Theatre Smith-Gilmour Online

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2024-25

gm@theatresmithgilmour.com (Adriano Sobretodo Jr) — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 17:45:43 GMT

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2023-24

gm@theatresmithgilmour.com (Adriano Sobretodo Jr) — Wed, 06 Sep 2023 18:53:33 GMT

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2022-23

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 17:49:15 GMT

Orpheus Plays his Lyre

Tue, 23 Nov 2021 15:00:26 GMT

Orpheus Plays his Lyre

Directing by Michele Smith

Writing by Dean Gilmour & Michele Smith

Performances by Dean Gilmour & Robert Feetham

Film by Lyon Smith

Plague Dreams

Wed, 10 Nov 2021 16:09:08 GMT

OVID IN THE TIME OF COVID: THE PLAGUE

Directing by Michele Smith

Writing by Dean Gilmour & Michele Smith

Performances by Dean Gilmour & Robert Feetham

Film by Lyon Smith

Hunger vs Erysichton

Wed, 03 Nov 2021 15:23:17 GMT

Erysichton topples the sacred tree of the Goddess Ceres.

She sends him Hunger, who dwells in Siberia, to punish his greed.

Directing by Michele Smith

Writing by Dean Gilmour & Michele Smith

Performances by Dean Gilmour & Robert Feetham

Film by Lyon Smith

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2021-22

gm@theatresmithgilmour.com (Adriano Sobretodo Jr) — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 14:00:23 GMT

We are now accepting submissions to the OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2021-22 program.

vs Handkerchief

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 20:28:04 GMT

A work in progress, an invitation into our process

Orpheus: Gods of the Underworld

I am not a tourist

Here to gawk at the dead

Love brought me here

Directing by Michele Smith

Writing by Dean Gilmour & Michele Smith

Performances by Dean Gilmour & Robert Feetham

Videography & Editing by Lyon Smith

Dean & Michele at the Venice Biennale 2020

Tue, 30 Mar 2021 17:52:50 GMT

The Right Way

In September 2020, Dean and Mimi had the pleasure of being invited by DopoLavoro Teatrale (DLT) to perform at the Venice Biennale in The Right Way . DLT is based in Toronto and dedicated to innovative and experimental creation that is designed for one single audience member at a time. It is a form that lends itself very well to performing during a pandemic, as was the case at the Venice Biennale.

Dean and Mimi enjoyed working with DLT, and performing in this new form. They performed the 20 minute piece 84 times in 7 days. It was challenging and a great accomplishment. Working in Venice during a much quieter time due to the pandemic was the perfect time to be in this magical and normally-bustling-with-tourists city.

Follow this link for more information on The Right Way at the Venice Biennale 2020.

A Short Film

Thu, 11 Feb 2021 22:50:53 GMT

Metamorphoses, a continuation...

We continue to wait to share our work with you in person

Until that time comes we've been working, developing new material and have created this short

A sneak peek into our process

We are working with one other collaborator, Rob Feetham

And a videographer, Lyon Smith, in an effort to find ways to continue to share with you virtually

We are metamorphosing as a company and adapting to these strange times

-Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith

Directing by Michele Smith

Writing by Dean Gilmour & Michele Smith

Performances by Dean Gilmour & Robert Feetham

Videography & Editing by Lyon Smith

Ovid In The Time of Covid

Thu, 17 Dec 2020 23:30:21 GMT

A note from Dean & Michele

Hercules is dying

Orpheus is dying

A mysterious plague wipes out thousands

And we continue

We sanitize

We confine

We keep our distances

When will we share our discoveries with an audience in a theatre

We wait

And we prepare

Directing by Michele Smith
Writing by Dean Gilmour & Michele Smith
Performances by Dean Gilmour & Robert Feetham
Videography by Lyon Smith

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2020-21

Wed, 23 Sep 2020 20:16:34 GMT

Stream As I Lay Dying

Tue, 05 May 2020 15:01:14 GMT

A s I Lay Dying is no longer available for streaming

Please check out our new short film about the adaptation of Ovid's Metamorphoses

"A wonderful and vivid translation of William Faulkner's As I Lay Dying . You will swear you have seen live horses and rivers in flood and barns on fire as well as the strangest and most heartbreaking family on that Passe Muraille stage."

-Michael Ondaatje

Due to this very difficult time in everyone's lives and the unfortunate postponement of our Metamorphoses premiere we've decided it's an important time to give back to you, to remind you of the beauty of life, and to make you feel that you are part of something greater than this pandemic.

In an effort to go virtual due to self isolation, we present to you our most toured show of the last decade, As I Lay Dying for your quarantined viewing.

As I Lay Dying has toured to the National Arts Centre, the Oakville Centre for the Performing Arts, the High Performance Rodeo in Calgary and the Arts Club Theatre in Vancouver as part of the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival.

Metamorphoses Postponed

Tue, 05 May 2020 14:48:41 GMT

Postponement of Metamorphoses - Due to COVID19

In light of COVID19, we have taken every necessary measure to ensure the health and safety of our actors, colleagues and patrons. We've made the difficult decision to postpone our run of Metamorphoses which was to take place in April 2020 at the Theatre Centre. As soon as the dust has settled we will announce new dates. We have also moved all activity relating to the company virtually.

We love the work we've done with our Metamorphoses cast: Nithya, Christine, Dan and Rob and can't wait to see them back in the limelight.

We're taking the rapid unfolding of this pandemic very seriously and doing our best to play our part in the effort to slow it down. We wish to recognize the incredible devotion of our healthcare workers who are on the front lines risking their lives for our country in this difficult time.

We hope you are all safe and healthy and getting creative at home,

Dean, Mimi and the TSG team

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2019-20

Tue, 03 Sep 2019 17:55:00 GMT

Theatre Smith Gilmour is accepting submissions for the Ontario Arts Council’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators Program. This program was previously known as Theatre Creators’ Reserve. This program assists individuals and collectives to develop new theatre work. This is a third-party recommender program, meaning applications are submitted to Theatre Smith-Gilmour. For full details, please […]

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2018-19

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 17:27:00 GMT

Fall 2018 Workshops with Dean Gilmour

Fri, 10 Aug 2018 14:08:00 GMT

1) Mime Storyteller

The study of mime is absolutely essential training for any one who wants to be creator of his or her own theatre. This workshop explores learning to think with the body. Using fairy tales as a source we explore the mime storyteller. We will create images in space and tell stories with the body and the voice.

September 18-28 (2 pm to 5:00 pm: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday)

$450 + HST

2 ) Commedia Dell’arte and Moliere

This work is rooted in the actor’s pleasure to be totally alive on stage using the masks of the Commedia dell’Arte and texts of Moliere. It is a theatre that is born from the actor’s imagination. Playing in complicity with others and the public, it is not a style, but a state of being on stage: naive, open and ready to take a risk.

October 2-19 (2 pm to 5 pm: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday)

$550 +HST

3 ) Clown

The work of Clown is a journey of self-discovery that puts the actor in the limelight. Clown work is a rediscovery of innocence, the pleasure of play and the importance of playing with complicity. Alone, centre stage, the actor learns that pleasure is the motor of play and complicity is the catalyst of communication. We work with the red nose, the smallest mask that requires transparency and is the doorway to total freedom on stage. It reveals the beauty of naivety and the poetry of stupidity. In Clown the actor learns the power of vulnerability and the importance of simplicity. They will get in touch with their own absurdity and have fun celebrating it on stage. The honesty, simplicity and openness that the actors discover in clown will inhabit all of their work.

October 30-November 16 (2 pm to 5 pm: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday)

$550 +HST

4) Bouffon

For a few years now the Buffon has become an important training ground for young actors. The work grows from a pleasure to blaspheme. They are the children of the devil who come to the theatre to denounce the beautiful people. They spit at the Gods but it lands on the head of man because the Gods are too far away. Parody is the weapon of the Bouffon. They laugh, they sing, they dance and they mock with derision.

November 20-December 7 (2 pm to 5 pm: Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday)

$550 + HST

For further information contact: dean.gilmour@gmail. com

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2017-18

Tue, 22 Aug 2017 14:46:00 GMT

Theatre Smith Gilmour is accepting submissions for the Ontario Arts Council’s Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators Program. This program was previously known as Theatre Creators’ Reserve. This program assists individuals and collectives to develop new theatre work. This is a third-party recommender program, meaning applications are made to and funding decisions are made by Theatre […]

Join us in June for our first draft of Les Misérables

Mon, 08 May 2017 14:27:00 GMT

TSG is thrilled to announce their first draft of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables

Les Misérables is a CALL TO ARMS
against corruption. It’s a drama about love and change,
celebrating the beauty of THINKING and
REFLECTING, the beauty of REVOLUTION
and SACRIFICE for a better world.

