A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada’s writing program, Martin Bellemare was awarded the 2009 Gratien Gélinas Prize for Le Chant de Georges Boivin. La Liberté was presented at La Rubrique (Jonquière) in 2013 and in Montreal in 2015, and was scheduled to be staged in Ottawa in 2020. Maître Karim la perdrix (2018 Prix SACD de la dramaturgie francophone, awarded by the Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques) will premiere at the Théâtre des Capucins in Luxembourg in 2021. Moule Robert (CNL Scholarship, shortlisted for the 2017 Prix SACD de la dramaturgie francophone and the 2018 Michel Tremblay Prize) was produced simultaneously at La Rubrique and at the POCHE/ GVE in Geneva, then at the Théâtre de Belleville in Paris. Martin is a four-time recipient of the Aide à la création grant from the Centre national du Théâtre/ARTCENA in Paris, and two of his plays are included in the repertoire of the Comédie-Française. Two of his plays for young audiences, Un château sur le dosand Des pieds et des mains, which was first produced at the NAC, have toured in Canada and internationally. In 2019, Extraordinaire et mystérieux and Charlie et le djingpouite were produced, and Cœur minéral (Governor General’s Literary Awards, Winner 2020) premiered at the Francophonies in Limoges. 

Jack Paterson (he, him) is a Vancouver launched translator, devisor, director, dramaturg and creative producer whose practice has taken him across Canada, UK, EU and around the world. His work ranges from contemporary devised creation, multi-disciplinary, cross-cultural and multi-lingual projects to new works & texts, contemporary approaches to classical theatre. He is a recipient of The Ray Michal Body of Work Award, The Cole Foundation Award for Emerging Translators, and The John Moffat & Larry Lillo West Coast artist Award. His translations include The Ballade of Georges Boivin by Martin Bellemare, The Naughty Children’s Bedtime Stories by Etienne Lepage, Kiwi by Daniel Danis, and Horses from Horses from Heaven Fall in a Reign of Ash by Naghmeh Samini (Iran).

www.JackPatersonTheatre.com

ohanna Nutter (she, euro-settler, multidisciplinary artist) developed her passion for translation through acting: being one of few bilingual theatre artists, she played leading roles at Centaur and La Licorne. Johanna is known for her solo play my pregnant brother/mon frère est enceinte, which she translated during a residency in Tadoussac, accompanied by Linda Gaboriau. The show toured across Canada and Quebec in both languages, and to the UK and Belgium. Subsequently, she translated the works of Annick Lefebvre (Barbed Wire), Guillaume Corbeil (You’ll Go Looking for Her), and Florence Longpré & Nicolas Michon’s ballet-theatre hybrid CHLORINE, which she also produced and directed at Centaur, with her company creature/creature.

www.creature/creature.org

Lauren has performed with beloved theatres across Canada and Europe, receiving a Dora Award, the Jessica Fraser Award and the Christopher Plummer Fellowship Award. New play workshops include Canadian Stage, AfriCanadian Playwright’s Festival, Nightwood, Theatre Passe Muraille, fu-GEN, Bouche Theatre, Crow’s, The Grand etc. She trained at University of Toronto, Soulpepper and with Mark Rylance, the SITI Company, Yael Farber, Graham McLaren.

Her company Bound to Create has partnered with Obsidian, Tapestry, Native Earth, Talking Stick, Theatre Northwest, RMTC, Canadian Stage and has received several Dora nominations and awards. Upcoming: She Carries Me Again.

Vancouver-born, London-based, mixed Caucasian/ Japanese/ Chinese woman who acts, writes, directs for theatre and film. Graduated with Distinction from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama’s MA Acting for Screen. Recipient of the London Library’s Emerging Writers Award 2019 and in 2020, New Earth Theatre’s BESEA Professional Writers Programme.

Paul David Power has spent the past 25 years working as a writer, playwright, actor and director.  His formal training includes holding a BA in English with a concentration in theatre and a BAA in Journalism.Paul’s work includes roles in over 30 stage plays across the country as well as directing and producing. His leadership positions include President of the Liffey Players Drama Society in Calgary AB for three years,  Artistic Director for Hubcity Theatre in Moncton NB for five years and Artistic Associate for the Shakespeare by the Sea Festival in St. John’s NL for three years.  Paul is also an award winning playwright with five produced works to his credit including the award winning Roomies, Last Chance, The View From Down Here, In Your Eyes and his current award winning and critically acclaimed touring production, Crippled. Paul is currently the Artistic Director of his own NL based company – Power Productions – a professional theatre company dedicated to the development of works and artists with a focus on the disabled Deaf and MAD Arts domain.  www.power productionsnl.com

Deneh’Cho Thompson, Assistant Professor, University of Saskatchewan is an actor, director, and educator of mixed Indigenous decent. His research interests include Indigenous pedagogies for theatre training, Indigenous dramaturgies, and destabilizing the mainstream theatre forms.

Rick Dobran is an actor and writer living in Vancouver, BC. Rick is very excited to be able to contribute to this creative effort.

Michael is the Artistic Director of November Theatre, whose notable productions include The Black Rider (National Tour) and Hard Core Logo: Live (PuSh Festival). Michael has directed and acted with companies across North America including La Mama (NY), Globe Theatre (Regina), Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Ex Machina (Quebec), Tarragon (Toronto), Arts Club Theatre (Vancouver), Catalyst Theatre (Edmonton) and Belfry Theatre (Victoria) to name a few. www.novembertheatre.com