Centaur Theatre 57th Season

Centaur Theatre 57th Season

CENTAUR THEATRE ANNOUNCES ITS 2025-26 SEASON:

THE VIEW FROM HERE

May 26,  2025

Centaur Theatre unveiled its new 2025–2026 57th season, themed The View From Here. This new lineup invites audiences to reflect on where we stand—personally, culturally, and artistically—and to consider how perspective shapes our understanding of the world around us. From reimagined classics to bold new voices, each production offers a distinct lens on identity, resilience, memory, and transformation. Through genre-defying collaborations, world premieres, and unique theatrical moments, The View From Here is both an artistic snapshot of the present and a call to imagine what’s possible next.

Eda Holmes, Artistic and Executive Director of Centaur Theatre, stated:

“The View From Here is about perspective—where we are, where we've been, and where we're headed. This season invites audiences to see the world through different lenses: across cultures, generations, and imaginations. The works we’ve curated are courageous, theatrical, and deeply human—stories that challenge assumptions, spark joy, and leave lasting impressions. Whether you’re a longtime theatregoer or discovering Centaur for the first time, this season offers new ways of seeing and feeling. I can’t wait to share these remarkable journeys with Montreal audiences.”  

The following plays will be staged during the 57th Season:

Stone and Bone Spectacular

October 15 – October 26, 2025

The season opens with Stone and Bone Spectacular  a vibrant new work created by Ange Loft, in collaboration with Barbara Kaneratonni Diabo and Iehente Foote, with Tehatkathonnions Bush, Iehente Foote, Stéphanie Héroux-Brazeau, Wahsontí:io Kirby, Véronik Picard and Iota’keratenion Thomas-Beaton. This large-scale Indigenous production blends puppetry, dance, and storytelling to explore the layered history of Tiohtià:ke (Montreal). The outcome of Centaur’s inaugural Indigenous Artist Residency, Stone and Bone Spectacular is a playful and profound look at the history of Tiohtià:ke featuring dancing beavers, stone-lifting stunts, and long-lost lovers.

Kisses Deep 

November 26 – December 14, 2025

Next, the English-language premiere of Kisses Deep by Michel Marc Bouchard, and translated by Linda Gaboriau. takes the stage . This long-awaited English-language premiere tells the story of the transformational relationship between a troubled, gifted young man and his complex and inspiring mother. Directed by Eda Holmes, the cast includes Lyndz Dantiste, Yves Jacques, Leni Parker, Alice Pascual, and Kevin Raymond.

Goblin: Macbeth

March 4 – March 22, 2026

In 2026, the second half of the season begins with a spontaneous theatre creation by Rebecca Northan and Bruce Horak, directed by Rebecca Northan. When three goblins—Kragva, Moog, and Wug—come across The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, they eagerly take over a theatre and attempt their own wild, hilarious, and chaotic version of Macbeth. A one-of-a-kind blend of comedy, tragedy, and improvisation, Goblin:Macbeth is a mischievous, theatrical joyride.

Seeker

April 15 – May 3, 2026

Last but not least, a gripping sci-fi drama by Marie-Claude Verdier, translated by Alexis Diamond and presented in partnership with Talisman Theatre. Directed by Rebecca Gibian, with Bénédicte Bélizaire and Andrew Shaver, this hard-hitting sci-fi drama follows a pair of exes hired by the US military to conduct a mysterious mission on Mars that could have consequences for all of humanity. 

Centaur 2025: Michel Tremblay

For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again

by Michel Tremblay

May 13 - June 1, 2025

The Centaur Theatre closes its 56th season with a production that is personal and yet universally resonant. The Michel Tremblay's play For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again is a moving love letter to his mother. Though it presents just an individual and a deeply personal experience of a mother-son relationship and interactions, it has a universal quality that invites the members of the audience to remember and to reevaluate their past relationships with their individual mothers.

With the staging of this brand new production of the play, which was translated from French into English by the Governor General’s Award-winning Linda Gaboriau, directed by Alice Ronfard, and enacted by Ellen David and Emmanuel Schwartz, the Centaur theatre celebrates the iconic Quebec and Canadian playwriter Michel Tremblay.

