New David Fennario Play – Motherhouse

Don’t forget yer pots and pans!

(en français ci-dessous)
 
DAVID FENNARIO’S LATEST PLAY – A PERFORMANCE IN THE POINT FOR REMEMBRANCE DAY
 
 
You are cordially invited to share an afternoon with David Fennario performing his latest play “Motherhouse”, a 65-minute story about the women workers of the British Munitions Factory in Verdun.
 
The factory employed over 4,000 women to do this work, including David’s mother and grandmother.
 
It is a strong anti-war play about the effects of war on Verdun, which had the highest casualty rate amongst its army recruits of any city in Canada in the two World Wars.
 
 
WHEN :   Sunday, November 11^th  at 2 p.m.
 
WHERE : Carrefour d’éducation populaire de Pointe-Saint-Charles, 2356 rue Centre (metro Charlevoix)
 (Wheelchair accessible)
 
Martine Éloy, spokesperson for Échec à la guerre, will be present to speak about their white poppy campaign.
 

• Fennario requests that everyone bring pots and pans and spoons to bang and clang (on cue !) as sound effects.

 
Lastly, there is a feature documentary film being made about Fennario and the making of “Motherhouse”, directed by Martin Duckworth. A camera crew will be present to capture this memorable performance by Fennario.
 
Please have a look at the attachment. This poster is for the upcoming film to be released in 2013 about David. It was designed and photographed by Thanh Pham, a Montreal graphic designer.
 
Hope to see you on the 11^th !
 
Wear your red squares !
 
 
LA NOUVELLE PIÉCE DE THÉÂTRE DE DAVID FENNARIO
 
Vous êtes chaleureusement invité à écouter David Fennario présenter sa plus récente oeuvre Motherhouse, une pièce de 65 minutes, sur la vie des travailleuses de British Munitions Factory de Verdun.
 
Cette usine employa 4 000 femmes, dont la mère et la grand-mère de l’auteur. Il s’agit d’une pièce résolument contre la guerre et ses conséquences pour Verdun, qui connut le plus haut taux de mortalité parmi ses militaires recrutés au cours des deux Guerres Mondiales.
 
QUAND : Le dimanche 11 novembre (Jour du Souvenir !) à 14 h.
 
OÙ : Carrefour d’éducation populaire de Pointe-Saint-Charles au 2356, rue Centre, (métro Charlevoix)
         (Accessible en fauteuil roulant)

Martine Éloy, porte-parole du Collectif Échec à la Guerre, sera présente pour fournir davantage d’informations sur la campagne du coquelicot blanc.
 
 
Note : la présentation sera en anglais
 

• David Fennario demande à tous d’apporter casseroles et ustensiles afin de participer par un tintamarre aux effets sonores de la pièce.

 
Enfin, parce qu’un documentaire de Martin Duckworth sur David Fennario et sur le “making of ’’ Motherhouse est en cours de réalisation, une équipe sera sur place avec caméra pour enregistrer cette mémorable représentation.
 
S.V.P, jetez un coup d’oeil à la pièce jointe. C’est une affiche créée par le designer graphique montréalais Thanh Pham pour le documentaire sur David Fennario dont la sortie est prévue en 2013.
 
Espérant vous rencontrer le 11 !
 
Portez vos carrés rouges
 

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New Play From Point Saint Charles Community Theatre

Just a reminder that our play

“Kiss the Bride”

Opens in just a little more than a week – November 9th 2012

                   Please note that our performance for

Friday, November 16th

is now SOLD OUT

If you plan to attend and have not reserved as of yet, please visit our web site at 

WWW.PSCCOMMUNITY.COM

 and reserve you place ASAP.

Thank You

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Call For Young Actors At Point Saint Charles Community Theatre

Calling all young actors !

Please forward this information to any young people that would like to act !

The PSC Community Theatre is pleased to announce that our Youth Theatre program called “Acting Out” will be starting our new 2012-2013 season in September.

 – NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY !

The objectives of the program include giving young people, who would like to act, the knowledge and experience of a professional acting coach; the opportunity to act on stage in a play; to offer these young actors a level of self-confidence; the chance to meet new friends etc.

Thanks to generous donations made to the main PSC Community Adult Theatre – we are able to offer these programs FREE for any young actors from the Point – or from anywhere around Montreal

There are two programs – a junior group, and a senior group.  

We are offering open classes for young people who might be interested on the following dates..

On  

Saturday, September 8th 2012                                                                       

&

On September 15^th 2012.

The Junior group (usually attending Elementary School – age 5 to 11) class will be held between 10am to 12pm.

The Senior group (usually attending High school – age 12 to 17) class                  will be held from 12:15pm to 2pm.

All classes take place at:

The Point St. Charles YMCA at 255 Ash St. in the Point

You can pre-register to attend our open class by visiting our main site at WWW.PSCCOMMUNITY.COM                                                                                              and clicking on “Registration” or a young actor can register at the open class…

For more information, you can e-mail to info@psccommunity.com:

Or contact:

Bridget at 514 678 2226 – (Email: bmf62@hotmail.com)

Thank You

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Excellent Proposal For Empress Theatre

Curtain to rise on $6-million Empress Theatre revival

 Would include film, live shows and more

By Marian Scott, THE GAZETTE May 9, 2012 10:52 AM

 

Talia Dorsey

MONTREAL – The Empress Theatre would be reborn as a venue for Montreal’s vibrant music scene, an institute for analog film heritage and a gathering place where Montrealers can drink, dine and enjoy a breathtaking view from a green rooftop terrace, under a proposal from a Notre Dame de Grâce community organization.

“We’re pretty excited about the proposal,” said Jason Hughes, treasurer and board member of the Empress Cultural Centre.

On Wednesday evening, the centre will unveil a $6-million plan to revive the theatre at 5560 Sherbrooke St. W. as a self-financing cultural complex.

The group is submitting the scheme to the Côte des Neiges-Notre Dame de Grâce borough, which has called for proposals for redeveloping the heritage theatre facing Girouard Park.

Several unnamed investors are behind the proposed redevelopment, which must be self-financing under rules set by the borough, Hughes said.

The proposal reflects broad input from local residents, he said.

“It’s been interesting to hear people’s hopes for that place, and to say, yeah, we should have that kind of live performance space, that we can support that kind of thing,” Hughes said.

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Dangerous Corner Opens In Point This Weekend

 

Our new play called

 

Dangerous Corner

 

opens in just a few days !

Opening night, this Friday, April 27^th is almost SOLD OUT

(As are many other performances)

However, there is still reservation space open for our performance,

this Saturday, April 28^th.

So if you plan to attend the play, and have not as yet reserved,

please do so ASAP

For additional information about the play,

and/or to reserve,

please visit our main site at

 

 WWW.PSCCOMMUNITY.COM

 

Thanks for your support

About the play

J.B. Priestly’s first play is set in a drawing room at the home of Freda and Robert Caplan. They have just finished entertaining close colleagues of their publishing firm – and one of their novelists – Miss Mockridge…

At the start of Dangerous Corner, the main 6 characters are aptly called by Miss Mockridge – a “snug little group”. The meaning of just how snug becomes apparent when a casual remark ignites a series of revelations; dark secrets; infidelities & possible murder. As the truth eventually slips out about Robert’s clever, reckless brother Martin – the world of the “snug little group” quickly unravels.

 

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Point Saint Charles Community Theatre Seeking Actors

PSC Theatre Update

 

Men & Young Actors Needed !!

 

The Main Adult Theatre

 

We are now “casting” for our next adult theatre production scheduled for the end of April and early May 2012. And we need a couple of Men for some character roles.

