Spotlight on our artists – spring 2024
Spring brings its share of exciting news from our artistic community! Our artists and animators are teeming with new shows, creations, tours and projects, all of which they are eager to share with you.
First of all, we’re delighted to bring you some exciting news from Joey Lespérance (Michel(le), Nos Repaires, Le Soulier). After last fall’s postponement of Michel(le), his first solo show, for health reasons, Joey is back stronger and happier than ever, and is back in full swing with some amazing projects. He’ll be playing Lilias Pastia in Vancouver Opera’s upcoming production Carmen at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre, from April 27 to May 5. Book your evening and your tickets! Next up, he’ll be diving back into the Michel(le) adventure, produced by Théâtre la Seizième. Presented at Vancouver’s Studio 16 from May 29 to June 8, the show will go on tour across Canada in the fall. But before that, Joey’s got a nice bike ride planned in Washington State in the summertime!
You may have seen Ghislaine Doté‘s (Nos Repaires) face tinted green on the Chant’Ouest 2024 posters. Ghislaine has joined the 2024 tour of this artistic event, which visited the four western provinces from March 19 to 24. She performed on stage at Vancouver’s Firehall Arts Centre on March 24, at 8pm. Ghislaine has also just completed a residency at the Conseil Culturel et Artistique Francophone de Colombie-Britannique, where she worked on her first opera.
As for Emilie Leclerc (Nos Repaires) and Thérèse Champagne (Bonjour, là bonjour), they are finishing rehearsals for La Befana, alongside Mia Wistaff, Julio Rod Marin, and Heather Kemski (Le merveilleux voyage d’Inès de l’Ouest). Produced by Théâtre la Seizième for young audiences, this play written by Anaïs Pellin (Un.Deux.Trois., Le merveilleux voyage d’Inès de l’Ouest) and directed by Emilie, will be presented on April 6 at Studio 16 for a family performance. La Befana will then hit the road for a tour of elementary schools in B.C. and Alberta (with L’UniThéâtre – Edmonton), from April 8 to June 14, 2024.
Last February, Thérèse Champagne participated as a panelist in a master class by WebOuest and Unis TV on the relationship between scriptwriter, producer and director. As a professional from the television industry, Thérèse discussed her experience as a director and creator of documentary and fiction productions. Click here to watch the panel! And if you’d like to to see Thérèse in another masterclass, you can view this one about acting, filmed for Radio-Canada’s ‘Ma boîte à outils’ last year.
Caroline Bélisle (Un. Deux. Trois.), artist in residence at La Seizième, has just started developing a new text for amainstage audience. She will be accompanied in the writing process by playwright David Paquet (Le Soulier, Porc-Épic), 2022 Governor General’s Award.
As for Dilemme, Cory Haas‘ residency project (Nos Repaires, Le NoShow Vancouver, Deux ans de votre vie), a new creation step will take place from April 21 to April 26, bringing together actors and collaborators Siona Gareau-Brennan (Nos Repaires, Le NoShow Vancouver), François Bernier (Le NoShow Vancouver), and France Perras (S’effondrent les vidéoclubs, Le Soulier). This hybrid work which seeks to adapt the psychological thriller for the stage is reaching a new stage of development after the December 2023 residency.
Our animators are also all hands on deck. Some, like Sean Sonier and Ismail El Fallahi, are about to take off for great artistic projects.
Sean Sonier (Ceci est une histoire d’amour, Nos Repaires) will be in Edmonton in April to work on the bilingual translation of Re :Construct(ion), a play by Donkey Dog Theatre. Presented in Edmonton in 2022 and at Calgary’s High Performance Rodeo in 2023, the show is intended to tour across Canada in both French and English. Rehearsals will begin in November. What you can expect: trans-masculinism and a big party! Exploring themes of gender and masculinity, the play invites audiences to question gender roles, denouncing their rigidity and associated stereotypes.
Joylyn Secunda (Nombre) will present a version of her solo mime comedy, The Routine, at the rEvolver festival, May 30-June 1. Grab your tickets for this wildly entertaining show about a lonely office worker’s quest for connection and fulfillment. Death of a Salesman meets Mr. Bean… The mundane becomes extraordinary as each vignette and dance draws you deeper into a world of fanciful illusion.
As for Samantha Levy (Le merveilleux voyage d’Inès de l’Ouest), she will be treading the boards in the musical Spring Awakening at Delta Players Theatre, in Delta, from May 8 to 11. Then she’ll spend the summer at Bard on the Beach 2024 to take part in the Riotous Youth program, an internship for artists aged 18 to 30, during which participants are coached by a mentor to define their career paths.
Let’s finish this tour with a spolight on the big screen: Ismail El Fallahi will play the lead role in Grand petit frère (Big little brother) a feature film by Karima Guennouni, shot in Morocco between April and May. The screenplay is by David Villemin.