June 9-11, 16-18
Friday/Saturdays 7:30pm
Sundays 2pm
$15
Sundays & June 9 PWYC

CLICK HERE TO BOOK TICKETS

ADAPTATION
Michele Smith and Dean Gilmour
in collaboration with the company

DIRECTOR
Michele Smith

CAST
Maddie Bautista
Dean Gilmour*
Nina Gilmour*
Benjamin Muir
Daniel Roberts*
Michele Smith*

STAGE MANAGER
TBA*

COSTUME DESIGNER
TBA*

LIGHTING DESIGNER
Andre du Toit

PROJECTION DESIGN
Elisa Gilmour

* Appears courtesy of CAEA

Theatre Smith-Gilmour Is Going On Tour!

Mon, 05 Dec 2016 22:59:00 GMT

We are thrilled to be taking As I Lay Dying to three more cities this winter.

Please join us for these special presentations:

http://www.oakvillecentre.ca/whats-on/AsILayDying.html

https://www.artscommons.ca/WhatsOn/ShowDetails.aspx?show_id=F6C8D66A-E445-4467-A990-5F799FBDECA2

OAC Theatre Creators’ Reserve 2016-17

Tue, 26 Jul 2016 21:34:00 GMT

Theatre Smith Gilmour is a Recommender for the Ontario Arts Council Theatre Creators Reserve Program. Program for: Individuals and Collectives Purpose: To assist theatre creators to develop new work. Eligibility: The program assists Ontario-based professional theatre creators, and informal collectives of creators, by funding them to create work. This is a third-party recommender program. Applications […]

The Assholes: A Cabaret

Sun, 20 Mar 2016 21:30:00 GMT

April 01 – 17, 2016 at Factory Theatre’s Studio

8pm Evening Performances
2pm Sunday Matinees
Previews – $10 (April 1st & 2nd)
Evening Performances – $18.50
Sunday Matinees – $18.50 or Pay-What-You-Can at the door

Click Here to Book Your Tickets Online

Or call the Factory Theatre Box Office at 416-504-9971

ABOUT THE SHOW

The genesis of the project grew from our exploration of Bouffon: those outcasts who come to the theatre to denounce and expose the greedy hypocrites, the assholes, who control the world. We asked ourselves the questions: What is an asshole? Who are the assholes? Oxfam, the British anti-poverty organization, predicts that by the year 2016, the top 1% will control more wealth than the remaining 99%.

“The Assholes: A Cabaret” mocks the hypocrites who are the cause of Oxfam’s prediction. The show challenges the status quo and the lack of conscience in our world.

THE ASSHOLES: A CABARET

a Theatre Smith-Gilmour Production

Written by Michele Smith, Dean Gilmour, Nina Gilmour, Danya Buonastella, Marissa Zinni

Directed by Michele Smith*

Starring Danya Buonastella, Nina Gilmour, Dean Gilmour*, Marissa Zinni

Set And Costume Design by Michelle Tracey
Lighting Design by Andre Du Toit
Assistant Set and Costume Design by Amanda Wong

Stage Management by Alexandra Baczynskyj

* Appears Courtesy Of Canadian Actors’ Equity

THANKS

Theatre Smith-Gilmour thanks the following funders for their continued support:

Michael B. Decter Foundation at the Toronto Community Foundation

OAC Theatre Creators’ Reserve 2015-16

Mon, 16 Nov 2015 17:57:00 GMT

Theatre Smith Gilmour is a Recommender for the The Ontario Arts Council Theatre Creators Reserve Program. Program for: Individuals & Collectives. Purpose: To assist theatre creators to develop new work. Eligibility: The program assists Ontario-based professional theatre creators, and informal collectives of creators, by funding them to create work. This is a third-party recommender program. […]

Theatre Smith-Gilmour October Fundraiser

Wed, 21 Oct 2015 14:57:00 GMT

Please join us for our Gala Fundraiser to support our adaptation of Victor Hugo’s classic Les Miserables. The Rivoli Poolhall & Lounge—334 Queen St. West, 2nd floor Thursday, October 29th, 2015, 8pm-12am Pay What You Can, suggested donation $20 Featuring DJ Johnny Hockin, pool tables, drinks, dancing and our popular silent auction. Including: A night for 2 at the Lord […]

Theatre Smith-Gilmour on the Main Stage at the National Arts Centre

Mon, 23 Feb 2015 18:33:00 GMT

The Bundren family is once again on the move as Theatre Smith-Gilmour takes its critically acclaimed show TAKE ME BACK TO JEFFERSON to the nation’s capital. “What an honour it is for us to be invited to perform at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. We want to thank Artistic Director, Jillian Keiley from the bottom of our hearts.” Co-Artistic Directors and co-creators Michele Smith and Dean Gilmour enthuse, “2003 was our first time performing in the capital with CHEKHOV LONGS at the Magnetic North Festival in the NAC Studio Theatre. In 2011, our co-production SPENT, was invited to the Undercurrents Festival at GCTC, and now we are coming back to perform on the Main Stage of the National Arts Centre with TAKE ME BACK TO JEFFERSON. “

The feeling is mutual as Jillian Keiley, Artistic Director at the NAC adds, “Theatre Smith-Gilmour has been such an important influence in Canadian theatre, it is only natural that they should be featured on our Main Stage at the NAC. Lucky for us, their recent TAKE ME BACK TO JEFFERSON is also a brilliant piece of theatre – one that will feed our audiences, and further inspire our imaginations!”

As an indie theatre company, Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s usual audience capacity is anywhere from 60-200 seats. The NAC Main Stage audience can hold 897. While daunting, this is a challenge Dean, Michele and company are more than capable of meeting. “The potential is huge,” says Gilmour, “not just for audience sizes, but the recognition on a national level as a Canadian indie theatre company, not just a Toronto one. We are hoping that being part of the NAC season will lead to other opportunities to share this show and our unique style of theatre with more and more Canadians. When you give life to these characters, you want them to have a good, long life – especially when you love them as much as we do.”

This is not just a momentous step for Dean & Michele, seasoned veterans who have walked stages from Toronto to Vancouver to Russia and Japan. The rest of the cast composed of emerging artists and indie producers in their own right are equally thrilled about this opportunity and exposure.

“It is a career highlight to get to play ‘the big house’ at our country’s most prestigious repertory theatre,” says Julian De Zotti who plays Darl Bundren. “I’m extremely excited to speak William Faulkner’s beautiful prose and perform Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s one-of-a-kind physicality on the NAC stage. I promise we shall deliver an unforgettable night of theatre for the Main Stage audience.” Last month Whatever, Linda — a show De Zotti co-wrote and co-created — was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award in the Best Original Digital Fiction Program.

Performance information for TAKE ME BACK TO JEFFERSON

RAVE REVIEWS for Take Me Back To Jefferson

Mon, 10 Nov 2014 21:55:00 GMT

“ Take Me Back to Jefferson : A PHYSICAL-THEATRE TOUR DE FORCE”

~ The Globe and Mail ( Full Review Here )

“A GRIPPING ADAPTATION…Theatre Smith-Gilmour has created another triumph in Take Me Back to Jefferson by staging what many would consider an unstageable novel, successfully bringing out all its complex themes and cruel ironies”. ✭✭✭✭✩

~ Stage Door ( Full Review Here )

“DESERVES ITS ACCLAIM…an imaginative and visually stunning performance …Go see this play”

~ Mooney on Theatre ( Full Review Here )

“Staging an adaptation of a Southern Gothic novel is a challenge. Riding an invisible wagon, a challenge. Performing an underwater scene in slow motion, another challenge. Theatre Smith-Gilmour CONQUERED ALL THREE.”

~ The Theatre Reader ( Full Review Here )

“Theatre Smith-Gilmour…conjure[s] an epic out of thin air…This is a RARE OPPORTUNITY to enjoy a massively intimate spectacle in an intimate space. NOT TO BE MISSED.”

~ Drew Rowsome ( Full Review Here )

Get your tickets now for this remarkable production,
playing at Factory Theatre November 5-23

TAKE ME BACK TO JEFFERSON Nov 5 – 23 @ Factory Theatre

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 00:42:00 GMT

In honour of Factory Theatre ’s 45th anniversary season and their own 35th year, Theatre Smith-Gilmour is proud to remount their multiple-Dora-nominated, critically acclaimed and personal favourite production, As I Lay Dying , under its new title, TAKE ME BACK TO JEFFERSON

Last year’s hit show returns to the Factory Theatre Mainstage before it journeys to the National Arts Centre Mainstage in March. Tickets available by phone at (416) 504-9971, online at www.factorytheatre.ca , or in person at the box office.

