Montréal, November 2011 – Every year Infinithéâtre proudly parades Québec’s newest discoveries in The Pipeline, an annual series of free public play readings where the audience takes centre stage. Guy Sprung, Infinithéâtre’s Artistic Director, invites the public to feel the buzz and share their views from Thurs. December 8 - Sun. December 11 at the Bain St-Michel when the theatre company features four new plays, including the winner of theWRITE-ON-Q! play writing competition.

In its ongoing mandate to discover new Québec works to bring to the stage, four years ago Infinithéâtre initiated an annual writing contest, Write-On-Q!, which garners scripts from all corners of the province. The winning script is selected by an independent jury, chaired this year by the esteemed Maureen Labonté (Co-Director of the Banff Playwrights Colony and a highly respected dramaturge, teacher and translator who has chaired the Siminovitch Prize jury three years running). The other two jury members this year were Gerry Lipnowski (CN, Public Affairs) and Laurence Sellyn(Gildan ActiveWear, CFO). In a written citation the jury said: “The 2011Write-On-Q! jury was very impressed and moved by the plays they were asked to read. There was a broad range of voices, stories, and points of view as well as varying levels of experience. The writing was strong, imaginative and wildly and wonderfully varied.” 

The now popular writing competition draws submissions from first-time playwrights, students and established writers- this year including web publishers and Governor General Award winners. Artistic Director Guy Sprung is delighted with the over thirty-five entries this year and invites all to hear some of Montreal’s finest actors read scripts that could become future Infinithéâtre productions. “Because new Québec work is our focus, The Pipeline reading series has become a vital step in the process of developing new plays and making programming choices for upcoming seasons. Audience reaction is absolutely key in this event.  Where else can Montrealers participate in the creative process as we continue to produce relevant, Québecois theatre?”

The Write-On-Q! winner of the $1000 Pamela Dunn Prize is first-time playwright Alyson Grant, Chair of the English department at Dawson College, for her entry Trench Patterns. Another of this year’s Write-On-Q!submissions included Mike Czuba’s The Reprise, which was so noteworthy that the jury felt it merited a runner-up prize of $500, a first for this competition. The other three scripts in this year’s four-day reading marathon are: Triplex Nervosaby novelist, journalist and playwrightMarianne Ackerman, The Book of Bob by actor/playwright Arthur Holden, a regular at these readings having earned a place for four consecutive years, and A Song for Québec by Gazette journalist and Infinithéâtre's playwright-in-residence, David Sherman. Infinithéâtre received a grant from the Cole Foundation to develop Sherman’s play, which will receive its first public reading through The Pipeline with Alexis Martin, renowned throughout the French theatre community, directing. Please see below for details about each play and its author.

The Pipeline gives the public a unique opportunity to voice their opinions and directly influence Montréal’s cultural landscape through lively talkback discussions, an important part of any play development, following each reading.  Providing invaluable input for the playwrights, talkbacks also allow the audience to address questions or issues that the texts generated in a relaxed, open forum with the authors, directors and actors. 

The Write-On-Q! competition is a huge opportunity for aspiring and established Québec playwrights to receive a kick-start for a new work. Scripts for Write-On-Q! 2012 can be submitted to the Infinithéâtre offices from now until September 4th, 2012 at 5413, boul. St-Laurent, Suite 302, Montreal QC H2T 1S5. 

CLICK HERE for details about the playwrights and scripts
 


Comments




Leave a Reply