The Suburban previews Persephone Bound: “A rare find: a visually and aurally stunning piece of theatre that tackles a difficult subject with great sensitivity” – Micheline Chevrier, Director
Read on The Suburban’s website: Geordie Theatre and Imago Theatre in association with The Screaming Goats Collective present Persephone Bound
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From November 15-24 at the D.B. Clarke Theatre, two award-winning companies, Imago Theatre and Geordie Theatre, are collaborating for the first time to present Persephone Bound, a production in association with The Screaming Goats Collective. Persephone Bound is a contemporary adaptation of the Greek myth of Persephone that tells the story of a young woman’s courage in breaking the silence around her experience of surviving sexual assault. The play uses stunning poetry, percussion, and aerial circus work to explore the need for education around consent.
“The story of Persephone Bound is personal. When it is performed, we know that one in four women in the audience are survivors themselves. These people are our friends, our sisters, and our classmates. Our goal is to give a voice to all these survivors and to begin a dialogue, especially with younger people, about sexual assault,” stated co-creator, performer and co-Artistic Director of The Screaming Goats Collective, Léda Davies
“The urgency supporting the heart of Persephone Bound is driven by the need to give agency, and to reclaim voice and power for young people who have lived through our heroine’s story. We cannot ignore that sexual assault is happening within our young communities; theatre has always been a vessel for important stories to be given light and this journey is a platform for important dialogue to be given space between audiences of all ages,” added Artistic Director of Geordie Theatre, Mike Payette.
“Persephone Bound is a rare find: a visually and aurally stunning piece of theatre that tackles a difficult subject with great sensitivity,” stated Director and Artistic Director of Imago Theatre, Micheline Chevrier
Persephone Bound follows a young woman’s journey through three vivid realms:
The Underworld – a college party that holds the painful memory of her experience of sexual assault
The Court – a bureaucratic hell-sphere where she pursues her fight for justice
The River (Styx) – a liminal internal space where she grapples with grief, the ambiguity of memory, and the trauma of an event that has left an indelible mark on her life
The play features an award-winning Canadian team including the cast – Léda Davies (co-creator and Persephone), Jed Tomlinson (co-creator and Judge Justice) and Eric Nyland (Hades) and the creative team – Micheline Chevrier (Director), Diana Uribe (Set and Costume Designer), Martin Sirois (Lighting Designer), Lucie Vigneault (Movement Director), Elaine Normandeau (Stage Manager), Katey Wattam (Assistant Director) and Danna-Rae Evasiuk (Assistant Stage Manager).
Imago Theatre, Geordie Theatre and The Screaming Goats Collective are bringing their respective mandates to center feminist stories, bring engaging and thought-provoking theatre to young audiences, and expand form through interdisciplinary practice to the telling of Persephone Bound. The play explores urgent topics like the failure of the legal system to bring justice to survivors of sexual assault; gender and power; and the insidiousness of rape culture on university campuses and throughout our society as a whole. Through this unique interdisciplinary and imaginative retelling of a classic myth, these three companies are collaborating to bring enchantment, empowerment, and impactful exchange to Montreal audiences.
- PUBLIC PERFORMANCES: November 15 to November 24, 2019
- ASL – INTERPRETED PERFORMANCE (in partnership with Seeing Voices Montreal): November 23 at 4pm.
- VENUE: D.B Clarke Theatre – Pavillion Henry F. Hall Building – 1455 de Maisonneuve West, Montreal.
- AGE RECOMMENDATION: 13+
- BOX OFFICE AND INFORMATION: (514-845-9810 or www.geordie.ca
Imago Theatre offers a Pay-What-You-Decide initiative to increase access to theatre for all. Pay-What-You-Decide tickets for Persephone Bound will only be available 15 minutes before the show. Read more about Pay-What-You-Decide at www.imagotheatre.ca.
—Geordie Theatre — www.geordie.ca
—Imago Theatre — www.imagotheatre.ca
—Screaming Goats Collective
—AB
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