

Welcome back to Centaur for our Queer Reading Series!

This year, we’re thrilled to present two captivating plays crafted by former participants of the Young Creators Unit at Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal. These playwrights are truly gems—bringing beauty, sensitivity, and plenty of food for thought to the table.

Get ready for a double dose of plays delving into the intricacies of contemporary relationships and the diverse tapestry of our queer experiences. They may approach it from different angles, but both promise to captivate and provoke thought in equal measure.

Witnessing the talent and care poured into these creations, I can’t help but feel hopeful about the future of queer theatre. So, a heartfelt thank you for joining us in celebrating queer stories and nurturing emerging talent! 

About the Playwrights

Tyson Fraleigh (they/them) is a writer and playwright based in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal). Their work focuses on the mundane horrors that fill our day-to-day lives and how to survive them. Their artistic pillars are research-informed creation, social commentary (satirical and serious), and making fun of the stupid things that we are forced to endure because of powerful people.

Corbeau Sandoval (he/they) Born, raised, and based in Tiohtiá:ke (colonially known as Montreal), Corbeau Sandoval is a queer neurodivergent multidisciplinary theatre artist of mixed heritage. Throughout their budding career, they’ve had the chance to expand their creative skills in a number of positions on both the performance and production sides of the entertainment coin. With abundant joy, they are excited to present their newest play It Sticks to the Ryver alongside Tyson Fraleigh’s The Mentorship for this year’s Queer Reading Series.

READ MORE ABOUT THE QUEER READING SERIES.
THIS PROGRAM IS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED BY:
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