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Featuring: Gabrielle Soskin, Brittany Drisdelle, Zach Creatchman, Karine Dion, Brendan Walker, Julia Borsellino, Karine Kerr, Michael Nangreaves & Natalya Davydova

The Walnut Tree
February 20 - March 8

Directed by Christopher Moore
Assistant Directed by Alex Goldrich
Costume Design by Elyse Malo
Set Design by Christopher Moore

Calixa-Lavallee
3819 Calixa-Lavallée, Montreal
February 20-22 at 8pm
February 23 at 2pm
February 26-March 1 at 8pm

Saint-Lambert
Centre Multifonctionnel, 
 81  Hooper, Saint‐Lambert
March 7-8 at 8pm

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About Spring Awakening
"a unique and wonderful experience, not to be missed." - Roverarts.com

IN THE MEDIA

Westmount resident Gabrielle Soskin stars in Jewish Immigrant Story 
by Marilynn Vanderstaay
(http://aroundwestmount.com/)

Westmount resident Gabrielle Soskin is one of eight actors starring in Persephone Productions upcoming presentation The Walnut Tree by Canadian playwright, editor, film producer and music composer, Geoffrey Ursell, that will run in two theatres from February 20 to March 8. The play is adapted from the semi-autobiographical book by Martha Blum. The Walnut Tree tells the story of the intense journey of Sussel, a young, privileged Jewish woman who grows up in Czernowitz, studies in Prague and Paris, endures the horrors of World War II in Eastern Europe, and ultimately escapes to the peace and promise of a new life in Saskatoon. The character of the older Sussel, played by Gabrielle,  looks back at her life, accompanied by her alter ego, a musician, who performs on a piano. The play is powerful, disturbing, and a transcendent drama that sets the devastating power of historical events against the personal forces of reconciliation. The Walnut Tree deals with vital social, political, and ethical issues, and finally (most importantly), with enduring love.

Theatre enthusiasts from all parts of the city will have access to the production when it plays at both the centrally-located Centre Culturel Calixa-Lavallée, 3819, av. Calixa-Lavallée in Parc Lafontaine,  and on the south shore at the Centre Multifonctionn, 81 Hooper.

Opening night for The Walnut Tree is 8 p.m. February 20 at the Centre Culturel Calixa-Lavallée.3819, av. Calixa-Lavallée, Parc Lafontaine and runs at that location from February 20 to March 1 with both evening and matinee performances. On March 7 and 8 the production company changes venues to the Centre Multifonctionnel Saint-Lambert for two evening performances.

Ticket prices are $30 for adults, $25 for seniors, $18 for students, and $15 for student groups. Box office 1-866-967-8167 or www.showtix4u.com For more information go to www.persephoneproductions.org

In 2000 Gabrielle Soskin founded Persephone Productions as she saw a real need for support and employment opportunities for the many talented young graduates of Quebec theatre training programs. The inaugural play Anna Karenina was a resounding success and the company has grown exponentially since then. In July 2013 Gabrielle stepped down as Artistic Director after 14 highly successful and productive years at the helm and handed the reins over to new Artistic Director and General Manager Christopher Moore. Gabrielle remains on board as Founding Director.

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Hitting all the right notes
Spring Awakening, Centre Calixa Lavallée, to Oct 27
by ANNA FUERSTENBERG

It is terrific to watch fourteen, yes count them, fourteen young actors singing their hearts out. And that’s just the cast; they share the stage with a seven piece orchestra on a minimal set at Calixa Lavallée in the middle of Parc Lafontaine. Just for historical context, it is amusing to see the play that influenced some of the most important playwrights of the twentieth century and was censored in so many countries.

The story  starts with a delightfully heart breaking scene in which the female lead (Gab Lubin as Wendla) cannot get her mother to tell her the most basic facts of life. The curtain riser is very unusual as it is this character’s plaintive cry for more reproductive information from the woman who bore her. The play has every kind of sexuality on the menu, and quite creatively deals with the angst and frustration of being an adolescent in the Weimar Republic. The issues — parental sexual abuse, adolescent suicide, sado-masochism, homosexuality, and abortion — are as pertinent today as they were then, if somewhat less shocking.

There is some terrific choreography (by Alexia Gourd), particularly the dance around the song about being f—ed no matter what you do. The sheer passion on stage is a delight. Zachary Creatchman as Melchior gives a really great performance and is up to the complexity of the leading character. It would have served his performance much better if he had not kneeled (downstage left) during one of the most emotional moments of the play, hiding his face from most of the audience. But he is not to blame for the blocking.

The choice of giving all the actors hand mikes also creates moments of awkwardness. The orchestra is really good and it is unclear why their music sometimes drowns out the singing, as lyrics are very crucial to this play. It might have served the drama better if the orchestra were just three pieces and the singers could sing over them.

Marie-Pierre de Brienne gives a remarkable performance as Ilse. Alexandra Ghezzi is terrific in all the adult female parts and Alexander Goldrich really nails all the male adults, and especially the father of the tragic Moritz. Adam Capriolo is wonderful in the dual parts of Hanschen and Rupert, managing to wrest comedy out of awkwardness.

There is much to be said for a truly committed ensemble cast doing a fabulously interesting piece of theatre. It is fortunate that we have Persephone Productions in this town to take such huge bites and attempt such marvelous plays. I recommend it as a unique and wonderful experience, not to be missed.

Spring Awakening

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2013-14 SEA SON ALL SHOWS AT THEATRE CALIXA-LAVALLEE

3819 Calixa-Lavallée
Montréal, QC
H2L 3A7 ‎