Stage echoes | Threepenny 2023-2024 season: the end of a cycle for Olivier Kemeid

Olivier Kemeid unveiled Monday evening the programming for the 2023-2024 season of Quat’Sous. His last as co-director general and artistic director of this flagship institution of dramatic art in Quebec.

On the theme of transition, the passage of time, this next season is very promising. Le Quat’Sous offers the vision of leading authors of literature and theater in Quebec, such as Catherine Mavrikakis, Hervé Bouchard and Olivier Choinière. And also, the adaptation of a work by Belarusian author Svetlana Alexievitch, winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize. Without forgetting a creation by Kemeid to complete her mandate.

“A lot of plays are about the end of a world and the beginning of a new one,” says Kemeid. So I wanted to articulate my last season around the notions of passage and tipping. In my opinion, the theater represents a dash between the before and the after, a link between the past and the present”, explains the artistic director in an interview with The Press.

Tribute to Brassard

The season opens with The last tape, by Olivier Choinière. A “single on stage” with the wonderful Violette Chauveau, who pays homage to André Brassard. Choinière was inspired by The last band by Samuel Beckett and Krapp’s monologue for his text: “AB, an old disabled man who lives alone in an apartment cluttered with memories and rubbish, listens to recordings made during his life, seeking to capture the turning point in his existence . Before proceeding with the recording of the final cassette”, summarizes the press release. From September 5 to 30.

Will follow, mid-October, under the direction of Christian Lapointe, Relatives and friends are invited to attend.r, by Hervé Bouchard, “a polyphony woven from intertwined monologues that is halfway between narrative, poem, novel and theatre”.

The words of Catherine Mavrikakis

In mid-January, the Quat’Sous will inaugurate 2024 with an expected creation, The sky is a beautiful garbage, which revolves around four female voices taken from as many novels by Catherine Mavrikakis. Pierre-Yves Lemieux and Luce Pelletier respectively sign the adaptation and the direction of this Opsis production. With Sylvie De Morais-Nogueira, Sophie Faucher, Catherine Proulx-Lemay, Isabelle Vincent, Lou Vincent Desrosiers…

As of February 27, Catherine De Léan will tackle The end of the red man, based on the work of Svetlana Alexievitch on the collapse of the USSR, which reports on the upheavals caused by the dismantling of the Soviet regime in 1990. With Laurence Dauphinais, Vitali Makarov, Dominique Quesnel and Cha Raoutenfeld.

In April, to mark the end of his season and also of a professional cycle, Olivier Kemeid will direct his new text, revenge and oblivion. A play on the death of the father, freely inspired by the tragedy ofHamlet. With, among others, Gabriel Lemire, Sasha Samar and Mireille Naggar.

Olivier Kemeid arrived at the helm of the Avenue des Pins theater in 2016, succeeding Éric Jean. He left his post after seven years and on a positive note, despite some “concerns” about the support for theatrical creation by public authorities and… the media. From now on, the man of the theater wants to take more time to devote himself to his activities as an author and director.

Le Quat’Sous will announce in June the name of the person who will succeed him next fall as head of the company.

To be continued

Listening to an emotion

In a radio studio, a host (played by Larrissa Corriveau) is about to take the microphone to tell the memory of a passion lived with a man whom everything seemed to oppose to her. Here is the premise of the play Listening to an emotion, written and staged by Marie-Laurence Rancourt. A monologue that is intended as a reflection on desire and on our sometimes too reasonable relationship to it.

At Espace Go, from May 9 to 20

Stephanie Morin, The Press

Never Read

The Never Lu Festival, which lets new texts be heard before they hit the stage, opens Friday with the presentation of the show Tiohtià: ké: mapping Indigenous stories. Six performers, including Nahka Bertrand, Jocelyn Sioui and Kathia Rock, will probe the intangible past of Tiohtià: ké (Montreal) to bring out poetic stories inspired by their interpretation of historical facts. No less than 24 other projects will be presented as part of the festival, carrying the voice of 40 authors from Quebec and the Francophonie.

At the Théâtre Aux Écuries, from May 5 to 13

Stephanie Morin, The Press

Bypass

A short play, a beer and a bite to eat, for the ridiculous price of $20… La Licorne resumes its popular happy hour formula, with the presentation, in the rehearsal room, of the play BypassScottish Anita Vettes. Marc St-Martin and Marie-Evelyne Baribeau share the stage in this dramatic comedy translated and directed by Marc-André Thibault. The synopsis suggests some turmoil: “Lisa is 40 and wants a child. Her husband is infertile. But not Marc, the brother-in-law. Marc likes Lisa. Time is counted… ”

At La Licorne, from May 2 to 26

Stephanie Morin, The Press

The sharing

Emmanuel Schwartz offers himself a reflection on the very popular theatrical genres that are today autofiction and autobiography with his new creation (still under construction) entitled The sharing. On the stage of La Chapelle, the prolific actor signs text, staging and interpretation of this “solo for saboteur” in which he wishes to push further the mise en abyme in the theater.

At La Chapelle, until May 9. The performances are in French, but with English surtitles on May 4, 5 and 8.

Stephanie Morin, The Press

Little Willy

Irreverent Canadian puppeteer Ronnie Burkett is back in Montreal with a new show inspired by Romeo and Juliet, titled Little Willy. His favorite characters are summoned around the figure of the Bard himself, including the star of burlesque Dolly Wiggler (who will offer an Elizabethan stripping act for the occasion) and the withered diva Esmé Massengill. The most famous lovers of dramaturgy risk taking it for their cold! This show, intended for ages 16 and up, is presented in English only.

At the Le Centaur theatre, from May 2 to 14

Stephanie Morin, The Press