The Stage, the State and Humanity

Our University of the Streets Café public conversations are much like any you’d have with friends or family around a dinner table, except with more people, more points of view, and slightly more structure. Conversations are hosted by a volunteer moderator who is there to welcome everyone and keep things on track. To get things started, there’s a guest, or sometimes two, who get the ball rolling by sharing their ideas, experiences and questions. After that, it's all up to the participants.

When we think about theatre and its connection to emerging social movements and social change, there is such a rich history of an engaged theatres. This conversation will consider the current relevancy of this commitment and the extent to which theatre continues to be a catalyst for social reflection. To what extent do modern productions find themselves at the the intersection of theatre and privilege? As performances breach the fourth wall with messages of hope, we are often encouraged to engage in political discussion. Yet, whose tales are told in contemporary theatres and to what extent is equal representation addressed in terms of stories and narratives? What does equity mean to stage theatre?

Guests:
Len Richman is an educator and writer previously engaged in outdoor education, wilderness training and literature. He is currently at work on the last of a trilogy of books and a new play. He is active in theatre and in Montreal’s academic communities in teaching, directing, acting and administratively. He is involved with the Thomas More Institute, the Quebec Drama Federation, the Quebec Writers’ Federation and the Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists.

Jen Quinn is a theatre director and producer. Her work focuses on breaking the barrier between audience and performance, often bringing the two into the same shared space.  She believes that the theatre is a place for shared experiences, a place for conversation, and a place to see ourselves reflected.  Jen runs the Freestanding Room, an intimate space for creation and is an administrator at Imago Theatre, a feminist theatre company.

Erin Lindsay is an aspiring writer/creator and an arts administrator working for Imago Theatre; a Montreal company that acts as a hub for stories about unstoppable women. Drawn to the company for its commitment to advocating for equal representation in the arts, Erin believes in theatre and storytelling’s capacity to critically reflect society while providing platforms for historically marginalized voices.   

moderator:
rémy paulin twahirwa studies, lives and creates in Montreal. He is currently working on his first “poetic fragments” compilation (Soleil noir) through which he explores themes of childhood, death, mental health, social struggle and his identity and condition as a Black man. To read his texts, visit his blog, les heures blues, at: remypaulintwahirwa.com

Accessibility info: The Thomas More Institute is located on the ground floor and is wheelchair accessible. The entrance to the classroom is wide and can be maneuvered by wheelchair. The washrooms are small and not equipped with a grab-bar.