GREAT REVIEWS for Death Married My Daughter

Wed, 23 Apr 2014 23:10:00 GMT

Don’t miss your chance to see this “essential viewing” (J. McKinley, Mooney on Theatre ). Tickets and show schedule available via www.3shows.ca

NOW Magazine’s Jon Kaplan chats with Ravi Jain about a very unique producing model

The Globe and Mail’s Kate Taylor gets down to business on our mentoring co-op

Click here to buy your tickets now!

‘Death Married My Daughter’ comes to Toronto’s Theatre Centre

Wed, 05 Feb 2014 04:12:00 GMT

We are proud to announce after being selected for Patron’s Pick and Best of Toronto’s Fringe 2013 with an extended run at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, Death Married My Daughter is back for yet another catharsis!
Don’t miss this 6 week run in the brand new Theatre Centre April 11th-May 18th 2014

Michele Smith and Dean Gilmour, artistic directors of Theatre Smith-Gilmour and pioneers of Canadian theatre, have co-written their first Bouffon show with Nina Gilmour and Danya Buonastella who are recent graduates of École Philippe Gaulier in Paris, France, where they studied and developed a passion for this wild and ancient style.

“The pair’s skewering of contemporary conservative forces, both female and male, is razor-sharp.”
– Jon Kaplan, NOW Magazine

“Essential viewing for anyone who is politically engaged and… who identifies as an artist, feminist, thespian, misfit, outcast, and defender of humanity.”
– Jennifer McKinley, Mooney On Theatre

“This show is a festival essential.”
– BlouinARTINFO

Who are the Bouffons? They are outcasts and misfits who come from the swamps, where they have been relegated; they come to denounce hypocrisy with mockery, irony and satire, to take the piss out of society. The Bouffons are the “deformed and ugly people” that the royalty would employ for their amusement; but inevitably the Bouffons would get carried away and go too far: they would speak the naked truth and risk a whipping or even death. Death Married My Daughter is the story of two Bouffons who come back to settle an old score.

Tonight, it’s the revenge of Ophelia and Desdemona! Come see their grotesque poetry and disturbing charm. With humour and satire, Nina Gilmour and Danya Buonastella charm and enchant audiences, exposing women’s condition in society, leaving them filled with laughter and jaw-dropping surprise.

Produced by Play It Again Productions
With the support of Theatre Smith-Gilmour and Why Not Theatre
Written by Michele Smith, Dean Gilmour, Nina Gilmour & Danya Buonastella
Directed by Michele Smith & Dean Gilmour
Performed by Nina Gilmour & Danya Buonastella
Stage Managed by Jiv Parasram
Lighting Designed by André du Toit
Production Managed by Michelle Galuszka

We are pleased to present this show as part of the ICC (Independent Creators Co-Op). This is a new initiative that allows independent companies the opportunity to work together under the mentorship of senior artists and produce new work in a shared creative space. For this project, we are excited to share the Theatre Centre for 6 weeks with Theatre Zou’s “Business as Usual” and Ahuri Theatre’s “Ralph and Lina” .

A Reflection on 33 Years…

Fri, 20 Dec 2013 20:16:00 GMT

A note from Michele Smith:

“In 1980, when we embarked on this 33 year theatre journey we had two ambitious goals: one was to produce our creations and the other was to produce our Canadian adaptations of great literature that would be relevant to our contemporaries at home and abroad.

The creations have been drawing from the great theatre styles we studied at the School of Jacques Lecoq in Paris; No Escape (1981); Carmen (1985); The Rites of Spring (1987) all drew from the style of Clown; more recently Spent (2009) and Death Married My Daughter (2013) both grew on the branch of Bouffon style.

On the other hand Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s adaptations are inspired by beautiful writers such as Chekhov, Julio Cortazar or recently William Faulkner, who are “treated” with a theatre style that matches the writer’s world: Conteur mimeur in Chekhov’s shorts and To Cry Is Not So or Melodrama in Chekhov longs…

A few years ago a third goal came into the mix: to support the younger generations of theatre makers, fresh out of Jacques Lecoq, Philippe Gaulier or Humber College (where we both teach and direct) and to welcome them, offer them a niche where they could display their wonderful theatre. We decided to co-produce, co-write with them, direct them but also to mentor them in producing, administrating and touring.

So we produced the first run of Spent at the Factory Theatre in 2009 which Dean and I directed and co-wrote with Adam Paolozza and Ravi Jain (it’s still touring 5 years later).

We more recently co-produced D eath Married My Daughter with Play It Again Productions that we co-wrote with our daughter Nina Gilmour and Danya Buonastella. The play was voted Best of Fringe 2013 and is coming to the new Theatre Centre in April 2014 on a triple bill that we are co-producing. The triple bill includes Viktor Lukawski’s Business as Usual and Ralph and Lina, a new creation that I will be directing and co-writng with Dan Watson and Christina Serra.

And finally in the fall of 2013 Dean and I adapted and co-directed The Idiot with 21 student actors at Humber College. I want to thank them for realizing my dream. Twenty years ago a passion for The Idiot overcame me as I was reading a new French translation by Andre Markowicz: I literally saw before my very eyes beautiful characters living and speaking their vison of a future life. In October our goal was to flesh out that first vision. Thank you again dear students for playing this “petit jeu” with us. Thank you for breathing life and youth into the nostrils of a beautiful Idiot.”

Michele Smith

As we approach the end of the year, we hope that you are able to consider a donation to Theatre Smith-Gilmour. Your donation, whatever its size, not only will assist with our operating costs, but it also inspires us with your belief in the value of our work. Every dollar goes towards supporting our future productions:

– a triple bill co-produced with three young emerging companies at the new Theatre Centre in April 2014.

– a remount and national tour of our adaptation of William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying;
“The set is stripped; the players are therefore forced into a level of physical invention which, if it were not breathtaking, would be false. The play is true. The members of the cast are the future of theatre in this town. And I had forgotten the sheer and simple pleasure of the magic of live performance. “-Joe Fiorito, Toronto Star.

And if you are able to contribute to Theatre Smith-Gilmour on or before December 31, 2013, you will receive a tax receipt that can be applied to your 2013 taxes. Simply click here to donate securely via our Canada Helps Donation Page.

With best wishes for this Holiday Season and the New Year,

Theatre Creators’ Reserve 2013-14

Wed, 27 Nov 2013 15:11:00 GMT

Theatre Smith-Gilmour is currently accepting submissions for the OAC Theatre Creators’ Reserve Program. TSG has been mentoring young actors, directors and designers for the past 31 years as collaborators in the creation of new work. Our role as a recommender will be an important vehicle to continue to establish new and nurture existing artistic relationships within our community.

We accept applications from individual artists and informal collectives based in Ontario who are seeking assistance in the development of new work that reflects our cultural diversity, celebrates collective creation, and inspires unique theatrical investigations.

Each application will be reviewed individually based on its own merits and needs by Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith, Co-Artistic Directors of Theatre Smith-Gilmour.

Submission Details: To apply, artists will be asked to prepare the following:
1.       A letter or statement of intent that includes artistic goals and objectives relating to the work, and any other information about the project such as previous workshops or readings. Also, include a brief statement describing how the project contributes to the development of the artist (3 pages max.)
2.       A project proposal and /or script excerpt (2 pages max. for proposal / 15 pages max. for script excerpt).
3.       An up-to-date CV or resume
4.       A budget listing expenses that clearly shows how the artist plans to allocate the funds
5.       Video/audio support if applicable
6.       3 copies of the form available from the OAC website
7.       A self-addressed stamped envelope if you wish your support material to be returned.

Applicants may request between $1,000 and $5,000. Full Theatre Creators’ Reserve Program Guidelines can be found on the OAC website

Deadline for submissions is January 16, 2014 by 5:00pm.
Please send submissions by mail to:
Theatre Smith-Gilmour
c/o STAF
RE: Theatre Creators’ Reserve
192 Spadina Ave., Suite 201
Toronto, ON M5T 2C2

Submissions by email or fax will not be considered.

