Angélique

Angélique, written by Canadian playwright Lorena Gale, is based on true events chronicling the life of Marie-Joseph Angélique; a Black slave who was publicly executed for having allegedly set fire to Montéeal in 1734.

If that sentence didn’t grab your attention, perhaps the involvement of such creative powerhouses as Black Theatre Workshop and Tableau D’hôte Theatre joining forces might do it. Angélique promises to be an exciting and powerful presentation featuring some of Montreal’s most innovative and creative storytellers.

From the press release:

This is how history writes it: Marie-Josèphe Angélique; an enslaved Black woman in a Canadian history book. Angélique was sold and traded from master to master, yet her hope remained that she would one day taste freedom once again. In the summer of 1730, at the age of 20, Angélique arrived in the city of Montréal where the embers of hope, love, and the sensation of freedom were within her grasp. Those hopes, however, were met with the harsh reality of life as a Black slave in Nouvelle France. Few have spoken to the injustice that stoked the inextinguishable fire in her belly, and as Québecers and Canadians, we rarely speak of the real and forgotten story of Angélique and her lasting impact on our social and political landscape. This begs an important question: how much has the state’s relationship to Black lives changed since it executed Angélique in the 18th century for a crime it had no proof she committed?

Directed by Mike Payette (a META (Montréal English Theatre Award) recipient, winning Outstanding Director for Tableau D’Hote Theatre’s English-language premiere of Michel Tremblay’s Hosanna), the production features a multi-talented cast that includes Jenny Brizard as Angélique; Chip Chuipka, Darla Contois, Karl Graboshas, Tristan D. Lalla, Olivier Lamarche and France Rolland . They are joined by award-winning designer Eo Sharp (Shaw, Stratford) on Set and Costume Design; 4-time META nominee David Perreault Ninacs on Lighting Design; and renowned Choreographer Ghislaine Doté.

Black Theatre Workshop & Tableau D’Hôte Theatre are teaming up to bring this visionary reimagining of the tale of Angélique to the stage. As part of Montréal’s 375th Anniversary Celebration, director Mike Payette’s talented cast, coupled with the euphonious live soundscape of Montréal’s own SIXTRUM Percussion Ensemble will bring a fresh perspective to this timeless story.

Angélique promises to be a captivating piece of theatre. Born in Montreal, playwright Lorena Gale passed away in 2009. This particular piece was the winner of the 1995 duMaurier National Playwriting Competition in Canada and continues an important discussion on the nature of being black and mixed race and belonging in Canada.

Angélique

MARCH 16 – APRIL 2, 2017
The Studio, Segal Centre for the Performing Arts
5170 Chemin de la Côte Ste Catherine
For tickets contact the Box Office: 514.739.7944

To learn more about the production, visit www.blacktheatreworkshop.ca or www.tableaudhote.ca