 

We are looking for any Men interested in acting in this performance. Experience would be great – but not necessary. Enthusiasm and dedication to the rehearsal schedule are much more important. If you, or any men you know, are over 18 years old & are interested in this fun experience, and would like to audition for our next play – please do send an e-mail ASAP to info@psccommunity.com

 

Our Youth Theatre

 

This Saturday (February 4th 2012), we start our new program for our Youth Theatre.

This activity is FREE and open to any young actors from anywhere around Montreal; taught by a professional acting coach, and has a number of objectives. In addition to teaching acting skills, we try to provide these young actors with a level of self confidence and the ability to perform in public.

If you know any young people that are interested, please do send us an e-mail to info@psccommunity.com. (Most courses are given at the YMCA on Ash Street, in the Point, on Saturday Mornings).  

 

The youth theatre is taught in 2 groups – a younger junior group generally consisting of young actors that are attending elementary school; and a 2^nd group of older senior actors that are in high school – so the average ages are between about 7 and 16 years old.

Thank you for your support as our Theatre is now in its 6th year – and we hope to see you all at our next play. Details will be posted toward the end of March on our main site at:

WWW.PSCCOMMUNITY.COM

 

 

 

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Artists hail victory in battle for Café Cleopatra!

Donovan King over at OTL blog writes about this victory on the Lower Main. One paragraph got me.
“In one final irony, Café Cleopatra, the symbol of the real Red Light District, was snubbed when glowing red lights were installed on the outside walls of all performance venues within the Quartier des Spectacles. The idea behind the design is specifically to recall the era of the Red Light District by illuminating venue sidewalks with pools of red light.”
Same old lame designer/marketing floss as the people who named a condo project, “Le Griffin” implying that you can enjoy the past tomorrow, when in reality the present is still very much alive and well. These are the worst kind of snobs.
And here is your article.

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Empress Petition Being Presented Monday

T H A N K Y O U / MERCI BEAUCOUP
YOUR SIGNATURE MATTERED! / VOTRE SIGNATURE À FAIT TOUTE UNE DIFFÉRENCE!

From / De la part de
RENAISSANCE EMPRESS
Thank you for joining over 2,300 other NDG residents in voicing your commitment to the Empress Cultural Centre – to its development as a cultural centre to serve our community and the region. / Merci d’avoir fait partie des plus de 2 300 résidants de Notre-Dame-de-Grace qui ont montré leur engagement envers la transformation de ce bâtiment en centre culturel pour desservir notre communauté et ses environs.
Renaissance Empress is a non-partisan community group (community movement: to be consistent with press release etc) committed to working with the Empress Board to ensure that this valuable community asset survives to serve the needs of our community. / Renaissance Empress est un mouvement citoyen qui s’est engagé à collaborer avec le conseil d’administration du centre culturel Empress pour faire les démarches nécessaires à conserver ce bâtiment pour qu’il puisse bientôt desservir les besoins de notre communauté.
On Monday, December 6th, your Petition will be presented to Mayor Michael Applebaum, asking him to support the Empress Board as it transforms the Empress into a community Cultural Centre. Please join your neighbours in support of the Empress at:/
Lundi, 6 décembre, votre pétition sera présentée au maire Michael Applebaum, lui demandant d’appuyer le Conseil d’administration Empress dans son projet de transformer l’ancien théâtre en centre culturel communautaire. Venez rejoindre vos voisins et amis en appuyant le projet l’Empress, à:
7:00 PM / 19:00 h
MONDAY, DECEMBER 6TH, 2010 / le lundi 6 décembre
THE MONKLAND COMMUNITY CENTRE / CENTRE COMMUNAUTAIRE MONKLAND
4410 Westhill Avenue (north of Monkland Avenue)
4410 avenue Westhill (au nord de l’avenue Monkland)

Renaissance Empress will hold a press briefing at 6:30PM with local media. / R.E. aura un briefing à 18:30, avec des chroniqueurs locaux

