In partnership with the Fondation Cole, PWM offers this early-career program to mentor emerging translators who are ready to develop a more nuanced understanding of their practice. The successful applicant to this year’s program will receive a $2,000 honorarium and a mentorship with acclaimed theatre translator, Alexis Diamond, for guidance on every aspect of creating a new French to English translation. This development process will include a workshop with actors and a public reading. The mentorship begins in November 2026, and lasts for approximately one year.
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, living with disability, 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 the Cole Foundation Mentorship for Emerging Translators, please contact dramaturg@playwrights.ca.
Who Can Apply?
To be eligible, emerging translators must reside in Montreal, be a Canadian citizen or hold permanent residency status in Canada, and have completed either:
At least one translation of a script which has received a workshop, public reading, publication or production, or
PWM/CEAD’s Introduction to Theatre Translation/Traductions Croisées program.
Applicants must not have completed more than three play translations.
With What Play(s)?
Before applying for the Mentorship, applicants must choose the play they wish to translate as part of the program and contact the playwright for permission. Obtaining permission from the playwright to translate the script in advance means that the applicant would be in a position to begin work immediately following the announcement of the selected project in late November.
Translations must be from French into English only.
Full-length scripts, one-acts or TYA (theatre for young audiences) projects are all welcome. Please note, our experience does not extend to the translation of musicals.
Your name, pronouns (optional) and contact information
A one-page letter of intent describing the project, its challenges, your reasons for wanting to translate the work, including the potential impact of the play in an Anglophone context, and how you hope to grow in your practice through the mentorship. PDF documents, video or audio responses are accepted. If submitting a video or audio response, please answer in one video/recording, maximum 5 minutes.
Your biography (maximum 250 words);
A copy of your chosen play;
Written permission from the original playwright of the play;
A 10-12 page sample of your previous translation work, please include the corresponding original text;
If you require any accommodations to participate in the program should you be selected.
Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee.
All applicants will be notified of the results by the end of October 2026.
A reflection on process written by DDIS researcher, Erin Lindsay
Graphic of the Beast by Emily Soussana
The project
I had the privilege of being a researcher on the DDIS (Digital Dramaturgy Integration Strategy) conceived by Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal in partnership with potatoCakes_digital and with support from the Canada Council for the Arts. The project involved a long-form process supporting artist collaborators across the creation of 4 new Canadian live performance works focused on digital experimentation. It was led by digital dramaturgs Andrew Scriver and Emily Soussana (potatoCakes_digital) in collaboration with the following PWM dramaturgs: Fatma Sarah Elkashef, Aki Matsushita, and Leila Ghaemi. The collaborating creators/playwrights on the project were: Amanda Smith, Maxime Corbeil-Perron, Gillian Stone, Panthea Vatandoost, Scout Rexe, Emma Tibaldo and Lois Brown. A core facet of the project was its more than two-year duration, as well as the funds, time, and resources allocated to artists to foster experimentation and ongoing conversations across several workshops.
Dramaturg Aki Matsushita in the Blood Moon process
The project also involved interviews with external artists and organizations whose work is informed by digital art to deepen the project and the team’s insights into digital processes in other sectors/disciplines. These external consultants included: Amy Chartrand (freelance narrative strategist;NFB: digital arts), Andrea Peña and Bobby Léon (digital arts, film and choreography), SAT (digital arts), Rilla Khaled (Concordia/TAG), Oasis Immersion (digital arts), Nadia Ross: STO Union (digital arts and theatre) and Kyungseo Min: Blizzard (narrative writing for video games). The DDIS process concluded with a public event in PWM’s studio that featured digital installations related to the process across all 4 workshops and a one-hour panel discussion with the project’s creators and dramaturgs.
Panel discussion at PWM
DDIS aimed to explore the dialogue, questions, conversations, prototypes and connections that can emerge at the intersection of dramaturgical and creation practices and digital technology.
We decided to name the project’s research outcome a “process beast” because of its various generative, sensing, evolving, and open-ended tentacles. The research work began in a more closed and conclusive container. We felt the need to broaden and open the research’s structure in favour of the “process beast,” because we felt its tentacles spoke to the porosity, sensitivity and agility needed for ongoing, process-centred learning.
Context and Care
Over the course of the DDIS process, I became pregnant, birthed my son (a beautiful sweetie named Lawrence), and navigated the choppy and, at times, seemingly impossible waters of postpartum. PWM and potatoCakes_digital decided to keep me on the project, and they were incredibly accommodating, gentle and caring with me in this first tender year.
The DDIS team also ensured that another collaborating artist had a dark room to nurse in during her workshop. I will forever be grateful to PWM for being so understanding and flexible to this new artist parent. It is hopeful to know that this is possible in the arts. I want to sincerely thank interim DDIS researchers Tiernan Cornford and Madeline Scovil who stepped in with incisive insights and questions during my maternity leave. Thank you for your work.
The learning and impact
The learning (around process, collaboration, dramaturgy, experimentation, interdisciplinary work, modes of communication and ways of thinking about and approaching creation) was endlessly rich throughout this process. It is hard to fully take inventory of the impact DDIS has had on my life and practice. It is also nearly impossible to clearly define dramaturgy, let alone digital dramaturgy. I do think an attempt to reach at different articulations, definitions and perspectives of the practice is important. Sharing and making process visible feels essential to generative exchange.
With this articulation and sharing around process in mind, let’s move on to the beast.
SHARING RESEARCH: Excerpts from The Process Beast
Actor Cara Rebecca in the Cult Play process
The Four Workshops
DDIS provided long-term dramaturgy to 4 projects at different stages of development. The workshops involved digital explorations with: audio-visual experiments, the genre of horror, live and projected translation and explorations with language, the impact of analog and digital technologies on memory and storytelling, the narrative tension that can exist between live and pre-recorded digital materials, possibilities of inclusive livestreamed performances, experimentation with illusion and architecture to convey dissociation and embodied emotion, and the role movement tracking can play in conveying setting and mood.
Singer Jacqueline Woodley in the Blood Moon process
Research Methods
As a researcher, the methods I used to gather information throughout DDIS were: mind maps of key themes in each workshop; open-ended questions; overheard dialogue and conversations during the workshop process; recurring interviews with artist collaborators, external artists and organizations, and participating dramaturgs; and observation of rapid prototyping or media sketches from potatoCakes_digital that were created as part of each workshop’s development process and archived throughout the duration of the DDIS.
A process log was created for each workshop. You can view one for the Blood Moon creation process here.
Excerpts from conversations with artist collaborators and dramaturgs
Ongoing conversation is essential to a dramaturgical practice and collaboration. Here are some excerpts from the dramaturgs and creators/playwrights who participated in the DDIS process.
Actor Kimia Pourazar in the Zaboon process
On the Cult Play process
SCOUT:
It’s transformative to get dramaturgical support that is curious, holistic and flexible rather than being prescriptive in a way that looks for a neat and tidy way of answering a question for a playwright. Creating outside of the pressures of production… that dramaturgical support can provide a beneficial kind of companionship; a creative companionship in an endeavour that’s so existential. – Playwright, Cult Play
On the Blood Moon process
GILLIAN: I do have forms of synesthesia that I work with internally. So to have that projected outside and to be informed by other brains, to have this external kind of synesthesia, it’s something I haven’t really done before. So that was really cool. Working in this way really expanded so much of this project.” –Gillian Stone, Blood Moon co-creator
AKI:
For Blood Moon, it was a very unconventional way of working. The affective explorations built with the singer in the room were especially interesting. I could see the anxiety build up as I watched the performer behind the scrim. I felt very open and receptive. It was a process that pushed me not to overprepare. It was one of those rare occasions where I’m responding in the moment. Not to a story or text yet. I wasn’t getting too heady. It was the excitement of starting from a premise that is not necessarily narrative-based. Through sound and projection mapping. Through exploring distortion as well. Exploring the feeling of a piece. Having an understanding of this feeling physically and viscerally before understanding what story we’re following. –Dramaturg on the Blood Moon process.
On the Invisible Me process
Playwright/co-creator/performer Lois Brown in the Invisible Me process
LOIS:
We were really not sure how all of the equipment would work. It looks like we would have to rehearse it in a studio and then compact it down into a rig that could fit in my bedroom or downstairs, which would be made to look like my bedroom. Then I could do a performance from my house. A live Zoom. A digital format. It would also include some objects that are not live, and by objects I mean pieces of animation and design. Recordings. It’s interesting, when something is recorded I don’t think of it as me anymore. – Lois Brown, Invisible Me playwright/performer
EMMA:
I think some of the false starts in terms of what kind of animation or technology was needed, what effect we were looking for…this was the dramaturgy. It was trying something and figuring out that wasn’t the way we wanted it to go. That also helped to simplify the text. It helped me figure out the order of everything. I do think that one of the biggest lessons for me was keeping the playwriting at the centre of it. I think reading the script every day recentered us because you didn’t come in with any idea of what the play was, but more of a concrete understanding of the play that day. – Director and Dramaturg for Invisible Me
On the Zaboon process
LEILA:
I think there is a lack of preciousness with digital dramaturgy. With kind of throwing stuff at the wall. It forces us to do the doing rather than the talking, which I think is great. It’s more than visual. It’s six senses. I operate with the six senses in a way where I try to create an ecosystem. I like to revisit Small Planet by Eleanor Fuchs to discover the six senses of a piece. To explore the initial impulses. I think digital dramaturgy is a tool. A tool for the six senses. –Leila Ghaemi, Dramaturg on Zaboon
RESEARCH FINDINGS AND OBSERVATIONS
Director/Creator Amanda Smith in the Blood Moon process
After reviewing observations, conversations, questions, and prototypes from the DDIS project, the following two key dramaturgical findings emerged in connection with the “process beast” that exists at the intersection of digital and other forms of dramaturgical creation practices: experimental and holistic collaboration, and sensory worldbuilding.
We observed that experimental and holistic collaboration was explored through: 1) a lack of scarcity made possible through institutional support and funding 2) rapid prototyping (with writing and digital design) that embraced improvisation, failure, experimentation and trial and error 3) a shared vocabulary and group cohesion established through room set-up, choice of collaborators, and a structured container for experimentation and ongoing conversations before, during and after the workshops 4) fluidity between rolesand disciplines: a willingness to work across disciplinary and role-oriented codes towards the goal of each collaborator working dramaturgically.
We observed that sensory worldbuilding was explored through:
Spatial thinking and memory as story structure
1) an architectural way of thinking about story (plot, character, setting theme, style, form and stage space. For ex: exploring the layering of 2D and 3D spaces 2) a third space: an exploration of the storied third space that occurs when digital and analog stage spaces overlap, collaborate and interact 3) illusion, memory and perspective: explorations of memory, the subconscious and the spectrum of reality and the surreal.
Visual and auditory landscapes as story structure
We observed that the collaboration between digital dramaturgy and other forms of dramaturgical collaboration catalyzed a unique visual and sonic vocabulary that could be used as the building blocks for story or as prompts for collaboration in the creation work. Some of the observed visual/narrative techniques involved in that storied world-building are: 1) juxtaposition: of visual media, digital and analog stage space, and sound 2) imagery, colour and metaphor as story through visual and audio media 3) rhythm, pattern and repetition through visuals and sound as a narrative structure
These observations represent tentacles of the beast and are by no means conclusive. We hope that they continue to offer a container or touchpoint for future dialogue about process.
