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Houdini – a Montreal connection becomes a Montreal creation

By Peter Kerr

Harry Houdini was arguably one of the most famous entertainers of the 20th Century, certainly in the first half. While in Montreal for a performance, a McGill student surprised the great escape artist with a fierce punch to the abdomen, and Houdini died soon after from the effects of the blow…or was there another factor in his premature death? Houdini’s connection to Montreal will be part of the original musical opening at The Segal centre for performing Arts in February; co-produced by Ernst & Young and The Montreal Highlights Festival.

The Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre has participated in the annual Montreal Highlights Festival since its inception 9 years ago. A winter celebration of cultural and artistic activities; the festival is run by Équipe Spectra, the same folks who organize our world famous Montreal International Jazz Festival. This year, The Segal is playing a central role in the Festival - with the staging of an original musical: Houdini, with book by Ben Gonshor, lyrics by Elan Kunin and directed by Bryna Wasserman.I n a recent interview, Ben gave us a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how this evolved.

Ben Gonshor – “It’s an absolute trip to hear the words you’ve written spoken out loud.”

“Bryna Wasserman had directed a successful Yiddish musical based on Houdini in 2000 at both the Segal Theatre and the Monument National. It was a limited run, but it was successful and gave her an insight into Houdini’s story. There have been very few dramatic interpretations of his life – let alone a dramatic stage presentation.” Ben continues; “In the 50s, there was a movie with Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. Then, in 2006 the book, The Secret Life of Harry Houdini once again brought him and his legendary status forward. In today’s show business reference – Houdini was ‘hot’.”

“There are many fascinating aspects to his life. His incredible feats of magic, his work as a spy, his relationship with the Spiritualist movement, and his friendships with high profile figures such as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. In addition to his talent; Houdini was highly adept a self-promotion – making him the first mega-star of the 20th Century.”

“After WWI, there were millions of people who wanted to believe that they could communicate with sons and husbands that had been killed in the war. The Spiritualist movement literally preached that their mediums could do this.

Elan Kunin is the composer and lyricist of Houdini

While he was always prepared to be a believer, particularly following the death of his beloved mother, Houdini could never be convinced. He became disenchanted and continually challenged the validity of the Spiritualists’ claims, asserting that his magic was entertainment, and the other was fraud masked under the guise of religion.”

The situation became very serious for Houdini. He had debunked the Spiritualist contentions so thoroughly that many of them had lost their livelihood, and his personal safety was in jeopardy. This is how the theory that Houdini was poisoned by his rivals came about. Following the 2006 book release, his last living relative wanted Houdini exhumed and DNA testing done to confirm (or not) that he had been poisoned. Ben explains: “Harry Houdini was back in the news!”

“At the very least, most musicals take two years from conception to being staged. Bryna decided that we’d do it in 12 months. As she says ‘Sometimes you have to take a risk’.” Ben continues; “On the practical side – Elan and I have had very close working relationships with Bryna over the years, and she believed that we could accomplish the task.”

Ben explains how Houdini came to play a significant role in the Montreal Highlights Festival. “With Bryna having commissioned Elan and me to write the musical, we felt that this would be a good year to approach the festival management with the idea that we’d play a larger role. It was consistent with the investment that Leanor and Alvin Segal were making with the rebirth of this facility as a performing arts centre.”

Bryna Wasserman is the Artistic and Executive Director of the Segal centre for Perfoming Arts – and the driving force behind the creation and production of Houdini

An appointment was made with Alain Simard, President of Groupe Spectra and co-founder of the Jazz Festival. “He liked the concept right from the very start, and asked his colleagues André Menard and Caroline Price to join the discussion.” Ben continues; “At this point- all we had was an idea. Mind you – we’re not amateurs – but still it was a leap of faith for them. Not only did we want them to co-produce, and thereby making a financial commitment, we were candid in saying that the musical would be in English.”

“I’m very proud that we were able to convey our passion for the project, thereby making it easy for them to say ‘Yes’.”

“Alain suggested that we go for lunch to further discuss the production. I was thinking – ‘This is as good as it gets – like being in LA and solidifying a movie deal over lunch with the chairman of a major Hollywood studio.’ As it turned out, André Menard is a great fan of theatre, and goes to shows in New York, London, Toronto and Paris when he’s scouting talent for the Jazz Festival. He and Bryna started talking about theatre and it was as if they had known each other for decades – and yet we’d just a short time before!”

“The deal was struck – The Montreal Highlights Festival would co-produce the show and Houdini would be a premiere featured production of this year’s festival.”

