2014-10-01

Glenn Greenwald Free Conference @ McGill

Glenn Greenwald to present Media@McGill’s 2014 Beaverbrook Annual Lecture
For its flagship event, the 2014 Beaverbrook Annual Lecture, Media@McGill is excited to announce the speaker as Glenn Greenwald, journalist, constitutional lawyer, commentator, and bestselling author. Mr. Greenwald, who recently broke the NSA surveillance story, joins an impressive roster of speakers who have taken part in this event, which includes luminaries such as Al Gore, Angela Davis, Seymour Hersh, and Peter W. Singer, among others.
The Lecture will take place on Thursday, October 23, 2014, at 6 p.m. at Pollack Hall, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec. As always, the Lecture is free and open to the public.
Seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. No tickets or preregistration will be done.
In addition, the Lecture will be livestreamed.
Glenn Greenwald is best known for his 2013 National Security Agency reporting during which he was a columnist for the Guardian US (the latter is the 2014 Pulitzer Prize winner along with the Washington Post). For his reporting he received the George Polk award for national security reporting; the Gannett Foundation award for investigative journalism and the Gannett Foundation watchdog journalism award; the Esso Premio for Excellence in Investigative Reporting in Brazil (the first non-Brazilian to win); and the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Pioneer Award. Along with Laura Poitras, he was named by Foreign Policy magazine as one of the top 100 Global Thinkers for 2013. His fifth book, No Place to Hide, is about the US surveillance state and his experiences reporting on the Snowden documents around the world. His book will be released in May 2014. He has recently developed, along with Laura Poitras, Jeremy Scahill and others, a new media venture funded by Pierre Omidyar called First Look Media.

Media@McGill is a hub of research, scholarship and public outreach on issues and controversies in media, technology and culture, based in the Department of Art History and Communication Studies, McGill University, Montréal, Canada. It was created and has been sustained by generous funding from the Beaverbrook Canadian Foundation.

2014-09-16

Next Wave Festival of New Musicals

September 25-28



CETM (The Centre for Education and Theatre in Montreal) presents the 7th annual Next Wave Festival of New Musicals, a unique showcase for new musicals in development from Montreal and around the globe.The Festival includes six outstanding shows and events over four days, including free performances. At Centre Calixa-Lavallée (in Parc Lafontaine) and the Lion d’Or. www.cetm.ca

Unrelated

October 4-5

Dancer/choreographer Daina Ashbee presents the world premiere of her new show, Unrelated. Interpreted by two dancers, Unrelated expresses the struggle of Aboriginal women through a reconstruction of their identities. At the MAI. dainaashbee.wix.com/daina-ashbee

Kafka’s Ape

October 17-30
Infinithéâtre presents the Montreal area tour of Kafka’s Ape. Guy Sprung’s riveting adaptation of Franz Kafka's Report to an Academy will have audiences questioning how ‘humane’ we have become while exploring themes of assimilation, freedom, and civilization. Starring Howard Rosenstein. The tour includes: Forest and Stream Club, Dorval, Oct. 14-15; Theatre Wakefield, Oct. 17-18, Saint-Lambert, Oct. 23-25; Maison de la Culture du Plateau Mont-Royal, Oct. 30; Hudson Village Theatre, Oct. 31-Nov. 1. www.infinitheatre.com

Too Close to the Sun

November 4-8


Too Close to the Sun (Australia/Montreal) presents Of the Causes of Wonderful Things by Talya Rubin and Nick James. Immersed in a noir and atmospheric world, Of the Causes of Wonderful Things weaves dark comedy with tones of Faulkner and the Southern Gothic. This otherworldly, deeply human, visionary piece examines the redemptive power of confronting darkness. At Theatre La Chapelle. www.tooclosetothesun.tumblr.com

The Pipeline

December 4-7
Infinithéâtre presents The Pipeline, their annual series of free public readings featuring the top-rated scripts from their Write-On-Q! playwriting competition. At the Rialto Theatre. www.infinitheatre.com

Billy (The Days of Howling)


Why is Talisman Theatre’s Artistic Director and Set Designer, Lyne Paquette, washing 2000 white teddy bears…?

Come see Billy (The Days of Howling) and find out!


Billy (The Days of Howling)
Written by Fabien Cloutier, Translated by Nadine Desrochers
Directed by Emma Tibaldo

Mark these dates in your fall calendar
Tuesday, October 14- Saturday, October 25, 2014

With Billy (The Days of Howling), Fabien Cloutier releases a tsunami of anger built entirely on prejudices, stereotypes and our ignorance of others. Three characters, who view each other as lesser or wanting, are confronted by the repercussions of unforgiving judgments. Billy (The Days of Howling) makes us reflect on our vision of community and strives to uncover why we are unable to really engage with one another.

