Catégorie : Announcements

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Impact Creation 2024: Celebrating Creativity & Community

A collage of 10 square photos of various artists in various PWM programs.

At Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal, theatre creators are able to boldly explore their work – take risks, fail, and try again –  in order to bring innovative new works to audiences across the country. We understand the power of theatre to reflect and impact society, to amplify the voices of underrepresented communities, and to bring unique stories to light. 

We also know that the creative process needs time, space, and the support of a community. Shared effort from friends, colleagues, and collaborators is what allows theatre to flourish. We need your help to continue removing barriers, facilitating programs, and offering dramaturgical collaboration to make creators’ visions a reality. Every one of us has a part in this process. 

To help us continue to offer essential support to theatre creators, particularly those from underrepresented communities, allowing them to develop their craft and create work that innovates and inspires audiences across Canada, we invite you to support our end-of-year fundraising campaign, Impact Creation. Our goal is to reach $6000.00 in donations by December 31st: Every donation strengthens our ability to assist artists at each step of their journey.

365 CREATORS CLUB:
YOUR IMPACT WILL BE DOUBLED THIS DECEMBER!

Monthly donations help us respond to emerging project needs—a vital resource for artists. This December only, Chris Black and Paul Butler and the PWM Board of Directors have generously offered to match first-time monthly donations! And for those of you already donating monthly, please consider increasing your contribution: Newly increased monthly contribution amounts will also be matched in full for the duration of Impact Creation 2024! (For example, if you currently donate $15/month and increase your monthly donation to $18 in December, this will mean PWM will receive $36!). 

*New and increased monthly donations will be matched up to a total of $700 this December only; $250 in matches pledged by Chris Black and Paul Butler, and $450 from the PWM Board of Directors.

Why Stefanie Buxton, Actor and Playwright, Gives Monthly:

With a gift of $18 or more each month, you’ll receive a special gift of a published play* developed in collaboration with PWM, autographed by the playwright!

*Selection varies. Examples include Jabber by Marcus Youssef, Squawk by Megan Gail Coles, Instant by Erin Shields, Andy’s Gone by Marie-Claude Verdier and translated by Alexis Diamond, and Everybody Just C@lm The F#ck Down by Robert Chafe. This year, cockroach (曱甴) by Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho) will be added to the selection.

DONATE TO IMPACT CREATION

Each year, your donations support new theatre creation through:
– 30 play development workshops, where everyone is compensated for their contributions;
– 75 one-on-one dramaturgical consultations, including digital dramaturgy clinics, offered free of charge;
– 20 mentorships that connect artists with industry professionals;
– 2 national residencies where all travel, accommodations, and meals are provided;
– 4 professional development workshops for the artistic community to learn or hone new skills;
– Ongoing initiatives to strengthen accessibility and inclusion;
– And much more!

Whether you’d like to make a one-time contribution, or if you’d like to join our Club des créateurs 365 of monthly donors, your support is invaluable.

OUR INTERCONNECTED COMMUNITY CROSSWORD PUZZLE

Finally, PWM’s fundraiser has a tradition of celebrating the past year’s collaborations and achievements in the form of a crossword puzzle. You are sure to recognize plays and people in this puzzle, and if you don’t know an answer, that’s okay: we encourage you to look things up–It’s a chance to get to know your community even better!

Every correctly completed puzzle is entered into a draw, giving you the chance to win your choice of a published play developed in collaboration with PWM! Submit by December 31, 2024 for your chance to win! 

You can fill in the puzzle, print it out or take a screenshot, and email a picture of the completed puzzle to heather@playwrights.ca. 

Keep an eye on our social media in the month of December for some direct clues and answers!

Made by Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal with the online cross word maker from Amuse Labs

Thank you for being part of this community: Your support means the world to us and to those creating new worlds through their art.