Houdini has become a ‘brand’ associated with illusion, entertainment and skill. We’re going to show you tricks that were revolutionary at the time – and are still pretty cool.”

Our visit is drawing to close, and Ben’s excitement for Houdini is palpable. He’s excited about his contribution and the opening of the show. “So here we are – 2 weeks before rehearsal. Bryna has been to New York and Toronto to find the cast. We have 14 actors and a 6 person orchestra. This has been a collaborative effort – but so much credit has to go to Bryna for having the vision and the ability to take the creative risk in staging a project like this.”

Houdini opens at The Segal Centre for the Performing Arts on February 10 and runs until March 2. For tickets, please call the box office: 514-739-7944.

Editor’s Note: Ben Gonshor is the Director of Marketing and Communications & Executive Producer of Online and New Media for The Segal Centre for Performing Arts; and has written several engaging travel articles for The Montrealer - with a focus on his passion for golf.

The Syringa Tree – a stunning performance of a riveting story

By Peter Kerr

Now I understand what the fuss was all about. A smash Off-Broadway hit for two years, this award winning play will undoubtedly capture the imagination of Montreal audiences. While attending a press briefing before opening night, Kika Armata, Centaur’s Director of Communications told me that a small dress rehearsal audience gave a standing ovation – a first in the history of Centaur rehearsals.

The Syringa Tree is a reflection of the real life experiences of playwright Pamela Gien, who grew up in South Africa and was a young girl during early days of the apartheid policies invoked in 1963. Central to this play was the rule that prevented black servants working and living in a white household to keep their children with them – even if their white employer was agreeable.

Caroline Cave

We see how ultimately this policy trapped both white and non-white populations. Elizabeth, the main character and narrator; has a nanny Salamina, who gives birth, and ultimately her daughter Moliseng must go to Soweto to live with her grandmother. A family is torn apart, and there are consequences that on an individual level are representative of what eventually shook the social foundations South Africa.

Caroline Cave plays all twenty-six characters in a stunning performance of an equally riveting story. She is able to switch from the “Lizzie”; to her father; to her nanny and so on throughout the play. The reasoning behind this is that it is her story - and her life that is being revealed - and who better to interpret this vision than the central character. “I spent a month in South Africa, studying and observing the types of people who are the play’s characters; and then I made a mental construction of each character,” explained Caroline in describing how she deals with the huge task of portraying 26 people. She continues, “As I breathe out the last line of one character, I take in my next breath as the next character. It becomes almost like muscle memory.” In one scene where young Lizzie is walking with her physician father, Caroline switches between adult and child so effectively that as her father delivering the last line of the scene; “…don’t make this place your home Lizzie,” the eyes looking out at the audience are as dark and furious as Rocket Richard’s.

“Lizzie” and the 25 other “actors” in The Syringa Tree will take you on a South African tour that has many, many fine moments… moments of joy, of childhood innocence, of a parent’s anguish at the loss of a child, of defiance, and above all – of human respect and love. The final scene of an aged Salamina reaching up to touch Moliseng’s spirit on the wind will leave you with a lump in your throat.

The Syringa Tree is a wonderful play, portraying a real-life apartheid story on a human scale. It’s a story about the strength of human spirit, how servants and employers were devoted to each other, casting aside their social status. When you go, take a few minutes to read the Playwright’s Notes in the playbill – it will provide you with an important context of the play.

The Syringa Tree continues at The Centaur Theatre until December 2nd, with selected matinees performances. Tickets are available at the Box Office: 514-288-3161 or online at: www.centaurtheatre.com Enjoy!

Christmas at The Centaur

The Centaur has booked the ever-popular Bowser and Blue for 3 performances of an updated version of Two Nuts Roasting on an Open Fire on December 11, 12, and 13. Tickets are already selling quickly, and these performances will certainly be a “hot” holiday ticket.

Urban Tales is another new holiday offering that has been a popular tradition in French theatre for the past 13 years. These are Christmas and holiday stories by Michel Tremblay and six other writers; told by a single actor and complemented by a musician to create a unique evening of holiday entertainment. There are just six performances on December 6,7, 8 and 13, 14, 15.

There is a special holiday price for both shows of just $49.99 for subscribers (regularly $59.99). Box Office: 514-288-3161. Ho! Ho! Ho!

