Wildfire (2023)

WHEN AND WHERE :
Online: To be announced
Original French production by Homme Allumette, directed by Philippe Cyr

Program

TEAM : More...
Text : David Paquet;
Translator : Leanna Brodie;
English version led by : Jon Lachlan Stewart;
Stage Manager : Ava Bishop.

PLAYERS : More...
Claudie, Carole : Julie Tamiko Manning;
Claudine, Caroline : Kathleen Stavert;
Claudette, Clément : Davide Chiazzese.

ORIGINAL DESIGNERS : More...
Set and Costume Design : Odile Gamache;
Lighting Design : Cédric Delorme Bouchard;
Sound Design : Mykalle Bielinski.

The Talisman-commissioned translation of Wildfire was developed in collaboration with Playwrights' Workshop Montréal.

SYNOPSIS : Opening with a curse from a strange baby, featuring a cast of socially offbeat characters, a caged child, a murderous pet tarantula and a dead cat, Wildfire is a tragicomedy as fiercely dark as any from classical Greece. Structured as a multi-generational triptych, it tells the story of six characters trying to escape a toxic family heritage. In this magnificently constructed spiral of fatality, Paquet attacks our failing collective consciousness and the ensuing general apathy.

REVIEWS:

montreal rampage : "The performances by the actors is... outstanding. [...] Wildfire is devilish and delightful. ... The result is satisfying and the production is a great success."
--Rachel Levine, 2023-01-17.

Sur les pas du spectateur : "'Consumed' (!) and very satisfied by Wildfire. [...] The text is rich, the exchanges lively and, even if it is in English, I am very, very attentive and often laugh too!"
--Robert St-Amour, 2023-01-17.

atavu.ca : Wildfire "is brilliantly interpreted by Julie Tamiko Manning, Kathleen Stavert and Davide Chiazzese. Hats off to the artists!"
--Jérôme Bouclet, 2023-01-18.

forgetthebox.net : Wildfire ": A Perfect Tension ... Lots of folks aim for this vibe, but this strikes the chord. ... I don’t often go to plays, but when I do, I want them to be this good."
--Dawn McSweeney, 2023-01-19.

westmountmag.ca : "I would go to see anything one of these actors is in, and here are all three in one play! Besides, where else can you see a play that includes a 'murderous pet tarantula'?"
--Byron Toben, 2023-01-19.

CJAD iHeartRADIO : "Wildfire is a biting, witty surreal romp, with a spare but gorgeous staging, and delicious acting."
--Sarah Deshaies, 2023-01-20.

theatrefunhouse : "The Wildfire of the title becomes volcanic in Stavert's devastating delivery of this climactic tale of lust and horror... Well worth catching."--Jim Burke, 2023-01-23

mcgilltribune.com : "Wildfire is a blazing success... sardonic humour and twisting, cyclical storyline will offer audience members on both sides of the aisle plenty to talk about."--Dana Prather, 2023-01-24

Instagram : "Wildfire was sublime! Such an incredible and inspiring piece. The text is layered, complex, innovative and human and the performances are so unique, rich, full and stunning."
--erinjlindsay, 2023-01-16.

Facebook : "Wonderfully, powerful and playful performance. Make sure you go!!!"
--Lisa Marcovici, 2023-01-20.

Instagram : "Stunning! Impreccable performances. Superb theatrical storytelling."
--Joan Mcbride, 2023-01-20.

Facebook : "This is such an amazing play and the bunch of anglophone actors bringing it to life are great thespians. I'm so happy for you guys!"
--ZoneCulture, 2023-01-23.

Facebook : "I saw WILDFIRE tonight. A gem! Congratulations, Kathleen Stavert, Julie Tamiko Manning, Davide Chiazzese."
--Rosina Bucci, 2023-01-24.

"WILDFIRE was truly one of the more thrilling pieces of theatre I've seen this side of the Anglo theatre in a long time (maybe ever?)"
--Chelsea Dab Hilke, director, dramaturg, producer, 2023-01-24.

See all of our Past Productions.

Leanna Brodie, Translator

Leanna is an award-winning actor, playwright, and translator whose passions include lifting up the stories and voices of women as well as championing a new generation of French-Canadian playwrights by transmitting their extraordinary theatrical visions into the English language. She won Vancouver's 2019 Jessie Award for Best New Play for her translation of David Paquet's The Shoe. She also won the Safewords National New Play Prize in 2018 for her translation of Olivier Sylvestre's The Paradise Arms.

