The Shoplifters

Centaur Theatre / 50th Season

THE SHOPLIFTERS

Written & directed by Morris Panych

March 19 - April 7, 2019

Morris Panych, who wrote and directed of The Shoplifters, is the two-time Governor General’s Award-winning Canadian playwright. The Shoplifters is a comedy about the effects of consumerism on people from the lower socially divided strata of our urban communities.

The play had a world premiere in 2014, in Washington, DC, a huge metropolitan area and a capital city of the world’s most powerful country that is dedicated to free enterprise and the power of the dollar. Ironically, the plays’ character Alma remarks, “You wanna talk about stealing? Who stole the American dream?”

Alma, a feisty geriatric shoplifter, spends her time helping to redistribute what she classifies as undeserved corporate profit to her less fortunate neighbours. Through her interaction with the play’s other three characters, it become apparent she is quite conscious how her steeling actually creates jobs not only for the security guards, but also all those who design and produce security equipment. Her comments lead the audience to ponder on the mechanics of the modern capitalist societies, and how nothing can really be qualified as terribly bad because in the long run all people’s disruptive, negative behaviours lead to stimulating industries to curb them, consequently creating innovations, jobs, more capital and more money.

Eda Holmes, Centaur Theatre’s Artistic and Executive Director, stated:

“Morris is one of Canada’s best contemporary humorists, looking at important, timely issues with the social consciousness of the guy on the street. With The Shoplifters, he questions right versus wrong within the larger corporate context. Grey areas abound but at its core, The Shoplifters is a love story of sorts: loving your community and putting it first. The wonderful eccentricities of these characters give us hope for humanity.” 

PRODUCTION TEAM

Actors: Ellen David, Marie-Ève Perron, Michel Perron, Laurent Pitre

Set & Costume Designer: Ken MacDonald

Lighting Designer: Alan Brodie  
Fight Director: Sylvio Archambault

Associate Lighting Designer: Eryn Griffith
Stage Manager: Elaine Normandeau
Assistant Stage Manager: Danielle Laurin  

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Post-Show Talkbacks:  Thursday March 28 and Sunday March 31. Audience members are invited to stay after the performances for insightful Q&A’s with members of the play's production team.

For more information, visit the Centaur Theatre website.