The Carpenter – Vitorrio Rossi’s masterful conclusion to Hellfire Pass and Carmela’s Table

“Luciano, I don’t know when I’ll be this clear – so I’m saying goodbye. When I forget who you are – know that you’ll always be with me.” Silvio Rosato

By Peter Kerr

The Carpenter is arguably the best play I’ve seen in a very, very long time. The third play in the trilogy titled A Carpenter’s Tale, this production sees Silvio Rosata nearing the end of his life. What the family thought was forgetfulness brought on by a little too much homemade wine turns out to be a more serious diagnosis of Alzheimer’s. That alone is subject matter for a play. But it’s so much more… Vittorio Rossi’s father gave him a gift, which he has in turn passed on to us in the form of three remarkable plays that capture the lives of his father and mother; their wisdom; their love for their children and each other.

The Carpenter is a the real life story of Vittorio Rossi’s relationship with his father, how he came to appreciate him and their race against time to complete the play while his father could still relate his life’s story to the son who brought him such enormous pride.

The story of Silvio and his wife Carmela; their love for daughters Maria and Liliana and son Luciano is in fact the story of the Rossi family – and in particular the story of Vittorio’s discovery of his father’s life and the love they share.

The Carpenter is Gordon McCall’s final production as a director for Centaur Theatre. It was Gordon, who upon reading the draft of Hellfire Pass and discussing the concept of the trilogy with Vittorio; agreed to put the company’s resources behind the project and provide Vittorio a home for the development and staging of the plays. Centaur audiences have been rewarded by his vision and Vittorio’s writing talent. And there is truth in the expression of the best being saved for the last – The Carpenter is outstanding.

We saw the first night preview, and what were outstanding performances will get even better. The cast is very strong; firstly with Richard Zeppieri reprising his role as the young Silvio. Richard is a compelling and intense as he’s ever been, and his stage presence is such that you appreciate that you are witness to a major charismatic talent.

David Calderisi is terrific as the older Silvio, still passionate – but increasingly bewildered. Calderisi appears to be at ease and comfortable in the role – so much so that at times you forget that this is an acting performance.

Patricia Yeatman as the older Carmela is eloquent in her portrayal of the devoted wife whose life revolves (in a positive way) around her family and her beloved husband. Yeatman delivers an inspired performance of a wife who is not in denial as we may suspect, but rather is “moving forward” with a resolve that is awe-inspiring. On two occasions Yeatman delivers show-stopping performances.

Anita La Selva plays the young Carmela to Richard Zeppieri’s young Silvio. Anita is simultaneously strong and sensual. The scene of a stuttering young Silvio meeting Carmela in their Italian village is a sequence of tender and warm moments - to become memories for the older Silvio and Carmela to reflect on and cherish.

Andreas Apergis is stunning in the role of the playwright son Luciano, (he even has a striking resemblance to Vittorio). We see a young man who is deeply troubled by his father’s forgetfulness, which he believes is due to excessive drinking. And while he professes that his daily visits to the family home are to support his mother, it is his quest for a deeper relationship with his father Silvio that keeps bringing him back.

The Carpenter makes effective use of flashbacks to show us Silvio as a young soldier in the Italian Army preparing an ambush in Hellfire Pass; later with Carmela in their village in Italy; and then again in their Ville Emard apartment. They also serve to provide important contributions to the context of the Rosato/Rossi family history.

Ellen David as the eldest Rosato sibling Maria; and Giovanna Carrubba as her sister Liliana are superb. Maria, who married too young and too often, gropes with her lifetime of poor decisions. Liliana is the daughter who never left home, and bears much of the brunt of her father’s failing mental health. However, their love for their father binds the siblings – even at the end.

Guido Cocomello (are you beginning to feel the authenticity of this portrayal of Ville Emard’s Italian community?) as Silvio’s Captain Gatusso in the army and also as his friend Dave Damonti does a fine job, taking what was initially a supporting role to being an integral figure in the play. Similarly, Paula Costain as Dr. Lewis makes an important contribution in her role as physician and eventually friend to the Rosato family.

The set plays a huge role in creating the tone and mood of the play, welcoming the audience into the comfortable Rosato kitchen and back garden. It is easily modified to become the LaSalle Welcoming Home Centre for the Elderly.

This is a wonderful play about life and how a family manages when Alzheimer’s strikes the patriarch. More importantly it’s about values, decency and above all – love. Vittorio Rossi bares his soul in this play, and we’re the better for his bravery.

The Carpenter continues at Centaur Theatre until October 28th. For information about tickets and matinee performances, please call the box office at: 514-288-3161 or visit www.centaurtheatre.com

Enjoy!

The Diary of Anne Frank opens October 14 at “The Segal”

“…I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart.” Anne Frank

Editor’s Note: This season will be the most important since the theatre first opened its doors. The patronage of Leanor and Alvin Segal has seen the transformation of the Saidye Bronfman Centre to the Segal Centre for the Performing Arts at the Saidye – the respect and gratitude for the original endowment from the Bronfman family still very much evident. Renovations have been continuing in the space adjacent to the theatre throughout the summer. The intimate jewel of a crescent-shaped theatre that we all enjoy so much remains as it was – all the activity has been on the east side of the building.