On attempting to articulate digital dramaturgy:
These words point at articulating, but not too cleanly or narrowly defining, digital dramaturgy. This is an ongoing articulation. A living list of possibilities. This text was built by researcher Erin Lindsay in response to the DDIS process.
Digital dramaturgy is…
a rich dramaturgical approach to sensory world building
a generative, spatial, visual and auditory method for holistic experimentation
an often design-based prompt for collaboration, creation and a lateral way of working
a sometimes non-verbal way to engage with a play and creator or collaborative team
a space for exploration of texture, genre, architecture, emotion, theme, plot, structure;
all the interlocking elements of a play or performance experience
a way to explore the relationship between form, medium, media and writing
a proposal, a challenge, a collaboration, a process and an observation
a mycelium network of evolving relationships, questions and conversations
a reaching and tentacled way of working, creating and seeing
Thank you for exploring process with us.
We will be sharing the full website with more research questions, findings and digital archives in the near future, so stay tuned!
Sincerely, A dramaturgical nerd.
The Digital Dramaturgy Integration Strategy was made possible through the support of the Canada Council for the Arts.
Calling all emerging playwrights and theatre creators: The 2026-2027 Young Creators’ Unit is now accepting applications!
Offering theatremakers innovative workshops, 1:1 consultations, and group activities that focus on creation, dramaturgy, and professional development, applications for the 12th edition of the Groupe des jeunes créateurs program are now open!
Application deadline: Sunday, July 19, 2026, 11:59PM EST. All applicants will receive a response by August 16, 2026.
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.
“I’ve loved being in this year’s Young Creators Unit. Leila facilitates our cohort with a fervent loyalty towards our plays and what our writing wants to say. Here I have learned to revere my creative impulses and to lean on my peers’ expertise. Leila, the other YCU playwrights, and the theatre professionals I’ve met during our outings have made me feel like my play has found its home in this city. Thank you PWM!”
— Hanesa Banks (’26)
About the Young Creators Unit
Are you a theatre maker under 30, looking to hone your craft in storytelling? Do you have a brilliant idea for a play, but are not sure how to get it on paper? Or maybe you need feedback and guidance to elevate your first draft to the next level?
If any of this sounds like you, then PWM’s Young Creators Unit is the place to develop your craft. This creative incubator supports emerging artists to find their voice, make connections, and learn new storytelling skills, all while developing the practical skills they need to establish a successful career in the arts. All you need to apply is an idea, question, theme, image, or more!
The YCU will once again be led by PWM’s Artistic Producer & YCU Dramaturg, Leila Ghaemi. From September 2026 -June 2027, participants will receive 1:1 dramaturgical sessions with Leila, mentorships with industry professionals, and group writing sessions and workshops. YCU participants are also provided professional development resources and opportunities, such as grant writing support and guidance, access to local theatre experiences and performances, and networking opportunities.
The program will run from September 9th, 2026, to June 2nd, 2027. Group sessions will take place weekly on Wednesdays from 5-8PM in the PWM Creative Studio, located at 7250 Rue Clark, suite #103.
If you are interested in learning more about the Young Creators Unit and PWM, or about the YCU 2026-2027 Application process, please email Leila at leila@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, living with disability, 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.
Critères d’admissibilité
Be an artist aged 30 or younger;
Be a Canadian citizen or hold permanent residency status in Canada;
Be located in Montreal and able to attend sessions in person;
Be available for the whole program, September 2026 – June 2027;
Be willing to participate in group activities during the program.
Comment postuler :
If you are interested in applying, please fill out this Google Form by 11:59 PM EST by July 19th, 2026. Your application will require the following information:
A brief bio of yourself, and your experience as a storyteller/creator.
A brief description of the work you would like to develop (writing and / or artistic samples are encouraged).
A brief description sharing why you would like to join the Unit, and what you hope to get out of the experience.
Any additional writing and/or artistic materials you would like to have considered with your application. This can be a current script excerpt, mood boards, music playlists, past work, etc.
This helps us get to know you and what sparks your interest as an artist and how you might fit into the YCU ensemble!
Due to the high level of interest in the YCU each year, we will be holding interviews with some of the potential candidates to learn more about their interests and goals, and what they hope to gain from the program. This is also a great opportunity for you to ask us questions! Please note that not all applicants will be contacted for an interview, and that an interview does not indicate whether or not you have been accepted into the program.
The number of Cohort members we can accept are limited. Participants are expected to attend the group sessions, 1:1 meetings, as well as commit to additional self-directed activities. Please only apply to the Unit if you are able to commit to the full intensive schedule. All applicants will be informed of their results by Sunday, August 16th, 2026. Click here to preview the application form as a PDF.
Once the application period is closed, all applications will be reviewed and considered by a selection committee. Please note that there are many factors that go into the selection process, such as group dynamics and the range of experiences and points of views within the Cohort. Decisions will not be based on training or competencies; we therefore encourage applications from all backgrounds and experience levels.
If you have any questions, please contact YCU’s Lead Dramaturg, Leila Ghaemi, at leila@playwrights.ca.
YCU is led by PWM’s Artistic Producer & Dramaturg, Leila Ghaemi.
Leila Ghaemi (she/her) is a proud Persian dramaturg and theatre educator. She received her BFA in Theatre Arts and MFA in Theatre Education & Direction from Boston University’s School of Theatre, where she trained in dramaturgical methods. Having spent over a decade working for various theatre organizations in the United States and Canada, Leila has been fortunate to evolve her artistic practices professionally and academically, specifically in new play development. Her artistic pillars include MENASA representation, radical theatre empowerment, and creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive spaces on and off stage. Leila also serves on the board for Persephone Productions Montreal. When not dreaming about theatre, her world revolves around her pit-pug puppy Gigi and her two very sassy cats: Leslie & Hiccup.
PWM’S YOUNG CREATORS UNIT IS NOW IN ITS 11TH YEAR, FEATURING A VIBRANT GROUP OF EMERGING MONTRÉAL THEATRE ARTISTS.
After months of artistic exploration and discovery, members of this year’s cohort are preparing for the annual YCU showcase! This private event will take place at the PWM Studio on Thursday June 4th and Friday June 5th at 7:00 PM. This year, each playwright will be featured on both nights.
Learn more about each cohort member featured in this year’s showcase by clicking the “show more” button under their names.
The YCU showcase is a private event due to limited seating capacity. If you are interested in attending, please contact leila@playwrights.ca. Please note that seats are provided based on availability.
Thank you for supporting Montréal’s emerging artists!
Thursday, June 4 and Friday, June 5
PATRICK DALE / LITTLE STAR (he/they) | Dots(Working Title)
Artistic Pillars: • (Re)Creation of the Self • Desire + Shame • The Elusive
“I don’t dream anymore, I just wait Praying that morning light finds me asleep Instead it finds me with dead skin under my nails And scabs running up my legs”
bio:
Patrick Dale AKA Little Star is an interdisciplinary performance/drag artist based in Tiohtià:ke/Montréal. Their work is always genderfucked and often explores themes of Desire / Shame, Sex, Glamour, Image Manipulation, and Creation of the Self. The choice to take on the name Little Star was inspired by the 1998 Madonna song, in which she sings, “Never forget who you are, Little Star.”
Photo credit: Isobel Kloth
Play description:
Dots is a sequence of poetry and projection visuals collaging together as an attempt to preserve fragmented memories. The theatrical self portrait was first inspired by the circular dots that rhythmically and visually run through my brain/body. The content and creation of the play is my way of collecting fading memories that force me to ask “Can we make moments last forever? Will life ever be as beautiful as it is in my past?”
Artistic Pillars: • Intersectionality • Discovery & Acknowledgement of our Roots • Blasting the wall of Eurocentrism with Unity and Authenticity
“It’s ColOmbia, not ColUmbia”
bio:
Born in Medellín, Colombia, and now based in Tiohtià:ke (Montreal), Sebastian Quint is a dynamic emerging artist working across theatre, film, and writing. A graduate of the Dawson Theatre program, his practice is dedicated to using performance as a mechanism for cultural dialogue, social commentary, and celebration. Sebastian’s work actively seeks to uplift and reflect the narratives of the Queer and Latinx communities, offering both visibility and nuanced representation. His talent has led him to tour with Geordie Theatre and engage in significant activist documentary theatre projects. A champion for systemic change, Sebastian is the founder and current chair of ACTRA Montreal’s first-ever Latinx Subcommittee, advocating for greater visibility and equitable representation for Latinx performers. He maintains a versatile career committed to storytelling that heals, challenges, and celebrates.
Photo credit: Jeremy Cabrera
play description:
What are you willing to let go of when your worst enemy is yourself? In rural Medellín, Colombia, Enzo has to answer that himself when his sister and him find a handsome star fallen from the sky who has no idea why he even fell. On top of this, a myth of the land has awakened with a vengeful thirst to hunt them. What more could a gay guy ask for, right? Right?!
Artistic Pillars: • Embrace the supernatural. • Comedy is a love letter to Tragedy. • Dreamers live forever.
“We should’ve gotten the fucking active listeners.”
bio:
Alyssa Angelucci-Wall is a half-Haitian, Montreal-born artist and a graduate of Concordia University with a BFA in Theatre Performance. She is passionate about storytelling’s power to challenge and inspire, creating work that aims to be bold, inclusive, and culturally engaged, while also delighting in the funky, weird, and fun. Alongside experience on both established and original productions, she has contributed to the development of new plays through staged and private readings with several Montreal companies and training institutions. Committed to accessible and thought-provoking narratives, Alyssa seeks to amplify diverse voices and explore complex themes, fostering meaningful connections through writing, collaboration, and the creation of socially resonant work.
Photo credit: Andrew Miller
play description:
A disastrous opening night derails beyond repair. The remaining cast regroup in the green room to make sense of that which resists explanation. Cannibalism (allegedly), industry standards (eroded), archaic rituals (alive and, well), minds fr(acture)d. The pursuit of greatness can take on quite the troubling aftertaste.
“Think about the things people down South will say about us. They all think we are a bunch of hicks livin’ in shacks made out of plywood and two-by-fours. But we’re more than that.”
BIO:
Ian McCormack is an award-winning neurodivergent and queer playwright, dramaturg, producer, and puppeteer who splits their time between North Bay, Northern Ontario and Montréal, Quebec. With a focus on politics and social change, Ian’s theatre practice combines absurdity with reality, to create new works of theatre that transcend bodies and abilities. Ian is the Artistic Producer of Dense & Stage Theatre Collective in Montréal. Ian has also cultivated a transdisciplinary practice, working with a variety of companies, including Teesri Duniya Theatre (Montréal, QC), Theatre By The Bay (Barrie, ON), The Tamarack Festival (Timmins, ON) and the Bread & Puppet Theatre (Vermont).
