Download Study Guide - Talisman Theatre

Study Guide
Written by Mathieu Gosselin
Translated by Nadine Desrochers
Directed by Stacey Christodoulou
October 7-17, 2015
Prepared for Talisman Theatre and The Other Theatre by
Caitlyn Brown, September 2015
Production supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Heritage Canada, the Conseil des
Arts et des Lettres du Québec, and the Conseil des Arts de Montreal
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: MATHIEU GOSSELIN
Graduate from the Conservatory of Dramatic Arts
in Montreal in the acting program (2001),
Mathieu Gosselin is known in the Quebec cultural
scene as an actor and a playwright. He has
performed in Montreal’s main theaters, on
television and in film. Collaborating with the
Théâtre de la Pire Espèce since its inception, he
acted in Traces de Cloune, Ubu sur table and
Perseus (2005) which he also co-authored. With
the Théâtre Le Clou, he co-wrote Éclats et autres
libertés (2009). This play won the Louise Lahaye
Prize (2010) and the AQCT Critic’s Prize in the Young Audience Category
(2011) . Mathieu has also written Fête sauvage (2006), Tomber juste
(2006), Mélodie dépanneur and Province (2012). Fête sauvage was
nominated in 2007 for a MASQUE in the category REVELATION and
ORIGINAL TEXT.
Province was produced by Banquette Arrière at the Licorne Theatre in May
2012 and acclaimed by the critics.
ABOUT THE TRANSLATOR: NADINE DESROCHERS
Nadine Desrochers is a professor, dramaturg, and
translator from Montreal. From 2001 to 2006, she
worked at the Centre des auteurs dramatiques,
overseeing translations in French, English, and
Spanish. She has translated four plays by Sarah
Berthiaume, two of which (The Flood
Thereafter and Yukonstyle) were part of Canadian
Stage's 2013-2014 season; The Flood
Thereafter was originally produced by Talisman in
2010. P@ndora, also by Berthiaume, was
produced by Youtheatre in 2012. Nadine's
translation of The Medea Effect, by Suzie Bastien, was read at the hotINK
festival in New York and produced by Talisman Theatre in 2012; it won the
2013 META Award for Outstanding New Translation. Her other translation
credits include Marilyn Perreault's Rock, Paper, Jackknife... (produced by
Talisman Theatre in 2009 and published by Playwrights Canada Press in
2010) and Scenes from a Tree, a children's production by Des mots d'la
dynamite.
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As she works in both languages, Nadine has translated Heather
Hermant's ribcage: this wide passage to French. Her upcoming projects
include the translations of the GG-nominated play Billy (The Days of
Howling) by Fabien Cloutier, and Province, by Mathieu Gosselin. Her
translation work is rooted in her own acting background, which led her to the
stages of the National Arts Centre, the Great Canadian Theatre Company,
the Theatre du Trillium, as well as to different television roles and
appearances. Nadine teaches in the area of library and information science
at the Universite de Montreal, and her research focuses, among other things,
on the information-sharing practices of creators in digital culture.
ABOUT THE SHOW: PROVINCE
SYNOPSIS
Province takes the audience on a wild ride, full of potent questions and
uneasy answers. Set in the deep forest of Quebec, this darkly comic play is
part of a rich tradition of dystopian art, exploring humanity’s indifference to
environmental destruction and our commitment to individualism at any cost.
A poetic, whimsical fable, steeped in organic rural textures, Province
revolves around characters who must face off against mutant animals—
suddenly rebellious and determined to destroy their human masters. Despite
the ecological malaise, the people of Province continue their pre-apocalypse
lives with as much gusto as before, playing Wii, making home videos and
obsessing over their looks.
Will they react before it is too late or will they be swallowed up by the everencroaching greenery of the Province?
Province explores humanity’s indifference to environmental destruction and
its commitment to individualism at any cost. It asks whether our
adaptability—our greatest human strength—may actually be what is holding
us back from finding common sense solutions to our generation’s most
pressing problem. Province fits perfectly into the aesthetic niche created by
our past productions.
HISTORY
Province, was first staged by Théâtre de la Banquette Arrière at La Licorne in
May 2012--it has never been produced in English!!! This production will be
Canada's English-language premiere of this remarkable work.
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ABOUT TALISMAN THEATRE
Founded in 2005 by Lyne Paquette, Talisman
Theatre has a vibrant, living mission: to produce
English-language premières of Québécois
plays for Montreal’s public and students. We
have two unique strengths that allow us to bring
Québécois plays to English-speaking theatregoers: we retain the essence of traditional
Québécois theatrical practice as part of our
hybrid development process; and we have
developed a talented bi-lingual team with its own
distinctive artistic approach. We also passionately
believe that Montreal's actors, designers, technicians, managers, and crew
should be properly paid for their enrichment of our culture, and we work
hard, year-round, to raise the funds to make this possible.
