Wildly Imaginative!
16TH ANNUAL WILDSIDE THEATRE FESTIVAL
The Hottest Two Weeks in Winter!
January 3 - 13, 2013
Centaur’s 16th Wildside Theatre Festival jumpstarts the New Year with 10 days of sensational,
cutting-edge theatre! Curated by Artistic and Executive Director, Roy Surette, the festival features
a potpourri of colourful characters including the hilarious Mr. Joe in the North American premiere
of Placebo; the outrageous Miss Hiccup, who has been compared to an Asian Carmen Miranda;
short women in search of margaritas, meringue and men; and two culturally challenged lovebirds
in a spicy, Quebec meets India, Bollywood-style comedy.
This year’s Wildside also features a musical adaptation of Rosmersholm and The Master Builder
all rolled into one Norwegian Folk Rocking good time, and a work-in-progress where audiences
can share their thoughts on the play in development with the writer, director and actors.
“Join us for what promises to be a fantastic fun-filled festival showcasing the creative talents of
four amazing and diverse Montreal women creators, a brilliant Japanese director/performer/Fringe
Festival favourite and a very funny clown guy making his return to Montreal following his
acclaimed international work with Cirque De Soleil. I hope you’ll come to the Festival bar and
meet the artists, and please stay tuned for information on additional surprise performances.” says
Roy Surette, Artistic and Executive Director.
See four of the six plays with an affordable Wildside Theatre Pass. They sell out fast, so get
yours now!
Red Hot Line-up
Placebo
North American premiere
Mr. Joe works the front desk at a pharmaceutical test clinic. He prides himself on running a smooth-running
waiting room but today he’s told they won’t start on time – a hard pill to swallow for a guy who likes to run a
tight ship. The tension mounts and his attempt to maintain control breaks down in front of a room full of
people. He embarrasses himself, goes berserk and becomes extraordinarily funny, and eventually befriends
the entire audience. Come and join Mr. Joe in his waiting room and witness how he deals with a day that
starts out totally wrong.
Joe De Paul made his clown debut in Cirque du Soleil’s Dralion in 1999. He now lives in France and
performs in circuses and cabarets around the world. He is delighted to present the North American
premiere of Placebo in Montreal.
Presented and written by Joe De Paul
Directed by Aline Muheim
Bilingual show (English and French). Suitable for adults and kids 8+
Joe De Paul, a nonstop dynamo of comic invention - San Francisco Examiner
With shy nonchalance...the clown becomes a stroke of genius - Corriere della Serra, Italy
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF MISS HICCUP
Silent, except for a tiny case of the hiccups
Yanomi Shoshinz directed and performed in My Exploding Family by Japan’s Osara Soup, the Montreal
FRINGE show that won Centaur’s pick for the 2012 Best Production – English Theatre Award. The
Tokyo comedian returns to Montreal to perform her award-winning solo piece, A Day in the Life of Miss
Hiccup. Shoshinz regularly performs in Japan, Canada and the United States and she has toured to
Russia, Iran and several countries in Asia. She is praised at every stop for her originality and explosive
energy.
If you can imagine an Asian Carmen Miranda, the image you come up with will be a dead ringer for the
center character in A Day in the Life of Miss Hiccup – a Carmen Miranda with flower-bedecked dress,
elegant red satin gloves and a bonnet bouquet, but a Carmen Miranda in whiteface who never says a word.
Shoshinz is said to be Japanese for “shy, timid people,” but this solo performer, who calls herself Yanomi
Shoshinz, isn’t so much shy as silent, except for a tiny case of the hiccups. - Elizabeth Maupin blog (former
theatre critic for the Orlando Sentinel)
Created, directed and performed by Japan’s award-winning Yanomi Shoshinz
Director's Award (The Capital Fringe 2012) | Best of Fest (The Winnipeg Fringe 2010)
POUTINE MASALA
Can you handle the spice?