Trembley draws a curtain off his past and lets us peek into his relationship with his mother, and shows us how she inspired, influenced, and drew him into becoming a literary and a playwriter persona he is now. She was an avid reader and the literature connoisseur, and in that way, indirectly, strongly influenced her son. Though at times overpowering and annoying, she was deeply loving and had a sense of humor that also guided and contributed to Tremblay's formation as a playwriter. His mother no doubt also helped him to better perceive, understand,  and to be able to reproduce and portray more accurately and compassionately the women's character in his own literary creations and in his plays.

Set against the backdrop of working-class Montreal in the 1950s and 1960s, the story is both deeply personal and universally relatable. The English-language premiere of this contemporary classic of Quebec drama took place at Centaur in 1998, and the production was hugely popular, going on to tour Canada and the United States. Centaur is proud to bring this masterpiece back to Montreal audiences. 

This play not only celebrates a cornerstone of Canadian theatre but also highlights the significance of translating Quebecois works for English-speaking audiences, an effort that enriches the cultural dialogue between Quebec and the rest of Canada. With the help of a talented creative team, the production provides a rare opportunity for English-speaking audiences to experience the emotional depth and theatrical exuberance of a classic Quebecois piece, making it one of the must-see shows of the season.

About Michel Tremblay

Michel Tremblay is one of Quebec’s most iconic playwrights, renowned for his transformative contributions to Quebec and Canadian theatre. With over 30 plays, 31 novels, and numerous adaptations, Tremblay’s work reflects the complexities of Quebecois life and identity. His play Les Belles-Sœurs revolutionized Quebec theatre, and his works have been translated into 40 languages and performed worldwide. Tremblay has earned over 90 prestigious awards, including the Prince Pierre of Monaco Award and the Gilles-Corbeil Award, solidifying his status as a key figure in global theatre.

All photos in this article by Andrée Lanthier, courtesy of Centaur Theater.
For more information, visit the Centaur Theatre website.

Centaur 2025: Adventures, WinterWorks Festival

ADVENTURES

WinterWorks Festival Opening Production

February 25 – March 1, 2025 at Centaur Theatre

The plot of Adventures is partly based on a gritty-real-life story expressed through a mode of a fairy tale. This artistic device invites the audience to the roots of the “Mother Tree”, the spirit of which embodies three main characters, that of the tree itself, as well as of two teenagers PJ and Wendy who find themselves on the edge of a life-altering dilemma.

The play portrays a discordant teenage relationship which arises from the lack of basic values like respecting oneself and the other, as well as an absence of the meaning of a true friendship or love. As if such fundamental values were not present in those children’s families or in the books they read at home or at school. This is quite sad for the modern civilized North America. If one compares those two teenagers to the equally young heroes of the Shakespearean Romeo and Juliet, a play that premiered in 1597 in so to speak ‘Dark Ages’ of our collective history (as compared to our modern ‘civilized’ times), how much more poetic, purposeful, tender, loving and heroic was their relationship in a much more difficult setting than what PJ and Wendy are facing. That comparison also makes one ponder about the human and cultural values of the present humanity.

About WinterWorks:

WinterWorks is Centaur Theatre's inaugural festival that evolved from the Wildside Festival. Running from February 25 to March 15, 2025, it showcases inventive performances, daring theatre productions, immersive gallery experiences, and thought-provoking readings.

An Imago Theatre and Keep Good (Theatre) Company Collaboration at Centaur Theatre as a part of WinterWorks

Starring Ann-Marie Kerr
Directed by Christian Barry
Original Soundscape by Jackson Fairfax-Perry
Gillian Clark – Playwright
Christian Barry – Director & Lighting Designer
Andrea Ritchie – Costume Designer
Jackson Fairfax-Perry –  Original Soundscape (Sound Designer & Composer)
Julian Smith –  Stage Manager & Assistant Sound Designer
Ann-Marie Kerr – Wendy, PJ & The Mother Tree
Anthony Black – Artistic Consultant

For more information, visit the Centaur Theatre website.