(See http://www.talisman-theatre.com )
Since 2006, Talisman Theatre productions include Daniel Danis’ That Woman
(2006 & 2007), Down Dangerous Passes Road by Michel Marc Bouchard
(2008) (both translated by Linda Gaboriau) which won the Prix de la critique
2008 for Best English Production. 2009 was the stunning production of
Marilyn Perreault’s Rock, Paper, Jackknife… (translated by Nadine
Desrochers), The Flood Thereafter (2010) by Sarah Berthiaume, Coma
Unplugged (2011 ) by Pierre Michel Tremblay, The Medea Effect (2012) by
Suzie Bastien (Montreal English Theatre Award META winner for Best Actress
and Best Translation), The Aeneid by Olivier Kemeid (winner of the 2014
META for Best Indie Production) and most recently Billy (The Days of
Howling) by Fabien Cloutier.
Talisman Theatre is active in the development of Montreal's EnglishLanguage Artistic community. We are proud to be part of The Group of 5, a
coalition of five professional theatre and dance-theatre companies in
Montreal who are in the process of planning a permanent space for
production and performance. In this we have the financial support of the
three levels of government. This will enable the cost-benefits of sharing of
physical resources and services and will assist us in raising our individual
visibility. The Group of 5 includes: Dulcinea Langfelder & Co.; Imago
Theatre; Playwrights' Workshop Montreal; Porte Parole; and Talisman
Theatre.
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ABOUT THE OTHER THEATRE
Formed in 1991 by Artistic Director Stacey
Christodoulou, The Other Theatre
(www.othertheatre.com) is dedicated to
performance that explores the tension between
the individual and the collective experience. It
examines how everyday acts of kindness and
cruelty are reflected in the larger political and
social context of our society.
Since its inception, the company has performed
in French, English and bilingually and has been
invited into the seasons of many Montreal venues, both English and French,
(Centaur Theatre, Espace libre, Théâtre Prospero, Segal Centre for
Performing Arts, Galerie Oboro, Société des arts technologiques, Montréal
arts interculturels) as well as being a participant in the Festival de Théâtre
des Amériques at Théâtre La Chapelle. The award-winning work has also
appeared in warehouses, the streets of New York, a moving elevator, an
empty swimming pool, and a shopping mall window.
The Other Theatre has also performed the work of important writers such as
Fernando Arrabal, Peter Handke, Heiner Müller, R.W. Fassbinder, Sarah
Kane, Kurt Vonnegut, Wallace Shawn, and Greg MacArthur – giving these
writers their premieres in Quebec in French. Its French-Creole production of
Shakespeare’s Macbeth created a new cultural view on a familiar
Shakespearean story and it continues to try to introduce new voices to its
public.
The company is also interested in new ways of theatrical presentation,
seeking to bring elements from the arts ―other than theatre‖ – dance,
architecture, and the visual arts – into the conversation, as well as
developing installations for galleries and found venues. In 2013, their
installation Etiquette for Lucid Dreaming played in New York City at the
Brooklyn Fireproof, as part of the IDEAS CITY Festival organized by the The
New Museum of New York, the Dumbo Arts Festival, the Bushwick Film
Festival, and the Gateway Project.
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TOPICS AND THEMES OF PROVINCE
1.
2.
3.
4.
Environmental issues
Man vs. Nature
Conformity vs. Individualism
Changes/adaptability to new situations and environment
STUDY QUESTIONS FOR PROVINCE
1. Each character has been labelled with a type of human personality
trait/flaw. Describe what it is, how they represent it and how it fits
within the story.
2. What is surrealism, and how is it present in this production?
3. Explain the relevance between the interactions of Mommy and Hans.
What does this conversation have in common with the main plot?
4. Why does Zachary explain the actions of the video game in the third
person? If you had control over this part of the play, what kind of
theatrical elements could you use to describe the video game world to
the audience (ie. Mood lighting, video effects, projections)?
ACTIVITIES
1. Within the play, there are several descriptions of mutated animals and
plant life. Pick an animal and draw a mutant of your own, while
incorporating man made materials. Be creative!
2. Create a short story on what could have sparked the animal uprising in
Province.
3. From the programing examples given from the description of
Faerydae’s TV channel, come up with a concept for a show that could
be featured on this type of TV channel. Then, create a short skit (12mins) to pitch your show idea to the class.
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