New As I Lay Dying Promo Video

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 19:27:00 GMT

“Theatre Smith-Gilmour has created ANOTHER TRIUMPH”
 ~ Christopher Hoile, Stage Door 

 ”RIVETING theatre…This is an American tragedy, spiced by just the faintest lashings of black humour, applied with a master’s touch.”
~ John Colbourn, Toronto Sun  

“Vibrant … compelling and gripping …BRILLIANT” 
~ Lynn Slotkin  , CBC

“Minimalist physical THEATRE AT ITS FINEST” 
~ Robert Crew, Toronto Star

“It’s the finest kind of craftsmanship and beauty –
GO IF YOU CAN”
~ Jillian Keiley, NAC

“A WONDERFUL AND VIVID translation of William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying. You will swear you have seen live horses and rivers in flood and barns on fire as well as the strangest and most heartbreaking family on that Passe Muraille stage.”
~ Michael Ondaatje

“BEAUTIFUL WORK, well done, I loved the physicality, compositions, and rhymes.”
~ Kim Collier, Canadian Stage

“If you are going to adapt Faulkner, there is no one I’d rather see do it than Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith”
~Robert Crew, Toronto Star

“The members of the cast are the future of theatre in this town.”
~ Joe Fiorito, Toronto Star

A New Production – Death Married My Daughter

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:06:00 GMT

Death Married My Daughter — Official Trailer from Nina Gilmour on Vimeo .

Directors: Michele Smith & Dean Gilmour
Cast: Nina Gilmour & Danya Buonastella

Toronto Fringe Festival
Tarragon Theatre Main Space
30 Bridgman Ave, Toronto
Wheelchair accessible
Air conditioned

SCHEDULE
Friday, July 5, 2013 – 8:45pm
Saturday, July 6, 2013 – 7:30pm
Monday, July 8, 2013 – 1:00pm
Wednesday, July 10, 2013 – 5:45pm
Thursday, July 11, 2013 – 11:30pm
Friday, July 12, 2013 – 11:00pm
Sunday, July 14, 2013 – 3:30pm

TICKETS
$10 at the door (cash only)
Or $11 in advance ($9 + $2 SC, Visa or MasterCard)
beginning June 17 via www.fringetoronto.com or 416-966-1062 ext. 1

TRAILER
Check out the trailer: https://vimeo.com/66374656

Julian and Dan: on returning to AS I LAY DYING

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 18:29:00 GMT

What was it like to return to the development process of AS I LAY DYING after taking time away after the workshop production? Did it change anything for you?

Do you feel that you have anything in common with the characters that you play? (physically, personality, experiences, etc.)

Dan Watson: I did break my leg when I was 3, so there’s that. But I admire Cash’s devotion and dependability. I think I strive to have those qualities.

What was the most challenging aspect of developing your character(s)/working on this production for you?

Do you have a favourite line or scene from the play. Why?

Dan Watson: There are so many. It’s hard to choose. Of course the big scenes like the river and the fire are fun to play, but I also like the quieter parts too like Cash’s 13 points about why he built the coffin the way he did. I also like the last scene because I get to listen to music and eat a banana.

If we were to look in on the lives of any of these characters in 10-20 years, what do you think they would be like, and what would they be doing?

See Julian & Dan in AS I LAY DYING , March 8-31, 2013 at Theatre Passe Muraille’s Mainspace

Click here for ticket info

Click here to join Theatre Smith-Gilmour on Facebook

The Reviews Are In! Audiences and Critics Love As I Lay Dying

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:22:00 GMT

Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s As I Lay Dying has hit the Theatre Passe Muraille Mainstage and the reviews are in! Audiences love this gothic tale of the Bundren family’s grotesque journey across the Mississipi.

“A wonderful and vivid translation of William Faulkner’s As I lay Dying . You will swear you have seen live horses and rivers in flood and barns on fire as well as the strangest and most heartbreaking family on that Passe Muraille stage.”
– Michael Ondaatje

“Theatre Smith-Gilmour has created another triumph in As I Lay Dying by staging what many would consider an unstageable novel, successfully bringing out all its complex themes and cruel ironies.”
– Christopher Hoile, Stage Door (4 out of 5 Stars)
March 14, 2013

“The nightmarish landscape of As I Lay Dying is home territory for the remarkable Theatre Smith-Gilmour, which has been entertaining and challenging Toronto audiences for 30 years with consistently satisfying, imagistic theatre.”
– Robert Crew, Toronto Star (3 out of 4 Stars)
March 15, 2013

“Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith, principals of the long-running Theatre Smith-Gilmour, prove to be more than capable of meeting in a new stage adaptation that had its world première on the Theatre Passe Muraille mainstage Wednesday.”
– John Coulbourn, Toronto Sun (4 out of 5)
March 18, 2013

“The members of the cast are the future of theatre in this town. And I had forgotten the sheer and simple pleasure of the magic of live performance.”
– Joe Fiorito, Toronto Star
March 20, 2013

“Beautiful work, well done, I loved the physicality , compositions, and rhymes. “
– Kim Collier, Canadian Stage

New AS I LAY DYING Trailer on YouTube

Fri, 08 Feb 2013 04:58:00 GMT

Click here to view the trailer on YouTube AS I LAY DYING World Premiere! Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace, March 8-31, 2013 Tickets are available via the artsboxoffice.ca, 416-504-7529, or at the door.

AS I LAY DYING World Premiere!

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 23:01:00 GMT

Following this year’s acclaimed workshop production, Theatre Smith-Gilmour presents the World Premiere of William Faulkner’s AS I LAY DYING at Theatre Passe Muraill e from March 8-31, 2013 , with a Press Night on March 13. An original adaptation, AS I LAY DYING is the evocative Southern gothic chronicle of the Bundren family odyssey across the Mississippi countryside to bury their wife and mother. Calamity haunts their 40-mile funeral procession, an absurdly tragic journey through the grotesque intersection of character and circumstance. Tickets will be available via the artsboxoffice.ca , 416-504-7529, or at the door.

Theatre Creators’ Reserve 2012-13

Wed, 10 Oct 2012 20:23:00 GMT

Theatre Smith-Gilmour is currently accepting submissions for the OAC Theatre Creators’ Reserve Program. TSG has been mentoring young actors, directors and designers for the past 30 years as collaborators in the creation of new work. Our role as a recommender will be an important vehicle to continue to establish new and nurture existing artistic relationships within our community.

Each application will be reviewed individually based on its own merits and needs by Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith, Co-Artistic Directors of Theatre Smith-Gilmour.

Applicants may request between $1,000 and $5,000. Full Theatre Creators’ Reserve Program Guidelines can be found on the OAC website

Deadline for submissions is January 16, 2013 by 5:00pm.
Please send submissions by mail to:
Theatre Smith-Gilmour
c/o STAF
RE: Theatre Creators’ Reserve
192 Spadina Ave., Suite 201
Toronto, ON M5T 2C2

Submissions by email or fax will not be considered.

Michele Smith on ARTAUD: UN PORTRAIT EN DECOMPOSITION

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 19:03:00 GMT

Cruelty, madness and beauty.  Through his poems and letters and through memories of his closest friends “Artaud: un portrait en décomposition” presents an unflinching theatrical ‘portrait’ of Antonin Artaud. Co-Artistic Director of Theatre Smith-Gilmour, Michele Smith, talks about contributing to this new work…

Artaud: un portrait en décomposition

Created by Adam Paolozza, Michele Smith, Antonin Artaud. Directed by Michele Smith.

SummerWorks August 10 – 19, 2012

Scotiabank Studio Theatre at Pia Bouman

Tickets are only $15 – click here for more info

“Intimate…beautiful” -Radio Canada

Performed in French with English Subtitles
Warning: Mature language and subject matter

Dean & Michele on Creating AS I LAY DYING

Fri, 27 Apr 2012 02:45:00 GMT

Why As I Lay Dying ?

William Faulkner claimed to write the novel in 6 weeks and that he did not change a word of it. What was your process for the adaptation?

The current showing is a “workshop presentation”. Can you explain what a workshop presentation is?

What are the next steps for As I Lay Dying ?

Dean: The next step will be to go back to the rehearsal space to continue to fine tune all the details of writing, acting and the mise-en-scene and then next season remount and premiere it. We will tour this show over the next few years, as well.

Join Theatre Smith-Gilmour on Facebook

One Night Only: Special Fundraising Gala Performance of AS I LAY DYING

Thu, 26 Apr 2012 13:46:00 GMT

Planning for this year’s fundraiser, the Board put together a postcard for the gala (thank you Lesley Stodart for the beautiful design). We drew from the spirited horse Ben Muir had portrayed so vividly in the excerpt, hoping that had made the cut to this year’s workshop production. It did!

I’m not an actor, but I know that Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s development process is intense. The company works from texts, not scripts. They work ideas and characters and vignettes over and over, taking scenes that work further, reworking or discarding ideas that don’t. Theatre Smith-Gilmour works on a piece for years. And it shows.