DONATE TO IMPACT CREATION

Banner photo credits, top row, left to right: Jordan Arseneault, Eric Noël, and Maureen Labonté during the 2016 Cole Mentorship for Emerging Translators program; Joy Ross-Jones in a workshop of زبون (tongue) by Panthea Vatandoost; Nick Carpenter and Aki Matsushita (2023 Cross Cultural Adaptation Lab); Symantha Stewart and Charity Adzie in Young Creators Unit Showcase reading of A Boy’s Love by Anton May; View of the Bonne Bay Aquarium and Research Station in Newfoundland and Labrador during the 2024 Gros Morne Playwrights’ Residency; Yvette Nolan and Todd Houseman in a workshop of Jordan by Yvette Nolan.
Banner photo credits, bottom row, left to right: Symantha Stewart and Ravyn R. Bekh in a workshop of the 2024 Queer Reading Series piece It Sticks to the Ryver by Corbeau Sandoval; Joy Ross-Jones, Cara Rebecca, Diana Uribe, Aladeen Tawfeek, Leslie Baker, Aki Matsushita, and Amelia Scott in a workshop of Fix by Joy Ross-Jones; Danielle Le Saux-Farmer, Aki Matsushita, Evelyne de la Chenelière, and Olivier Choinière at the 2024 Glassco Translation Residency in Tadoussac; The Fornés Workshop with Mariló Nuñez (2023 Exploring Practice workshop); Audience members attending the 2023 Young Creators Unit Showcase; Mathilde Perahia, Tiernan Cornford, Camila Ariza, and Sophie Gee in a workshop of Ülfet Sevdi’s Performing Motherhood (2023-2024 PWM + MAI Joint Support for Artists).

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AMPLIFIER 2025-2027

A colourful background made up of salmon pink, royal blue, and turquoise blue blocks. At the bottom left corner, a five white lines of varying length. At the top center, the word Amplifier is written in royal blue, all capital letters. At the bottom right, the words Call For Applications are written in white

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal (PWM), LA SERRE – arts vivants (LA SERRE) and the Conseil des Arts de Montréal (CAM) are currently accepting applications for the 2025-2027 English-language edition of AMPLIFIER.

The deadline to submit applications is October 23, 2024 at 11:59PM EST.

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

If you have any questions regarding this program, your application, or the eligibility of your project, please contact our Artistic Producer, Leila Ghaemi, at leila@playwrights.ca with the subject line: AMPLIFIER

AMPLIFIER offers a long-term exploratory creation process to a playwright who identifies as Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit), Black, POC, racialized, including 1st or 2nd generation immigrant artists (as defined in the Conseil des Arts de Montréal’s glossary), working creatively in one of Canada’s official languages. This program offers artistic and financial support to one working* playwright residing on the island of Montréal, including dramaturgical collaboration, a professional workshop with actors, and a residency leading to a presentation to programmers and peers.

AMPLIFIER seeks to foster dialogue between Montréal’s English and French speaking theatre communities, as well as intercultural exchanges and greater representation for culturally diverse artists within the theatre community and on Montréal’s stages.

In order to support artists creating in French and artists creating in English, CAM et La Serre offer this program alternately with the Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD) in French (Résidence Voix Théâtrales), and with PWM in English. The 2025-2027 edition is intended for artists working in the English language. PWM supports English language minority artists in Quebec, therefore the work with PWM will take place in English. Applications are to be submitted in English.

Please refer to the Program Presentation (PDF) for more details about what this partnership includes, program eligibility criteria, and other conditions.

THE SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS

PWM logo

CONSEIL DES ARTS DE MONTRÉAL 

Founded in 1956, the Conseil des arts de Montréal identifies, supports and recognizes excellence in the professional creation, production and dissemination of the arts.

To remain in tune with the organizations and collectives it serves, the Conseil relies on its knowledge of the communities, its innovative skills, and its ability to bring the city’s artists and financial partners together.