Renaissance Empress

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Urban Occupations Urbaines

Performance Art In Griffintown This Weekend
Urban Occupations Urbaines
a series of in situ public art installations
and performance interventions
In collaboration with the Cultural Corridor Griffintown, Urban Occupations Urbaines
(UOU), a creative platform, will be presenting in situ public art installations and
performance interventions that will be programmed monthly between September 2010
and August 2011. UOU is a mobile organization with future plans to identify and occupy
a variety of urban sites and spaces in order to stage artistic projects that critically and
creatively explore the spatial dimensions of historic sites and architecture as they relate to
urban sites in transition.
UOU’s current project site is Montreal’s historic industrial district – Griffintown.
Griffintown holds an especially privileged place in Montreal’s history – once the crucible
of Montreal’s urban development and resonant within Canada’s pre/industrial history.
Since the 1970s, however, Griffintown has seen deep and enduring tensions between the
interests of urban renewal, local residents, and heritage preservationists. UOU’s mandate
is to bring the spatial and political histories of certain sites in the built environment into
public consciousness. UOU brings together a diverse group of local and international
independent artists to creatively and critically examine the cultural fertility and
performative agency of specific sites in Griffintown.
As part of the city-wide event, Journées de la culture, UOU kicks off the series
with two in situ projects at Le Dalhousie, one of Griffintown’s beloved interstitial
spaces…
The Quotidian Project – Andrew De Freitas
The quotidian is the daily, the ordinary existence, the “what happens anyway”. This
project involves taking a second look at everyday experience – an attempt to recognize
the elements of strangeness that are present even in the most familiar of environments
and situations. Artist, Andrew de Freitas, will be employing techniques of narrative
filmmaking to present an audience with scenes and images drawn (or seemingly drawn)
from everyday life in Griffintown. This urban neighborhood will serve as both the subject
and presentation context for the work – a space that is, historical, contested, commercial,
residential, unique, generic, degrading, redeveloping, uncertain, in-between, strange and
familiar. The resulting film will depict this environment whilst also emulating it – actual
events in a fictional form – urban space that is at once a background for human events and
a featured character, enacting.
Fenêtre Murées/ Daylight Robbery – Théâtre Nulle Part
Le Dalhousie, a cul de sac situated between the CN railway viaduct and the New City
Gas buildings. The cul de sac is framed on one side with windows that have been walled
up, and on the other side by the CN viaduct, a large concrete structure offering a blank
wall. The past and present are facing each other, yet without really looking at each other.
Taking a closer look, one will notice how all these surfaces are cracked. The patina of
this urban space lends language to these walls. If the walls had ears, what would they
hear? What if they could talk?
Théâtre Nulle Part presents their latest site specific performance project: Fenêtres
Murées/ Daylight Robbery: Phase One of Shadows at your Window/Window over
Shadows. TNP explores the forms and functions of windows as being an integral
element of theatricality, taking their initial inspiration from the image of condemned and
boarded up windows. Walling up a window fractures the dialogue between a building’s
interior space and exterior environment. On the few structures that remain from
Griffintown’s industrial history, a number of them display boarded up windows, muting
the ghosts from the past and ensuring their presence will not obstruct the future.
Friday September 24th to Sunday 26th (Rain or Shine!)
19h00
Le Dalhousie, 956 Ottawa Street
The event is free. Donations are welcome.
For directions to Le Dalhousie – 956 Ottawa Street – and more information about UOU
and the artists, please visit the website: http://www.urbanoccupationsurbaines.org
Contact: info@urbanoccupationsurbaines.org
Community Partners:
Le Corridor Culturel de Griffintown
Harvey Lev and Esther Hageman, New City Gas
MAI (Montréal arts intercultural) Espace ALTER
Centre d’art visuels

<"http://www.keepandshare.com/doc/2259951/1290186?da=y&ifr=y“>Francais

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Sheakespeare In Griffintown Friday!