English version led by Jon Lachlan Stewart

Jon is a bilingual theatre artist and artistic director of Surreal SoReal Theatre in Montréal, who specializes in physical theatre and movement, new creations, and puppetry. Some directing and creation credits include Macbeth Muet, The Little Prince: Reimagined (Crows’ Theatre puppet production) and the upcoming Cycle (adaptation of an Israeli graphic novel). Recent Surreal SoReal productions include Jonathan: a Seagull Parable featuring actors and dancers living with physical disability, and The King Stinks, a grotesque political satire with puppets. Jon is also a full time actor and performer, and has worked in many productions around Canada. In upcoming years, Jon will be producing Erin Shields’ Beautiful Man (Beau Gars) at Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui and developing a new puppetry piece in residence called The Impossible Light.

Based on the original French production directed by Philippe Cyr

Philippe Cyr is a graduate of the École supérieure de théâtre de l'UQAM where he also completed his master's degree. He co-founded, l'Homme allumette in 2006, a theatre company dedicated to contemporary creation, and presented an adaptation of Jean-Paul Daoust's poetic text Les cendres bleues and Sarah Berthiaume's Selfie during a creative residency at the Centre du Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui. Philippe is now the general and artistic director of l'Homme allumette. He also created Le brasier by David Paquet at the Centre du Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui, a show that was remounted three times and toured the stages of the Maison de la culture de Montréal and elsewhere in Quebec.

He co-directed the iShow (AQCT Award 2013 - best Montreal production) which is touring in Canada and France. He directed J'aime Hydro by Christine Beaulieu (AQCT Award 2017 - best Montreal production) which was presented at the FTA, Théâtre La Licorne, Usine C, Théâtre La Bordée, Théâtre Maisonneuve, and is on tour throughout Quebec and France. Philippe is the director of Ariane Moffatt's INCARNAT and co-director of the film of the same name. Also in 2021, he directed the play CORPS TITAN by author Audrey Talbot, presented at Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui. He regularly contributes to academic life at UQAM and the National Theatre School of Canada. In August 2021, he became Artistic Director and co-Executive Director of Prospero Theatre.

Ava Bishop, Stage Manager

Ava Bishop is a Montreal-based stage manager. She is a graduate of the National Theatre School's Production Design and Technical Arts program. Selected Stage Management Credits: Jonathan: A Seagull Parable (Surreal SoReal Theatre/Geordie Theatre), The Future is Another Country (Boulouki Theatre), Law of the Land (Caravan Farm Theatre), DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME (Northern Lights Theatre), Legends of Countr (Stage West Theatre).

Julie Tamiko Manning (Claudie, Carole)

Julie is an award-winning actor and theatre creator from Montreal. Selected acting credits include: Vic & Flo Saw A Bear and Rock, Paper, Jackknife… (Talisman), From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea (Geordie Productions), Jonathan: A Seagull Parable (Surreal SoReal/Geordie), Paradise Lost (Centaur), Jean Dit (Théâtre D'Aujourd'hui), Butcher (Centaur), Top Girls (Segal Centre) and Othello (Scapegoat Carnivale/Segal).

Her first play Mixie and the Halfbreeds (with Adrienne Wong) about mixed identity in multiple universes, was first commissioned as a radio play by CBC, then adapted for the stage for Neworld Theatre in Vancouver. Her second play The Tashme Project: The Living Archives (with Matt Miwa) a verbatim retelling of the Japanese Canadian internment experience, produced in Montreal in 2015 and 2018, recently toured and was published by Canada Playwrights’ Press in 2019. She is currently finishing her third play, Mizushōbai- The Water Trade.

She has been a mentor for Imago Theatre’s mentorship program, ARTISTA, Black Theatre Workshop’s AMP and co-facilitator for the Arrivals Legacy process with Diane Roberts. Julie is a proud Sansei (third generation) Japanese Canadian.

Kathleen Stavert (Claudine, Caroline)

Kathleen holds an M.A. in Classical Acting from The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London, UK as well as B.F.A. Specialization in Theatre Performance from Concordia University. Selected theatre credits include Imago Theatre’s production of Other People’s Children (Hanna Moscovitch) at the Centaur Theatre; the Austrian tour of Molière’s L’École Des Femmes (Vienna’s English Theatre); and the role of Imogen in Cymbeline (Les Foules, UK). You may have seen her as a recurring character in the acclaimed TV show Le Temps Des Framboises. She's also appeared in films in Alert, STAT, Fatal Vows and Blind Trust. In London she won the UK Monologue Slam L.A. edition for her performance in a self-penned monologue entitled The Fernsdale Wyoming Spelling Bee Competition.