Photo credit: Jack Murray Morgan
PLAY DESCRIPTION:
Set on the ice of Lake Nipissing, “Auger” is a surrealist, queer play exploring the intergenerational effects of small-town insularity and prejudice in the North. Told through a chorus of neighbours, this Northern Ontario story showcases a town’s resistance to change. What starts as an ordinary day ice fishing transforms into something entirely unexpected when our characters encounter a faceless “presence” lurking beneath their feet.
Vassiliki Gicopoulos is a Montreal (Tiohtià:ke) based actress, playwright and musician. A graduate of the DOME Theatre and the Concordia Performance Creation B.F.A., her artistic practice is grounded in vulnerability and embracing messiness as part of her method. Vassiliki is passionate about pushing through the boundaries of the canon, and creating new pieces that challenge the audience’s passive voyeurism. Inspired by mythology and based in magical realism, her work explores the “female” experience, grief, cyclical-violence and what it means to endure.
Photo credit: Emelia Hellman
PLAY DESCRIPTION:
A small town, where nothing crazy happens, like ever. A body found at the bonfire in the backyard of the high school. A cult to Aphrodite. Rumours, accusations, and secrets. 4 best friends standing in the heat of the flames as girlhood slips through their fingers. Didi’s Girls is aninvestigation of the sexualization of teenage girls.
Artistic Pillars: • A high context denouement • Memory; what rightfully haunts us • Where we are expecting an answer from the plot, a moment of reconnection
“…and when I close my eyes at night…it’s not dark. It’s just my eyelids. Bright, bright red. When I close my eyes at night, all I see is red.”
BIO:
Hanesa Banks is a writer living in Tiohtià:ke (Montréal). She holds a BA in English Literature and Creative Writing from Concordia University. Hanesa has been a performing spoken word artist since 2016. Her most notable shows include an International Women’s Day show for Sofar Sounds (2018), and a United Way Gala (2018). In April of this year she completed a Horror Writer’s Residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts. Her speculative horror stories explore a future-now in which people experience oppression as old patterns of colonization, white supremacy, and dominance digitize or become more layered while re-enforced by technology.
Photo credit: Hanesa Banks
PLAY DESCRIPTION:
A satellite sun has been installed over the western hemisphere to eliminate the night, resulting in a fourteen-day work week. Under its constant fluorescent buzz, Raya is unable to sleep. When her insomnia interferes with her work as a plastic recollection agent at the Quickie Waffles’ call center, she decides to visit her cousin in Malaysia for a much needed break. There, in the satellite-shadow that has cast southeast asia into an eternal dark, Raya’s self-discovery ache is swatted away by a local woman who asks instead: what vigilance might be keeping her awake?
This program is facilitated by YCU Dramaturg, Leila Ghaemi.
Leila Ghaemi (she/her) is a proud Persian dramaturg and theatre educator. She received her BFA in Theatre Arts and MFA in Theatre Education & Direction from Boston University’s School of Theatre, where she trained in dramaturgical methods. Having spent over a decade working for various theatre organizations in the United States and Canada, Leila has been fortunate to evolve her artistic practices professionally and academically, specifically in new play development. Her artistic pillars include MENASA representation, radical theatre empowerment, and creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive spaces on and off stage. Leila also serves on the board for Persephone Productions Montreal. When not dreaming about theatre, her world revolves around her pit-pug puppy Gigi and her two very sassy cats: Leslie & Hiccup.
THE YOUNG CREATORS UNIT IS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED BY:
Known for encouraging rich, nuanced works, the Glassco Translation Residency fosters a thoughtful and generative translation process, grounded in collaboration and the deep exploration of the ideas woven into each play.
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 participant’s photo to learn more about their work.
La machine à cons| Translation from French to English
Ils sont 5 comme nous sommes 41,29 millions, au Canada. Ils sont 5 citoyen∙ne∙s qui font leur crisse de possible mais qu’on accuse quand même de construire une société de plus en plus individualiste et dans laquelle le « vivre ensemble » est cruellement mis à mal. Il y a La fille de gauche, La fille à son père, La queen des boutures, Le gars du dessous et Roger Bontemps qui s’octroieront la mission d’œuvrer pour un mieux-être collectif. Puis surgira, dans le contraire d’un grand fracas, l’apparition surnaturelle dont ils ne savaient pas qu’ils avaient besoin.
Blissful State of Surrender explores refugee and immigrant experiences, the aftermath of war and genocide, and the intergenerational trauma that shapes family life. Confronting Canada’s self‑image as a safe haven, the play reveals how internalized oppression can manifest as lateral violence within marginalized communities. Written in dedication to Fejzić’s grandmother, a victim of the Bosnian genocide, it gives voice to histories often left unspoken. The story dramatizes the impacts of ethnic cleansing and islamophobia, the clash between parental values and their queer, feminist daughters, and the painful ways racism and homophobia circulate within families.
Léo, 16, was in a fight at school. His mother locates him in an isolated area of the emergency wing with an injured wrist. The other boy is in a coma. What happened? Why this sudden violence? While they await a medical verdict that could turn everything upside down, Fanny and her son find themselves in a situation rife with doubts and misunderstandings. Between what is said, what is left unsaid, and what we refuse to admit, a chasm widens.
We’re pleased to welcome Maureen Labonté as the new Glassco Translation Residency host and translation dramaturg!
Maureen Labonté is a dramaturge, translator and teacher. She has coordinated a number of play development programmes in theatres and play development centres across the country including at the Banff Centre for the Arts, the Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD) in Montreal, the National Arts Centre (Ottawa) and Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal. She has also worked as a dramaturge in many Franco-Canadian theatres, such as the Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario (Sudbury), Théâtre-Action (Ottawa), the Cercle Molière (Winnipeg) and L’Escaouette (Moncton).
Maureen has also worked extensively as a translation dramaturge. With Emma Tibaldo, she helped set up the Playwrights Workshop Montreal/Cole Foundation Mentorship for Emerging Translators in 2012, and is still involved as mentor and dramaturge. This highly successful programme is now in its eleventh cycle.
Maureen was the Jury Chair for the Siminovitch Prize in Theatre from 2009 to 2012.
From 2006 to 2011, she was Co-Director of the Banff Playwrights Colony at the Banff Center for the Arts. Prior to that, she worked at the Colony as resident dramaturge and then as Head of Program (2002-2005).
Maureen also worked at the National Theatre School of Canada for more than 20 years. In the mid-90’s, she set up and ran a pilot two-year Directing Programme and then went on to coordinate the Playwriting Programme and Playwrights’ Residency. She has taught at NTS-ENT in the Playwriting, Directing and Mise-en-scène programmes.
She now teaches master classes in Text Analysis in both French and English across the Country.
Maureen Labonté has translated more than fifty Quebec plays into English. One of the main focuses of her work has been in the area of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA). Also, And Slowly Beauty, her translation of Michel Nadeau’s Lentement la beauté was short-listed for the 2014 Governor General’s Award in Translation.
She lives in Montreal.
Meet the PWM Staff Dramaturg and Residency Host
Aki is a biracial, Japanese-Canadian (nisei, second generation) dramaturg and arts educator raised in Ottawa and Tokyo within a family of pedagogues.
Aki’s love for theatre began in her formative years at a francophone Arts High School in Ottawa. She completed a Bachelor’s of Arts specialised in theatre, during that time, she participated in an international exchange studying for a year at the University of Birmingham, UK to immerse herself in English and European Theatre. In the years that follow, Aki completed her Masters of Arts in Theatre Theory and Dramaturgy, successfully defending her Thesis that examined the Intercultural Adaptations of Japanese Post-War Theatre Director, Suzuki Tadashi. Since moving to Montreal Aki has worked with emerging theatre artists in training at the National Theatre School of Canada.
Aki is fascinated by intercultural performance, as it fosters an exchange and seeks out connection between seemingly disparate entities, looking at the world through the lens of wanting to understand each other’s humanity across geographic, cultural, linguistic, temporal and cultural boundaries. Intercultural performance resonates deeply with Aki as a bi-racial artist whose mixed-identity has always been a centre point of her existence.
Aki has been engaging in dramaturgical collaboration apprenticeships for a number of years following her studies. Since joining PWM, Aki has collaborated with a number of artists in developing their projects and is continuously discovering new elements of her artistic process with every new collaboration.
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 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.
JOIN US IN CELEBRATING QUEER THEATRE AT THE 2026 QUEER READING SERIES.
PWM, in partnership with Centaur theatre, invites you to join us for two readings of dynamic new works-in-progress by Queer artists. The Queer Reading Series continues for its 6th year amplifying the voices of early-career 2SLGBTQIA+ playwrights.
On May 14 and 15 at 7:30PM, Centaur Theatre will host Not Just Empty Space by Sarah Danielle Pitman and Dylan’s Song by Anna Morreale. Each performance will be followed by a conversation with the creative team.
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.
Both readings will be presented with English captions, and the conversations will be presented with auto-generated captioning, for accessibility purposes.
Join us to uplift exciting new works-in-progress and support Queer voices exploring the intersections of queerness and artistic practice.
Not Just Empty Space by Sarah Danielle Pitman. Directed by Trevor Barrette.
Performed by Alyssa Angelucci-Wall and Gabrielle Banville.
Dramaturgy by Fatma Sarah Elkashef and Aki Matsushita.
Kitty Hawk, 1903: a fifteen-year-old girl attempts to photograph the Wright Brothers’ first flight.
Just outside the Earth’s orbit, 2103: an astronaut thrown from their spaceship drifts aimlessly through the universe.
Right here, right now: two unnamed collaborators argue over how to weave these stories together for the stage.
A work of historical and speculative drama, Not Just Empty Space explores connections through time, as well as our own expectations of theatrical storytelling.
friday, may 15th at 7:30PM:
Dylan’s Song by Anna Morreale. Directed by Annie Valentina.
Dramaturgy by Erin Lindsay. Choreography by Scott McCabe.
Performed by Anastassia Chepelkevitch, Lior Maharjan, and Micha Raoutenfeld.
Producing support by Lily Chang.
Poetry. Drama. Dance. Dylan is numb. She has been trying to achieve something beyond herself for years: going to raves every weekend, using ketamine everyday, and giving her body to anyone that wants it. After the death of a lover, and a near psychotic episode on the dancefloor, Dylan decides to quit the scene – but not without one final night out. Alongside her chorus of beautiful bodies, Dylan dances through her memories of last night’s last rave, discovering just how dark her desires have really become. And what her mind tries to forget, her body forces her to remember.
Content advisory: Self harm, drug use, overdose, mentions of blood and bodily harm.
About the Playwrights
Sarah Danielle Pitman is a playwright who grew up on the unceded territories of the Lekwungen and W_SÁNEC nations. Now based in Tiohtià:ke/ Montreal, she is a graduate of the playwriting program at Canada’s National Theatre School where her play Salvage The Wrecked was produced for the New Words Festival. Sarah’s play Lay Down All Dogs was presented as a staged reading at the Centaur Theatre for their 2026 WinterWorks Festival, and her theatre-for-young audiences show Beyond Belief is currently touring schools around Quebec and the Maritimes as part of Geordie Theatre’s 2Play Tour.
Wright brothers’ first flight. 1903. Photo credit: Unknown
Anna Morreale is a multidisciplinary artist and recent alum of the CBC Actors Conservatory at the Canadian Film Centre. Since graduating from the National Theatre School of Canada in 2021, Anna has been working professionally in the theatre, film and voice acting industries. Their first introduction to playwriting was through Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal’s Young Creators Unit in 2024, where they began developing their first play: Dylan’s Song. Anna also wrote and starred in their debut short film: NIKITA, produced by the CFC and directed by Jessie Posthumus.
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Maureen Labonte is a dramaturge, translator and teacher. She has coordinated a number of play development programmes in theatres and play development centres across the country including at the Banff Centre for the Arts, the Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD) in Montreal, the National Arts Centre (Ottawa) and Playwrights Workshop Montreal. She has also worked as a dramaturge in many Franco-Canadian theatres, such as the Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario (Sudbury), Théâtre-Action (Ottawa), the Cercle Molière (Winnipeg) and L’Escaouette (Moncton).
Maureen has also worked extensively as a translation dramaturge. With Emma Tibaldo, she helped set up the Playwrights Workshop Montreal/Cole Foundation Mentorship for Emerging Translators in 2012, and is still involved as mentor and dramaturge. This highly successful programme is now in its eleventh cycle.
Maureen was the Jury Chair for the Siminovitch Prize in Theatre from 2009 to 2012. From 2006 to 2011, she was Co-Director of the Banff Playwrights Colony at the Banff Center for the Arts. Prior to that, she worked at the Colony as resident dramaturge and then as Head of Program (2002-2005).
Maureen also worked at the National Theatre School of Canada for more than 20 years. In the mid-90’s, she set up and ran a pilot two-year Directing Programme and then went on to coordinate the Playwriting Programme and Playwrights’ Residency. She has taught at NTS-ENT in the Playwriting, Directing and Mise-en-scène programmes.
She now teaches master classes in Text Analysis in both French and English across the country.
Maureen Labonté has translated more than fifty Quebec plays into English. One of the main focuses of her work has been in the area of Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA). Also, And Slowly Beauty, her translation of Michel Nadeau’s Lentement la beauté was short-listed for the 2014 Governor General’s Award in Translation. She lives in Montreal.
Annick Lefebvre — Playwright
Annick Lefebvre est entre autres l’autrice des pièces Ce samedi il pleuvait (finaliste du prix Michel-Tremblay, 2013), La machine à révolte (finaliste du prix Louise-LaHaye, 2015), J’accuse (finaliste du prix Michel-Tremblay, du prix de la critique de l’AQCT et des Prix littéraires du Gouverneur général, 2015), Les barbelés (finaliste du prix de la critique de l’AQCT, 2019), ColoniséEs (lauréate du Prix Michel-Tremblay et finaliste des Prix littéraires du Gouverneur général, 2019), En crise (2023), Les mini manifestes (2024), La machine à cons (2025) ainsi que de très nombreux courts textes écrits pour des événements collectifs. Courts textes qui ont été rassemblés dans les recueils Périphéries (2016) et Polysémies (2022), illustrés par Vincent Partel-Valette. Elle a récrit deux fois J’accuse : pour la Belgique (2017), puis pour la France (2022). Annick plonge actuellement dans l’écriture des pièces Nos fulgurances, de Pour Jonathan et, avec l’autrice Chloé Chartrand, dans celle de Tranché.e.s. La version graphique de sa pièce En crise, illustrée par Vincent Partel-Valette, est parue aux éditions de La Bagnole en avril 2025, a été finaliste des Prix littéraires du Gouverneur général – livre illustré jeunesse, la même année et finaliste au prix Yvette-Lapointe remis par Québec BD, en 2026. Annick Lefebvre a été la protégée de l’auteur Olivier Choinière au Prix Siminovitch 2014 et finaliste de ce prix prestigieux en 2020. Annick a également été finaliste au prix Jovette-Marchessault 2025. Son théâtre est publié au Québec chez Dramaturges Éditeurs, et, en France, chez esse que.
Photo credit: Julie Artacho
Céleste Godin — Translator
Céleste Godin est un.e autrix multidisciplinaire originaire de Halifax, et habitant à Paquetville.
Depuis sa décision en 2015 de “virer artiste”, iel a écrit des chroniques, des essais, des slams et plusieurs absurdités pour le web, souvent sur sa vision plurielle de l’identité Acadienne. Iel est la papesse de Confessions Acadiennes, un projet web qui permet de révéler les vérités cachées de l’Acadie . En 2019, iel signe sa première pièce de théâtre Overlap, une lettre d’amour-haine à Moncton en simili-chiac produite par Satellite Théâtre. et publiée en 2020 chez Prise de Parole. Céleste a également écrit et joué des textes écrits sur mesure pour l’émission Tableau de Backyard, diffusée sur les ondes nationales de Radio-Canada en 2021. Sa deuxième pièce, Bouée, produite par Satellite Théâtre est produite en 2023 et publiée en 2024
À part ses projets artistiques, ces jours-ci Céleste suit ses obsessions du moment: du plastique translucide coloré, et de l’eau de pyramide.
Photo credit: Marie-Line Morneault
Sylvie Nicolas — Translator
Sylvie Nicolas is a renowned poet and literary translator who has published over thirty titles. She has been twice shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award, received the Hector-de-St-Denys-Garneau prize for her poetic sequence L’impossible visage, and was also awarded the Jean-Sébastien-Pontbriand grant for her text Dans l’enfant qui bégaie on entend Dieu parler. Her children’s book Pied-de-Puce was honoured as an Outstanding Book for Young People with Disabilities by the IBBY Documentation Centre in Norway and her book Lapin- Chagrin received nominations for the Ville de Québec/Salon international du livre de Québec Prize, the TD Canadian Children’s Book Award, and the Tamarack Award (Ontario). Among her many translations, she produced the surtitles for Margaret Atwood’s opera Pauline, presented as part of Québec en toutes lettres in 2015. She has also translated works by Alberta poet Marilyn Dumont, including A Really Good Brown Girl and The Pemmican Eaters, a collection on Gabriel Dumont, the historical figure known as Louis Riel’s right-hand man. Sylvie holds a doctorate in literature, specializing in creative writing and research. Her professional journey includes working as a theatre critic in Quebec City for Le Devoir and teaching creative writing at Université Laval for several years. For the past eight years, she has served as the literary director of Éditions Hannenorak. Nicolas believes that the novelist Jacques Poulain was right: la traduction est une histoire d’amour.
Photo credit: Sarah Élène Forcier
Sanita Fejzić — Playwright
Sanita Fejzić is a playwright whose work interrogates war, displacement, intergenerational trauma, and the imaginative possibilities of ecological and political futures. Her dramatic comedy Blissful State of Surrender premiered at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in 2022, earning five Rideau Award nominations, including a win for Best Actress. Fejzić’s theatre practice blends political urgency with intimate character work, shaped by her experience as a Bosniak refugee who fled the Siege of Sarajevo and genocide at the age of seven.
Her playwriting extends into experimental, socially engaged, and futurist forms. She produced Why Worry About Their Futures at the undercurrents festival in 2023, a triptych of ecosocial justice plays that included her tenminute piece “Expecting.” Her radio play Machines and Moss, produced by the National Arts Centre, advances the artistic movement she articulated as Peasant Futurisms, which imagines ecological, landbased futures rooted in peasant knowledge, regenerative agriculture, and anticapitalist urban design.
Fejzić is also the author of Refugee Mouth, published one month after the release of Blissful State of Surrender by Playwrights Canada Press. Her broader literary work has been recognized by the CBC Poetry and Nonfiction Prizes and appears in magazines across Canada.
A genderfluid lesbian living in Ottawa on unceded Algonquin Anishinaabeg territory, Fejzić’s writing is driven by a commitment to intersectional justice, embodied storytelling, and the creation of theatrical worlds where personal histories and political structures collide.
Photo credit: Curtis Perry
Johanna Nutter — Translator
Johanna Nutter (creaturecreature.org) developed her passion for translation through acting. One of Tiohtià:ke (Montreal)’s working bilingual artists, she’s played lead roles at both Centaur Theatre (Good People, You Will Remember Me, dir. Roy Surette) and La Licorne (Les Évènements, dir. Denis Bernard). Her creation work, notably My Pregnant Brother and its response My Playwright Sister, has toured in French and English throughout Quebec, Canada, and Europe, and was recently translated into Polish and published in the anthology Dialog. Her French self-translation, Mon frère est enceinte, was completed through PWM’s Glassco residency in Tadoussac with Linda Gaboriau. Johanna was the recipient of the Cole Foundation and PWM’s Emerging Translator Award (2016) for Florence Longpré and Nicolas Michon’s CHLORINE, which she also produced and directed for Centaur’s Brave New Looks. She received a second round of support from Cole and PWM to work with Maureen Labonté on Annick Lefebvre’s Les barbelés (NAC online), which also received a staged reading directed by Alix Dufresne. A creative co-producer for New Translation Canada, she is currently working on ColoniséEs, by Annick Lefebvre (winner of the Prix Michel Tremblay), with whom she’s also collaborating on a bilingual adaptation of Tartuffe. Other playwrights she’s translated include Guillaume Corbeil (Tu iras la chercher), Nathalie Boisvert (Facelift), Emmanuelle Jimenez (Centre d’achats), D. Kimm (Comment j’ai appris à parler aux oiseaux), and Hugo Bélanger (Alice de l’autre côté). Johanna likes to play in the spaces between established divisions.
Photo credit: Rolline Laporte
Stéphanie Labbé — Playwright
Diplômée du Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Montréal en jeu, de l’Université de Montréal en communication, de L’inis et de l’École nationale de l’humour en scénarisation, Stéphanie joue autant au théâtre, à la télévision, qu’au cinéma. Elle écrit pour le théâtre : Il faudra bien qu’un jour, présenté au Théâtre La Licorne en 2018 et en 2019 au théâtre Duceppe. Sa pièce Et puis par la fenêtre nous pourrons voir les champs se mérite une mention spéciale au prix Gratien-Gélinas (Théâtre du Bic 2023, Théâtre La Bordée 2024). En 2025, elle signe La faune locale, présentée en 5 à 7 chez Duceppe et Après t’avoir bordé tendrement, je meurs au CTD’A. En mai 2026, elle participe au Festival du Jamais lu avec son texte Papillons. En parallèle, elle collabore comme scénariste sur plusieurs projets pour la télévision, notamment Rouge forêt à Télé-Québec.
Photo credit: Fanny Migneault Lecavalier
Nick Carpenter – Workshop Facilitator
Nick’s plays, radio plays (CBC), short stories and librettos have been presented across Canada, the US, Britain and Germany. Recently a member of PWM’s Cross Cultural Adaptation Lab, he is developing a new work inspired by the Catalonian liturgical drama, El Misteri d’Elx. His play Arco took 2nd place in Infinitheatre’s 2021 Write-on-Q Competition. Nick wrote the screenplay to the film Maz (Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma, 2018). His play Stained Glass won the Canadian Peace Play Competition in 2008 and was shortlisted for the Prism International Residency Award (2003). He is an alumnus of Tapestry Opera’s Lib Lab, the Banff Playwrights Lab, Theatre Centre Residency and Writers’ Units at NAC/GCTC and Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal.
