The artistic co-directors of the Festival TransAmériques, Martine Dennewald and Jessie Mill, unveiled the complete program for its 17th edition at the end of the day on Tuesday. This will be held from May 24 to June 8. On the program, 24 dance and theater performances by artists from 21 countries, including 4 world premieres and 9 North American premieres, and several parallel activities.
The artistic co-directors did not give a main theme to their spring event, but they underline the “punch” character of the chosen works. And that the shows “crossed by hope and the quest for emancipation, are fabulous strokes of brilliance”.
They note in passing the “manifesto” status of several works (which address Indigenous, queer, racialized realities, among others), as well as the desire to “compose together the revolutionary archives of the future!” »
Opening the FTA, starting May 24, Elle Sofe Sara, an indigenous Sámi artist, will offer a choreographic concert “where polyphonic stories of resistance declare their love for the land”. The performers of Vástádus eana – The answer is the territory will lead the public from the Esplanade Tranquille to the Monument-National in an ambulatory.
For his part, the indigenous artist of Argentina, Tiziano Cruz, will lead a festive parade from Place Émilie-Gamelin to the National, with Soliloquio, “a manifesto for the recognition of differences”. May 28-30.
At dusk, from May 25 to 27, the FTA offers a free meeting on the Esplanade Tranquille, with Creation Destruction, a work by choreographer Dana Gingras which will bring together 12 musicians around members of the group Godspeed and 11 dancers in front of the video installation by the London collective United Visual Artists. For her part, the choreographer Dana Michel, will create Mike, an epic on the culture of work (from June 1 to 4).
Renowned Brazilian choreographer Lia Rodrigues returns to Montreal with Encantado (a word that means enchantment, wonder). His piece has the overtones of a “collective manifesto for a new cosmogony”. This show for 11 performers wrapped in a huge colorful quilt is of great formal and visual beauty, according to the co-directors. It will be presented at Usine C from June 6 to 8. The choreographer will meet the public at FTA headquarters on June 4 at 1 p.m.
Catherine Bourgeois and her company Joe Jack and John will reinterpret Pirandello’s classic, with the creation of the piece Cispersonages in search of an author. (Open Space, May 31 to June 2.) While the Back to Back Theatre, an Australian company, will offer “a civic assembly with neuroatypical performers”. With The Making of Pinocchio, the Glasgow artists, Rosana Cade and Ivor MacAskill, seize the identity quest of the wooden puppet to make it the metaphor of the transition of MacAskill. (At the Théâtre Rouge du Conservatoire and online, May 25-27).
From Brooklyn, the company Sweat Variant will present the “mythical” piece Bronx Gothic by choreographer Okwui Okpokwasili. At the same time dance, theater and installation, this show is based on an epistolary and intimate exchange between two young black girls. At the Studio-Théâtre of the Wilder Building.
From June 1 to 3, the FTA will also present Tableau final de l’amour, the stage adaptation of Larry Tremblay’s novel, directed by Angela Konrad, at Usine C, with Benoit McGinnis and Samuël Côté. And I/O, Dominique Leclerc’s solo, premiered at the Center du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui, revived at Prospero.
Single tickets go on sale March 28 at noon. Packages will be available from March 21 through April 9.
