A Script, A Stage, A Moment
As an experimental theatre creator, I spend a lot of time acting in, and directing, my own work. But I haven’t always avoided trad theatre. In fact, I’ve got a great amount of training and experience. But out of necessity, I focus primarily on my own work.
Recently, I attended the second night of Moment Theatre Collective’s Stage Fright, a festival of one-scene plays. I spent the night on the edge of my fucking seat, both to get a better sight line, and because what I saw on stage gave me such an itch. I left Theatre VME wanting to direct something, to act in something, outside of my own work. For the first time in years I was overwhelmed with the desire to get on a stage and act out to an audience, and that was such a bonus to an already enjoyable night of theatre.
Why here, though? Why now? What about MTC’s Stage Fright caused this urge? That’s a complicated question I’m here to answer. Let’s start with the concept: Stage Fright is a festival of one-scene plays, each with an interesting world, or an odd twist. Each play is written, directed, and acted, by a different group of people. The actors and directors were given only eight hours to prepare. This is the sort of project I fucking love.
To give you an idea of the objective of the festival from the creators themselves, Moment Theatre provides:
“Seven scripts arrived anonymously. A panel picked them without knowing who wrote them. We matched each one with a director and a group of performers, handed them a weekend, and got out of the way.
That’s the whole idea. No résumé, no season-long commitment, no waiting for permission — just a script, a room, and people willing to find out what happens. What you’re about to see was made in a matter of days by artists who mostly hadn’t worked together before.
Thank you for being here. The nerve it takes to put new work in front of an audience this fast is the point of the festival — and so is the room full of people willing to watch it.”
A small festival with an immense cast and crew, it was incredibly refreshing to see new faces on stage. I don’t mean new new, I’m not saying the casts were filled with rookies, quite the opposite. What I mean is, this wasn’t the same recycled casting you’re often subjected to in Montreal’s Anglo theatre scene. And I have nothing but praise for the actors, having eight hours to learn their parts. Some scenes were quiet, but some scenes had a lot of fucking dialogue, and that’s really impressive. And maybe most importantly, everyone was having a good time, and it wasn’t just on display, it was felt by the audience, and guaranteed that we were having a good time, too.
This Thing Between Us
Is it attraction? Is it repulsion? Is it an actual, invisible monster?
Written & directed by Dan Jeannotte
With Danielle Davidson, Vance Gillis & Stephanie McKenna
Perhaps the wisest selection to begin the night, This Thing Between Us stars Stephanie McKenna and Vance Gillis as a charmingly awkward couple that has been struggling with communication. They address the fact that there seems to be something fucking with them, disrupting them in their attempts to remain close. And there is. The invisible force, played to perfection in a grey morph suit by Danielle Davidson, hides phones, moves bookmarks, and physically interferes in the couple’s interactions. Deciding they’ve had enough, they decide to beat the hell out of this force, and unwittingly, they do. The play, written by Dan Jeannotte, is a stellar piece of short theatre, and led by a five star cast.
Who Cares
You can’t unmake this decision.
Written by Mengzhou Li · Directed by Lucie Gee · Directing mentor Carolina Muñoz Jasa
With Marissa Blair, Nima Ghomeshi & Serena Totera
A play about suicide is always a bold choice, especially when one character justifies their actions to the audience. Who Cares follows a mother played by Marissa Blair, and a father and daughter, Nima Ghomeshi and Serena Totera. The mother has two philosophical monologues, one at the opening of the play, and one at the end. In the middle, the father and daughter are at a funeral, discussing the mother taking her own life, blaming each other. In the end, the mother explains to the audience how it was the best choice for her, and she’s happy. It’s not a comfortable story, nor is it a funny one, and I don’t think it could have sustained itself past the three short scenes, but the format was a blessing for the piece, preventing a quick gut punch from feeling like an emotional beating. This piece stands as a stark reminder of agency.
The Metal Detector
Metal detecting is a great hobby — if you know what you’re looking for.
Written by Thomas Barnwell · Directed by Eve Majzels
With Kate Bradley, Stefan Spec & Thomas Victorio
At his retirement party, a man is given a metal detector. His colleagues claim his wife approved the strange gift. He tries it out, meets some odd characters, discovers another metal detector, and realizes that this gift was an attempt to keep him away from those he’s close to, by those very people. Written by Thomas Barnwell, starring Kate Bradley, Stefan Spec, and Thomas Victorio, this play is absurd, and mildly depressing. The strong ensemble prevents the piece from feeling like an improv scene that’s run too long, and a special shoutout to the prop designer for making not one, but two excellent metal detectors.
#3
As two people examine a haunting photograph, they find themselves questioning where art ends and the artist begins.
Written by Paul Van Dyck · Directed by Heidi Hawkins · Assistant director Dominique Gagnon
With Miranda Handford & Christine Priest
I’m not fond of this one. I mean, it’s not because of the directing or the performances, it’s the writing. The concept is trite, with the summary reading, “As two people examine a haunting photograph, they find themselves questioning where art ends and the artist begins.” It’s just… well overdone. But Heidi Hawkins as director, with Christine Priest and Miranda Handford as the gallery patrons in discussion, they breathe life into work. The two actors on stage bring a skilled emotional depth to the text that forces you to care. Skillyfully limited blocking forces us to truly listen to the words spoken by each character. A somber way to start the second half of the evening, though.