Nick teaches and coaches at the National Theatre School of Canada. As a dramaturg and mentor, he has worked with PWM (Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal), NACO (National Arts Centre Orchestra), JMC (Jeunesses Musicales Canada) and currently, with Teesri Duniya’s 2025/26 Fireworks program.
Nick has been nominated for two METAs (Montreal English Theatre Awards) for his work as a Musician and Supporting Actor.As a composer, arranger and musician for the stage, Nick has worked and collaborated with the National Arts Centre; National Theatre School of Canada; Centaur Theatre; Great Canadian Theatre Company; Lucion Media; TF1 Rock’n’Roll Circus; Repercussion Theatre; Geordie Theatre; Imago Theatre; Infinitheatre; Skeels Danse Montréal; The Theatre Centre; Hudson Village Theatre, Theatre Lac Brome; CAM en tournée; Concordia University; National Circus School; McGill and Ottawa Universities; the METAs (Montreal English Theatre Awards); Third Wall; Théâtre Urbi et Orbi (Urban Tales); Monastère Cabaret de Cirque; and on Festival productions or concerts for Magnetic North, SummerWorks, Undercurrents, WildSide, Tendance Clown (Marseille), Festival de Clowns de Montréal, Les Escales Fantastiques (Shawinigan) and Festival de cirque des Laurentides. Nick is co-founder of Summersett (summersettband.com).
Translator – Tamara Nguyễn
Tamara Nguyen est autrice et conseillère dramaturgique. En 2016, elle obtient un baccalauréat en littératures de langue française et philosophie de l’Université de Montréal et en 2019, elle termine une formation en écriture dramatique à l’École Nationale de Théâtre du Canada. Sa pièce Légendes de canapé est montée par Héloïse Desrochers en 2020 au Théâtre des Béloufilles. En 2023, la pièce Bonnes Bonnes qu’elle a co-écrite avec Sophie Gee est présentée au Théâtre Aux Écuries. La même année, sa pièce Les papillons du littoral est montée par Claudia Chan Tak au Quai 5160. Au printemps 2024, sa pièce Maelström est mise en scène par Annie Ranger au Théâtre Aux Écuries. À l’automne 2024, sa pièce La démagogie des dragons est montée par Vincent Kim au Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui. À titre de conseillère dramaturgique, Tamara a travaillé avec Claudia Chan Tak sur Au revoir zébu présenté à La Chapelle en 2022 et avec Stephie Mazunya sur la pièce S’enjailler présentée au Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui en 2024. Tamara s’intéresse à la satire politique, à la manière dont l’art peut mettre un frein au défilement de l’actualité pour permettre une réflexion de fond.
Photo credit: Maxime Côté
Alexis Diamond — Playwright
Based in Tiohtiá:ke / Mooniyang / Montreal, Alexis Diamond (she/her) is a theatre artist, opera and musical librettist, translator, dramaturg and theatre curator working in both English and French.
Since 2019, Alexis has been the English-language translation mentor for Traductions Croisées, a joint project run by Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal and the CEAD (Centre des auteurs.trices dramatiques). She was the first and only curator for English-language theatre for the francophone Festival du Jamais Lu from 2019 to 2022, facilitating translations of contemporary Canadian English-language texts into Québécois French. From 2018 to 2022, Alexis served as literary manager for a multiyear collaboration with professor Erin Hurley (McGill University) and Emma Tibaldo (then artistic director of Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal) researching the history of English-language theatre in Quebec.
Alexis has translated award-winning plays by Audrey-Anne Bouchard and Marc-André Lapointe, Pascal Brullemans, Alexia Bürger, Marie-Hélène Larose-Truchon, Érika Tremblay-Roy and Marie-Claude Verdier for companies such as Geordie Theatre, Le Petit Théâtre de Sherbrooke, DynamO Theatre, Talisman Theatre, Theatre Direct, Théâtre Incliné, Bouche Theatre Collective and Playwrights Canada Press. Alexis was a finalist for the 2020 Governor General’s Award for her translation of Pascal Brullemans’ plays for young audiences, Amaryllis and Little Witch (Playwrights Canada Press). Many of her works can be found at the Canadian Play Outlet.
Alexis has a B.A. Honours in English and Creative Writing from Concordia University and an M.A. in English Literature from the Université de Montréal. Active with various local, provincial and federal arts organizations, Alexis has also served on several theatre and playwriting juries and reading committees and mentored other artists.
Photo credit: Ron Diamond
Sami Hilvo – Translator
Sami Hilvo is a Finland-based novelist and translator who shares his life with his Polish husband, and dividing his time between his birthplace, Helsinki, and rural Kihniö in Western Finland. Other cities that have played a significant role in his life include Tokyo and Warsaw, both of which have also found their way into his writing.
Before becoming a full-time writer, Hilvo worked as a dancer, interpreter, producer, importer, and diplomat. He is also a certified translator from Japanese to Finnish. “If I didn’t write, I would probably be a hardened criminal—perhaps in prison, perhaps dead. Because I do write, I am even more hardened than a criminal, yet at least seemingly free and, without a doubt, utterly alive,” says a character in Hilvo’s debut novel. Hilvo does not entirely deny the connection between these words and himself.
His debut novel, Viinakortti, was translated into German and was also adapted into a play in Finnish. His fluency in German played a key role in the translation process, and he also worked as one of the two dramaturges in the stage adaption. The debut novel was followed by three other works, Rouva S., Pyhä peto, and Lajityypillistä käyttäytymistä, each published at intervals of a few years.
In recent years, Hilvo has expanded into essays and short stories, writing about sexual and gender minorities, as well as language, culture, and their inseparable connection. Questioning established norms and exploring new perspectives lie at the core of his literature.
Photo credit: TUUKKA ERVASTI
Leanna Brodie – Translator
Leanna Brodie is a leading translator of contemporary Québécois and Franco-Canadian playwrights. Recent premieres: Catherine Léger’s Home Deliveries (Ruby Slippers Theatre/Jericho Arts Centre, Vancouver); David Paquet’s Wildfire (Factory Theatre, Toronto); Anaïs Pellin’s Clementine (Kleine Compagnie/Carousel Theatre/PHT, Vancouver); Fanny Britt’s Benevolence (Ruby Slippers Theatre/Pacific Theatre, Vancouver); Sébastien Harrisson’s From Alaska (Belfry Theatre, Victoria); Rébecca Déraspe’s I Am William (Stratford Festival, Théâtre le Clou); David Paquet’s The Shoe (The Cherry Arts, Ithaca NY). Brodie has previously translated Christian Bégin, Louise Bombardier, Catherine Bourgeois, Hélène Ducharme, Annie Grenier, Olivier Kemeid, Gilles Poulin-Denis, Philippe Soldevila, Gabriel Sabourin, Olivier Sylvestre, and Larry Tremblay, among others. Her translations, published by Scirocco Drama and Playwrights Canada Press, have won the PGC Tom Hendry Award (David Paquet’s The Weight of Ants) and a Dora Mavor Moore Award (Wildfire) and been featured on CBC’s PlayMe podcast.
She is also an award-winning actor and writer whose original plays The Vic, For Home and Country, The Book of Esther, and Schoolhouse have been performed across Canada. Most recently, Salesman in China, written in collaboration with Jovanni Sy, premiered at the Stratford Festival and National Arts Centre to great acclaim, winning the Quebec Writer’s Federation Prize for best new play. Brodie has taught playwriting at UBC and Concordia University and translation at Playwrights Workshop Montreal, and was just commissioned for a new play by the Blyth Festival.
Based in Tiohtiá:ke / Mooniyang / Montreal, Alexis Diamond (she/her) is a theatre artist, opera and musical librettist, translator, dramaturg and theatre curator working in both English and French.
Since 2019, Alexis has been the English-language translation mentor for Traductions Croisées, a joint project run by Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal and the CEAD (Centre des auteurs.trices dramatiques). She was the first and only curator for English-language theatre for the francophone Festival du Jamais Lu from 2019 to 2022, facilitating translations of contemporary Canadian English-language texts into Québécois French. From 2018 to 2022, Alexis served as literary manager for a multiyear collaboration with professor Erin Hurley (McGill University) and Emma Tibaldo (then artistic director of Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal) researching the history of English-language theatre in Quebec.
Alexis has translated award-winning plays by Audrey-Anne Bouchard and Marc-André Lapointe, Pascal Brullemans, Alexia Bürger, Marie-Hélène Larose-Truchon, Érika Tremblay-Roy and Marie-Claude Verdier for companies such as Geordie Theatre, Le Petit Théâtre de Sherbrooke, DynamO Theatre, Talisman Theatre, Theatre Direct, Théâtre Incliné, Bouche Theatre Collective and Playwrights Canada Press. Alexis was a finalist for the 2020 Governor General’s Award for her translation of Pascal Brullemans’ plays for young audiences, Amaryllis and Little Witch (Playwrights Canada Press). Many of her works can be found at the Canadian Play Outlet.
Alexis has a B.A. Honours in English and Creative Writing from Concordia University and an M.A. in English Literature from the Université de Montréal. Active with various local, provincial and federal arts organizations, Alexis has also served on several theatre and playwriting juries and reading committees and mentored other artists.
Photo credit: Ron Diamond
Marie-Claude Verdier – Playwright
Marie-Claude Verdier’s first play, Je n’y suis plus, was produced at the National Arts Centre’s French Theatre. In 2018, Marie-Claude became the first playwright-in-residence at the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ), where she worked on her play Apparitions. Her sci-fi play Seeker has won the Michel Tremblay prize from Fondation du Cead and was nominated for a Governor General Literary Award in 2022. Marie-Claude is also a dramaturg and has worked with many distinguished directors, including Marc Beaupré, Christian Lapointe, and Benoît Vermeulen. She lives in Laval.
Photo Credit: Julie Artacho
Playwright – Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho)
Jeff Ho is a theatre artist, originally from Hong Kong. As an actor, he has toured as Ophelia in Why Not Theatre’s Prince Hamlet across Canada and the United States over five years, and has performed coast to coast across the country.
As a playwright, his works include cockroach, Iphigenia and the Furies (On Taurian Land), Antigone: 方, and trace. His plays are published by Playwrights Canada Press.
Jeff is grateful to have been honoured with a LAMBDA Award for Best LGBTQ+ Drama, Toronto Theatre Critics Award for Best New Canadian Play (Iphigenia); finalist for the Playwright’s Guild of Canada’s Drama award (cockroach); finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award (Iphigenia and Antigone); nominated for four Dora Awards. He is a graduate of the National Theatre School, holds an MFA from York University, and is currently the Associate Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre.