PLAYWRIGHTS’ WORKSHOP MONTRÉAL 

Fondé en 1963, le Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal (PWM) est un centre de développement dramaturgique national situé à Montréal. Le PWM est dirigé par une équipe de dramaturges et de gestionnaires culturels d’expérience. Axée sur la dramaturgie, sa mission est de collaborer avec des artistes au développement d’œuvres originales de théâtre et de performance. Le PWM offre aux artistes la possibilité de créer, d’expérimenter, de rêver, en osant le risque. Son travail en collaboration s’appuie sur la vaste expertise de son équipe et s’ajuste parfaitement aux besoins spécifiques de chaque artiste. Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal (PWM) is a nationally-mandated theatre creation and development centre based in Montréal. PWM is led by a team of experienced dramaturgs and arts administrators. With a focus on dramaturgy, its mission is to collaborate with artists in the development of new works of theatre and performance. PWM gives artists the opportunity to create and experiment, dream and take risks. Its collaborative process draws on the team’s unique experience and is tailored to the artist’s individual needs. 

At PWM, playwrights, dramaturgs, translators, directors, performance makers, and theatre companies across the country find a creative collaborator willing to invest deeply in the development of meaningful work. PWM acts as a community hub for theatre-makers in Montreal and beyond.

PWM operates a 2,000 square foot creation studio and shared office space, equipped with theatre lighting, sound and digital equipment. Click here for accessibility information for our office and creative studio space: https://www.playwrights.ca/accessibility-contact/

LA SERRE – ARTS VIVANTS

LA SERRE is a structuring incubator that supports emerging artists in the development and establishment of their artistic practices. It offers initiatives conducive to their visibility; takes care of its community, and offers inspiring spaces. LA SERRE supports emerging artists by creating lasting and invested connections with them. It enables artists to create and share performances that shift the perspectives of spectators and explore new ways of being together. The practices supported by LA SERRE question, transform and resist preconceptions, let pluralities unfold, and contribute to the renewal of established models. LA SERRE activates collaborations between artists, citizens, fields of knowledge, and artistic disciplines. Its support is experimental and multifaceted.

SOUTIEN FOURNI

The 2025-2027 AMPLIFIER artist will receive a project creation grant of $13,000 from the CAM over two years, along with numerous support provided by PWM, LA SERRE, and CAM. This is a one-time, non-renewable grant.

The program takes place over two years, and support is provided as follows:

YEAR 1

$3,000 creation grant for a new theatrical creation

30 hours of dramaturgical collaboration with Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal

A 9 hour workshop with actors with Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal

A reading presentation with actors at Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal

YEAR 2

$10,000 creation grant for production

50 hours of production and management mentorship by LA SERRE–arts vivants

60 hours of free access to the Conseil des Arts de Montréal’s studios

Presentation of two performances in lab format

One-year subscription to Machinerie des arts.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply, please complete the online application form. Click here to view the form as a PDF. During the application process, you will be asked to include the following documents in PDF format:

  • A CV;
  • An excerpt of the current project (12 pages maximum);
  • A full script of a previously written theatrical work in English

Applications will be evaluated by representatives of the CAM, PWM, and La Serre. Projects will be evaluated based on merit, feasibility, and impact on the artist.

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

The deadline to submit applications is October 23, 2024 at 11:59PM EST.

CLIQUEZ ICI POUR POSTULER

 * This is an opportunity for professional playwrights as defined in the Conseil de Arts de Montreal glossary: “An individual with a professional artistic practice who possesses the necessary experience and knowledge to develop this practice. This includes self-taught individuals as well as those who have studied art. This person is recognized in their artistic community (artists working in the same artistic tradition), creates, carries out or publishes works of art, is dedicated to their artistic practice and is generally paid for their work.”

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Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal Welcomes New Managing Director Alanna Wrenshall

PWM is delighted to formally announce that our Conseil d'administration and hiring committee have appointed Alanna Wrenshall, more commonly known as Alan, as our new Managing Director.

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

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

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

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

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

Playwrights' Workshop Montréal Board of Director_Jason Poirier Lavoie

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

Playwrights' Workshop Montreal Artistic Director Fatma Sarah Elkashef.

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

– Fatma Sarah Elkashef, Artistic Director of PWM

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

– Alanna Wrenshall, Managing Director of PWM

A PDF of this announcement can be found here:

PWM Managing Director – Alanna WrenshallDOWNLOAD
Publié le

PWM+MAI Joint Support for Artists Featuring Ülfet Sevdi

Le Playwrights' Workshop Montréal and the MAI (Montréal, Arts Interculturels) sont heureux d’annoncer que le Soutien conjoint aux artistes du PWM et du MAI for Artists will feature Ülfet Sevdi and her work Motherhood.