Centaur Theatre: Strawberries in January

Centaur Theatre / 56th Season

STRAWBERRIES IN JANUARY

A MUSICAL FANTASY

Based on the play by Evelyne de la Chenelière 

Des fraise en janvier

The World English Language Premiere 

In Collaboration with Théâtre Advienne que pourra

January 21 - February 9, 2025

Montreal's Centaur Theatre is presenting a new play with a fitting title and timing for the present cold month of January: Strawberries in January - A Musical Fantasy. For Centaur, it is also a fruitful and joyous collaboration with the Théâtre Advienne que pourra, located in Repentigny.

This new English-language musical version of a Québec's classic was adapted by a talented director Frédéric Bélanger and a songwriter Audrey Thériault and features original music by Ludovic Bonnier, Eva Foote and Habib Zekri.

It is based on the award-winning play Des fraises en janvier by Evelyne de la Chenelière. This new adaptation is a vibrant exploration of love, serendipity, and human connections, set against the wintry backdrop of Montreal. Its lovely music and singing add additional vibrancy to the original play. Strawberries in January - A Musical Fantasy offers a fresh perspective on the interwoven lives of four single people searching for meaning, love, and laughter amidst their daily routine and trials.

Centaur's musical adaptation of the play features eighteen toe-tapping tunes, arranged by Nick Carpenter and Habib Zekri, that add additional layers of emotion and melody to this modern romantic tale.

The Director Frédéric Bélanger expressed it very precisely when stating:

"Strawberries in January invites audiences to reflect on the power of chance and the beauty of human connection, all while immersing them in a world of song and storytelling. It’s a show that warms the heart and brightens the soul, perfect for the cold winter months.”

Eda Holmes, Centaur Theatre Artistic & Executive Director, also added:

“I am thrilled by the opportunity to introduce the English community to the exceptional talent of director Frédéric Bélanger. He has nurtured the musical adaptation of Strawberries in January since 2016. We began working together on it just before the pandemic and being able to bring it to the stage at last is a testament to the resilience of the artists of the Montreal theatre community. It is a play that celebrates the power of love and imagination to overcome every obstacle and that is a story we all need right now.”

This is an exceptionally heart-warming play that portrays people's straggles to find in their lives love, meaning, happiness, as well as true friends and life partners.

Creative Team

• Original Playwright: Evelyne de la Chenelière

• Translator: Morwyn Brebner

• Adaptation / Director: Frédéric Bélanger

• Adaptation / Original Music: Audrey Thériault

• Original Music: Ludovic Bonnier

• Original Music: Eva Foote

• Original Music / Arrangements: Habib Zekri

• Musical Direction / Arrangements: Nick Carpenter

• Song Translations: Alexis Diamond

Cast

• Eloi ArchamBaudoin

• Ryan Bommarito

• Métushalème Dary

• Madeleine Scovil

Musicians

• Khalil Bouaziz

• Quinn Dooley

• Tobias Kimmelman

• Christophe Papadimitriou

Performance Details:

Dates: Tuesday, January 21 to Sunday, February 9, 2025
Times: Tuesdays to Saturdays at 8:00 PM, with matinees on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 PM

French surtitles: January 30 and 31 at 8:00PM; February 1 at 2:00PM

Location: Centaur 1, Centaur Theatre, 453 St. Francois-Xavier, Montreal

Tickets: Prices range from $22 to $68, with subscription rates, group rates, and student/senior discounts available. Tickets can be purchased at www.centaurtheatre.com or by phone at 514-288-3161.

All images in this article courtesy of Centaur Theatre, Photographer Andrée Lanthier.

For more information about Centaur Theatre visit the Centaur Theatre website.

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Centaur Theatre: Sakura

Centaur Theatre / 56th Season

SAKURA – After Chekhov

Written by Harry Standjofski

Directed by Eda Holmes

With Deena Aziz, Ravyn R. Bekh, Stefanie Buxton, Marcel Jeannin, Marc-Antoine Kelertas, Howard Rosenstein, and Paul Van Dyck

September 17, 2024 — October 6, 2024

This is a world premiere adaptation of a 19^th century Russian play, based on Anton Chekhov’s masterpiece The Cherry Orchard, a story of a pre-revolutionary Russian upper-class (gentry) family forced to sell their estate, including a beloved orchard, to pay off debts that have accumulated from years of mismanagement and self-indulgence. Yet if one cherishes the original Chekhov's plays, the subtle and even elusive way he portrays his characters, their dilemmas and relationships, as well as the general mood and wider social connotations, the Harry Standjofski's reinterpretation of the play for the 21th century is very different. Although he uses the same though renamed characters as in the Chekov's play, with basically the same plot, his play fails to create a deep sympathy for the personages on stage as do the original Chekov's plays.

