At The Beginning Of Time – a new play from Steve Gallucio

Award-winning playwright who brought Mambo Italiano to Montreal and the world

Montreal’s immensely popular playwright Steve Galluccio will premiere his newest work where his career started – at Centaur Theatre. His breakout play, Mambo Italiano set attendance records and captured the imagination of theatre-goers in Montreal and New York. Directed by Peter Hinton-Davis, At The Beginning Of Time is reputed to be Galluccio’s most personal play since Mambo Italiano.

This current work is an autobiographical tale of an Italian-Canadian gay man approaching 60, who believes he has settled into life, only to be confronted with the reality of having to reimagine everything he once knew. The talented cast features Richard Jutras, Stephen Lawson, Michael Miranda, and Nadia Verrucci.

Playwright Steve Gallucio’s newest work will premiere at Centaur Theatre on February 24 
Photo: Andrée Lanthier

Three old friends gather to reminisce about the past — the good, the bad, and the outrageous. Their conversation unfolds to reveal everything that transpired between them in the 1970’s, from past boyfriends to Sunday night dinners, backed by a soundtrack of Blondie, the B-52s, and the Village People. Thoughts, feelings and emotions bubble to the surface while memory and loss stir up questions about healing and moving on. A vivid chronicle of love and loss, At The Beginning Of Time reminds us that memories are like a good shot of espresso: best shared among friends.

Director Hinton-Davis states; “With everything we have been through, it really is the beginning of time for us all. The way we once lived is over, and so how we live now is essential. This is a play dedicated to rebooting and beginning new chapters. Galluccio adds that when writing this play, “After this pandemic is done – if we ever are done – we’ll be in a new era.”

Playwright Steve Galluccio’s career has been anything but traditional, with great success as a playwright, screenwriter, producer and author with no formal training. He debuted his work in the nineties at the Montreal Fringe Festival, later becoming an overnight sensation with the mega-hit play Mambo Italiano, a now internationally renowned work. Mambo Italiano was adapted into both a movie and a “pre-Broadway” musical which premiered in 2019 at the Broadway Theatre in Westchester, New York. The musical’s run was disrupted by the pandemic. Other play credits include In Piazza San Domenico, The Saint Leonard Chronicles, Les secrets de la Petite Italie, and the feature films Surviving My Mother, Funkytown and Little Italy. Steve writes in both French and English and identifies as an allophone.

Director Peter Hinton-Davis is a muti-talented director, playwright and teacher with over 200 productions of new work, repertoire, and opera for the stage. He returns to Centaur, having directed Constellations in 2016 and The Comedy of Errors in 2010 and. He has directed production at Theatre Kingston, Stratford Birmingham Conservatory, Pacific Festival, The Shaw Festival and The Canadian Opera Company. In 2022/23, Peter will be directing premieres of The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time by Walter Borden, National Arts Centre/Neptune Theatre; The Man That Got Away by Martin Julien, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre; and The Hooves Belonged to the Deer by Makram Ayache at Tarragon.

For a spectacular re-creation of Italian artist Tiepolo’s The Triumph of Venus. special mention goes to scenic painter, Daniel Barkley. He re-created Tiepolo’s work in several formats for the set. Barkley is a Montreal born artist who has had many solo and group exhibitions across Canada and the United States.

At The Beginning Of Time will run from Tuesday, February 21 to Sunday, March 12/ Performances are at 8pm, with Mondays dark. Saturday and Sunday matinee performances at 2pm. Opening night is on February 24 at 8pm. Centaur is located on Old Montreal at 453 St. Xavier. Tickets range from $20 – $68, with subscription rates, group rates and student/senior discounts available. Tickets can be purchased at https://centaurtheatre.com/box-office/tickets/ or by phone at (514) 288-3161.