Calendrier Dalhousie Calendar

NB: Il s’agit des événements en plein air et les places sont limitées, svp apportez vos chaises de jardin.
These are outdoor events and seating is limited, please bring a lawn chair.

Date: vendredi le 17 septembre 2010
Heure: 19h00
Lieu: “LE DALHOUSIE”
Quoi: «A Company of Fools»

CIRQUE INTERACTIF DE SHAKESPEARE
[En anglais]
A Company of Fools prend une irrévérencieuse 60 minutes au travers de plusieurs pièces de Shakespeare. Les Fools recréent l’atmosphère du Theatre Globe en encourageant le public à booer les acteurs sur scène. Shakespeare, le rap, et l’improvisation se tous mélangent dans une tournée exaltante de certaines pièces de Shakespeare et ses thèmes. Les Fools ont ravi les publics à travers le Canada depuis plus de 10 ans avec du Shakespeare divertissant présenter avec haute énergie et un rythme rapide.

http://fools.ca/wordpress1/about/fool-ish-q-a/

Il s’agit d’un événement en plein air et les places sont limitées, svp apportez vos chaises de jardin.
(En cas de pluie le spectacle sera en salle)
Un don sera apprécié.
Rafraîchissements après le spectacle
*****
Date: FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 17 2010
Time: 7:00pm
Place: “LE DALHOUSIE”
What: “A COMPANY OF FOOLS”
SHAKESPEARE’S INTERACTIVE CIRCUS
A Company of Fools takes an irreverent 60 minute romp through several of Shakespeare’s plays. The Fools recreate the atmosphere of the Globe Theatre, encouraging the audience to cheer and boo at the actors on stage. Shakespeare, rap, improvisation all blend together in an exhilarating tour of some of Shakespeare’s plays, life and themes. The Fools perform high energy, fast paced, entertaining Shakespeare that has delighted audiences across Canada for over 10 years.

http://fools.ca/wordpress1/about/fool-ish-q-a/

This is a rain-or-shine and a take-your-own-chair event.
(in case of rain the show will be indoors)
A donation will be appreciated.
Refreshments after the show.
*****

[English follows]
DALHOUSIE
Une initiative de la communauté du Griffintown
Dans un cul-de-sac niché entre le viaduc du CN et le New City Gas, DALHOUSIE est un espace extérieur accueillant toutes les formes d’expression. Ceci est une invitation à participer à une série d’événements qui aura lieu à l’angle des rues Dalhousie et Ottawa en face du Jardin de consultation et de concertation.
Les citoyens sont encouragés à participer et à s’exprimer dans le cadre d’une série d’expositions, de prestations musicales, de performances « spoken word », de présentations, d’ateliers, d’installations sculpturales, d’événements artistiques, de conférences et d’échanges d’opinions et d’idées dans un environnement urbain.
Pour en savoir plus sur Griffintown et le Corridor culturel, visitez http://www.griffintown.org/
Des informations sur les événements et installations seront affichées à http://griffintown.org/corridorculturel/
Pour participer, proposer un événement, une installation ou tout autre projet pour le site, ou pour de plus amples renseignements, s’il vous plaît contacter corridorculturel@griffintown.org

DALHOUSIE
A Griffintown community initiative
In a cul-de-sac nestled between the CN viaduct and the New City Gas, DALHOUSIE is an outdoor space in which to celebrate all forms of expression. This is your invitation to participate in a continual series of events to take place at the corner of Dalhousie and Ottawa Streets across from Griffintown’s Jardin de Concertation et de Consultation.
Citizens are encouraged to participate in interactive works, installations, exhibits, musical events, spoken word, performances and workshops, expressions of arts and sculpture, opinions, lectures and ideas in an outdoor urban environment.
To learn more about Griffintown and the Cultural Corridor, please visit http://www.griffintown.org/
Information about scheduled events will be posted at http://griffintown.org/corridorculturel/
To get involved, propose an event, installation or something else for the site, or for more information, please contact corridorculturel@griffintown.org.