Photo credit: Dahlia Katz
Translator & Playwright – Maryline Chery
Comédienne d’origine haïtienne, dramaturge et improvisatrice, Maryline a étudié les arts de la scène à l’université Concordia. En 2021, elle monte son premier solo «AFRODISIAQUE» présenté au Centre Segal des arts de la scène, puis au festival Zoofest (OFF Juste Pour rire) au Monument National où elle gagne le prix du spectacle de l’année (2022) et finalement dans le cadre du Conseil des arts de Montréal en tournée où elle joue le spectacle à guichet fermé (saison 2022-2023). Femme du monde, en 2018 on l’invite au 17e sommet de la francophonie à Erevan en Arménie où elle performe et donne des ateliers en écriture et interprétation. Chery a aussi fait partie de la cohorte de mentorat artistique du Black Theatre Workshop 2018-2019. Chery touche également à la mise en scène en co-dirigeant la deuxième édition du « Projet Racines » au Théâtre Espace Libre (2021). On a pu la voir dans des séries notables telles Doute Raisonnable (2023) et District 31 (2020). En 2022 elle est l’heureuse récipiendaire du prix Gloria Mitchell Aleong décerné par le théâtre Black Theatre Workshop pour son excellence artistique, son esprit communautaire et ses initiatives dans le domaine des arts. En 2024, Chery se voit décerner le prix de comédienne de l’année volet théâtre au Gala Dynastie. La même année elle publie également sa première pièce AFRODISIAQUE chez ‘Hurlantes Éditrices’.
Maryline prend sur elle la responsabilité de représenter les richesses de la culture créole dans son art en tant qu’écrivaine et comédienne. Sa mission : créer des pièces vibrantes, diverses, engagées et colorées à son image.
Photo Credit: Annie Diotte
Playwright –Rébecca Déraspe
Rébecca Déraspe est autrice de plusieurs oeuvres jouées, publiées et traduites à travers le monde dont Janette, Les Glaces, Fanny, Faire crier les murs, Les filles du St -Laurent , Ceux qui se sont évaporés, Combattre le why why, Fuir le fléau , Le merveilleux voyage d’Ines de l’Ouest, Deux ans de votre vie , Plus que toi , Peau d’ours , Gamètes , Nino, Je suis William , Le merveilleux voyage de Réal de Montréal , Partout ailleurs et Nos petits doigts.
Elle signe aussi les adaptations de Membrane, Féministe pour Homme, La nuit des rois, Maison de poupées, Roméo & Juliette et Orgueil & préjugés.
Diplômée en 2010 du programme d’écriture dramatique de l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada, Rébecca reçoit le Prix BMO auteur dramatique 2012 pour son tout premier texte, Deux ans de votre vie . Ses œuvres subséquentes seront honorées à de multiples reprises dont Gamètes en 2017 (Prix du Meilleur texte original – AQCT), Je suis William en 2018 (Prix du Meilleur spectacle jeune public – AQCT), Ceux qui se sont évaporés en 2020 (Prix Michel -Tremblay pour le Meilleur texte porté à la scène – CEAD et Prix du Meilleur texte original – AQCT ), Combattre le why why, en lice pour les Prix littéraires du Gouverneur-général en 2021 et Les Glaces, nommé aux Prix littéraires du Gouverneur-Général en 2023 et récipiendaire du Prix Michel Tremblay (2023) la même année.
Les œuvres de Rébecca jouissent d’une reconnaissance qui déborde des frontières du Québec. En 2016, Nino voit le jour à Genève. Sa pièce chorale Les filles du St -Laurent (écrite en collaboration avec Annick Lefebvre) est créée à Paris en novembre 2021 au Théâtre de la Colline. À la même période, la toute première représentation de Fanny est présentée à la Comédie de Reims, avant d’être jouée à Paris au Théâtre Ouvert . Depuis 2020 , ses pièces Gamètes (Keimzellen ) et Peau d’ours (Bärenfalle ) prennent l’affiche de différents théâtres à Berlin et ailleurs en Allemagne.
Photo Credit: Marc-Étienne Mongrain
Bobby Theodore — Translator
Bobby Theodore is a scriptwriter, dramaturg, and translator. After graduating from the National Theatre School of Canada’s playwriting section in 1998, he was a Governor General Award finalist in 2000 for his translation of 15 Seconds by François Archambault. Since then, Bobby has gone on to translate over 35 plays from French to English and has received 2 Betty Mitchell Awards (with François Archambault) for Outstanding New Play. For the stage, he co-created 300 Tapes (with Ame Henderson), which premiered at the Theatre Centre in Toronto and at Alberta Theatre Projects in Calgary. His most recent projects include a translation of Paradise in Flames by François Archambault, a transadaptation of Public Enemy by Olivier Choinière (Published by Playwrights Canada Press, Produced by Canadian Stage), and working as content developer and scriptwriter on the new visitor experience for Province House in PEI. Currently, Bobby is co-writing (with JC Niala) The Importance of Being Oscar Wilde’s Valet, a counterfactual exploration of Wilde’s relationship with Stephen Stephens, a Black minstrel performer he hired as his valet while touring the US.
Photo Credit: Keith Barker
Danielle Le-Saux Farmer — Translator
Comédienne, metteure en scène, autrice et traductrice, Danielle Le Saux-Farmer est diplômée de l’Université d’Ottawa en théâtre, et du Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Québec en interprétation. Elle a assuré la direction artistique et générale du Théâtre Catapulte de 2017 à 2023. Depuis sa sortie de l’école en 2011, elle a joué au Théâtre du Trident, à la Bordée, à Premier Acte, au Périscope, au Théâtre la Licorne, au Théâtre Denise-Pelletier, ainsi qu’en tournée à travers le Canada. On a pu la voir, entre autres, dans Le Projet Laramie au Théâtre du Trident, dans l’adaptation théâtrale de La Guerre des Tuques de Fabien Cloutier et dans L’art de la chute, projet qui la compte comme coautrice et pour lequel elle reçoit une nomination pour un prix d’interprétation. Elle a signé trois traductions pour le théâtre : Avant l’archipel d’Emily Pearlman, création dans laquelle elle joue et qui a connu plus de cent représentations, Beyond the Night Sky, une création des Nuages en pantalon et The Art of the Fall, traduction publiée de L’art de la chute aux éditions QC Fiction. Elle a également assuré la mise en scène d’une adaptation de Dans le bois de David Mamet en 2013, d’une création du Collectif du Vestiaire, Le Jeu, texte dePascale Renaud-Hébert, en 2017, ainsi que Princesse de personne de Pascale Renaud-Hébert. Plus récemment, on a pu la voir dans la tournée pancanadienne de Un.Deux.Trois. de Mani Soleymanlou. Danielle était de la distribution de Durant des années de Louis-Philippe Roy à l’automne 2023 et a créé, à l’écriture, mise en scène et interprétation, le premier chapitre de son projet de théâtre documentaire sur la langue française, Oh! Canada.
Photo Credit: Stéphane Bourgeois
Sophie Gee — Translator
Sophie is a director and creator of multidisciplinary work. Through her company Nervous Hunter, her works include Bonnes Bonnes (Théâtre Aux Écuries), Lévriers (MAI (montréal, arts interculturels), National Arts Centre, CAM en tournée), and The Phaedra Project (No! I! Don’t! Want! To! Fall! In! Love! With! You!) (MAI (montréal, arts interculturels)). Her directing work for other companies include Habibi’s Angels: Commission Impossible by Hoda Adra and Kalale Dalton-Lutale (Talisman Theatre), The Tropic of X by Caridad Svich (Imago Theatre), and Duos en morceaux for Théâtre INK. In January 2024, she was a directing consultant on Chimerica at Théâtre Duceppe where she directed the scenes in Mandarin. Alongside set and costume designer Eo Sharp, she recently completed Un an en défilés, a monthly series of participatory parades in Verdun to explore the act of walking together as a community over a year. Sophie is a graduate of the directing programme at the National Theatre School.
Photo Credit: Jeremy Cabrera
Evelyne de la Chenelière — Playwright
Écrivaine et comédienne, Evelyne de la Chenelière est une figure incontournable de la scène québécoise et de la dramaturgie contemporaine.
Ses pièces de théâtre, traduites et montées au Québec et au Canada comme ailleurs dans le monde, interrogent les limites du langage et l’expérience de l’écriture. En 2017, elle est finaliste pour le Prix Siminovich à l’excellence et à l’innovation en théâtre canadien, et reçoit en 2018 la distinction de Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres de la République française.
Parmi ses pièces, La vie utile, créée à Espace Go et présentée au Festival TransAmériques dans une mise en scène de Marie Brassard, a reçu le prix Marcel Dubé de l’Académie des lettres du Québec. Bashir Lazhar a fait l’objet d’une adaptation au cinéma par le cinéaste Philippe Falardeau, sous le titre de Monsieur Lazhar. Le film a été mis en nomination pour l’Oscar du meilleur film en langue étrangère. Son plus récent texte, Le traitement de la nuit, a été créé par Denis Marleau à Montréal et par Kornelius Eich à Francfort dans sa traduction allemande.
Régulièrement invitée à aborder sa pratique et les thèmes parcourant son œuvre, elle a participé comme conférencière à différents festivals de littérature et de théâtre à Mexico, Barcelone, Limoges, Toulouse, Paris, Édimbourg, Londres, Sarrebruck, ainsi qu’au Caire.
Elle a également donné des classes de maître et participé à des colloques (Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Montréal, Université de Munich, Conservatoire de Tours, Université de Valencia, Université de Madrid, École Normale Supérieure de Paris).
Comme comédienne, on a pu la voir s’illustrer, entre autres, sous la direction de Marie Brassard, Daniel Brière, Jérémie Niel, Brigitte Haentjens, Florent Siaud, Cédric Delorme-Bouchard, et plus récemment le cinéaste Denis Côté.
Le parcours d’Evelyne de la Chenelière est marqué par une exploration formelle et un désir de questionner l’art vivant, tant par l’écriture que par le jeu. Sa singularité fait d’elle une artiste qui déjoue les attentes. Elle est présente dans les grandes institutions au Québec et à l’étranger, mais aussi dans le secret de leurs marges.
Photo Credit: Charlotte de la Chenelière
Maud de Palma-Duquet — Playwright
Maud de Palma-Duquet obtient son diplôme du Conservatoire d’art dramatique de Québec en 2012. La même année, elle participe aux Chantiers du Carrefour International de théâtre de Québec. Elle bénéficie également d’un mentorat d’écriture avec l’auteur Fabien Cloutier grâce à la mesure Première Ovation. La pièce qui en résulte, Enfant unique, est mise en lecture au théâtre Premier Acte. En 2013, elle participe à la soirée de clôture du Festival du Jamais Lu Québec en tant qu’autrice et comédienne. C’est dans le cadre de ce même festival, lors de l’édition montréalaise du printemps 2022, que son texte Bénévolat est mis en lecture pour la première fois. Cette pièce lui mérite le prix Gratien Gélinas et est présentée au Théâtre La Licorne en janvier et février 2024 avant d’être reprise en décembre. Comme interprète, on a pu la voir notamment dans Act of god, une production du Théâtre Niveau Parking, ainsi que dans Chante avec moi d’Olivier Choinière. Éternelle curieuse, elle a aussi étudié en droit et en journalisme à l’Université de Montréal.
