JOIN US IN CELEBRATING QUEER THEATRE AT THE 2025 QUEER READING SERIES.
Produced by Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal in partnership with Centaur theatre, the Queer Reading Series continues for its 6th year showcasing the works of emerging Queer playwrights. Taking place on April 25 and 26th 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 Gabrielle Banville and Anton May. Following the Saturday performance, join us for a night of music and celebration, featuring cool beats from QRS-Alumni Blxck Cxsper.
Both readings will be presented with live captioning, and the talkbacks will be presented with auto-generated captioning, for accessibility purposes.
Le Queer Reading Series is a FREE event. Donations help us keep our programming free to artists, and will be gratefully accepted at the door.
Join us to celebrate the power of queer storytelling in the theatre and support emerging Queer artists.
Calendrier
Friday, April 25th at 7:30PM:
my sister’s dead haha
by Gabrielle Banville (she/her)
Directed by Beatrice Warner
Performed by Samantha Bitonti and Tiernan Cornford.
Briar and May attempt to tackle the peculiar requests made in a voice note left by their dead sister, June; they involve living together in her condo, fostering her diabetic cat Bacon, and putting her ashes in a teapot. This dramedy about sisterhood and death asks the question few of us want to ponder: what happens when our sibling dies and leaves us too soon?
Content advisory:
Depictions of death, needles, profanity, and an animal in distress.
Saturday, April 26th at 7:30PM:
A Boy’s Love: A Journey of Healing through Poetry and Dance
by Anton May (he/they)
Directed by Art Babayants
Performed by Tiernan Cornford, Chance Jones, Sebastien Quint, Eric Vega, and Jared Wonago.
Poetry. Drama. Dance. Comedy. A Boy’s Love is a choreo-poem about the struggles Black Queer people face when seeking love and acceptance. The life-long journey of learning to love yourself. In this queer showcase, you meet 4 young men, each coming to terms with their realities and unlocking truths along the way.
Content advisory:
Psychological abuse, manipulation, heartbreak, depression, sex work and sexual health, abandonment.
Saturday, April 26th at 9:30PM:
Community Celebration at the Centaur bar.
Join us after the final performance to celebrate the work of the 2025 Queer Reading Series and the vibrant queer community with good music and great company! Hosted by QRS-Alumni Blxck Cxsper, everyone is welcome—come connect, reflect, and enjoy the festivities!
Letter from QRS Curator Jesse Stong
Dear Friends,
I am so excited to welcome you to another year of our beloved Queer Reading Series! A huge thank you to everyone at Centaur Theatre and Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal for making this event possible once again.
This year, we’re diving deep into the messy, beautiful, and complicated relationships that shape our queer experiences. We’re moving beyond traditional “coming out” narratives and embracing more nuanced, complex stories—ones that reflect the richness of our lives and the ways we connect with those around us.
We are especially thrilled to showcase the poetic artistry of Anton May and the bold, comedic-dramatic voice of Gabrielle Banville. These two exceptional writers, both from our Groupe des jeunes créateurs, continue to inspire with their fearless storytelling and deeply moving theatre creations.
At a time when hostility toward queer communities is on the rise, spaces like this—where we can gather, share, and reflect—are more vital than ever. Theatre has always been a space for resistance, joy, and radical imagination, and tonight is no different. Let’s come together, celebrate our voices, and explore new ways of seeing our lives through the power of theatre.
Thank you for being here. Your presence makes this space what it is. And don’t rush off after the readings—stick around to celebrate, connect, and revel in the magic of queer community!
With love and excitement,
Jesse Stong
About the Playwrights
Gabrielle Banville (she/her) is a bilingual actor and collaborator originally from Ottawa and based in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal. A graduate from Concordia University’s acting program, she is actively pursuing her talents in theatre, film, voice and playwriting. Her artistic curiosity is rooted in non chronological and overlapping storylines, the memory of music and the dualities of womanhood. Gabrielle is the founder and artistic director of Half Twin Theatre, an award-nominated indie theatre company telling the stories of forgotten women: the women who raised us, the women we could’ve been, and the women we can become.
Anton May (he/they) is a British born; multidisciplinary artist based in Tiohtiá:ke (colonially known as Montreal). As a writer, he tackles the social injustices black queer people face through poetry and spoken word. He is an alumna of PWM’s Groupe des jeunes créateurs (23-24 Cohort) where he finished A Boy’s Love (A play he started in 2019). He is thrilled to have been selected to present this labour of love at the Queer Reading Series. He hopes that this play will resonate with the QBIPOC communities (especially the Black Queer Communities). #BlackQueerTransLivesMatter!
READ MORE ABOUT THE queer reading series.
THIS PROGRAM IS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED BY:
