BACKGROUNDER: New Collaborative Producing Model Supported by Why Not Theatre and Theatre Smith Gilmour

The Independent Creators Cooperative is a new theatre collaboration that brings together three emerging companies supported by two veteran companies in order to present the world premieres of three physical theatre productions to open The Theatre Centre’s BMO Incubator space. These original plays will run in repertory Thursday-Sunday from April 17 to May 18 with previews from April 12-16.

This mini-season of exceptional theatre includes Ahuri Theatre’s Ralph + Lina, Play It Again Productions’ Death Married My Daughter and ZOU Theatre’s Business As Usual.

The productions will be supported through a new collaborative producing model that will provide the producing companies with artistic and administrative mentorships with award-winning creators Theatre Smith-Gilmour (Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith, Co-Artistic Directors) and Why Not Theatre (Ravi Jain, Artistic Director).

Here is some background on each theatre, gleaned from their websites:

1. About Ahuri TheatreAhuri Theatre is an award winning international collective of artists. We strive to bring together that which is usually separated, and to discover the likeness between things which are thought unlike. We do this through live performance, placing people, cultures, languages and ideas in a creative space to be explored, celebrated, challenged, and transformed. Inclusion is at our core: we progressively define, evolve and redefine our creation methods to include everyone in the room regardless of language, culture and ability. We eat, work and play together. We laugh. We make mistakes. And through our common experiences, we strive create something original that can smash preconceived notions, above all, those deemed to be universal.

Our collective was formed in June 2005 out of the collaboration of its founding members at l’École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq. In October 2005, members from 5 different countries traveled to Japan to perform, give workshops and learn about Japanese traditions and culture. Over the following years, we visited each other, created and toured work, led and followed workshops and continued to develop our ever evolving approach to making theatre. The collective continues its activities today led by Haruna Kondo in Japan and Dan Watson in Canada.

We believe we are only as strong as those we are with. Lucky for us, we have some incredible collaborators. We have formed partnerships with arts organizations the Setagaya Public Theatre, Theatre Centre, Theatre Smith Gilmour and Why Not Theatre, government agencies The Norwegian and Canadian Embassies of Tokyo, Educational institutions Universite du Quebec a Montreal, Toho University of Japan and Humber College, and cultural institutions The Japan Foundation of Toronto, The Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre and The Columbus Centre.

http://www.ahuritheatre.com

2. About Play it Again Productionshttp://www.playitagainproductions.com/ More info here: http://theatresmithgilmour.com/2014/02/04/death-married-my-daughter-comes-to-torontos-theatre-centre/

3. About ZOU TheatreZOU is an international theatre company, led by Artistic Director Viktor Lukawski.

The company name is an exclamation borrowed from the French: “Allez! Zou!” (“Off with you! Onwards!”)

We take this word to heart as an impulse to create, to move forward, to never remain stagnant. We are dedicated to: the development and production of original, captivating words for international audiences. We create works that are urgent and relevant; that reflect our cultures and climates; that challenge and provoke the audience; and that seamlessly weave between pathos and humour, between order and chaos. Our works are developed through the joy of playing and movement.http://cargocollective.com/zoutheatre/business-as-usual

4. About the Mentors:

About Theare Smith-GilmourDean Gilmour and Michele Smith met in 1978 while studying at the School of Jacques Lecoq in Paris, France. In 1980, they formed the company and since have created 30 shows, 16 of which were original plays. The company has toured across Canada several times and to 14 countries throughout Europe and Asia. Our work has been nominated for 24 Dora Awards (winning 5), as well as being nominated twice for the Chalmers’ Best Canadian Play Award.

In 2000-2001, Chekhov’s shorts played a total of 22 sold-out weeks with rave reviews at the Factory Theatre in Toronto, the Firehall Arts Centre in Vancouver, Workshop West in Edmonton, the Hong Kong Cultural Arts Centre in Hong Kong, Eastern Front Theatre in Dartmouth and the Saidye Bronfman Arts Centre in Montreal. The show returned to Vancouver for two weeks in March 2002.

Part II of the Chekhov Cycle, Chekhov longs…In The Ravine enjoyed a virtually sold-out run at Toronto’s Factory theatre in February 2002 and was presented at Carrefour International Theatre Festival in Quebec City in May 2002, The Magnetic North Theatre Festival in Ottawa and the Festival des Ameriques in Montreal in May/June 2003. Part III of the Chekhov Cycle, Dr. Chekhov: Ward 6 premiered at the Factory Theatre in 2004 and Part IV, Chekhov’s Heartache premiered at the Factory Theatre in 2005 and was remounted there in 2006.

In 2007 Smith and Gilmour travelled to Shanghai, China to create and perform Lu Xun blossoms with three actors from the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre and three actors from Canada. This show is the first ever Sino-Canadian co-production in theatre. In 2008, the world premiere of Katherine Mansfield was presented in Toronto, to great acclaim and revisited in Spring of 2009. In October 2009, Michelle and Dean partnered with Adam Paolozza and Ravi Jain for the incredibly successful run of SPENT Smith and Gilmour also developed a play based on the stories of the Brothers Grimm, Grimm too which was presented in association with Factory Theatre in February 2010.

Theatre Smith-Gilmour, Why Not Theatre and TheatreRUN presented a return engagement of the Dora-Award winning and critically acclaimed smash hit SPENT at the Factory Studio Theatre, October 29-November 28, 2010.

Their production As I Lay Dying, based on William Faulkner's book of the same name, was presented March 8-31, 2013 at Theatre Passe Muraille to acclaim.

http://theatresmithgilmour.com/

About Why Not TheatreRavi Jain, Artistic DirectorOwais Lightwala, Artistic Producer

Founded in 2007, Why Not Theatre is a Toronto-based theatre company with an international scope. Under the Artistic Direction of Ravi Jain, Why Not has established a reputation as a company synonymous with inventive, experimental, cross-cultural collaborations resulting in shows featuring new Canadian writing, company-devised and site specific shows alongside revitalized interpretations of classics. In recent years, the company has also become known for its presentation of international productions and workshops from diverse cultures and artistic practices, along with support for the development of local emerging artists and companies.

Essential to our creative process are the collisions that arise from our different cultures, languages and experiences provoking us to seek new styles, stories and forms. Our theatre is international in the truest sense of the word: it is created between nations and transcends the borders of race, celebrating all cultures, languages and forms.

“While working in Nairobi, Kenya I learned of Ngugi wa’Thiongo. He was a pioneer of Kenyan theatre, who was exiled for rediscovering a Kenyan theatre, which challenged the British rule and history of the country. Someone wrote of his work, “he was searching for alternative visions of existence”. That phrase has stuck with me ever since, and is the bedrock of everything I do. For our company, it means challenging the status quo and what kinds of stories are being told and who is telling them. “ – Ravi Jain

Guided by our core values of innovation, community and collaboration we strive to play 3 roles:

Create - We develop and produce new work that has gained critical acclaim and has toured across Canada and around the world. Over the last 6 years we have developed over 14 productions, touring to 15 different cities on 4 continents. We strive to be undefinable, creating theatrical experiences that engage an audience beyond the confines of the theatre. Our plays are a reflection of the people we work with, therefore no two shows are alike.

Some of the company’s recent successes include A Brimful of Asha (written and directed by Ravi Jain, starring Ravi’s real life mother Asha Jain), Iceland (written by Nicolas Billon, directed by Ravi Jain) and Spent (Dora award winning collaboration with Theatre Smith Gilmour and Theatre Run), all three are shows we are touring all over Canada and the world.

Present - Why Not Theatre presents the highest quality of international artists and their work to expose artists and audiences to new artistic forms and cultures. We have hosted workshops by artists from companies such as:

Complicite (UK) SITI Company (USA) The Builder’s Association (USA) Peter Brook’s Company (France) Theatre du Soleil (France) Tadashi Suzuki’s Company of Toga (Japan)

We have also hosted productions from Theatre Ad Infinitum (UK) Motley Theatre (India) starring Bollywood star Naseeruddin Shah

Locally, we have partnered on international productions of:A Big Smoke (Theatre Ad Infinitum)

A Fools Life (Ahuri Theatre)

Innovate - Why Not is more than just a theatre company, we are also socially minded entrepreneurs invested in building a healthier performing arts ecology in Toronto. We are experimenting with new producing models in order to address systemic challenges to the development of art and sustaining of artists in Toronto.

We are currently exploring major initiatives which are building innovative partnerships between established institutions like Small World Music, Canadian Stage Company, Toronto Reel Asian Film Festival and The Theatre Centre to build new audiences, and local emerging companies like Suburban Beast, Theatre ZOU, Ahuri Theatre and Play it Again Productions in order to support new work and challenge traditional modes of creation.

http://www.theatrewhynot.org/ ###