Photo Credit: Paule Beaudoin
Tamara Nguyen — Playwright
Tamara Nguyen est autrice et conseillère dramaturgique. En 2016, elle obtient un baccalauréat en littératures de langue française et philosophie de l’Université de Montréal et en 2019, elle complète une formation en écriture dramatique à l’École Nationale de Théâtre du Canada. Sa pièce Légendes de canapé est montée par Héloïse Desrochers en 2020 au Théâtre des Béloufilles. En 2023, la pièce Bonnes Bonnes qu’elle a co-écrite avec Sophie Gee est présentée au Théâtre Aux Écuries. La même année, sa pièce Les papillons du littoral est montée par Claudia Chan Tak au Quai 5160. En 2024, sa pièce Maelström est mise en scène par Annie Ranger au Théâtre Aux Écuries. À titre de conseillère dramaturgique, Tamara a travaillé avec Claudia Chan Tak sur Au revoir zébu présenté à La Chapelle en 2022 et avec Stephie Mazunya sur la pièce S’enjailler qui est présentée au Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui en 2024. Tamara s’intéresse à la satire politique, à la manière dont l’art peut mettre un frein au défilement de l’actualité pour permettre une réflexion de fond.
Photo Credit: Maxime Côté
Linda Gaboriau — Translator
Translator and dramaturg, Linda Gaboriau has translated over 125 plays and novels from the French, including the works of Québec’s most prominent playwrights. Her translations of plays by Michel Marc Bouchard, Normand Chaurette, Daniel Danis, Wajdi Mouawad and Michel Tremblay have been published and widely produced across Canada and abroad. Her long collaboration with Michel Marc Bouchard has included the film adaptations of Lilies (1996 Genie Award, Best Motion Picture), The Tale of Teeka et The Girl King, directed by Mika Kaurismaki. Her theatre translations have garnered many awards across Canada. She has been a finalist for the Governor General’s Award for Translation six times and she won this award in 1996 for Stone and Ashes (Daniel Danis), in 2010 for Forests (Wajdi Mouawad) and in 2019 Birds of a Kind (Wajdi Mouawad). Her most recent publication is with Talon: TWISTS OF FATE which includes the translation of two Michel Tremblay novels: AU HASARD LA CHANCE/IF BY CHANCE et LES CLEFS DU PARADISE/DESTINATION PARADISE. And soon to be published and premiered at Centaur Theatre: EMBRASSE/KISSES DEEP by Michel Marc Bouchard. For several years she was in charge of the dramaturgical workshops at Montreal’s Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CeAD) where she subsequently coordinated translation and exchange projects with English and Spanish-speaking countries. At the Banff Playwrights Colony she was an associate director, in charge of translation projects. From 2002-2007, she was the founding director of the Banff International Literary Translation Centre. Linda Gaboriau was named a Member of the Order of Canada in 2015 and an Officer of Ordre national du Québec in 2023.
Photo Credit: Josée Lambert
Olivier Choinière — Playwright
Depuis plus de vingt ans, Olivier Choinière œuvre comme auteur, metteur en scène et traducteur pour le théâtre. Il est co-directeur général et artistique de L’ACTIVITÉ, compagnie de création basée à Montréal. Diplômé en écriture de l’École nationale de théâtre en 1996, Olivier Choinière est lauréat du Prix Gascon-Thomas 2015 et du Prix Siminovitch 2014, remis à un auteur dramatique canadien.
Il se fait connaître avec Le bain des raines (1998), puis par Autodafé (1999), mis en scène par André Brassard. Ses pièces Venise-en-Québec (2006) et Nom de domaine (2013) ont été finalistes des Prix du Gouverneur Général du Canada. Félicité (2007) a été présenté au Royal Court Theatre de Londres. Plusieurs de ses pièces ont été traduites et ont été jouées au Canada, en Europe et en Asie.
En 2000, il fonde L’ACTIVITÉ, compagnie de création basée à Montréal, avec laquelle il met en scène près de 20 spectacles, dont Chante avec moi (2010), Mommy (2013), Ennemi public (2015), qui s’est valu le Prix Michel-Tremblay, Manifeste de la Jeune-Fille (2017), qui s’est vu récompensé par le Festival Primeurs ainsi que Zoé (2020), Prix Marcel-Dubé. 8 de ces spectacles prenaient la forme de déambulations sonores à travers la ville.
Olivier Choinière enseigne à l’École nationale de théâtre du Canada et donne fréquemment des conférences et des ateliers. Ses textes sont publiés chez Atelier 10, Leméac et Dramaturges éditeurs.
À travers ses œuvres, il explore différentes formes de représentations et cherche à donner un rôle actif aux spectateurs.
Photo Credit: Charles Lafrance
“Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal has completely transformed my experience of being an artist. Fatma Sarah Elkashef and I had our first dramaturgical conversation in 2018, and in a way, it hasn’t stopped. For the past five years, we have collaborated on two very different projects: a five character play with music about a rockstar family and the complicated legacy of our cultural icons, and a digital-hybrid solo show about power, coercion, and escaping a cult. We share a belief that how we make work is as important as the work itself. From ongoing dramaturgical conversations, to dramaturgical residencies (2022, 2023), to full-cast workshops (2020, 2021, 2023), to the Gros Morne Residency in Newfoundland (2022), Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal has provided me with unparalleled and essential support. I wouldn’t be the playwright I am today without this organization.”
– Scout Rexe
“Ever since my graduation from theatre school in 2015, Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal has been an invaluable support, both institutionally and personally. They supported further development of my solo show Miss Katelyn’s Grade Threes Prepare for the Inevitable, which went on to have over 75 performances in English and French, as well as my site-specific Everyone We Know Will Be There, which ran in residential houses in Edmonton in Calgary back in 2016. They’ve offered me ongoing access to an environment where I’m able to witness new play development in action. As a playwright, it can be rare to receive support that has no agenda, where your supporters’ only objective is to help you germinate a story that you yourself are happy with before anyone else. This has always been my experience with PWM, making it one of my favourite theatre institutions in Canada, and a place that I recommend to other playwrights enthusiastically and often.”
– Elena Belyea
“I really got involved in activities during the pandemic, searching for ways to stay creative and stay sane; I came across PWM’s call for submissions – online opportunities. PWM’s Digital Dramaturgy Initiative – Montreal residency in 2021 was my first experience and I had a wonderful and enlightening experience learning and deepening my understanding of theatre and the art of thinking and writing for theatre. I went on to also participate in:
PWM + MAI Joint Support for Artists (2021–2022)
Exploring Practice workshop – Spatial Dramaturgy: Developing an Urban Performance Practice with Shauna Janssen (Apr – May 2022)
Exploring Practice – The Dramaturgical Process: First Principles and Practical Applications with Andrea Romaldi (Jan – Feb 2023)
PWM X Arrivals Legacy Project (2023)
PWM’s Cross Cultural Adaptation Lab (Jul 2023 – Oct 2025)
I enjoy the fact that they always have interesting offerings for development and mentorship. I love the staff, as well as the individuals they bring in to facilitate workshops. They have all been down to earth, open, knowledgeable, and just fun to be around and speak to on a human level.
Having the opportunity to incorporate theatre and writing into my dance practice has been a very rewarding journey. I am grateful for the time I’ve been able to spend with both Sarah and Aki in conversation and for the relationships fostered. The individuals who make up an organization are important and PWM has wonderful individuals all throughout.
As I’ve been working on my first play, ‘Wild Roots’, PWM has been gently riding the wave, supporting my explorations and development in playwriting. I never feel pressured to present as anything or one other than me, allowing myself to feel the freedom to really find my own voice and solidify my own footing. That is huge for me.
In the end, what I can say is PWM, ‘Thank you for being a friend!’”
– Jamila Joseph
“For as long as I can remember, PWM has been an artistic and social hub of the community. One can always depend on great conversation and artistic exchange when you spend time there. As a young actor it was always a point of pride to be hired to read a new script in workshop: it was a wonderful job no matter how quickly you passed through their doors or how long you stayed; it has been some of the best training I have ever received as an actor. It taught me how to be clear and rigorous and respectful. As a playwright, I have received an incredible amount of support from the folks at PWM and would have never completed my last play without their belief in me. The relationship I have with PWM is a rare one. I have taken that and used it to build the artist I have always wanted to become. Dramaturgy received through PWM: The Tashme Project: The Living Archives and Mizushōbai- The Water Trade. Residencies through PWM: Gros Morne, ÉsterELLE- 2019. I have participated in endless workshops and a multitude of invaluable Master Classes, like playwriting with Daniel MacIvor, Carole Fréchette and Robert Chafe.”
“Without Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal, I would not have the career in theatre translation that I have. Nor would I have been able to sustain a career in Montreal as a playwright working in both English and French. PWM introduced me to the Francophone-theatre milieu as a potential translator in the 2010s. From there grew my familiarity with the agents and stakeholders of the milieu, which led to me serving as a kind of bridge between Anglophone and Francophone theatre in Montreal, a role I happily play today, along with a growing number of bilingual and multilingual artists who make their livelihoods in both English and French in this city.
I had my first experience with theatre translation in the PWM Translation Unit with Maureen Labonté in 2010-2011. That was when I initially started work on the translation of Amaryllis [Vipérine] by Pascal Brullemans. In 2016, I participated in PWM’s Glassco Translation Residency in Tadoussac for Amaryllis [Vipérine], this time with the guidance of Bobby Theodore. The book Amaryllis and Little Witch (Playwrights Canada Press) would later go on to be nominated for the Governor General’s Award for translation in 2021.
In 2013, I was the first ever recipient of PWM’s Cole Foundation Mentorship for Emerging Translators to translate Je n’y suis plus (Marie-Claude Verdier), which was workshopped and received a public reading at PWM. I would go on to mount a production, directed by Jen Quinn, at Toronto’s SummerWorks Festival in 2016, to great acclaim.
In 2018, Talisman Theatre commissioned the translation of Minuit by Marie-Hélène Larose-Truchon. Workshopped through PWM, it gave me the opportunity to benefit from the tutelage of the Grande Dame of Québécois-theatre translation, Linda Gaboriau, and also to journey to New Orleans, where we had a workshop with local actors and a public reading at the Southern Repertory Theatre.
In 2019, I participated in “Theatre Translation Workshop with Frank Heibert”, offered through PWM’s Exploring Practice program, to work on Marie-Claude Verdier’s touring play, Andy’s Gone (Playwrights Canada Press). The book was one of five selected in 2022 for Top Grade: CanLit for the Classroom, a program run by the Association of Canadian Publishers’ Children’s Committee.
In 2020, I was commissioned by PWM to translate Camille : le récit by Audrey-Anne Bouchard and Marc-André Lapointe and in 2022, Camille: The Story was produced at the Segal Centre, where it won a META Award for best production.
Having benefited from the tutelage and mentoring of the giants of Québécois theatre translation – Maureen Labonté, Linda Gaboriau and Bobby Theodore – PWM then deemed me ready to serve as a mentor to emerging translators. Since 2019, I have had the honour of being the translation mentor for Traductions Croisées, the program jointly organized by Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal and Centre des auteurs.trices dramatiques (CEAD) to encourage the emergence of new translators for Québécois plays.