With: Davide Chiazzese, Susan Glover and Nadia Verrucci
Set design, Lyne Paquette and Fruzsina Lanyi; costume design, Fruzsina Lanyi; lighting design, David Perrault Ninacs; sound design, Michael Leon

Billy (The Days of Howling)

Talisman Theatre at Théâtre La Chapelle
3700 rue St. Dominique
Tuesday to Saturday at 8:00 pm
Matinee: Saturday, October 25 at 3:00pm
Reservations: 514 843-7738, billetterie@lachapelle.org

www.talisman-theatre.com

Talisman Theatre produces English-language Montreal premières of contemporary Québécois works.


2014-06-21

RUIN PORN at the CCA

Celebrating the reverse side of Napoleon, i.e. the OCCUPY movement of the 1870's that managed to bring down the column at Place Vendome in Paris in view of bringing more ÉGALITÉ to people other than bourgeois militaries / imperialism injustice and abuse

THE MOUND OF VENDÔME, a project by Californian History Professor David Gissen who is herein featured in a video interview, can be seen at the CCA from June 19 til September 14, 2014. Check this out!



2014-05-08

CCA 25 Years

The CCA is 25 years old! It's been a centre for exhibitions out of the ordinary as well as for eye- and mind-opening conferences and research.

In a world where submission seems to be the only rule of conduct and obedience, this place is a wonderful resource. Thank you for standing guard and helping those-of-us-who-want-to-know better understand the world which we live in. More : scroll for the video link.

Phyllis Lambert, Founding Director Emeritus
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psKcS-ZewI0
Interview with Mirko Zardini, Director of the Canadian Centre for Architecture regarding the events surrounding the 25th anniversary of the CCA as well as ongoing activities such as the Mellon Conferences and particularly the one from last week entitled Smart Cities where French Harvard Professor Antoine Picon gave a lecture in which he disclosed that just a few individuals could soon be making all decisions for all cities of the world with the help of just a few programs out of Silicon Valley. Looking forward to more outstanding exhibitions and mind-opening lecturers this anniversary year and onward.

Video and Interview : Jacqueline Mallette

CCA.qc.ca

2014-03-29

The Memory of Water



Theater 317 proudly presents the Montreal premiere of The Memory of Water by Shelagh Stephenson, directed by Corey Castle, from April 8th - 12th at Theatre La Chapelle.

In The Memory of Water, three sisters, each haunted by their own demons, gather in a highly charged atmosphere on the eve of their mother's funeral. With a storm raging outside, they laugh, cry, rage and bicker as the conflicts of the past and their hold on the present are mercilessly exposed.

Complicating their interactions is the fragile nature of memory; no two sisters remember their childhood experiences in the same way. Yet, they are sisters and must find a way to come together. Unable to connect with each other, they find dangerous, desperate, poignant and wildly funny ways to break through.

Theatre 317 artistic director, Munirah Amra, chose this play because for her, it is about the two most important things in life, memory and love, “The Memory of Water is life affirming and bittersweet, cheeky and profound, gentle and cruel. It offers us an evening of laughter and the opportunity to celebrate what makes us human.”

This searing comedy exposes the patterns and strains of family life in a way that will be familiar to all. Winner of the British Laurence Olivier Award in 2000 for Best Comedy, The Memory of Water promises to be one of those great elucidating nights at the theatre, holding a mirror up to anyone with a sibling.

The cast includes Katherine Cleland, Mylène Dinh-Robic (from the hit new TV series 19-2), Milan Duchêne, Anais Kassardjian, Azeddine Kettani, Jéromine Lorre-Déjoie and Ani Shahbazian. Lighting design is by Marie-Reine Corvellec and set design by Olivier Donohue.

About Theatre 317
Theatre 317 was born in Montreal over twenty years ago in a classroom at Collège Marie de France, room 317, when a group of bright students were first introduced to the stage by an inspiring teacher, Munirah Amra. Today, many of these original students, some of whom are now professional actors, have formed Theatre 317 helmed by Munirah Amra as artistic director, and continue to produce wonderful plays for loyal audiences.
The Memory of Water, first presented in London in 1998, received unqualified rave reviews and moved from its off-West End theatre to the West End for an extended run. The London Sunday Times said, “Shelagh Stephenson’s writing is barbed, lyrical, witty & full of a rare emotional intelligence”; the Independent called it, “Wickedly funny and moving.”
The Memory of Water (5 shows only)

Theatre 317

Playing at Theatre La Chapelle, 3700 rue St. Dominique

Tuesday, April 8-Saturday, April 12 at 8:00pm

Tickets: 25$ regular, 20$ students
To purchase tickets: 514-989-1336



What's On in Montreal - Theatre

2014-01-27

Unseamly

You’re like this beautiful sexy chick that has every guy in your class whacking off to you... – Ira Slatsky

Oren Safdie, one of Montréal’s best known playwrights across North America, finally gets a world premiere in his home town. Infinithéâtre is proud to present Unseamly, directed by Sarah Carlsen & Guy Sprung, from Feb. 11-Mar. 9 at Bain St. Michel. This unsettling piece focusing on the fashion world stars Arlen Aguayo Stewart, Howard Rosenstein and Jonathan Silver. Inspired by a variety of sexual harassment allegations brought against well-known clothing companies, Unseamly focuses its attention on an industry that has become synonymous for pushing the boundaries on sexuality while inflaming debates as to what is ethically acceptable.

In Unseamly, a young woman seeks legal advice to initiate charges of sexual harassment against her former boss, Ira Slatsky, the CEO of an international clothing company known for its risqué billboards. Female sexuality confronts male corporate power. Who is telling the truth? Who is manipulating whom? How far should/can a young woman go to take down a predator?

Is it possible that sexual harassment, undermining women, taking advantage of innocence, and the inherent corrupting influence of power and wealth may never be eradicated? Unseamly is based on a variety of events and journalistic allegations that are in the public domain. These news articles include both false accusations and stories of people being paid off. Truth is elusive and too often written by the victors. In Unseamly, the characters present their point of view and audiences get to decide what they think. Weekly post-show ‘Talkback Tuesdays’ offer an opportunity to do this in public.

For Safdie, the kernel that created the play came from having a daughter, “Suddenly, I started seeing the world differently. Victoria’s Secret for 10 year olds, the highly suggestive ads, they all made me feel that there has to be consequences to this; I saw a perfect metaphor for the time we live in. Malina, the main character in the play, is a product of this world. She is supposed to be as desensitized to casual sex as her boss, but that's not exactly how it plays out.” Is Malina using her sexual powers to orchestrate a shakedown, a spiteful lover acting out in revenge or is she being taken advantage of? He continues, “Personally, I fear that there is a breakdown of human morality, which is what keeps me writing every day.”

Infinitheatre’s mandate is to tackle issues and themes that are important to our contemporary world. From Artistic Director and Unseamly Co-Director Guy Sprung: “This is a gutsy, provocative play that is certain to elicit serious thinking and heated discussion on the genesis of, and responsibility for, sexual harassment in the workplace. For him, a co-directing team for this production was the only way to go, “A male playwright and a male director as the sole voices staging a play about female exploitation in the workplace? I don’t think so! Thanks to Sarah Carlsen who had the guts to jump on board as the co-pilot of this project.”

Coming of age, Co-Director Carlsen realized the effect her body, femininity and youth had on the world around her, “Our society adores youth, particularly female youthfulness. We are obsessed with chasing youth, preserving youth, touching youth.” For her, Unseamly captures that moment where a young woman is invited to sit at the table with the big boys and thinks she can handle it. She is seduced by the power, money and unique charisma of Ira Slatsky, a fashion tycoon whose clothing brand and marketing techniques define the lifestyle of a particular generation of young women and men. Carlsen continues, “Youth and money are a heady combination. They accessorize each other so fantastically.” Carlsen is drawn to this script the way she would be drawn to an accident scene in front of her house, “The collision has already happened and now people are gathering around to see just how gruesome it is. You think to yourself, ‘That could have been me or my friend’.”

“What finally emerges as truth is less a function of what actually happens than who holds the power…” 
- Adam

Unseamly
Infinithéâtre at Bain St. Michel, February 11 – March 9
5300, rue St-Dominique (corner Maguire)
Tuesday to Saturday at 8:00 pm, Sunday matinee at 2:00pm
Tickets: Regular: $25, Students/Seniors: $20, Groups: $17, Infinithéâtre 6Packs available (6 tickets for $75)

Box Office: 514 987-1774 ext. 104, online at www.infinitheatre.com with PayPalTicket sales at the door are CASH ONLY