The Artist

Ülfet Sevdi is a writer, theatre director, dramaturge, visual artist, and Theatre of the Oppressed practitioner based in Montreal.


She graduated in Fine Arts and Theatre in Türkiye in 2001. She holds a Research and Creation Master in the INDI program at Concordia University. She is now a PhD candidate in the INDI program at Concordia University. Her work deals with oral history and social narratives. Her approach is highly conceptual, experimental, and is theoretically grounded in the critical social sciences.


She was the co-founder and artistic director of nü.kolektif (2008-2014), an Istanbul-based collective of multidisciplinary artists involved in performances dealing with political topics. She continues this line of work with Thought Experiment Productions (2015-) since coming to Montreal, a production company she also co-founded and that she co-directs.


Her past work has been funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, the Montreal Council for the Arts, and the Cole Foundation. It has been presented in Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ireland, Türkiye, and the USA.

LE PROJET

In the moment of my artistic and academic mid-career, less than two years ago, I have become a mother. I had just finished a Master thesis. It was still during the Covid pandemic. They say having a child changes your life. But you do not understand it until it happens to you. It is a deep, highly rewarding but also very demanding existential state.

How do we continue, what can be done? When will we be able to regain our normal artistic life? Our performer’s body? Our capacity to focus on reading and writing? After almost a year of pregnancy follow the first months, the first year. The body has changed; constraints –physical, emotional, psychological- are everywhere. Time flows outside, life continues.

But the artist-mother cannot keep up with all the ideas she has, cannot return to her practice. Even if she does, part of her is with the baby. You are stuck, in the physical and psychological senses of the term. You lost the freedom needed to create, both outside and inside. You lost the physical, psychological and time-related flexibility needed to create and go on stage to perform. You have to make peace with this new body. You have to find ways to understand how you can continue. As an artist, your financial well-being depends on your performance practice. You could use daycares, babysitters, but they cost money… to make money you need more money. Having a baby costs money, new needs are involved. If the system offers something, is it really enough? Is the father able to make it alone? And when you don’t have the traditional family support… To create you need time and space, to perform as well. Without time you can’t develop your ideas. Without time to create, you have nothing to perform. The experience is opening layers over layers of difficulties: the systemic, the psychological and the physical. Many different paradoxical vicious circles open up in front of you. And you’re exhausted.

This performance will be based around the technique I have developed in my last performance, Numbers Increase As We Count…, a technique I have called “Performative Acting”. It is a technique that involves specific tasks as well as dramaturgically framed open structures. I have sketched the framework for this technique in my Research and Creation Master Thesis in the INDI program, and am currently developing it further in my current PDH studies in the same program. For this project, I intend to carry this work with different artist- mothers/mother-artists from different performative artistic disciplines.

LE PROGRAMME

Le Soutien conjoint du PWM et du MAI accompagne les artistes dans leur parcours afin de leur permettre de développer un projet et d’explorer leur pratique. Il s’adresse aux artistes qui font face à des obstacles structurels et systémiques dans leur pleine participation aux arts en raison de leur identité déclarée ou perçue dans la société. 

Plus de détails sur le programme disponibles ici.

We are so excited to support the development of Ülfet’s project, and wish her a fulfilling creation process!

Ce programme est un partenariat entre
PWM logo
Project supported by the Government of QuébEc as part of l’Entente sur le Développement Culturel and the City of Montreal, and by the Canada Council for the Arts
Canada Council logo

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IMPACT CREATION: 60 YEARS OF EXPLORATION

Celebrate the past six decades at PWM, and support the next generations of theatre creators!

As PWM’s 60th anniversary year comes to a close, we invite you to reflect on our rich history as collaborators and as a national hub for the theatre community, and support our programming by making a donation to our Impact Creation fundraiser.  