Moreover, the Standjofski's play is supposed to be a "witty comedy with a hint of nostalgia". Chekov's play was not a comedy. This is where the plays of two playwriters part. The frequent language crudity and the enactment on stage of the sex act bring both plays even further apart.

Harry Standjofski is a Montreal playwright and actor. His play is based on the present day's milieu that surrounds him and that he knows the best: their current sensibilities, the language usage, their relationships, and how they tend to express their frustrations and desires. A great number of the audience could relate to that and even identify with it. However, those who might hope to see a Chekov-type of play might be disappointed.

All images in this article courtesy of Centaur Theatre.

For more information about Centaur Theatre visit the Centaur Theatre website.

Centaur Theatre 56th Season

Centaur Theatre 56th Season

CENTAUR THEATRE ANNOUNCES ITS 2024/25 SEASON:

Where Great Stories Bring Us Together

May 23, 2024

PRESENTING:

Sakura

September 17, 2024 — October 6, 2024

A nostalgia-filled comedy that reimagines Chekhov for the 21st century, following a down-and-out family as they face the impending sale of their beloved orchard. based on Anton Chekhov’s masterpiece The Cherry Orchard, written by Montreal playwright and actor Harry Standjofski, and directed by Centaur Artistic Director Eda Holmes. This world premiere adaptation brings the play home from 19^th century Russia to 21^st century Quebec where one over-privileged family faces an uncertain future with nostalgia, anxiety, and a healthy dose of Chekhovian wit.

Three Women of Swatow

November 5, 2024 — May 24, 2024 

By Toronto-based Chloé Hung, this play paints the portrait of three generations of women through the lens of the Chinese-Canadian diaspora. This darkly comedic play looks at the legacy of abuse, the power of family, and how to prevent the resurrection of a headless chicken. Originally presented at the Tarragon Theatre, this award-winning and critically acclaimed work will feature a cast and creative team drawn almost exclusively from the Asian-Canadian community. A French translation of the play has been commissioned to offer performances with French surtitles.

Strawberries in January - A Musical Fantasy

January 21, 2025 — February 9, 2025

Written by Évelyne de la Chenelière and translated by Morwyn Brebner. An aspirational dreamscape following four lonely hearts as they search for the kind of connection with someone else that makes you want to sing. This musical adaptation of the original play is led by the renowned Québec director Frédéric Bélanger. It is a beautiful mix of the Anglophone and Francophone theatre communities.

For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again

May 13, 2025 — June 1, 2025

Michel Tremblay's classic an homage to Tremblay's mother, returns to the Centaur stage for the first time since it premiered in English in 2002. The production will feature Ellen David and Emmanuel Schwartz, bringing these two leading actors—one from the English community and one from the French community—under the direction of Tremblay’s close collaborator Alice Ronfard. It promises to reveal this Quebec classic in a whole new light. 

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For more information on the present and future programs and activities, visit the Centaur Theatre website.

Centaur Theatre 55th Season

Centaur Theatre 55th Season

CENTAUR THEATRE ANNOUNCES ITS 2023/24 SEASON:

BUILDING THE FUTURE @ CENTAUR

BREAKING NEW GROUND IN OLD MONTREAL IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

April 20, 2023

PRESENTING:

alterNatives

October 17 – November 5, 2023

The English-language production of Menuentakuan’s alterNatives

Written by Drew Hayden Taylor / Directed by Xavier Huard

With Charles Bender, Natalie Tannous, Étienne Thibeault, Lesly Velazquez, Nadia Verrucci, and Xavier Watso

Moose roast, meatless lasagna, and biting social commentary are on the menu in this irreverent comedy of manners from one of the leading Indigenous playwrights in Canada.

