Centaur Theatre’s 2014-2015 season looks like another winner

Billed under the theme Shocking & Delightful, the 46th Season includes two world premieres, one Canadian premiere, and three Quebec premiere productions

Celebrating its 46th anniversary this year, Centaur Theatre is the anchor to English theatre in Montreal, and the company is thriving. At the recent season launch press conference, Communications Director Eloi Savoie announced that 331 new subscribers signed up for last year’s season; and that the pace of renewals for is brisk. Dozens of performances were sold out; and several productions this past season were extended due to the high demand for tickets; including Steve Galuccio’s blockbuster, The St Leonard Chronicles – which opened the highly successful 2013 season.

A combination of factors that includes the theatre’s warm ambiance in the historic stock exchange building, it’s Old Montreal neighbourhood, nearby restaurants and the high quality productions have made Centaur a very cool night out for a new generation of theatre-goers. “It’s the place to be” noted Savoie in his introduction to Artistic Director Roy Surette’s presentation of the Shocking & Delightful 2014-2015 season. The season launch was a warm and welcoming affair, with many of the actors and playwrights in attendance; reflecting the strength and camaraderie of Montreal’s English-language theatre community. Lots of good humour and off-script, clever one-liners under the guidance of Roy Surette.

“Filled with surprises and intrigue, our 46th Centaur Season features powerful comedies and dramas, red-hot romance and daring works that will enhance the experience of theatre goers and engage them in new ways. Our subscribers will be pleased – and we look forward to introducing new subscribers to our rich theatrical programming,” stated Roy Surette, Centaur’s Artistic and Executive Director.

First up is the Broadway hit comedy Venus in Fur by David Ives, a play that has received outstanding revues and two Tony Award nominations in 2013. Rick Miller and Carly Street starred in the critically acclaimed Toronto production and they will retake their roles for the first production of the season from October 14 to November 9. “Rick Miller brings it off beautifully – Carly Street may be one of the best classical actresses we have,” The National Post.

The Quebec premiere of Social Studies by Tricia Cooper opens from November 4 to 30. A New Age single mother takes in a boarder a lost boy of Sudan; when her adult daughter returns home after a failed marriage. Her other teen-aged daughter decides to present the new immigrant’s struggle to her class, and develops a schoolgirl crush on the young boarder from Sudan. It’s a hilarious and irreverent story about four people trying to the right thing.

Terminus is an internationally acclaimed Irish drama making its Quebec premiere at Centaur beginning January 20. It won three Toronto Theatre Critics Award in 2013, and is a story of three lost souls in Dublin’s gritty underworld and their tales take the audience from busy city streets to an industrial crane and then into the fantastical world of singing serial killers, vengeful angels and lovesick demons. Through it all – Terminus is darkly funny (what would you expect from an Irish play?). Maeve Beaty, Ava Jane Markus and Adam Kenneth Wilson star in this production described as a ‘must see’ by The Globe & Mail’s Kelly Nestruck.

Roy Surette will direct Colleen Murphy’s The Goodnight Bird, a comedic drama about a long-married couple and the effects a vagrant brings into their lives, after landing on the balcony of their condo apartment. This is the Canadian premiere and a co-production with Kay Meek Centre in West Vancouver. Colleen won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama in 2007.

Vittorio Rossi is one of my favourite playwrights; having authored A Carpenter’s Trilogy, a series of plays that I still believe would make an excellent mini-series for television. He’s also a formidable actor with stage and screen roles to his credit. The Envelope is Vittorio’s tenth play produced at Centaur Theatre and this World Premiere performance begins on March 24. A group of excited actors are gathered in a local Italian restaurant while two producers jockey for the film rights of a play premiering at an Old Montreal theatre. Perhaps an autobiographical theme? We’ll find out next March…

Roy Surette will direct the world premier of Marianne Ackerman’s new play, Triplex Nervosa – an upbeat comedy set in Montreal’s trendy Mile End. A young woman puts her promising musical career on hold to purchase a triplex, and quickly finds out that being a landlord can be challenging. “Marianne loves Montreal and knows how imbue her characters with truth and humour. What better way to close Season 46 than with this large and audacious comedy.” Roy Surette.
Centaur will maintain the popular theatrical events that include; Brave New Looks, Urban Tales and the hugely popular Wildside Theatre Festival that really does heat up the cold nights of early January.

Spring Awakening : The Musical, is a Tony Award winning musical adaptation of the 19th Century play about oppressed adolescents trying to find their voices and sense of truth. Based on Wedekind’s 1891 play, the 2006 musical adaptation won critical acclaim with its 2006 New York production. This will be a big production with twelve actors and seven musicians. Given the subject matter and musical component, it’s a performance that Surette recommends for high school audiences. October 9 – 18.

Urban Tales is a pre-Christmas anti-holiday storytelling spectacular masterminded by veteran actor Harry Standjofsk. Urban Tales runs from December 11 to 18 and has become a popular Holiday “tradition” with many Montrealers.

The Wildside Festival is another runaway success with Centaur theatre goers and each year the performances attract new audiences to Centaur. It’s a two week extravaganza of “free-spirited, uncultivated, licentious and curiously disturbed theatre” Roy Surette affectionately stated.
The Saturday Morning Children’s Series will continue to provide live theatre for children and families, and features performances by some of Montreal’s best actors.

Subscription packages come if 6, 5 and 4 play packages. Subscribers have a free service to exchange the dates of their tickets to accommodate travel plans. And of course, discounts apply – with up to 30% reductions for a full 6-play subscription. Student subscription tickets start at just under $12 per show. Groups of 20 or more benefit from greatly reduced ticket prices. A private theatre night, fundraiser or a tax-deductible corporate event are all unique options for companies and organizations seeking a creative event. For information about Centaur’s 46th Season, Shocking & Delightful, please visit www.centaurtheatre.com or call 514-288-3161.