Our organization values the creative process first and foremost, and strives to foster an environment that allows artists to thrive. PWM is a space for theatre creators of all experience levels to connect, collaborate and advance their work. Donating to us is an investment in the future vitality of our artistic communities, in Montreal and across the country: Here’s to another 60 years of exploration ahead! 

Each year, your donations support new theatre creation through: 

  • 25-30 play development workshops, where everyone in the room (playwrights, dramaturgs,  translators, actors, directors and so on) is paid
  • 50-75 one-on-one dramaturgical consultations, including digital dramaturgy clinics, offered to writers and theatre-makers free of charge
  • 20 mentorships that connect early career artists with established industry professionals at no cost to the artists
  • 2 national residencies where playwrights and translators are paid an honorarium, and all travel, accommodation, and meals are provided by PWM
  • 4 professional development workshops for theatre creators, offered free of charge through our Exploring Practice series
  • Ongoing commitment and initiatives to strengthen accessibility and inclusion for theatre creators and theatre creation 
  • And much more!

Help us reach our goal of $6000 by the end of 2023 by donating today.

DONATE HERE

Giving Throughout the Year

Did you know that monthly donations allow PWM’s work to be more responsive to the ever-changing  needs of projects and artists by providing us with steady income we know we can count on? As an added bonus, donors who give $15 or more per month for one year receive the gift of a published play developed in collaboration with PWM, autographed by the playwright! 

BECOME A MONTHLY DONOR

Our Interconnected Community Crossword

Carol Libman, co-founder, speaking in regard to the 25th anniversary of PWM in 1988

Are you a PWM history buff? To honour our 60th anniversary, this year’s Interconnected Community crossword puzzle includes more people and plays of PWM past – and some solutions can be found on our History page! 

You can fill in the puzzle and “SUBMIT” through the app above, or you can print it out and email a picture of the completed puzzle to heather@playwrights.ca.

Every correctly completed puzzle is entered into a draw, giving you the chance to win your choice of one of the following published plays developed in collaboration with PWM! Be sure to give it a close look over, and enter your contact information, as you can only submit once. But don’t worry! If you leave and come back, your progress will be saved on this page. Submit by December 31, 2023 for your chance to win! 

Keep an eye on our social media in the month of December for some direct clues and answers!

Controlled Damage by Andrea Scott • Okinum by Émilie Monnet (original in French, or English translation) • Some Blow Flutes by Mary Vingoe • The Law of Gravity by Olivier Sylvestre and translated by Bobby Theodore • Andy’s Gone by Marie-Claude Verdier and translated by Alexis Diamond • The Enchanted Loom by Suvendrini Lena and translated by Dushy Gnanapragasam • Everybody Just C@lm the F#ck Down by Robert Chafe • Simone, Half and Half by Christine Rodriguez • Reaching for Starlight by Donna-Michelle St. Bernard

Your support is vital to the work we do, and we hope you can play a key part in creating new works for theatre by helping us reach our goal of $6000 by the end of 2023. Anything you can give is greatly appreciated: All donations, big and small, make this work possible. If you cannot donate at this time, consider being a PWM ambassador and spread the word about Impact Creation! Playwriting and theatre creation take a great deal of work and a lot of resources, but we know it is worth every bit of effort, and we also know the importance of celebrating and supporting the community! Thank you so much for helping us build a beautiful future for theatre.

PWM’s Impact According to:

ALEXIS DIAMOND

Alexis Diamond

Photo credit: Ron Diamond

“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

ELENA BELYEA

Elena Belyea

Photo credit: Brianne Jang

“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

JAMILA SHANI JOSEPH

Jamila Shani Joseph

“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 Shani Joseph

JULIE TAMIKO MANNING

Julie Tamiko Manning

Actor, theatre creator, playwright, mentor, independent producer 

Montreal/ Tiohtià:ke/ Mooniyang

“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.”

-Julie Tamiko Manning 

SCOUT REXE

Scout Rexe

“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

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Call for Dramaturgical Collaboration Applications for 2024-2025

Applications for Dramaturgical Collaborations are now open. 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 30th, 2024 11:59PM EST

All applicants will receive a response by the end of April 2024 informing them of the outcome of their application for the 2024-2025 season.