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Save The Empress!

Dear all,

This will be your only chance to officially submit your opinions
about what should (or should not) happen with the Empress.
The Empress is in imminent danger of falling into private hands instead
of being a community/cultural centre for everyone. (The Gazette,
The Monitor)

The borough of CDN-NDG’s “Virtual Consultation Process” deadline (June
30th) to submit comments about the Master Plan for the Borough is quickly
approaching.

Take Action:

You can do one or both of the following:

1. fill out the following form (expressing your Empress opinions
in the last text box):

http://bit.ly/cQflHI (will take 20 seconds to load)

2. send an email to mriche@ville.montreal.qc.ca with
your Empress comments

Be up-to-date:

Join the email-list (your email address will not be shared):

Click here

For further info, details of the master plan are located here:

http://bit.ly/bSU6oX

Gazette article with some background here.

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John Gomery at Sexy Beton 2: Justice!

John Gomery will host a special meeting after the presentation of Sexy Beton 2 (playing at the Segal Centre until December 1) on Monday, November 30. The discussion will focus on issues surrounding transportation infrastructure, political motives, corruption, and, of course, justice!
Should be an excellent event!

More info at the Porte Parole web site.

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Sexy béton II: Justice

Sexy béton II: Justice
Corruption, construction, and last of all, construction
November 24 to December 1 at the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts
5170, ch. De la Côte-Ste-Catherine (Just a five-minute walk from Metro Côte-Ste-Catherine)

Part one was excellent and I urge everyone who enjoys theatre and has an interest in how local infrastructure is built, and the political systems that surround it, to check this out!

See you there!

Info.

Photo: Kirk Wight for Porte Parole

Photo by Serge Clement for Porte Parole.

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Sexy Beton

Attended the play, Sexy Beton, at the Segal Centre last night. It’s about what happened after the de la Concorde overpass in Laval collapsed and killed 5 people, seriously wounding 6 others. This meticulously researched and well acted “documentary” play raises some hard questions. The Johnson Commission that investigated the collapse concluded that no one was responsible. And the victims were told that the accident would be classified as a car accident by the SAQ and compensation would be as regularly paid out under the universal no fault system. That was not even enough to replace their cars.
It is three years ago today that the collapse happened and it is clear that we have failed in our ability to take responsibility, seek justice, and demand appropriate penalties and compensation.
A good part of the play shows the process by which many potentially revealing sources get swept under the rug through rhetoric and indifference and fear in an attempt to find the origins of the problems with the overpass.
Today Transport Quebec is saying that their “culture” has changed and are spinning on about slowly meeting recommendations of the Johnson Commission.

Sexy Beton

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Seville Theatre Site To Public Hearings

That was announced Monday in the Gazette and elsewhere. It appears that the main point of discussion will be whether the new project will be able to include one 25 storey tower which can not be allowed under existing zoning regulations. Will be very interesting to see how this plays out as it will obviously set the stage for other development projects around the city because if they allow this, every developer in town will start designing towers for almost anywhere.

The Seville is going to end up simply torn down. Makes for a kind of sad, stupid, and pathetic ending for one of the last old school theatres in the downtown area. Montreal is a city where we seem to want to take architecture seriously, we have one of the greatest world class research centers, a semi public think tank if you will, just a few minutes walk from the Seville site in the Canadian Centre For Architecture. Yet, our abilty to preserve key heritage sites has been less than impressive, particularly  in regard to theatres in a city where there was once at least one in every neigborhood.

Part of the excitement of this project, of course, is that the stretch of Saint Catherine street that became “run down” after the Canadiens left the Forum, will now be developed. But’s it’s as if that whole stretch was held ransom by what was going to happen to the Seville, as if the Seville was something special, a site that you just didn’t rush into with just any plan. The Seville was left out in the cold to rot until no one could possibly still  believe it could be saved and today some pretty nice chunks of change are going to be made from that site. I once believed we were better than that.

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