La Seizième

Ce que je sais de vrai, a family saga brought to life by six performers, marks Siona Gareau-Brennan’s eighth appearance in a production by Théâtre la Seizième. Directed and translated by Cory Haas, the play ran from April 30 to May 10, 2025.

« I’m so proud and moved to accept the Arcand-Bournival Award, and I’m deeply grateful to the jury and Théâtre la Seizième for this grant! » exclaimed Siona upon hearing the news. « This past year, thanks to la Seizième, I had the chance to deepen my acting practice […]. La Seizième wholeheartedly supported me in exploring new dimensions of my artistic practice, including translation and directing. I feel incredibly lucky to work and create with such a dynamic and daring company! A huge thank you! »

The jury, composed of board member Valérie de la Grange and two season subscribers, Stéphane Gasc and Marie Arcand, unanimously praised Siona’s performance as Rosie, the youngest child of the Price family: « As Rosie, Siona stood out through her acting, her emotional, physical, and vocal commitment, and her strong connection with the audience, » comments Valérie de la Grange. One scene in particular struck the jury: her brilliantly delivered opening monologue. Alone on stage, Siona immediately established a deep connection with the audience, recounting her European adventures before introducing them to her family. « Her ability to convey emotion makes her a remarkably generous performer. »

This award marks the culmination of a prolific year for Siona. The actress took part in the workshop “Mise en scène: méthodes et expérimentations”, offered as part of the 12th edition of the ATFC’s professional development program in Moncton in October 2024. In February 2025, she also participated in a translation workshop organized by Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal with Leanna Brodie. She was recently awarded the ATFC Foundation’s national prize for a professional development project submitted in partnership with the National Theatre School of Canada. This award will allow her to undertake a directing residency at the National Theatre School during the 2025–2026 season. And she has just returned from Marseille, where she took part in the International Project Incubator organized by the Commission internationale du théâtre francophone. Held every two years, this program fosters collaboration and exchange among artists from member countries.

The Arcand-Bournival Award was created in 2014 to honor Danielle Arcand and Louis-Marie Bournival, two administrators whose exceptional commitment had a major impact on the development of Théâtre la Seizième. It promotes and encourages Francophone artistic excellence in Vancouver.