Seeing As I Lay Dying a year after that initial excerpt is a treat. It’s like being able to go back and fill in the rest of the picture of something glimpsed out of the corner of an eye. Now it all fits together. I got to experience the horse scene again. It’s gratifyingly near the beginning of the work. I’d wondered if it would be as evocative as I’d remembered. And it is!”

-Kim Hume, Chair – Board of Directors

Please join Michele Smith and Dean Gilmour and the members of the company for the

TSG Annual Fundraising Gala

A special gala performance of
Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s workshop production of:

AS I LAY DYING

Adapted from William Faulkner

April 26 at 6:00 p.m. (performance begins at 7:00pm)

The Theatre Centre 1087 Queen Street West (at Dovercourt)

hors d’oeuvres • cash bar • performance • fabulous silent auction

Gala Grand Prize:
Buy a ticket to our April 26 gala fundraiser or make a donation to Theatre Smith-Gilmour by May 15 and be entered into a draw for our gala prize: Train tickets for two (return) from Toronto to Montreal courtesy of Via Rail Canada and two tickets to a 2012-13 Centaur Theatre Company production.

Donations: Call 416-703-2773 ext. 201 or make a donation securely online through Canada Helps at www.theatresmithgilmour.com

Tickets for the TSG Gala are $45 (Student/Artist $22) available via The Theatre Centre Box Office at 416-538-0988

A special thank you to the following for their gala support:

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Canadian Opera Company, Canadian Stage, Centaur Theatre Company, Civello Spa, Factory Theatre, Laywine’s Pens & Organizers, Luminato Festival, Penny Gerrie, Playwrights Canada Press, Soulpepper Theatre Company, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Tarragon Theatre, The Red Tea Box, The Theatre Centre, The Toronto Fringe Festival, Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto Dance Theatre, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Via Rail Canada, W Burger Bar.

Julian, Nina, Ben, Dan, and Daniel … on Creating AS I LAY DYING

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 15:33:00 GMT

How did you end up working on As I Lay Dying ?

Dan Watson: I have worked with Theatre Smith Gilmour on two shows inspired by Grimm Brother Tales, and was happy to receive an invitation to work on As I Lay Dying .

How did adapting such a famous work of literature impact the rehearsal process?

What do you think makes this story still relevant today?

See Julian, Nina, Ben, Daniel, and Dan in As I Lay Dying , April 19-29, Theatre Centre

Tickets are only $15 – click here for ticket info.

Click here to join Theatre Smith-Gilmour on Facebook

AS I LAY DYING Rehearsal Photos

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:11:00 GMT

(l-r) Nina Gilmour, Dan Watson, Ben Muir, Dean Gilmour, Julian De Zotti, Daniel Roberts

Daniel Roberts

TSG’s Annual Fundraising Gala Performance: April 26, 2012 at 6pm

Wed, 04 Apr 2012 20:49:00 GMT

A special gala performance of
Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s workshop production of:

AS I LAY DYING

Adapted from William Faulkner

Thursday, April 26 at 6:00 p.m. (performance begins at 7:00pm)

The Theatre Centre 1087 Queen Street West (at Dovercourt)

