For the 14th year, Théâtre français de Toronto presents Les Zinspiré·es , a punchy production bringing together five original works in one electrifying show. On stage, the worlds unfold and respond to one another — by turns funny, moving, thought-provoking, and surprising — brought to life by a professional cast and dynamic staging that makes each piece resonate in the present moment.
At the helm of this new edition, Danik McAfee returns after directing the previous instalment. He infuses this theatrical mosaic with energy and cohesion. While the event takes root in a playwriting competition held in schools across the province, it stands above all as a true artistic springboard and a highly anticipated annual event where creation is experienced fully, here and now.
ALL PERFORMANCES ARE ENGLISH SURTITLED . YOU ALSO HAVE THE OPTION TO TRY ON OUR AUGMENTED REALITY GLASSES FOR A MORE IMMERSIVE SURTITLING EXPERIENCE. TOGGLE BETWEEN ENGLISH OR FRENCH. YOUR PREFERENCE! OF COURSE, IT'S FREE OF CHARGE.
by Lucia McCook-Viloria (É.s.c. Père-René-de-Galinée, Cambridge), coached by Lara Arabian
Théo is passionate about octopuses and convinced that making friends is just a matter of learning the rules. Yearning to break out of the isolation his autism seems to impose on him, he decides to ask the most popular students at his school for advice. But after an encounter that ends in humiliation, he begins to question everything that defines him. When a classmate turns out to share his passion for cephalopods, Théo discovers that there may be another way to belong in the world. Comment font les pieuvres pour être seules ? is a short play, at once funny, touching and luminous, about difference, self-acceptance and the search for genuine human connection.
Lévitique by Emma Johns (É.s.p. De La Salle, Ottawa), coached by Lara Arabian
France, 1945. Hiding in a forest after the end of the Second World War, Hans, a former German soldier, is captured and forced to dig his own grave under the watch of Friedrich, a French soldier he recognizes as his former lover. As memories of their past resurface, the two men are confronted with love, guilt, faith and the wounds left by war. Lévitique is a gripping two-hander that explores the devastation wrought by totalitarian systems, the weight of morality, and the possibility (or impossibility) of forgiveness.
Majore de promotion by Alie Sarazin (É.s.c. Béatrice-Desloges, Orléans), coached by Stephie Mazunya and Lara Arabian
At her graduation ceremony, the valedictorian steps up to the podium to deliver the speech everyone is waiting for. But what begins as a tribute to academic achievement gradually turns into a devastating confession about the cost of performance, grief, and the constant pressure to be perfect. Majore de promotion is a powerful solo piece that questions a system in which we learn to perform before we even learn to live.
Court-circuit by Dalia Fisher (Lawrence Park Collegiate Institute), coached by Hannah Forest Briand
When their phone charger vanishes just minutes before the big boss arrives with a possible promotion, Dale (Dalia) is convinced there's a thief among their coworkers. The makeshift investigation that follows sets off a chain of improbable revelations, exposing that in this seemingly ordinary office, everyone is leading a double life. Court-circuit is a fast-paced absurdist comedy that celebrates everyday eccentrics and reminds us that it's sometimes easier to blame others than to look at what's right in front of us.
Comment construire une bonne fondation by Athena Gao (Branksome Hall, Toronto), coached by Stephie Mazunya and Jeff Soucy
A little girl simply dreams of building fairy houses with her blocks, but her parents are convinced her future depends on her always being the best. Through a series of situations as absurd as they are funny, the adults' expectations grow to outrageous proportions, until the child's confidence begins to crumble. Comment construire une bonne fondation is a satirical and touching comedy that questions the pressure to perform, parental expectations, and what truly makes up the foundations of a successful life.
TfT thanks BMO for its ongoing support. Since 1997, BMO has supported all of TfT's youth initiatives. Without its help, the teen program Les Zinspiré-e-s might never have seen the light of day.
This project was also made possible by a financial contribution from the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Government of Canada under the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Minority Language Education and Second Official Language Instruction .
Berkeley Street Theatre
TBA
Direction: Danik McAfee
Writing: Dalia Fisher , Athena Gao , Emma Johns , Lucia McCook-Viloria & Alie Sarazin , coached by Lara Arabian , Hannah Forest Briand , Stephie Mazunya et Jeff Soucy
Contest Coordination: Pierre Simpson
Published runtime: 75 minutes.
Berkeley Theatre - Upstairs · 26 Berkeley St
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