Published at 1:07 am. Updated at 7:00 a.m.
Judy
PHOTO OLIVIER PONTBRIAND, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Writer and director Gabrielle Lessard in 2017
Inspired by the work of feminist artist Judy Chicago, this production is one of the most anticipated creations of the theater season. With her new piece, author and director Gabrielle Lessard offers a reflection on artistic freedom, identity and resistance against the antagonistic forces of society. “Judy underlines the importance of art as a force for change and celebrates the ability of individuals to reinvent themselves and question established social norms,” we write today on the website of the Center du Théâtre d'Aujourd', where the exhibition was presented by seven artists.
Luc Boulanger, La Presse
From January 29th to February 17th in the Michelle Rossignol Hall of the Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui
Life-sized Riopelle
PHOTO DAMIAN SIQUEIROS, PROVIDED BY 7 FINGERS
Circus artists Claire Hopson and Guillaume Paquin
To mark the end of Jean Paul Riopelle's 100th anniversary year, Les 7 Doigts have created an immersive show in which around 150 of the famous painter's most important works are projected in 360 degrees. On stage, circus performers will merge with this imagery, as in this acrobatic dance number performed using infrared motion sensors, helping to create in real time a digital mosaic typical of the big screens of the 1950s. At the same time, a multimedia exhibition of Riopelle's works will be presented in an adjacent studio.
Jean Siag, La Presse
From February 13th to March 10th at Studio des 7 Doigts (2111, Boulevard Saint-Laurent)
Sister donkey
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Yves Jacques and Mathieu Quesnel will create Les Donkeys Sisters.
Yves Jacques and Mathieu Quesnel form an amazing duo in the Quebec theater scene. The star of Decline of the American Empire and the actor of SNL Québec, friends and accomplices both on stage and in life, are collaborating again this winter on a promising creation on the stages of the Théâtre Espace Libre entitled Les ânes Sisters. “This intimate comedy tells the story of two men who try to overcome loneliness in their own way in an unconventional way and with a good dose of humor,” the press release summarizes. A celebration of life, theater and intergenerational friendship.
Luc Boulanger, La Presse
From February 20th to March 2nd at L'Espace Libre
STRIKE!
PHOTO STÉPHANE BOURGEOIS, PROVIDED BY LE DIAMANT
STRIKE!
We know Robert Lepage's passion for wrestling, but also his love for the circus. The director combines these two passions for the first time by teaming up with Quebec collective Flip Fabrique to create SLAM! to present, “a wrestling gala where punches, insults and histrionics collide,” featuring eight circus performers. This “hypertheatre” show, directed by Lepage, is co-produced by Le Diamant et la Tohu, who will host this show in Montreal a few weeks later.
Jean Siag, La Presse
From March 5th to 9th at Diamant de Québec, then from March 19th to April 7th at Tohu
5 bullets in the head
PHOTO RICHMOND LAM, PROVIDED BY UNICORN
Maxim Gaudette, Sylvie De Morais and Éric Robidoux will share the stage in the play “5 bullets in the head”.
Author Roxanne Bouchard delved into the world of the Canadian Army to retrieve the testimonies of around thirty soldiers “who lived through Afghanistan.” The soldiers revealed themselves to such an extent that they shook the deepest beliefs of those they faced. This delicate subject is at the heart of the play “5 Bullets in the Head,” directed by François Bernier and defended by a solid cast of eight actors, including Maxim Gaudette, Éric Robidoux and Sylvie De Morais. A spectacle that promises confrontation.
Stephanie Morin, La Presse
From March 5th to 30th at La Licorne
Message in a bottle
PHOTO LYNN THEISEN, PROVIDED BY DANCE DANCE
Message in a Bottle unfolds to the music of Sting.
Sting's biggest hits – Every Breath You Take, Roxanne, Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic, Walking On The Moon, etc. – is brought to life by British choreographer Kate Prince, known for promoting street dance in her country. On stage, the 15 performers of the ZooNation company move through 28 dance scenes inspired by the drama of the migrants to tell a certainly dangerous human adventure, but one sustained by hope, joy and resilience. An evening that promises to delight the eyes and ears, co-produced by the renowned Sadler's Wells Theater and Universal Music UK, presented by the Danse Danse channel.
Iris Gagnon-Paradis, La Presse
From March 12th to 16th in the Wilfrid Pelletier Room
The seagull
PHOTO DAVID BOILY, LA PRESSE ARCHIVE
Actor Renaud Lacelle-Bourdon is part of the cast of The Seagull.
“A young girl spends her entire life on the shore of a lake. She loves the lake like a seagull and is happy and free like a seagull. But a man comes by chance and when he sees her, he kills her out of inaction… Like a seagull. » Unlike Trigorin in his play, Chekhov in his theater, which mixes the profound, the insignificant, the sublime and the ridiculous… like life, does not need a theme to move us. Catherine Vidal directs this classic of Russian theater, adapted by Guillaume Corbeil, with actors Renaud Lacelle-Bourdon and Macha Limonchik, among others.
Luc Boulanger, La Presse
From March 12th to 30th at Prospero; and April 11-13 at the NAC French Theater in Ottawa
A heart in which a thousand voices live
PHOTO MAXYME G. DELISLE, PROVIDED BY ESPACE GO
Louise Laprade is one of the renowned performers who will bring the piece “A Heart Inhabited by a Thousand Voices” to the stage.
To say this piece is anticipated is an understatement. Imagine: the incantatory words of Marie-Claire Blais (from the last novel published during her lifetime), adapted by Kevin Lambert and carried by a multi-star cast that notably includes Louise Laprade, Christiane Pasquier, Jean Marchand and Sylvie Léonard belong! In addition, Denis Marleau and Stéphanie Jasmin will be responsible for directing this show, which tells the end of the life of a 93-year-old transsexual and recalls the great moments of activism for gay rights that marked the last century.
Stephanie Morin, La Presse
From April 2nd to 28th at Espace Go
Symphony of hearts
PHOTO KEVIN CALIXTE, PROVIDED BYDanse Danse
Rhodnie Désir presents his first work on a large stage, Symphonie de cœurs.
The brilliant Rhodnie Désir (winner of the Grand Prix de la Danse 2020 and associate artist at Place des Arts) puts on a first-ever major show, bringing together 15 artists and 60 musicians from the Orchester Métropolitain under the direction of Yannick Nézet-Séguin. It is the heart, its pulsation, its capsizing that inspired the artist to take a documentary approach. Based on the testimony of specialists from the Montreal Heart Institute, she creates for her actors gestures inspired by the heartbeats but also by its mistakes and overflows, on a score created in collaboration with Jorane, the Engone sound designer Endong. his company's house band, RD Créations and OM, all accompanied by immersive projections from the NFB. Blow!
Iris Gagnon-Paradis, La Presse
From April 4th to 6th in the Wilfrid Pelletier Room
Lysis
PHOTO CATHERINE LEFEBVRE, SPECIAL COLLABORATION
Bénédicte Décary will play the character Lysis in the play of the same name.
This major spectacle had its wings clipped twice due to the pandemic. The wait is over: audiences can finally try this adaptation of Aristophanes' work by Fanny Britt and Alexia Bürger, directed by Lorraine Pintal. Bénédicte Décary embodies this angry Lysis, ready to do anything to end inequalities. His solution: encourage women to go on a reproductive strike. A fight that promises to shake the heroine in all areas of her existence. This ambitious show will bring together almost 20 artists and musicians around talented designers, including Philippe Brault for music.
Stephanie Morin, La Presse
From May 7th to June 1st at the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde