Théâtre la Seizième announces 2022-23 season, with shows from France, Israel, and across Canada
Highlights include Stallone by CENTQUATRE-PARIS; the 40-performer Un.Deux.Trois; and la Seizième’s touring mainstage show, Le Soulier
Le Soulier. Photo by Gaetan Nerinc/Théâtre la Seizième
Théâtre la Seizième is today announcing its ambitious 2022-23 season.
It kicks off with Stallone on September 13 and 14 at BMO Theatre’s Newmont Stage, with all performances in French with English surtitles. The production by France’s CENTQUATRE-PARIS follows the journey of Lise, a medical secretary, who experiences an epi9phany after watching Rocky 3. Inspired by the boxing champ who takes on the challenge of one more shot in the ring, she throws herself into another attempt at her medical studies. Actor Clotilde Hesme—who won a Molière award for the role—is accompanied by pianist Pascal Sangla, who deconstructs the famous earworm “Eye of the Tiger” in the show that offers an illustration of how art can influence people’s lives.
Un.Deux.Trois, a collection of three plays by Mani Soleymanlou that come together in one theatrical experience, takes place November 11 and 12 at Scotiabank Dance Centre with all performances in French with English surtitles. Nearly 40 performers from all across the country--born here or abroad, Indigenous, Métis, men, women, non-binary people; all French-speaking—explore identity, migration, language, and what it means to be Francophone in Canada. The Orange Noyée production is a collaboration with the National Arts Centre French Theatre, Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario, Théâtre français de Toronto, Duceppe, Théâtre du Trident, Théâtre l’Escaouette, Théâtre populaire d’Acadie, Théâtre la Seizième, and Théâtre Cercle Molière (Canada).
In Mononk Jules—a documentary theatre piece from Quebec’s Illusion Fabuleuse—writer, performer, puppeteer, and director Jocelyn Sioui shares the story of his great uncle, Jules Sioui. In 1940, all men in good health were drafted, yet “Indians” did not have the right to vote and were not even considered Canadians. The Indigenous man began an impassioned battle with the Canadian government on a quest for Indigenous sovereignty. Previously untold stories along with miniature models and paper shapes come to life in this deep dive into the archives. The show runs February 22 to 25 at Studio 16, with all performances in French with English surtitles on except February 24.
We Love Arabs, from April 13 to 15 at Scotiabank Dance Centre and presented in collaboration the Dance Centre, is from Israel’s Hillel Kogan and sits at the intersection of theatre and dance. The storyline goes like this: “An Israeli choreographer, full of good intentions, chooses an Arab dancer - the only one he knows - to create a piece conveying a message of coexistence, brotherhood and peace. The choreographer talks and talks and talks, spouting clichés and hackneyed ideas on matters of culture, politics and religion. The dancer remains silent. Inevitably the tension rises. And then they begin to dance, an unlikely duo, sensual, symbolic and potentially explosive…” Kogan, who provides text and choreography, performs with Mourad Bouayad. Performances in English are on April 13 and 15.
Le Soulier is a 2018-19 mainstage production by Théâtre la Seizième on tour by Cercle Molière (Winnipeg), running from January 20 to February 6. The winner of four Jessie Richardson awards, the show is described as a bipolar comedy in which empathy triumphs over illness. Directed by Esther Duquette and Gilles Poulin-Denis, Le Soulier features text by David Paquet; performances by Félix Bauchamp, Annie Lefebvre, Joey Lespérance, and France Perras; and design by Malcom Dow, Itai Erdal, Drew Facey, and Noam Gagnon.
La Seizième is also offering three shows for young audiences.
Le Potage, for preschoolers, February 2 to 5 at Studio 16, is a mix of theatrical performance, concert, and immersive video from Le Petit Théâtre de Sherbrooke. Set inside a greenhouse, the show features a singer, guitarist, and drummer in a sensorial experience about living life to the fullest.
Ceci est une Histoire D’Amour is a Théâtre la Seizième production geared to teenagers, with a performance for families on April 1 at Studio 16 and a tour of B.C. secondary schools from April 3 to 26. “Somewhere between philosophical tale and romantic comedy, this fantastical play brims with humour and frankness; it questions the idea of free will as well as the role of destiny in our lives,” a release says. “Mark and Anna are made for each other. They’re destined to fall in love. Everything unfolds as in a novel until Mark becomes aware of the presence of a mysterious narrator who dictates each and every one of his thoughts and movements. Determined to retake control, Mark and Anna rebel and find themselves thrown into an alternate reality. What happens when one decides to write their own story?”
Simon Soucis, A L'UniThéâtre of Alberta show on tour in B.C. elementary and middle schools from May 1 to 26, touches on themes of imagination, personal growth, and self-confidence through the adventures of an aspiring inventor.
For ticket details and more information, see Théâtre la Seizième.
Related Articles