Tickets $45* Student/Artist $22*

*Plus any applicable service charges

The Theatre Centre Box Office 416-538-0988

www.theatrecentre.org

~~~~~~~~

Please join Michele Smith and Dean Gilmour
and the members of the company
for Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s Annual Gala.

hors d’oeuvres • cash bar • performance • fabulous silent auction

Gala Grand Prize:
Buy a ticket to our April 26 gala fundraiser
or make a donation to Theatre Smith-Gilmour by May 15
and be entered into a draw for our gala prize:
Train tickets for two (return) from Toronto to Montreal
courtesy of Via Rail Canada
and two tickets to a 2012-2013 Centaur Theatre Company production.

Donations: Call 416-703-2773 ext. 201
or make a donation securely online through Canada Helps at www.theatresmithgilmour.com

Tickets for the TSG Gala are available via The Theatre Centre Box Office at 416-538-0988 or www.theatrecentre.org

As I Lay Dying

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:09:00 GMT

Theatre Smith-Gilmour presents
a workshop production of
William Faulkner’s

AS I LAY DYING

adapted by Michele Smith and Dean Gilmour in collaboration with the company

April 19-29
Tuesday – Saturday @ 7:00 pm*, Sunday @ 2:30pm

at The Theatre Centre
(Queen Street West@ Dovercourt Road)
Tickets: $15
via The Theatre Centre Box Office at 416-538-0988, or at the door.

“It takes two people to make you, and one people to die. That’s how the world is going to end.”

Featuring:
Dean Gilmour
Michele Smith
Dan Watson
Nina Gilmour
Julian De Zotti
Daniel Roberts
Ben Muir

Lighting Designer: Andre Du Toit
Set and Costume Designer: Teresa Przybylski
Stage Manager: Heather Thompson

*please note early curtain time of 7pm for evening shows.

Chekhov’s Shorts Returns to B.C.

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 17:27:00 GMT

Monica Dottor, Michele Smith, Patricia Marceau, Dean Gilmour - Chekhov's Shorts (2004)

In February, Chekhov’s Shorts returns to British Columbia for a limited time engagement at the Rotary Centre for the Arts in Kelowna, B.C. Click here for details.

In 1999-2001, Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s Chekhov’s Shorts played to sold-out audiences, with rave reviews at the Factory Theatre in Toronto. Based on a selection of short stories by Anton Chekhov and adapted by Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith with the company, this first installment of the Chekhov Cycle also toured successfully to Vancouver, Edmonton, Hong Kong, Dartmouth and Montreal. The show has won three Dora Mavor Moore Awards: Outstanding Actor, Outstanding Director, and Outstanding Production.

What the critics have said about Chekhov’s Shorts :

“****! A perfect gem! 24 karat charmer…a marvel” – Toronto Star

“Astonishing…one of the best shows of the year” – NOW Magazine

“****! Comic magic!” – Globe & Mail

“A theatrical voyage to remember!” – Toronto Sun

“True to the gentle and ruthless Chekhov!” – National Post

Best Wishes for the Holiday Season and the New Year

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:02:00 GMT

Teaching and mentoring younger artists in our methods has always been an important priority for Theatre Smith-Gilmour. We believe that the passing on of our methods and beliefs to a younger generation of theatre artists is just as important as creating and performing.

This year, our work with emerging artists has taken us to the 2011 Luminato Festival with Lu Xun blossoms , a co-production with the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre. It was the culminating point of a four-year collaboration with three young Chinese actors that had toured to Beijing, Hong Kong, Macau, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

Here in Canada, we continue to work with theatre students at the Humber College Theatre Performance Program, York University, the University of Alberta and Ryerson University. Each summer, we offer a two-week master class that opens up our process to the wider arts community– this program is also an open invitation to a new generation of artists who can familiarize themselves with the process of our company.

For us, the actor’s imagination is at the centre of the process and our young actors must risk failing in order to find a new freedom. We encourage them to be more humane, more compassionate, more vulnerable, and more refined; to find a dialogue of feelings with the audience; to write with their bodies and ask audiences to listen, see and feel with the heart.

Your investment in Theatre Smith-Gilmour can ensure that we continue to provide opportunities for emerging Canadian theatre artists in workshops, master classes and on stage. Donations of any amount are welcome: Please give during this Holiday Season whatever you can afford. Every dollar goes towards supporting our vision to create an environment that supports a younger generation of theatre artists. Click here to learn more about how you can help support our youth mentorship initiatives.

With best wishes for this Holiday Season and the New Year,

Michele Smith & Dean Gilmour, Co-Artistic Directors

Theatre Creators’ Reserve

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:03:00 GMT

Theatre Smith-Gilmour is currently accepting submissions for the OAC Theatre Creators’ Reserve Program. TSG has been mentoring young actors, directors and designers for the past 30 years as collaborators in the creation of new work. Our role as a recommender will be an important vehicle to continue to establish new and nurture existing artistic relationships within our community.

Each application will be reviewed individually based on its own merits and needs by Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith, Co-Artistic Directors of Theatre Smith-Gilmour.

Submission Details: To apply, artists will be asked to prepare the following:

1. A letter or statement of intent that includes artistic goals and objectives relating to the work, and any other information about the project such as previous workshops or readings. Also, include a brief statement describing how the project contributes to the development of the artist (3 pages max.)

2. A project proposal and /or script excerpt (2 pages max. for proposal / 15 pages max. for script excerpt).

3. An up-to-date CV or resume

4. A budget listing expenses that clearly shows how the artist plans to allocate the funds

5. Video/audio support if applicable

6. 3 copies of the form available from the OAC website

7. A self-addressed stamped envelope if you wish your support material to be returned.

Applicants may request between $1,000 and $5,000. Full Theatre Creators’ Reserve Program Guidelines can be found on the OAC website

Deadline for submissions is January 16, 2012 by 5:00pm.

Please send submissions by mail to:

Theatre Smith-Gilmour
RE: Theatre Creators’ Reserve
c/o STAF

192 Spadina Ave., Suite 201
Toronto, ON M5T 2C2

Submissions by email or fax will not be considered.

Lu Xun blossoms in conversation at Luminato

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 22:26:00 GMT

Rebecca Singh moderating a conversation with Michele Smith, Dean Gilmour, Zhao Sihan and Wang Yangmeizi as part of the Luminato Lunchtime Conversation Series.

Lu Xun Blossoms opens tonight – $25 tickets available at the door

Wed, 15 Jun 2011 14:55:00 GMT

The Isabel Bader Theatre plays host to the North American Premiere of Lu Xun Blossoms

Click here for a map to the theatre

Click here to buy tickets in advance *

Click here to learn more about the show

Click here for the Facebook event page

*$25 tickets available at the door or sameday at David Pecaut Square box office. Maximum of 2 and subject to availability

Lu Xun Blossoms Rehearsal Photos

Tue, 14 Jun 2011 13:05:00 GMT

(l-r) Dean Gilmour, Guo Hongbo, Zhao Sihan and Adam Paolozza

(l-r) Wang Yangmeizi , Dean Gilmour, Guo Hongbo Adam Paolozza and Zhao Sihan,

Rehearsing under direction of Theatre Smith-Gilmour Co-AD Michele Smith

Company in motion

Zhao Sihan and Adam Paolozza

Warming up - (l-r) Zhao Sihan, Guo Hongbo, Wang Yangmeizi and Dean Gilmour,

All photos by Xie Jingying

Guo Hongbo, Wang Yangmeizi and Zhao Sihan on creating Lu Xun Blossoms

Sun, 12 Jun 2011 16:42:00 GMT

1 How did you end up working on Lu Xun Blossoms?

Guo Hongbo: I had seen Theatre Smith Gilmour’s production “Chekhov’s Longs” in 2006.It struck me immediately as the type of drama that interests me. When they suggested adapting stories about Lu Xun with our theatre, I knew I had to be involved.

Wang Yangmeizi: I love this style of performance. It includes image, language and body language. I am very interested in work where performers play a multiplicity of roles. I had limited exposure to theses techniques during my training as a performer.This made me want to be involved in the production to improve in this way.

Zhao Sihan: I hadn’t seen any of Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s work previously, but my best friend Zhen Ping attended the Chinese premiere of Lu Xun Blossoms in 2007. She recommended me to Michele Smith and Dean Gilmour, as well as the theatre and it worked out great.

2 How did working with a translator impact the rehearsal process?

Guo Hongbo: I don’t think the impact of using a translator was very important. It was reduced because we found a number common points of communication that were cross-cultural. We could discuss with each other what inspired us about the main themes of the texts, and explain it. No matter whether the director and actors are from Canada or China, we always start from the human nature. In this way it is easy for us to understand each other, and it is the best way to communicate with director, translator and script.

Wang Yangmeizi: Maybe there was less impact because of the type of drama we were creating. working creatively with our bodies to tell a story. From the beginning, we didn’t have a script, only the stories written by Lu Xun. We talked about the stories one by one, and one by one until we all had a clear understanding of their meaning. After that, we attempted to express it with our body language. We try to use our imagination separate from a translation of words.

Zhao Sihan: I can speak English, so it wasn’t a problem for me.

3 What surprised you most about working with a Canadian theatre company?

Guo Hongbo: Even though my English is not very good and Mimi and Dean don’t know Chinese, we usually seem to share the same understanding. There are no borders in art. For example, the beginning of our adaptation of the story ‘New Year Sacrifice’, the shadow is a wonderfully creative idea that transcends language to tell a story.

Wang Yangmeizi: I was surprised by the physical style of performance. We have only a little training in this form. There is no props on the stage, actors are the props. Actors don’t need to think a lot, they only need to use their expression and body language to tell audiences a story. I think it shares something with cartoon, full of artistic exaggeration. This allows audiences to engage with a sense of humour, not just follow a story.

Zhao Sihan: We try to take advantage of working with our Canadian collaborators throughout the rehearsal process. The director encourages all of our ideas. They don’t say no, but just say ‘Give it a try’. All the people in the play are earnest, and respect each other. Dean and Mimi have many wonderful original ideas.

4 What do you think still makes the works of Lu Xun relevant today?