The ASL video format of this section is viewable ici.

The open call for Dramaturgical Collaborations is PWM’s invitation to playwrights and creators from across Canada to work with us. Together, we engage in deep explorations of story, form and process.

Our Dramaturgical Collaborations begin with one-on-one and ongoing Dramaturgical Conversations in which we discuss the needs of the project and playwright/creator(s). From there, we mutually determine with the artist(s) one or a combination of the following opportunities for the project:

Workshops:  An opportunity to explore a work in progress with actors/collaborators in order to evolve the project. Each Workshop is led by a PWM dramaturg in collaboration with the playwright/creator(s). Text based projects will be read by a company of actors and the playwright and dramaturg will then have the opportunity to ask and explore questions with the company. For non-text based projects, the Workshop is designed around whatever elements create the narrative/event. Sometimes a private reading for invited guests is a part of a Workshop, and it is used as an opportunity to introduce the work to an audience for the first time. The length of a Workshop is determined by the needs of the project.

Résidences: As part of the Dramaturgical Collaboration, PWM may offer dedicated Studio time for exploration (not rehearsal) to a playwright/creator(s) developing a project with PWM. These residencies take place in our studio in Montreal, and are separate from our national residencies at Gros Morne et Tadoussac.

Mentorships:  Mentorships are set up to answer a very specific need in the early stages of a creation process. In collaboration with a PWM Dramaturg, the playwright/creator determines who is best suited to accompany them through this essential phase. This may be an expert in a given discipline, a creator from a similar or different discipline, or a dramaturg with a particular field of experience. The mentor is paid by PWM to work with the artist as a mentee.

To learn more about these and other terms used at PWM, please refer to our glossary.

Considerations for Dramaturgical Collaboration at PWM

The ASL video format of this section is viewable here.

Stage of Development: We accept applications for projects at all stages of development depending on the nature of the work. It could be an idea, a first draft (in whatever form that may be), a new iteration of a project that has already been shared, or a draft that is in an advanced stage of development.

Discipline: This project could be a play, a performance, a digital work (for example: AR/VR, interactive game-based presentation, live or prerecorded virtual performance), or something hybrid in terms of language, discipline, or technology.

Applicants: We welcome individual playwright/creator(s) and collectives to apply directly through our Google form. If you are a theatre company, please contact dramaturg@playwrights.ca to discuss Dramaturgical Collaborations before submitting an application online.

Lieu : We welcome local and national applications. We work in-person, virtually (for example: by video chat or by use of online collaborative tools), or a combination of both. *Please note that working virtually is an option available to out-of-town artists, as well as local artists based in Montreal.

Because developing plays and performances takes time, PWM has numerous ongoing projects. Therefore, we can only welcome a limited number of new projects per season despite receiving many inspiring applications. We are grateful to everyone who applies.

PWM is committed to creating an environment where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect.  We are continuously working to make all of our programs accessible and inclusive. 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+, d/Deaf, neurodivergent, disabled, living with chronic illness and/or chronic pain. PWM is strongly committed to supporting a wide range of cultural identities and lived experiences, therefore we encourage applicants to self-identify in their application if they are comfortable doing so.

How to apply for Dramaturgical Collaboration at PWM

The ASL video format of this section is viewable ici.

You can apply for Dramaturgical Collaboration via our Google form, linked ici. Audio et video answers to some of the questions in the form are also welcomed. Click here to preview the form as a PDF.

You will be asked to provide: 

  • General information about you
  • Information about your project 
  • How you would like to work with PWM
  • Your CV and bio and that of any collaborators
  • A sample of the proposed project (if available) or past work 

Your proposal will not be sent until you click the SUBMIT button at the end of the application via the Google form. You will be able to edit your responses until the application’s deadline by reusing the same email address and login. 

If you have any questions regarding Dramaturgical Collaborations, please contact us at dramaturg@playwrights.ca

If you have any questions regarding accessibility, require assistance with your application, or would like to discuss alternative methods of applying and deadline flexibility, please contact accessibility@playwrights.ca. For accessibility information and video tours of our location, please click here.

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