Marina's Candidacy for Motherhood with Key Witnesses
Marina is settled now. Happily. She deserves a family. There’s only one thing in her way — the testimony of three people from her past.
Written by Valerie Free · Directed by Jessica Abdallah
With Sonia D'Amico, Max LeBlanc, Tamir Virani & Janis Kirshner
Fun. Really fun. In a world where a mother can’t become a mother without a thorough background check (and no, the play doesn’t discuss the morality of that, that’s just how it is here), an Examiner has gathered two of Marina’s ex-boyfriends, and her mother, to attest to her worthiness to become a mother. Starring Janis Kirshner, Max Leblanc, Sonia d’Amico, and Tamir Virani, directed by Jessica Abdallah, this piece brings the energy of the night back up. The satire is dialed in, a testament to the incredibly capable cast. The script is generally dark and emotional, but on its feet there is a levity. While the blocking often struggled to use the space properly, the piece is an excellent use of a single scene, easily a favorite of the night.
Inconvenient House Ghost
Now’s not a good time for a haunting.
Written by Olivia Collette · Directed by Joseph Garque
With Natalie Demmon, Paul Shanker de Tourreil & Colin Nash
If there is one play in the festival that could be expanded to a full-length production, it’s Inconvenient House Ghost. A pitch-perfect corporate nightmare couple, played by Colin Nash and Natalie Demmon, summon their resident ghost, the inimitable Paul Shanker de Tourreil (the white nightgown - chef’s kiss) to present him with a proposal to shift his haunting schedule. Hilarity ensues. The ghost pushes back, eventually causing the couple to realize they’ve gone wildly off course, living a life neither of them want. And everyone “lives” happily ever after. This is a clever take on ghosts and the afterlife, and strong commentary on leading the life we want while we’re, you know, living.
Florentine
After recalling a strange medieval dream, a tormented insomniac realizes he must have finally gotten some sleep.
Written & directed by M. Leander Kalil
With Morgan Doke, Loris Kecaj, Jackson Palmer & Anya Kowalchuk
Easily the strangest piece of the night, and the perfect play to end the festival. The description reads, “After recalling a strange medieval dream, a tormented insomniac realizes he must have finally gotten some sleep.” I wish I could say that clears it up, but the first half of the piece, the medieval dream, is a haunting musical, featuring a bare-ass knight. This guy then wakes up to real life, which is a non-descript sci-fi looking future. And it’s all a big joke about eggs. I create some pretty abstract art myself, but I admit I had trouble making this one make sense. However, being the presentation with the most intricate set design and costuming, and a whole damn musical number, Florentine was a most satisfying ending to the evening.
Moment Theatre Collective is the … collective … brain behind Stage Fright. The group is founded by Colin Nash, and led by co-Artistic Directors Danielle Davidson and Heidi Hawkins.
“Moment Theatre Collective is a Montréal theatre company dedicated to making the arts more accessible. We support the creation and staging of new short works, giving local artists the space to experiment, collaborate, and share their work with audiences.”
After attending the festival, I briefly spoke with Heidi and Colin about the collective, the festival, and the future. And what a future. Stage Fright was, in fact, only the second festival MTC has produced, having staged a one-act festival in April of this year. Riding the wave of success, their fall schedule is dominated by community activity, specifically a workshop series running through October and November.
“Since One Acts Now: A Short Play Festival, we’ve been positively overwhelmed by questions from folks in and outside the theatre community. Your enthusiasm, curiosity, and ambition have been truly awesome — and we want to respond in kind. This fall, we’ll be offering a series of workshops designed to help you learn the ins and outs of theatre production. Our aim is to offer folks a fuller and deeper view of theatre work.
We’ve gathered together an exceptional group of theatre professionals and experienced educators to offer a series of one-off workshops covering the key aspects of theatre production — playwriting, auditioning, text analysis, and direction.
This is a pilot project, and so we’re subsidizing the cost of these classes. We’re hoping to gauge community interest and encourage broad participation as a result. If all goes well, we’ll be able to offer these classes on a semi-regular basis, as well as further expand the list of topics covered.”
Moment Theatre Collective is led by a group of seasoned professionals determined to give a professional space to performers and aspiring performers, writers, directors, and technicians. A space where they can challenge themselves, experiment, and most importantly have fun. The collective is insistent that people who are looking to get involved in theatre for the first time are just as welcome as veteran theatre creators looking to stretch their creative muscles. I, myself, have taken the chance to express my own interest in getting involved, and I suggest you take this as your sign to do the same.
Upcoming Workshops
Wednesday, October 7
Playwriting Fundamentals
Bevin Dooley
Wednesday, October 14
Intro to Directing
Jessica Abdallah
Wednesday, October 21
Audition Essentials for Theatre
Heidi Hawkins
Wednesday, October 28
Text Analysis
Samantha Bitonti
Wednesday, November 4
Audition Essentials for TV & Film
Heidi Hawkins