Guo Hongbo: Just like Chekhov, Lu Xun belongs to the people all over the world. Maybe many people think his writing is aimed at a particular historical period. But in my eyes, his writing tell me about “human nature”, the nobility , ugly, chickenshit, devilishness… All these elements are familiar to anyone, in any country, at any time.

Wang Yangmeizi: I read Lu Xun’s writing when I was a child as part of my schoolwork. But at the time, I found some of it boring. All the stories are full of pain. I don’t like this kind of story at the time. But this time, rereading these stories again, I’m experiencing them differently. Maybe it is full of pain, but there is a sweetness behind the pain. I am glad to work with Dean and Mimi, and have learned much from this process.

Zhao Sihan: This question is too broad to give a single answer to.

Translation by Xie Jingying

Luminato Day 1: NOW and Torontoist pick Lu Xun Blossoms

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:10:00 GMT

As Luminato 2011 kicks off on there has been a barrage of previews articles and predictions from local media about what to see and so at the festival. Local indie publications NOW Magazine and Torontoist have both weighed in and picked Lu Xun Blossoms as a must-see event at the Festival:

Torontoist makes Lu Xun Blossoms a “Best Bet”.

Click here to read more about Lu Xun Blossoms on Torontoist

“Smith-Gilmour has always shown great artistry in telling compelling stories with a minimum of dialogue, and we have high expectations for the blending of their style with that of the Chinese-based performers who co-created the work.”

NOW gives LU XUN blossoms a full length preview on the eve of the festival

Click here to read more about Lu Xun blossoms on NOW

“Theatre Smith-Gilmour has charmed audiences around the world with its staged versions of fiction by Chekhov, Katherine Mansfield and the Brothers Grimm. Now the company turns to an artist almost unknown in the West, Chinese writer Lu Xun, for its latest, LU XUN blossoms. “

Click here to learn more about Lu Xun Blossoms and how to but tickets on the Theatre Smith-Gilmour Website

Michele and Dean with director Tim Supple on Luminato panel at the Art Gallery of Ontario

Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:02:00 GMT

One Thousand and One Nights director Tim Supple is just one of the internationally acclaimed artists appearing on the panel

Many of the shows at this year’s Luminato Festival are adaptions or updates of classic older texts. Obviously Lu Xun Blossoms as an adaptation of a series of short stories by early 20th Century Chinese writer Lu Xun fits into this category, but there are others:

Tim Supple is using a new translation of an ancient Arabic text to create One Thousand and One Nights , director Graham McLaren is creating Andromache – Evie Christie’s adaptation of the 17th Century French classic Racine, which is itself inspired by an ancient Greek text.

What about these stories makes them timeless? What makes them relevant? What are the challenges of bringing a new take to a modern narrative?

Tim Supple, Evie Christie, Michele Smith, Dean Gilmour and special guest Muhsin al-Musawi (Professor of Arabic Literature at Columbia University and one of the Arab world’s leading literary critics) join moderator and Canadian Stage Artistic Director Matthew Jocelyn at the Art Gallery of Ontario on June 18 to discuss these questions and more:

June 18 4:30 PM – 6:00 PM
Jackman Hall, Art Gallery of Ontario
FREE!
317 Dundas Street West, Toronto, ON M5T 1G4
View Google Map for Venue
1 hour and 30 minutes, including Q&A

Click here to learn more about Lu Xun Blossoms

Who was Lu Xun?

Mon, 30 May 2011 12:36:00 GMT

Like Chekhov, he was also a doctor, and his works continued to be acclaimed by the Communist societies that that followed their deaths. The works of Lu Xun are still very popular in China, taught as curriculum in Japan, and because of his leftist past – were banned in Taiwan until the 1980s.

Lu Xun’s work as an artist is highly regarded for both the breadth of works he contributed to and for his lucid yet subtle approach to prose. This style brought him great acclaim early in his career, while it became more problematic for regimes that did not promote “veiled or roundabout discussions”.

In 2007, Asteroid (233547) 2007 JR27 was named after him .

Dean and Mimi on creating Lu Xun blossoms

Fri, 20 May 2011 14:22:00 GMT

Where did the impetus to adapt the works of Lu Xun first come from?

Lu Xun is considered by many the father of contemporary Chinese literature has been held up as analogous to the works of Anton Chekhov in Russia. As a company that has also adapted Chekhov for the stage did you find this to be accurate?

What sorts of research did the company do to have an understanding of pre-Revolution Chinese culture?

Mimi: Lots of research, organically as it came.

Dean: We read a great deal but the real research was improvising with our Chinese colleagues in the rehearsal space day after day searching together for ways of dramatizing the writing of Lu Xun and slowly coming to understand the history inside his writing.

Tickets to Lu Xun Blossoms are on sale now:

Click here to get your ticket

Click here to go to the Facebook Event Page

Click here to learn more about the show

Antonin Artaud and Anais Nin added to TSG fundraiser line up

Thu, 12 May 2011 20:09:00 GMT

Theatre Smith-Gilmour is thrilled to announce two of the 20th Century’s most controversial and groundbreaking artists will be performing at on Sunday May 15th at 6:30pm at The Factory Theatre as part of the company’s annual fundraiser.

Anin , whose journals and sometimes erotic literature shocked a generation, and Artaud the multi-talented theatre artist behind Theatre of Cruelty, will be performing amongst as part of a slate of groundbreaking performers.

Also added to the extravaganza A Sneak Preview of As I Lay Dying starring:
Ben Muir
Dan Watson
Julian DeZotti
Dean Gilmour
Directed by Michele Smith

Click here for the whole line up

Click here for full fundraiser details

Click here to learn more about LU Xun Blossoms at Luminato

All Star Lineup for Theatre Smith-Gilmour Gala Fundraiser

Mon, 09 May 2011 21:27:00 GMT

Coleen MacPherson and Adam Paolozza. Photo by Marc Lemyre

Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s Annual Gala at The Factory Theatre is fast approaching. Taking place on Sunday May 15 at 6:30pm it will also feature performances by some of the hottest names in Toronto indie theatre including:

Adam Paolozza

Lisa Diliberto

Coleen MacPherson

Dan Watson

Christina Serra

A special sneak-preview excerpt of Lu Xun Blossoms

Also at the Gala:

hors d’oeuvres * cash bar * sneak previews * surprises * fabulous silent auction

For more info about the Gala click here!

Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s Annual Gala

Sun, 24 Apr 2011 21:55:00 GMT

Join us on Sunday, May 15 for Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s annual gala fundraiser for a sneak-preview excerpt from Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s Lu Xun Blossoms that will have its North American premiere at Luminato .

DATE
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Factory Theatre Mainspace
6:30 p.m.

TICKETS
$32 Student / Artist $20
Factory Theatre Box Office
416-504-9971
www.factorytheatre.ca
In person at Factory Theatre, 125 Bathurst St. (at Adelaide)

hors d’oeuvres * cash bar * sneak previews * surprises * fabulous silent auction

Gala Grand Prize Draw
Buy a ticket to our May 15 2011 gala fundraiser or make a donation to Theatre Smith-Gilmour by May 31 and be entered into a draw for our Gala Grand Prize: train tickets for from Toronto to Montreal (return) courtesy of Via Rail Canada, two tickets to a Centaur Theatre Company production and a Moleskin Montreal city notebook from Laywine’s Pens & Organizers.

Donations:
416-703-2773 ext. 201 or make a donation securely online through Canada Helps .

Generously supported by:
VIA Rail Canada • Factory Theatre • Centaur Theatre Company

Shanghai premiere 2007

Mon, 18 Apr 2011 15:36:00 GMT

Michele Smith and Zheng Ping at the Macau Cultural Arts Centre- September 2007

This was the last date of the Lu Xun blossoms tour of China in 2007 and Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s second time performing in Macau. The first time was in 2006 with our production Chekhov’s shorts .

From Shanghai to Beijing to Hong Kong to Guangzhou to Macau to Toronto

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 20:47:00 GMT

Lu Xun blossoms poster in Shanghai 2007

The premiere of Lu Xun blossoms took place at the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre May 2007. The show then toured to the People’s Theatre in Beijing, the Hong Kong Cultural Arts Centre, The Sapphire Theatre in Guangzhou and the Macau Cultural Arts Centre.

Now it will have it’s North American Premiere here in Toronto at the Isabelle Bader Theatre during the Luminato Festival.

Click here to check out Lu Xun blossoms on luminato.com

Welcome to Theatre Smith-Gilmour Online

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 19:23:00 GMT

Thanks for taking the time to come explore our new online home and tools at Theatre Smith-Gilmour Online.

This portal was created to begin a conversation with the many audience members and artists the company is interconnected to. Please feel free free to intact with the company online with whichever tools and make sense for you though commenting, liking, sharing, retweeting, or just anonymously enjoying.

Over the next few months in the lead up to Luminato in June 2011, this site will be using these tools to complement and explore Theatre Smith Gilmour’s landmark production LU XUN Blossoms , the first ever Sino-Canadian co-production in theatre. Stay tuned for regular content on this show, the company and the work it creates.

A message from the Co-Artistic Directors

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 15:35:00 GMT

NO ESCAPE (1982) Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith

Dean and Michele in Pasolini Project Sat March 19 at Canadian Stage

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 15:15:00 GMT

Click to learn more on the Theatre Run Website

The Pasolini Project is based on Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1969 tragedy Pylades.

Pasolini’s ecstatic poetry mobilizes the language of Greek tragedy to stage a dramatic debate on democracy and revolution. The play, Pasolini’s relentless critique of Italian culture and politics of the 1960’s, speaks directly to the turbulent socio-political climate of our times.

Presented as part of the Spotlight. Italy Festival
Canadian Stage, Berkeley Street Theatre, Downstairs
26 Berkeley Street

Saturday March 19th, 2011
3:00 – 4:00 pm
FREE

Directed and translated by Adam Paolozza and Coleen MacPherson

Performed by:

Miranda Calderon
Julian De Zotti*
Lisa Marie Diliberto*
Fabio Fabri
Dean Gilmour*
Rebecca Singh*
Michele Smith*
Dan Watson

* appears with permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association

From The Board

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 21:35:00 GMT

To Cry Is Not So (1994) Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith. (l-r)

What magic it is to be part of the audience at a performance that connects, when a simple story achieves heft and resonance.

Something special happened at L’École Jacques Lecoq in the 1970s when Michele Smith and Dean Gilmour began collaborating creatively. And when they brought their magic to Toronto, audiences here fell in love as well. Artists too – each project draws a group of artists into the process – actors, directors, lighting and costume designers, stage managers. Together

They refine and refine, work and refine through trial and error, truth and trust. And then the audience completes the process and can see the thread – fine, silk, glowing: magic. Through this process of development, Dean and Mimi have inspired and nurtured many of Canada’s renowned artists, influencing a generation of theatre professionals.

A steady stream of performers and theatre artists who have worked with Dean and Mimi are weaving what they’ve learned into their roles and projects. Through extensive touring, Theatre Smith-Gilmour has introduced audiences around the world to their powerful productions. Thirty years on, Theatre Smith-Gilmour’s creative process is still arduous and challenging. And the rewards are still worth it for audience and artist alike. We continue to be inspired and challenged by the works Dean and Mimi create.

Throughout 2010, we have been celebrating 30 years of Theatre Smith-Gilmour. In April, we held a terrific gala evening at the Factory Theatre with artists and supporters. In November, we look forward to a re-mount of the Dora Award-winning production Spent at Factory Theatre. Touring and development of new work is on the agenda for 2011. We invite you to continue to share in the magic of Theatre Smith-Gilmour.

Artaud: un portrait en décomposition opens February 16

Sun, 06 Feb 2011 02:33:00 GMT

Artaud: un portrait en décomposition
February 16-19 & 23-26, 2011 8pm

Présentée en association avec/
Presented in co-production with
…
le Théâtre Français de Toronto

À travers ses poèmes et lettres ainsi que par les mémoires de ses amis proches, Artaud: un portrait en décomposition présente une image humaine d’Antonin Artaud.
Surréaliste, poéte, homme de théâtre, – l’expérience de la poésie d’Artaud nous améne vers les frontières de la folie. Artaud: un portrait en décompostion tente d’incarner la vie tumultueux d’Antonin Artaud, génie-fou ou fou-génial.

“La vie est de brûler des questions. ” – Antonin Artaud

Cruelty, madness and beauty.
Through his poems and letters and through the memories of his closest friends Artaud: un portrait en décomposition presents an unflinching theatrical portrait of Antonin Artaud.
We invite you to join us in celebrating the incandescent poetry and sublime violence of Artaud’s language and thought.

“La vie et de brûler des questions. ” -Antonin Artaud

avec/featuring Adam Paolozza
and Coleen MacPherson
mise en scène/direction Michele Smith
éclairagiste/lighting design Kim Purtell

performance en français/performance in French

Billets/Tickets
$20 available at the door
pour résérver/for reservations: theatrerun.ensemble@gmail.com

Dates/
mercredi au samedi 16-19 & 23-26 février 20h
Wednesday to Satuday, February 16-19 & 23-26 @ 8pm

Lieu/Location
THÉÂTRE FRANÇAIS DE TORONTO
Centre de création
21, rue College • Bureau 610*6eme étage/6th floor
Toronto ON M5G 2B3

avec l’assistance genereux du Conseil des Arts de l’Ontario
with the generous assistance of the Ontario Arts Council

Spent reviewed in Ottawa at GCTC

Sat, 05 Feb 2011 21:28:00 GMT

Reviewed by Alvina Ruprecht

Spent made the whole festival worthwhile. This creation, which is in many ways a collective effort, brings together a team of theatre people whose work is a rare phenomenon in English speaking Canada where a theatre of text is the normal fare. Spent on the other hand has realized a break through in this verbal tradition by creating a performance based on the heightened presence of the body, as well as the creation of visual illusions and extremely intelligent textual fragments taken from contemporary writings of the church, from lacanian psychoanalysis and from journalistic analysis of current political events. It also integrates a multitude of linguistic forms, sounds, specific gestures and facial expressions that correspond to the many people who inhabit this country. And it all appears as the result of a heightened sense of theatricality which transforms the most banal occurrence into a highly stylized and exciting event that whets ones appetite for more.

Working closely with a very tighly orchestrated sound scape, both performers move in the most perfect harmony, as their choreography , their gestures, their facial expressions and their speaking styles, set off a theatrical dance that makes time whizz by at an unbelievable rate. I barely saw the hour go by.

Spent in fact creates a magnificent Urban Canadian myth. It tells the story of the Financial crash that hit the world several years ago, how it was reported in the Media and how the near suicide of two traders, produced the ‘Miracle on Bay Street’, a particular Toronto phenomenon that inspired a whole series of events, around the attempted suicide of our two Holy heroes. The sequences produce a breathtaking series of isolated episodes that create the illusion of teetering on the brink of suicide, of falling from the heights of the Bay street Towers. The two men are somehow swept away on a magical ride into the clouds, where they live a heavenly voyage and a hellish nightmare before returning to earth to resolve the financial crisis in Canada.

Using the techniques of silent film, (Laurel and Hardy, Chaplin and many others) where humour, slapstick and pathos come together in the most imaginative way, the two performers then draw on the most amazing rhythm –induced forms of mime, the physical poetry of Marceau Marceau, even Meyerhold’s image of the bio mechanical actor comes to life within this repertoire of all the forms of physical theatre that exist in the Western tradition, along with images inspired by the Lanterna Magica, and from other visual and corporeal based sources this collective of artists has seamlessly integrated them all in their own corporeal poetry.

Note for example the discussion where the two actors recreate a hot debate among a Lacanian psychoanalyst, a Hindu professor, an Anglican minister and an Italian Catholic priest, all talking at once and all reproducing the sounds and the gestures of each of these ‘types who see the world according to their own beliefs and their own cultural heritage. Leaping from such depths of discussion to sizzling broadcasts on BBC television and the final moment when the two holy survivors of the suicide attempt curl up together in their getaway train with their ties flapping in the wind as they eat hot soup out of a can. Such sequences are worthy of the most brilliant moments of classic silent film and will certainly have an impact on the future evolution of theatre in English Canada. I kid you not. What this company has achieved is very important.

Why Not theatre, TheatreRun and Theatre Smith –Gilmour must return to Ottawa sometime soon. They were a breath of fresh air in the theatrical landscape of this city and everyone should have a chance to see them. The problem is that after Spent , everything else might just seem a little bit boring…

If you can only see ONE show at the Undercurrents Festival, Spent must be your choice. Only two performances remain: , one on Saturday at 3 pm and the second on Saturday at 7pm at the Irving Greenberg Centre. Call 613-236-5196 to reserve your tickets.

Alvina Ruprecht

Ottawa, February 3, 2011.

Theatre Smith-Gilmour Online

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2024-25

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2023-24

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2022-23

Orpheus Plays his Lyre

Orpheus Plays his Lyre

Plague Dreams

OVID IN THE TIME OF COVID: THE PLAGUE

Hunger vs Erysichton

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2021-22

vs Handkerchief

A work in progress, an invitation into our process

Dean & Michele at the Venice Biennale 2020

The Right Way

A Short Film

Metamorphoses, a continuation...

Ovid In The Time of Covid

A note from Dean & Michele

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2020-21

Stream As I Lay Dying

A ﻿ s I Lay Dying is no longer available for streaming

Please check out our new short film about the adaptation of Ovid's Metamorphoses

Metamorphoses Postponed

Postponement of Metamorphoses - Due to COVID19

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2019-20

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2018-19

Fall 2018 Workshops with Dean Gilmour

OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators 2017-18

Join us in June for our first draft of Les Misérables

TSG is thrilled to announce their first draft of Victor Hugo’s Les Misérables

Theatre Smith-Gilmour Is Going On Tour!

We are thrilled to be taking As I Lay Dying to three more cities this winter.

Please join us for these special presentations:

OAC Theatre Creators’ Reserve 2016-17

The Assholes: A Cabaret

Click Here to Book Your Tickets Online

Or call the Factory Theatre Box Office at 416-504-9971

OAC Theatre Creators’ Reserve 2015-16

Theatre Smith-Gilmour October Fundraiser

Theatre Smith-Gilmour on the Main Stage at the National Arts Centre

RAVE REVIEWS for Take Me Back To Jefferson

“ Take Me Back to Jefferson : A PHYSICAL-THEATRE TOUR DE FORCE”

“A GRIPPING ADAPTATION…Theatre Smith-Gilmour has created another triumph in Take Me Back to Jefferson by staging what many would consider an unstageable novel, successfully bringing out all its complex themes and cruel ironies”. ✭✭✭✭✩

“DESERVES ITS ACCLAIM…an imaginative and visually stunning performance …Go see this play”

“Staging an adaptation of a Southern Gothic novel is a challenge. Riding an invisible wagon, a challenge. Performing an underwater scene in slow motion, another challenge. Theatre Smith-Gilmour CONQUERED ALL THREE.”

“Theatre Smith-Gilmour…conjure[s] an epic out of thin air…This is a RARE OPPORTUNITY to enjoy a massively intimate spectacle in an intimate space. NOT TO BE MISSED.”

TAKE ME BACK TO JEFFERSON Nov 5 – 23 @ Factory Theatre

GREAT REVIEWS for Death Married My Daughter

‘Death Married My Daughter’ comes to Toronto’s Theatre Centre

A Reflection on 33 Years…

Theatre Creators’ Reserve 2013-14

New As I Lay Dying Promo Video

A New Production – Death Married My Daughter

Julian and Dan: on returning to AS I LAY DYING

The Reviews Are In! Audiences and Critics Love As I Lay Dying

New AS I LAY DYING Trailer on YouTube

AS I LAY DYING World Premiere!

Theatre Creators’ Reserve 2012-13

Michele Smith on ARTAUD: UN PORTRAIT EN DECOMPOSITION

Artaud: un portrait en décomposition

SummerWorks August 10 – 19, 2012

Scotiabank Studio Theatre at Pia Bouman

Dean & Michele on Creating AS I LAY DYING

One Night Only: Special Fundraising Gala Performance of AS I LAY DYING

TSG Annual Fundraising Gala

AS I LAY DYING

April 26 at 6:00 p.m. (performance begins at 7:00pm)

The Theatre Centre 1087 Queen Street West (at Dovercourt)

Julian, Nina, Ben, Dan, and Daniel … on Creating AS I LAY DYING

AS I LAY DYING Rehearsal Photos

TSG’s Annual Fundraising Gala Performance: April 26, 2012 at 6pm

AS I LAY DYING

Thursday, April 26 at 6:00 p.m. (performance begins at 7:00pm)

The Theatre Centre 1087 Queen Street West (at Dovercourt)

Tickets $45* Student/Artist $22*

The Theatre Centre Box Office 416-538-0988

As I Lay Dying

AS I LAY DYING

Chekhov’s Shorts Returns to B.C.

Best Wishes for the Holiday Season and the New Year

A s I Lay Dying is no longer available for streaming