GUILT (a love story)

March 12 – 30, 2024

The Tarragon Theatre production of GUILT (a love story)

Written and Performed by Diane Flacks / Directed by Alisa Palmer

A sharply perceptive and painfully funny one-woman show confronting the unshakable monster that is guilt.

Thy Woman’s Weeds

April 23 – May 12, 2024

In partnership with Repercussion and Tableau D’Hôte 

Written by Erin Shields / Directed by Amanda Kellock

With Deena Aziz, Leni Parker, Joy Ross-Jones, Espoir Segbeaya, Warona Setshwaelo, Felicia Shulman, and Julie Tamiko Manning

Seven of Montreal’s finest actresses pull back the curtain on the Bard in this bold behind-the-scenes look at what it means to be a woman working with Shakespeare today.

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For more information on the present and future programs and activities, visit the Centaur Theatre website.

All I Want for Christmas

 
Centaur Theatre 2021

All I Want for Christmas

Written and Directed by Rebecca Northan

Quebec Premiere

November 16 - December 5, 2021

Featuring Mariah INGER 🎄 Gabe MAHARJAN 🎄 Amelia SARGISSON

Set & Costume Designer James LAVOIE

Lighting Designer Andrea LUNDY

Fight Director Robert MONTCALM

Assistant Director Murdoch SCHON

Stage Manager Merissa TORDJMAN

Assistant Stage Manager Luciana BURCHERI

A Christmas comedy full of slapstick humour and hilarious heart, suitable for ages 12 and up.

Plot

Being an elf isn’t easy. Ginger is the only elf in North Pole history to have been fired from every job she’s tried. When Santa’s mailroom needs a last-minute replacement on December 23rd, Ginger’s sibling, the fastidious Nog, pulls some strings to get her the new position. All she has to do is open letters and run the switchboard – what could possibly go wrong? 

All I Want for Christmas came about in response to a Facebook post from Cape Breton’s Highland Arts Theatre’s Artistic Director, Wesley Colford, who was seeking recommendations for a holiday play with a “maximum of three actors, comedic, preferably Canadian, and preferably written by a woman”. Northan messaged Colford, offering to write a new play. During a phone call, in which Colford shared their wish list of key elements, the basic premise of the play took shape in Northan’s imagination. The HAT production was an unequivocal success when it premiered in December 2020 and now it makes its Quebec premiere at Centaur.

Writing a comedy centred on a holiday associated with gathering during lockdown was a welcome challenge for the self-described workaholic. “I wanted to incorporate the pressure that family can put on us to be a certain way, especially during the holidays, and I definitely wanted to explore the isolation, loneliness and longing to connect that many of us have been experiencing during the pandemic”, explained Northan. “I also happen to be going through perimenopause and want to shine some comedic light on that taboo topic—stop all the whisperings about ‘the change’. I’m always interested in questions around identity, getting to the truth of who a person is, and their right to be accepted for who they are. I had a lot of time to reflect on these themes during Covid, and found a way to wrap them all up with a giant, hilarious Christmas bow. My goal as an artist is to get people laughing while touching their hearts.”

“Having Rebecca and her team at Centaur for Blind Date was a fabulous experience for us and our patrons. When I learned she had a new comedy for the holidays I couldn’t wait to read the script. Rebecca’s brilliant sense of comedy combined with her generous heart and theatrical versatility shine brightly in this quirky, uplifting story that takes a deep comic dive into our very human need to feel loved for who we actually are rather than who we think the world wants us to be.” - Eda Holmes, Centaur’s Artistic and Executive Director.

Parental Guidance:
This play is recommended for ages 12 and up. There is some mature content: mild swearing, alcohol consumption, and references to depression, attempted suicide, and divorce.

Show Schedule Prices
Evenings            Tues. through Sat.          8pm
Matinées            Sat. & Sun.                    2pm
                         Wed. Nov. 24                 1pm    
                         Wed. Dec. 1                   1pm  
Prices 
$67 (Adult), $57 (Seniors) and $38 (under 30)
All prices include tax and surcharges.

For more information about Centaur Theatre visit the Centaur Theatre website.