By Janis Kirshner

The Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre is excited to open the 2007-08 theatre season with this universal and important work This powerful new adaptation for a new generation offers a more gritty and authentic portrayal than the more sanitized 1955 original.

The Diary of Anne Frank is the impassioned drama of the legendary journals of a Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II. The Frank family, along with family friends the Van Daans and local dentist Mr. Dussel, is forced to spend 25 months in the confines of a concealed storage attic in the annex of rooms above Otto Frank’s office. After being betrayed to the Nazis, all were arrested and deported to concentration camps. Anne Frank died of typhus at Bergen-Belsen. She was 15 years old. However, knowing the tragic ending does not detract from experiencing the hope within these people as they struggle to overcome their situation and try to prevent the tensions of the outside world from affecting their present one.

Director Marcia Kash is delighted with the attention already generated for Diary of Anne Frank

Anne Frank’s writing displays wisdom far beyond her years and she emerges from history a living, emotional, intensely gifted young girl. She confronts her rapidly changing life and the increasing horror of her time with astonishing honesty, wit and determination. First published 60 years ago, the diary has newfound social resonance. Director Marcia Kash comments on confronting our present catastrophes. “Unfortunately, we live in a world in which we still battle racism, prejudice, hate, corruption, greed and the abuse of power. Despite pledging to learn from history, we haven’t.” She continues, “The world still turns away at critical times. We need only look at Rwanda, at Darfur, at North Korea.” The play forces people to understand that these tragedies were not just about numbers, but about real people.

The Diary of Anne Frank communicates other timeless relevancies that are brought to the fore because of extenuating conditions. The play captures the claustrophobic realities of a family’s daily existence- their fear, their hope, their laughter, their grief. We witness Anne’s sexual discovery, familial tensions and all the issues of a normal teenager growing up. Everyone can identify with someone in this play and imagine themselves in a similar circumstance.

Ms Kash is a respected director with credits on both sides of the country. Her work was last seen at The Segal as director of Tuesdays with Morrie. She is also an actor and internationally produced playwright (Who’s Under Where written with Doug Hughes).

The Frank family is made up of recent National Theatre School graduate Natasha Greenblatt (Anne), a role she has dreamt of playing since she read the book when she was eleven; Sally Singal (Edith), who has performed extensively across Canada, including originating the role of Zhaboonigan Peterson in Tomson Highway’s The Rez Sisters and three seasons at the Stratford Festival; Nicholas Rice (reprising his role of Otto, Manitoba Theatre Centre), seen locally in Jerusalem the Musical, Waiting for Godot and Oliver!, as well as in most major theatres across the country; and Susanna Fournier (Margot), a recent graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada who has been acting and writing theatre for the past ten years. The others in hiding include Montreal favourites Felicia Shulman as Mrs. Van Daan, James Downing as Mr. Van Daan, Gianpaolo Venuta as Peter Van Daan and Brian Wrench as Mr. Dussel. The Christian helpers are played by Tara Nicodemo as Miep Gies and Marcel Jeannin as Mr. Kraler. Also with Ivan Peric and Alexander Gorchkov.

Three thousand non-Jewish students have already booked to see this production. Director Kask comments; “For younger audiences, this might be their first exposure to the Holocaust, and it could be a life-altering experience for them. I hope that it will awaken their compassion and curiosity to the subject, and that they will never forget it. I hope they will vow to make a difference in the world, that they will forever be on the lookout in themselves and in the world for feelings of prejudice and work tirelessly to eradicate them.”

The Diary of Anne Frank will run from October 14 – November 4 at the Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre. In addition to the evening performances, there are various matinees. For tickets, please call the box office at: 514-739-2301 or visit the website at: www.segalcentre.org

The popular Sunday-@-The Segal will continue this year with the sponsorship of CBC Radio 88.5. on Sunday, October 14 at 11am. The guest speaker is Yehudi Lindeman, Professor Emeritus of English at McGill University and the founder and past Director of Living Testimonies, the Holocaust Video Archive at McGill, which is a centre for Holocaust research and documentation. A child survivor of the Holocaust, he was separated from his family in 1942 when he was four years old. For the next three years, members of the Dutch resistance moved him through fifteen different safe houses in Nazi-occupied Holland. He started the organization Child Survivors in Montreal and is a founding member of the World Federation of Jewish Child Survivors of the Holocaust. Mr. Lindeman has published widely on Renaissance poetry and translation, and on resistance and rescue during the Shoah. His most recent book is Shards of Memory: Narratives of Holocaust Survival (2007).

“The only sense of stability I felt was when yet another stranger, some young man or woman, (a courier working for the resistance, no doubt), would take me once again to a new place of hiding, usually on the back of a bicycle. I recall feeling very safe during those many nocturnal rides, sitting close to the person in front of me, the sound of the bicycle’s tires steady and reassuring in the night. I think they gave me the only sense of faith that I ever had during those years.”

(Coffee and refreshments will be served in the lobby afterwards, followed by the first preview of The Diary of Anne Frank at 1:30 pm – tickets on sale now.)

Infinitheatre - Montreal’s ‘risk’ theatre will present their season in the trendy Quartier des Spectacles

By Barbara Ford.

Guy Sprung, Infinitheatre’s Artistic Director, and his infinitely creative team, recently unveiled the iconic company’s 2007-08 season. With three plays by Montreal playwrights, the return of The Pipeline reading series and another fun and unique idea for the annual fundraising event, the coming year promises to live up to the brand of Montreal's 'risk' theatre, exploring life in the 21st century.

This year, as part of its continuing efforts to make theatre available to all Montrealers, Infinitheatre has created a package already nick-named 'the best theatre deal in town': the ‘Infinite 6-PACK’. The $60 pass affords the bearer six theatre tickets – a mere $10 for a dramatic hit - cheaper than a flick at the local cinema! Even the most budget-challenged can easily afford to share a pass and see every play of the season.

That Woman, a co-production with Talisman Theatre, written by Daniel Danis, directed by Emma Tibaldo and featuring Marcelo Arroyo, Guy Sprung and Sarah Stanley will start the season in September. Daniel Danis is one of Québec's greatest playwrights, winning the 1993 Governor General’s Award for his first play, Celle-là, translated to That Woman by Linda Gaboriau (who also does the translations for Michel Tremblay’s plays). Last fall's Talisman Theatre production was a critical success during its sell-out run - and the remount will allow a wider audience to catch this extraordinary piece of theatre.

Set in an imagined rural Quebec community, it is the story of the Mother, the Old Man who lives upstairs and their Son, striving to survive in a world stifled by the norms of small town philistinism. In a series of twenty-four snapshots, That Woman breathtakingly transports one into a landscape painted by memory, repressed desire, and the small yet meaningful victories in life's search to experience glimpses of happiness. "…the play's Montréal English-language premiere, enlivened by instantly memorable performances from Sarah Stanley and Guy Sprung..." - Matt Radz, The Gazette. That Woman will be performed from September 13 – 27.

GAS is a world première by Jason Maghanoy, recent graduate of the National Theatre School Playwright Program and a McGill alumnus, and directed by Guy Sprung, set in the current chaos of the liberation/occupation of Iraq. Five young American soldiers are ripped apart by moral confusion as their genuine belief in democracy and freedom is challenged by the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians.

A play that intertwines comedy and tragedy to devastating effect, Gas is certain to be one of the major theatrical events of the 2007-08 season. Previously, Infinitheatre produced Jason's play, The Contract. “The humanizing empathy is the …author's special genius”
– Matt Radz, The Gazette. Gas will be presented from October 25 – November 18.

The Pipeline is a series of public, in-house readings that focuses on writers, script development and issues facing English theatre in Quebec. As part of Infinitheatre’s mandate to seek out innovative Quebec plays and new theatrical styles, helping to develop, promote, produce and broker new work and writers, these events also give the public a chance to voice their opinion and influence the direction of future Infinitheatre seasons. Both Zarathustra and Gas had received readings in previous seasons. On the menu this year are: The Source by Guy Sprung, Elephants by Jaspreet Singh, Blessed Are They by Bruce M. Smith and Anarchy's Child by David Freeman. The latter two are receiving second readings; thus reflecting the ongoing development/workshop process that enables Infinitheatre to bring the best writing to Montreal stages.

Montreal Idle by Tex Dawson, the 'King of Montreal musical comedy', features high-powered industry 'tycoons' plucked from the Montreal business community. Infinitheatre whips up another original creation to abuse and amuse local audiences while raising money to finance its development activities. This year, it's a musical murder mystery spoof on the current tsunami of ghastly reality TV shows inundating the airwaves. The audience is invited to vote (many times) for their favourite Montreal performer. Bonus?…the winner of the Montreal Idle competition gets to be the next Prime Minister of Canada! The event goes all the way with live-to-tape television, celebrity judges and nefarious backstage shenanigans. The much sought after tax-deductible tickets are $100 each, which includes a post-show reception, with a discount on the ticket price if purchased before November 1, 2007. Montreal Idle will be presented for a limited run at The Leanor & Alvin Segal Theatre on January 6, 8, 9 and 10, 2008. Don’t miss out on the fun!

Zarathustra Said Some Things, No?, a Canadian première by Trevor Ferguson, directed by Guy Sprung and starring Lina Roessler and Brett Watson. Infinitheatre continues its successful association with Montreal novelist/playwright, Trevor Ferguson, in this intense and insightful examination of addiction and abuse. Adrienne and Ricky, a Canadian couple living in a seedy Paris hotel, have entered into a suicide pact, which they have, so far, failed to complete. As the story unfolds and their relationship becomes more unsettling and the games they play more disturbing, the reasons for their dysfunction are slowly revealed.

Zarathustra paints a riveting vision of a lost generation overwhelmed by a tide of convoluted pathologies. Trevor Ferguson wrote the play specifically for Ms. Roessler and Mr. Watson, who had both previously been in two world premières of his plays. The play received extraordinary reviews for its "out-of-town tryout" in the spring of 2006 at Theatre 54 in New York. “...brilliance of the writing... Lina Roessler and Brett Watson are astonishingly powerful in these roles...” - nytheatre.com. “The play and these two performances are easily among the best you will see on the off-Broadway stage this year.” - blogcritics.org. Zarathustra will be performed from March 18 – 30, 2008 at Theatre La Chapelle, 3700 rue St-Dominique.

That Woman, Gas, and Pipeline will take place in The Plateau at Bain St-Michel, located at 5300 St-Dominique. Infinitheatre’s Annual Fundraiser, Montreal Idle, will be presented at The Leanor & Alvin Segal Theatre on Cote St-Catherine, and the company will return to The Plateau with Zarathustra Said Some Things, No? at Theatre La Chapelle, 3700 St-Dominique. For information about tickets, please call: 514-987-1774. The company’s web site is: www.infinitheatre.com

Editor’s Note: Barbara Ford is a freelance journalist and publicist with a vast experience in theatre and the arts community.

The Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre 2007-08 Season

Popular season to be at heart of new Segal Centre
for the Performing Arts at the Saidye

By Ben Gonshor

An all new season of First Class Theatre comes to Montreal next year as Segal Theatre Artistic & Executive Director Bryna Wasserman recently announced the 2007-08 lineup. The new season will include the beloved story of Anne Frank, the popular Neil Simon comedy, The Odd Couple, and an all new musical on the life of Harry Houdini. “ It is my hope that next season’s program will attract record numbers to the Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre, which will form the core of the all new Segal Centre for the Performing Arts,” Wasserman said.

“We look forward to the Centre being dedicated to excellence in creating, presenting and educating through the performing arts,” said the Segals. “We hope that the Centre will continue being a vibrant cultural force in our city and strengthen its national reputation for excellence.”

The season will open in October with the Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winning play, The Diary of Anne Frank, by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, adapted by Wendy Kesselman. This is the iconic dramatization of the legendary journals of a Jewish girl hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II. It is the world renowned play that movingly details the inhuman darkness waiting to claim its incandescently human heroine.

It will be followed later in the fall by the Segal Theatre’s first “green” production, An Enemy of The People, by Henrik Ibsen, adapted by Arthur Miller, directed by Miles Potter. In An Enemy of The People, Dr. Stockmann exposes pollution that's fouling the waters of a spa, threatening the health of its guests. Instead of receiving gratitude, he is taunted and denounced as a lunatic, an "Enemy of the People" by his fellow townspeople (including his brother the mayor), who are getting rich from the spa and want to sweep the problem under the rug. This is the story of a man who will sacrifice all – his standing, his reputation, his wealth, and the security of his family and person – in order for the truth to prevail. Ric Reid, most recently at the Segal in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, will star as Stockmann. This “green” production is an effort by the Segal Theatre to look for new means and materials in set and costumes that are more environmentally friendly and sustainable.

The second half of the Segal Theatre season will begin with an all new, Canadian musical production on the life of Harry Houdini - book by Ben Gonshor, music\lyrics by Elan Kunin and directed by Bryna Wasserman. Featuring some of Houdini’s most legendary routines, an all Montreal creative team will endeavour to create a thrilling, entertaining ride through his life - from his humble vaudeville beginnings; to the heights of his fame; and eventually to his fierce, highly publicized battle against mediums, Spiritualists and their growing popularity.

In March, 2008 a production of Kristin Thomson’s I, Claudia, by Kristen Thomson, starring Michelle Polak and directed by Leah Cheriniak, will inaugurate the new Studio B space at the Segal Centre. Studio B is a multi-purpose space that can morph from a 150-seat theatre into a dance studio, lecture hall, cabaret or jazz bar. In I, Claudia, the title character is a pre-teen, still reeling from her parents' divorce. Her father is getting re-married, she has a science fair project coming due, and she is in the physical and emotional throes of puberty. Claudia speaks to us from inside the boiler room of her school where she stores all the things that are secret and dear to her.

The English language portion of the 07-08 season will conclude in the spring with Diana Leblanc (Fallen Angels, Rose) returning to direct Neil Simon’s beloved comedy, The Odd Couple, starring Rod Beattie and John Evans in their Segal Theatre debuts. The Odd Couple tells the story of Felix Ungar, a neurotic, neat-freak news writer, who is thrown out by his wife and moves in with Oscar Madison, a slovenly sportswriter. Simon based the play on his brother Danny's true-life experience and described it as: "Two men -one divorced and one estranged and neither quite sure why their marriages fell apart—who move in together to save money for alimony and suddenly discover they're having the same conflicts and fights they had in their marriages."

The 2007-08 season culminates with Yiddish Theatre at its best: The Dora Wasserman Yiddish Theatre production of the beloved musical, The Wise Men of Chelm, by Abraham Shulman, Music by Eli Rubinstein. It is said that after God made the world, he filled it with people. He sent off an angel with two sacks, one full of wisdom and one full of foolishness. The second sack was much heavier and, after getting caught on a mountaintop, all the foolishness spilled out and fell into Chelm. Created by the legendary duo of Dora Wasserman and composer, Eli Rubinstein, The Wise Men of Chelm is a loving tribute to one of the most enduring icons of Eastern European folklore – the town and people of Chelm.

The wildly popular Sunday-@-the Segal lecture series will once again be presented by CBC Radio One. Wasserman: “S@TS is a truly remarkable program. It began with a handful of people sitting in the audience and grew to become our most popular program. We are always delighted to welcome the public to these programs to learn about the plays we will be presenting as well as some of the ideas and themes that enhance the play going experience.”

Another program gaining in popularity with each passing season is Monday Night Talkbacks; presenting an opportunity for audiences and artists to talk about their shared theatrical experience. Monday Night Talkbacks are a reflection of the drama, emotion, the here and now of live theatre. Wasserman adds: “The success of Monday Night Talkbacks and Sunday-@-the Segal are perhaps a reflection of a need for people in this age of virtual relationships to participate in actual relationships. We couldn’t be more delighted to provide that to our audience.”

As part of its mandate to support Canadian artists and the Canadian theatre community, the Segal Theatre, in addition to its main stage programming, will be hosting and supporting numerous independent presentations. These will include two productions by SideMart Theatre, a new company founded by Sabooge regulars, Andrew Shaver, Graham Cuthbertson, Patrick Costello and Trent Pardy, as well as an all new Story- Telling Festival for children.

Wasserman concluded: “The 07-08 season marks a new beginning for all of us at the Segal Theatre. The creation of the new Segal Centre for the Performing Arts is truly a precious gift to the arts community that we look forward to sharing with our audience for many years to come. Join us as we embark on a wonderful new chapter in the performing arts in Montreal.”

Season subscriptions are now available, with a choice of 4, 5 or all 6 plays. Sundays and Mondays are at Matinee prices, tickets are exchangeable, and can be considered a 100% tax deductible entertainment expense. Please call: 514-739-2301, ext. 327; or visit the web site at: www.saidyebronfman.org

Editor’s Note: Ben Gonshor is the Director of Marketing for the Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre, and a regular contributor of golf and travel articles to The Montrealer.

“There used to be wooden benches before we had this theatre seating. There was a little girl that used to curl up under one of those benches and sleep. There weren’t milk and cookies for her after school. But – she was able to watch her mother direct plays in this very theatre from under her bench. That little girl was me.” Bryna Wasserman has literally grown up in the theatre started by her late mother Dora Wasserman. Today, Bryna was celebrating the inauguration of the redevelopment of The Segal Centre for The Performing Arts at The Saidye.

The multi-purpose Second Stage in Studio B and the Cinema Space complete the five aspects of the project.

“As you see when we explore this season’s play selections, we remain proudly Montreal and hope that you enjoy the entertaining and provocative line-p of plays we have in store for you this year,” announced Gordon McCall at a recent press conference to unveil the 2007-08 Centaur season. “With our title Further than the Eye Can See, we have selected six main plays about memory, social upheaval in the world and family,” Gordon continued.

As Gordon noted, “They say the characters of good plays can exist forever in people’s imaginations, as if they actually lived among us. May Silvio and Carmela Rosato have such an honourable fate.” Montreal audiences have thoroughly enjoyed the first two plays of this trilogy, Hellfire Pass and Carmela’s Table; breaking box office records at the Centaur, and The Carpenter promises to be an equally strong season-opener.

Opening in November, The Syringa Tree by Pamela Gien is a one-woman tour de force of acting, with Caroline Cave playing all 24 parts in this deeply personal play. Set in South Africa in the early 1960s, this is a play about an abiding love between two families, one black, one white, and the two children that are born into their shared South African household. As stated in a review from The New York Post; “Gien’s characters are people, not caricatures; she knows how they speak, move and sing, and treats them with dignity… The evening builds to a climax of striking intensity!”

The new year begins with Half Life, by John Mighton, one of Canada’s most successful playwrights and features a stellar cast. Carolyn Hetherington is a Centaur audience favourite, and Eric Peterson is the famous star of CTV’s hit comedy, Corner Gas. Clara lives in an old folks’ home and is confined to a wheelchair. Her memory is failing, but sometimes there is a unique beauty to what she says. Patrick is a newcomer to the residence, and also has gaps in his memory. There is an attraction between Clara and Patrick, this play is a gentle and humorous exploration of how vital people are as they age - and how indifferent we sometimes are to them.

Montreal playwright David Gow’s Relative Good is a reflection of the story of Maher Araar. A Canadian citizen of Middle-East heritage is detained while transferring flights at JFK Airport in New York. Canadian consular officials cannot (or will not) facilitate his release or even gain due process for a Canadian citizen, who is increasingly caught up in a morass of security law-language and a Byzantine Department of External Affairs.
Maddy Heisler, set in rural Nova Scotia during WWII, tells the story of a 17 years old young man who falls in love with and older woman of 30. In the midst of their affair, the older Maddy Heisler suddenly departs for England; never to return. Years later, a young woman arrives and encounters the now aging Jacob. She brings a small notebook whose contents open a door to the past, and Jacob will never be the same. Playwright Daniel Lillford has been nominated for no less than 5 East Coast Theatre awards for this play.

The season finale is another World Premiere of a Michel Tremblay work, Forever Yours, Mary-Lou. Tremblay has an excellent working relationship with Gordon McCall and the Centaur Theatre Company, and this is another important step in the relationship that sees the theatre building a cultural appreciation between Montreal’s French and English-speaking communities. Set in the early 1970s, this play strikes at the heart of an unforgettable, dysfunctional Quebecois family. Carmen, a country singer, returns home to convince her sister Manon that it is time to end the years of mourning for their parents. Past and present intermingle with the daughters struggling to reconcile their visions of the past, while their parents, Marie-Lou and Léopold play out the events leading up to their meeting with powers beyond their control.

There are some important returning features, as well as a major new addition for next season. New for the Holidays is a program titled Urban Tales, and produced by Théâtre Urbi et Orbi. Contemporary holiday stories will be woven together by a live musician. Michel Tremblay and six other notable writers will create the very first series of Urban Tales for Centaur. Performance dates are December 6,7,8 and 13,14,15. This promises to be a unique and enjoyable holiday evening, and hopefully a new tradition for Centaur patrons.

Centaur will continue with the Brave New Works initiative, and with Sabooge Theatre Company will present that company’s newest creation, Speak Easy. Gordon states that the objective is, “to provide audiences with an opportunity to celebrate the diversity, imagination and highly original work of cutting edge companies and individual ‘auteurs’.” Sabooge is an international company based in Montreal and Brooklyn, New York.

The increasingly popular Wildside Theatre Festival will continue January 8-19 in the new year. This will be the 11th season for this repertory festival and the line-up of plays will be announced in the fall.

Centaur will continue with the popular Saturday Morning Children’s Series, Sunday Talkbacks, and the Theatre of Tomorrow programs.

This will be a bittersweet fall for the Centaur. Artistic Director Gordon McCall is moving on to teach theatre at Purdue, and The Carpenter will be his last directing assignment as Centaur’s Artistic Director. “There’s a feeling of community at this theatre that’s palpable, and it’s very much a credit to our audiences” he noted in appreciation of Centaur’s patrons.

This is the time to renew your season subscriptions, and to seriously consider a season ticket package if you don’t already have one. Please call the Box Office at: 514-288-3161, or visit the website: www.centaurtheatre.com Enjoy!