As part of the Traduction Croisées mentorship program (Introduction to Theatre Translation), I mentored Katherine Turnbull for her translation of La nuit du 4 au 5 by Rachel Graton, which was produced by Talisman Theatre in 2022. Katherine Turnbull was just selected as the 10th mentee for the Cole Foundation Mentorship for Emerging Translators.”
-Alexis Diamond
Other Worlds will be presented with as a Geordie Theatre mainstage production from September 29 – October 7, 2023.
A proud Montrealer, Alexis Diamond (she/her) is an anglophone theatre artist, opera and musical librettist, translator, dramaturg and theatre curator working on both sides of Montréal’s linguistic divide. She creates works for a wide range of audiences, from toddlers, to school-aged children, to all ages, to adults only, which have garnered awards, residencies, and attention at home and abroad. Alternately playful, poetic and profound, her texts and performances break open the stories we inherit and the myths we perpetuate, often to our detriment. She was a finalist for the 2020 Governor General’s Award for her translation of Pascal Brullemans’ plays for young audiences, Amaryllis and Little Witch (Playwrights Canada Press). Alexis is a member of the Board of the Conseil québecois de théâtre. She has a B.A. Honours in English and Creative Writing from Concordia University and an M.A. in English Literature from the Université de Montréal.
Headshot by Ron Diamond.
Even Gilchrist— Playwright
Even Gilchrist (he/him) is a theatre designer and creator based on Treaty 6 territory, located in amiskwaciy (or Edmonton, AB). He is a recent MFA Theatre Design graduate of the University of Alberta, and received his undergraduate degree in theatre from the University of Ottawa.
As a scenographer, his desire for creative processes lives in finding ways in which design is the catalyst of storytelling, rather than reactionary to the script, and was very much so the case in the creation of Re:Construct.
Recent design credits include: Boy Trouble (Production Design – Amoris Projects) and 10 Funerals (Set and Lighting Design – Shadow Theatre). Check out evengilchrist.com for more info on new projects!
Headshot by BB Collective.
Jasmine Dubé — Auteure dramatique
Cofondatrice et directrice artistique du Théâtre Bouches Décousues (TBD), Jasmine Dubé est comédienne, au- teure et metteure en scène.
Sa première pièce, Bouches décousues, a été jouée plus de 350 fois au Québec et en Europe. Petit monstre s’est méritée le prix de la meilleure production « jeunes publics » de l’Association québécoise des critiques de théâtre en 1992. La bonne femme a remporté trois Masques décernés par l’Académie québécoise du théâtre en 1996 : Production « jeunes publics », Texte et Mise en scène. Ma petite boule d’amour (2018), Le pingouin (2002), La mère merle (2000) et Le bain (1998) ont reçu le prix du public à Beloeil. La série Nazaire s’est retrouvée finaliste des prix Chronos 1997, en France et en Suisse. En 1998, l’album L’ourson qui voulait une Juliette a reçu le prix Alvine-Belisle, choix des bibliothécaires pour le meilleur livre jeunesse. Certains de ses textes sont traduits en anglais, portugais, espagnol, grec, innu-aimun et en italien.
En 1996, Jasmine Dubé a reçu le prix Arthur-Buies pour l’ensemble de son œuvre. En 1998, Artquimédia lui décernait l’Agathe de distinction pour son rayonnement artistique à l’échelle nationale et internationale et elle recevait de la Renaissance française, la médaille du Rayonne- ment Culturel. En 2006, TBD était le lauréat du Grand prix du Conseil des arts de Montréal pour « son apport immense à la vit alité et au déve- loppement du théâtre d’ici ». En juin 2010, on inaugurait la bibliothèque Jasmine-Dubé à Amqui. En 2013 elle recevait le Prix Raymond-Plante pour son travail exceptionnel en littérature jeunesse.
Headshot par Angelo Barsetti.
Émanuel Dubbeldam — Translator
Émanuel Dubbeldam is a queer and transgender franco-albertan artist based in Edmonton. He has been acting onstage and onscreen since his childhood and began working in the industry as a professional in 2010. With many years of acting, hosting, and emceeing under his belt, Émanuel also writes sketches, screenplays and stage plays in his two first languages.
Headshot by Liam Mackenzie.
François Grisé — Auteur dramatique
François Grisé est comédien et artiste multidisciplinaire. Sa pratique englobe les codes du théâtre, mais aussi de la performance, de l’installation et des arts visuels. En 2012, il fonde Un et un font mille pour accueillir ses créations hybrides: œuvres multidisciplinaire, événements, tableaux vivants et activités d’innovation sociale.
En 2017, il écrit Tout inclus, une pièce de théâtre-documentaire. Elle a enclenché un grand cycle de création et d’action face aux réalités du vieillissement. Dans son prolongement, il a créé le mouvement HABITATS, un espace d’innovation sociale et d’action citoyenne où l’on se pose activement la question : Comment voulons-nous habiter notre vieillesse?
Violeta Sarmiento Marabotto — Traductrice
Née à Mexico, Violeta Sarmiento est comédienne, diplômée du Centro Universitario de Teatro (CUT) de l’Université Nationale Autonome du Mexique (UNAM). Elle a aussi un diplôme en psychologie avec mention honorifique (UNAM).
De 2012 à 2014, elle suit le programme de maîtrise sur les méthodes de formation théâtrale pour les pratiques pédagogiques innovantes intitulé The New Face of Acting Teachers, sous la direction de Jurij Alschitz (UNAM). Elle a également une maîtrise en psychothérapie intégrale à l’Instituto de Psicoterapia Integral y Ciencias de la Salud en 2021.
En 2011, elle participe au séminaire sur la traduction de littérature dramatique francophone organisé par Boris Schoemann et Humberto Pérez Mortera.
En 2012, elle fonde l’Instituto Magia Producciones, où elle est traductrice, productrice, metteuse en scène et comédienne. Elle se spécialise dans la traduction en espagnol de la dramaturgie en langue française.
En 2018, elle est invitée à la rencontre internationale Dramaturgies en Dialogue, organisée par le Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD) à Montréal, en tant que productrice, traductrice et metteuse en scène.
Parmi les œuvres qu!elle a traduites, produites et jouées, on peut citer Portrait Chinois d’une imposteure de Dominick Parenteau-Lebeuf, Petite Sorcière de Pascal Brullemans, Huis clos de Jean Paul Sartre, qui a remporté le prix de la meilleure production au XIVe Festival National de Théâtre au Mexique en 2006. Iris tient salon de Dominick Parenteau-Lebeuf a été présentée de 2015 à 2020, y compris dans des festivals au Mexique et au festival Les Coups de Théâtre en 2018.
En 2022, Petite Sorcière a été en nomination par l’ACPT (Agrupación de Críticos y Periodistas de Teatro) dans deux catégories : meilleure pièce pour le jeune public et meilleure conception de mouvement. En 2016, Iris tient salon a été nominée par l!ACPT dans la catégorie : meilleure actrice révélation.
Entre 2014 et 2018 elle est membre de la troupe permanente de la Compañía Nacional de Teatro (CNT). À deux reprises, (2011-2012) et (2019-2020), elle reçoit la subvention gouvernementale du FONCA (Fonds national pour la culture et les arts) dans le programme Créateurs de scène.
Entre 2011 et 2013, elle a joué en espagnol les œuvres d’origine québécoise Forêts et Ciels de Wajdi Mouawad, sous la direction de Hugo Arrevillaga.
Sa formation multidisciplinaire comprend la musique, le chant, la danse et le théâtre. Dans le domaine vocal, elle a étudié les techniques de Bel Canto, Roy Hart et Linklater. Elle possède aussi une formation en danse classique et fait de fréquentes mises à jour des techniques contemporaines. Elle a fondé le groupe musical Expresso doble. Pendant cinq ans, elle a produit des spectacles et enregistré des chansons en studio.
Elle enseigneJeu réaliste à Casazul (École des arts du spectacle), de même que Voix et parole à la Casa del Teatro. De 2008 à 2016, elle a enseigné Expression du vers du Siècle d’Or espagnol au CUT-UNAM, et, en 2012, à CEUVOZ. Elle exerce également sa pratique comme psychothérapeute intégrale.
Charles Bender — Translator
Charles has been a regular presence at the helm of the Indigenous Day Live event and is the host of Sans reserve on APTN. We recently saw him as host of the National Truth and Reconciliation live event broadcast on CBC and APTN. He has also worked as host/facilitator for many aboriginal organisations or events across Canada.
As an actor, you might have caught him in Sioui-Bacon, Mohawk Girls or, more recently, as Joe Naveau in Eaux Turbulentes or Frère Brière in Pour toi Flora. On stage, he has worked with many companies with social justice as part of their mandate such as Teesri Duniya, Ondinnok and Tableau d’Hôte.
In 2015, Charles co-founded productions Menuentakuan, an indigenous theatre company invested in creating new paths of dialogue amongst indigenous and non-indigenous people in Canada. He has translated various plays by indigenous authors such as Where The Blood Mixes by Kevin Loring, Thuderstick by Kenneth T. Williams, Free as Injuns by Tara Beagan and alterNatives by Drew Hayden Taylor. He has just finished translating Maria Campbell’s Halfbreed and is currently working on translating Tomson Highway’s Permanent Astonishment. As part of his community involvement, he sits on a variety of boards and comities to make sure indigenous voices are represented and heard.
Developed plays include Governor General Award nominated works by Sean Dixon, Brendan Gall, Jonathan Garfinkel, Michael Healey, Joan MacLeod, and Hannah Moscovitch, and Governor General Award-winners Erin Shields and David Yee; eleven Dora Award Outstanding New Play nominees and three winners; and a Trillium Book Award winner. Throughout her career, Andrea has been a regular panellist for the Directors Lab North, and contributed a chapter entitled “Master Class: Dramaturgy and New Play Development” to the book The Directors Lab edited by Evan Tsitsias (Playwrights Canada Press 2019). She has mentored both graduate students and professional theatre makers through university training programs, internships, and play development programs at a variety of theatres. Previously, she has worked with Brian Quirt at Nightswimming and with Maureen Labonté and Neil Munro at the Shaw Festival, and contributed to Canadian Stage’s inaugural Festival of Ideas and Creation. Andrea also participated in workshops at the National Theatre Society (Dublin) while she pursued her MPhil in film and theatre at Trinity College, Dublin.
PWM est situé en territoire autochtone, lequel n’a jamais été cédé. Nous reconnaissons la nation Kanien'kehá: ka comme gardienne des terres et des eaux sur lesquelles nous exerçons. Tiohtiá:ke / Montréal est historiquement reconnu comme un lieu de rassemblement pour de nombreuses Premières Nations. Aujourd'hui, une population autochtone diversifiée, ainsi que d'autres peuples, y résident. C’est dans le respect des liens passés, présents et futurs que nous reconnaissons les relations continues entre les Peuples Autochtones et autres personnes de la communauté montréalaise.