What happens when a small-town Québécois meets a home-grown girl from India? Sparks fly! But there are
cultural complications: Boy believes in the present, Girl in the future, and a blast from the past comes along
to further complicate things. A comedy dance-theatre, Poutine Masala is a delightful story that will make you
laugh and tug at your heartstrings. Trilingual (French, English and a dash of Hindi), this intercultural
Bollywood-style love story features a talented cast of Québécois and Indo-Canadian actors.
Presented by Deepali Productions
Story & Choreography: Deepali Lindblom | Script: Stéfan Cedilot | Direction: Olivier Berthiaume | Music: Mathieu
Beaudet
Featuring: Deepali Lindblom, José Dufour, Ranjana Jha, Minoo Gundevia, Kathleen Aubert, Abhishek Kumar, Hashim
Javed, Avi Bendahan, Karine Benchetrit, Catrine Demers, Francis Vincent and Marie-Hélène Dugal
Poutine Masala revels in cultural difference. The trilingual rom-com breaks Bollywood taboos - The
Montreal Gazette
The show did a fantastic job of fusing the charm and slang specific to Quebec with all the glamour and
razzle-dazzle of Indian culture - Bloody Underrated
NOTHING NEVER HAPPENS IN NORWAY
Will make your heart sing
Playwright Joanne Sarazen (of Jesus Jello and The Birth of Weza fame) and talented musician Shayne
Gryn teamed up to create Nothing Ever Happens in Norway. Based on Ibsen's baddest bitches and
blandest backwoods, Norway is a musical adaptation of Rosmersholm and The Master Builder all rolled into
one Norwegian Folk Rocking good time. Presented by Processed Theatre, the Montreal-based independent
company behind Reefer Madness, EDGES and Spelling Bee.
Written by Joanne Sarazen and Shayne Gryn | Directed by Nichole George | Musical Direction by Shayne Gryn
Featuring Carolina Alves-Bruni, George Bekiaris, Katy Breier, Mikaela Davies, Harper Duffy, Shannon Hamilton,
Michael Mercer, Caitlyn Milot
Nothing Never Happens in Norway is musical theatre of the locally produced, youthfully exuberant kind,
featuring strong voices and witty songs - The Montreal Gazette
TWO SHORT WOMEN
In search of margaritas, merengue and men
Two old friends go on a getaway trip together to a tropical “paradise”. One, recently dumped by her
husband, suffers from romantic devastation and empty nest syndrome. The other wants to plot where the
next act of their lives will take them, and she has spirited her friend away for a week of margaritas,
merengue and men. But an evening of partying takes an unexpected turn. A psychological and political
thriller, an exploration of the light and dark within friendships and within our culture of consumption and
greed, Two Short Women offers a comic, poignant and provocative evening of theatre.
Presented by Right Now!
Written & Directed by Ann Lambert
Performed at Women Playwrights International Conference at Sodateatern, Stockholm 2012
Featuring Debra Kirshenbaum, Laura Mitchell, Ola Wallender
Mitchell and Kirshenbaum deliver terrific performances…{this}…is just about everything that makes our
indie theatre scene so exciting… - The Montreal Gazette
…a searing message… tackles contemporary issues with style… - McGill Daily
LIFE HERE AFTER
Weigh in on this work-in-progress production!
When seventeen year-old Carmen sets out on a secret and dangerous mission to uncover the truth about
her sister’s murder, she uncovers more than she had bargained for and sets into motion a series of events
with far reaching effect. Life Here After is about loss, redemption and ultimately, the truth: hiding it,
discovering it, confronting it, and living with it.
“Your feedback counts! This work-in-progress production is a unique opportunity for audiences to share
their thoughts on the play with the writer, director and actors following each performance.” Clare Schapiro,
Artistic Director, Imago Theatre
Presented by Imago Theatre in collaboration with Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal
Written by Alexandria Haber | Directed by Micheline Chevrier
Featuring Lauryn Allman, Ana Cappelluto, Chip Chuipka, Lucinda Davis, Alain Goulem, Kira Maros, Leni Parker, Amelia
Sargisson, Clare Schapiro, Rob Thomson, Emma Tibaldo and Jane Wheeler.
“...where angels fear to tread.” – Alexander Pope
