2018 so far..
January to March has been a whirl of trains, planes and buses. Theatre adventures have taken me to London (UK), Derry (Northern Ireland), Dublin (The Republic of Ireland), Oldenburg (Germany) and Montreal (Quebec, Canada). I was even able to hunker down over the translation keypad for a week in Munich (Germany) and, as I typed this, Edinburgh (Scotland).
Still to come this March, in London I will be directing a staged reading of Guillaume Corbeil’s Nous voir nous on March 24 (more below) and my translation of Daniel Danis’ Kiwi will receive a public reading in Montreal on March 29. If you are I either city, it would be great to see you there!
London, United Kingdom
London began with the roles of Associate Producer and Deputy Stage Manager on Icarus Theatre’s International touring production of Macbeth. A special thank you to Max and Icarus for generously in opening the Icarus doors and welcoming me to project team.
Never content to do only one project, London also included ongoing support and outreach for the Theatre503 Literary Department and, most recently, leading a workshop on the Role of the Actor in New Play Development for British Equity.
The current London adventures will culminate in a staged reading of my UK translation of Guillaume Corbeil’s Nous voir nous as part of Stage Theatre Co.’s F(Eh)stival of Canadian Works on March 24 (see below).
Derry, Northern Ireland
February began in role of Deputy Stage Manager for Icarus’s Macbeth as we headed over to the UK only walled city, Derry for the Load in and Tech. at The Millennium Forum (1000 seats).
Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Later in February, I rejoined the MAceth team in Dublin for the load in to The Bord Gais Theatre. This was not only a chance to check back in with the Macbeth team and participate in transition to a 2000 seat venue, but the opportunity to dive into Dublin’s Theatre scene.
Highlights included a coffee and great conversations on contemporary Irish theatre, new play development and dramaturgy with Jesse Weaver of The Abbey TheatreNew Works Dept. and The New Theatre Artistic Director Anthony Fox.
Other highlights included the bravery of the young artists in After the End (The New Theatre); Prime Cut Productions terrific 55 minutes on the trans. experience, Scorch (The Project Arts Centre) and Smock Alley Theatre’s Scene & Heard Development Festival.
Oldenburg, Germany
With a few February spare days and an Air Ryan discount, I was able to get over to Oldenburg’s Theatre Wrede + in February to observe the Flausen ensemble Once We Were Islands’ “Making Of: actions for the worthless body” public presentation.
Created by Artistic Director Winfried Wrede, Flausen is a unique research, development and innovation platform that has spread to Friei Theatre’s across Germany and facilitated the launch multiple award winning ensembles onto the German scene. Over that last year, I have been attempting to learn about the platform at every possible chance.
As always, Winfired Wrede and the Theatre Wrede + team’s generosity to a Canadian with his backpack was extraordinary. A special thanks to the Once we were islands for putting up with all my questions.
Montreal, Quebec
I was privileged to be a recipient of The Cole Foundation Award for Emerging Translators with Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal.
February and March would include the first two mentorship sessions with renowned Canadian translator Maureen Labonté on my translation of multiple Governor General Awards winner Daniel Danis’ KIWI.
The process to date has involved private coaching, workshoping with actors and will culminate later this month with a public reading (more below). As much a private masterclass as support on the work, it is both a privilege and honour to have the support of Daniel Danis, Maureen Labonté and Emma Tibado & the Playwrights’ workshop team.
Returning to Montreal, one of my favourite Canadian cities, is never just work. Along coffee at Café Italia with Daniel, I was able to catch up with see old friends like Bea Campbell (stage manager extraordinaire), Montreal creators like as Johanna Nutter, Alexis Diamond, Quincy Armour and francophone playwrights such as Olivier Silvestre and Etienne Lepage.
Along with food truck poutine in the snow, the Leonard Cohen exhibit at MAC, and visits to the St-Viateur Bagel Shop, I was also able to catch theatre in both languages. Shows included The Daisy Theatre (The Centaur Theatre); Master Harold and the Boys (The Shaw Festival& The Segal Centre); Lynn Kozack’s ongoing Iliad project at Bar des Pins; Les robots font-ils l’amour? by Angela Konrad(Usine C); Le desert by Olivier Silvestre (Prospero Theatre), and Nyotaimori by Sarah Berthiaume (Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui); Ainsi parlait… by Daniel Léveillé & Étienne Lepage.
The third and final workshop will take place later this month with a public reading (see more below).
In April, I will be heading back to Vancouver to join Conspiracy’s as Associate Producer for Victim Impact.
See you at the theatre!
Jack Paterson