Wildfire will be Kathleen's third show with Talisman Theatre, she played the role of Julie in Me & You (2016), and Rose in Clean Slate (2019).

Davide Chiazzese (Claudette, Clément)

After graduating from the Professional Theatre Program at John Abbott College, where he was awarded both the Karla Napier Scholarship and the Pamela Montgomery Award, Davide became an Artistic Associate of Teesri Duniya Theatre. During his time there, he performed in main stage productions, staged readings and began his training as a director by completing a comprehensive directing mentorship in collaboration with The Other Theatre’s Stacey Christodoulou. Davide was also invited to Black Theatre Workshop’s Artist Mentorship Program in its inaugural year, as part of the directing program. Davide has also appeared in a number of commercials, television series and films such as The Lottery, Helix, Being Human and X-Men: Apocalypse.

Jordan Goldman : ASL interpreter-Performer

Jordan is based in Montréal. He has previously interpreted performances include: Tribes, The Secret Annex, Bad Jews, Asher Lev, How to Disappear Completely, What’s in a Name?, Master Harold and the Boys, Marjorie Prime, A Doll’s House: Part 2, Small Mouth Sounds, and Dracula: Comedy of Terrors, (Segal Centre); Hana’s Suitcase, Beethoven Lives Upstairs, Jabber, Reaching for Starlight, Persephone Bound, FOMO, and Frankenstein (Geordie Theatre); Twelfth Night, and A Christmas Carol (The National Arts Centre); Jonathan Van Ness Gala, and The Rick Mercer Gala (Just for Laughs); No Languages Allowed (Montréal Improv/Seeing Voices Montréal);and SKIN and Logic of the Worst (Théâtre La Chapelle).

Jennifer Manning : Deaf-ASL Interpreter-Performer

Jennifer has over 20 years of experience as a multidisciplinary artist in theatre, Deaf music, and poetry. Selected productions include: Dracula (2022, Segal Centre); Frankenstein (ASL Consultant, 2022, Geordie Productions), Les Waitress sont tristes (LSQ Consultant, 2022, Joe Jack et John), tours of Myth of the rare hand (LSQ performer, 2021-23, L'Oeil Éveillé); Guérilla de l'ordinaire (2019, Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui); and Traversée (2018-19, Voyageurs immobiles).

Jennifer Roberts : ASL-Interpreter-Performer

Jennifer is based in Montréal. Her previously interpreted performances include: Small Mouth Sounds, Mythic, A Doll’s House: Part Two, and Children of God (Segal Centre); Around the World in 80 Days, Little Witch, Reaching for Starlight, and Celestial Bodies (Geordie Theatre); Jonathan Van Ness Gala (Just for Laughs); No Languages Allowed (Montréal Improv/Seeing Voices Montréal); Silent Dinner (OPTICA); and shows from various festivals such as Luminato, SOUND OFF, Phénomena, and FOLDA/SpiderWebShow.

Odile Gamache : Set and Costume Designer

Odile has been working on Montreal stages as a set and costume designer since 2013. Upon leaving the National Theater School of Canada, she allied herself with the director Félix-Antoine Boutin and together they founded the company of performing arts Creation dans la chambre. Focusing their research on the sacred, the private and the political in unusual settings, this year they are completing their eighth collaboration on the production Les larmes amères by Petra Von Kant, recently presented at the Prospero Theater. In addition to her company's activities, she designed the scenography for around forty dance and theater shows, including four under the direction of Philippe Cyr, with whom she has had a close collaboration since 2016, notably on Le brasier (2016-2019), Prouesses et épouvantables digestions du redouté Pantagruel (2018), Ce qu’on attend de moi (2017-2019) and, not forgetting, the documentary piece by Christine Beaulieu, J'aime Hydro (2016-2019) which still runs today through Quebec since its creation.

Cédric Delorme-Bouchard : Lighting Designer

Lighting designer, scenographer and director, Cédric Delorme-Bouchard has signed more than 150 designs for theater, dance and opera. His designs have been shown in more than fifteen countries between North America, South America, Europe and Asia. On the Montreal scene, we can note his recurring collaboration with renowned directors. As a stage director and artistic director of Chambre Noire, he directed the staging and design of Lamelles (Usine C, 2018 and Théâtre du Trillium, Ottawa, 2019), Dispositif (Tangente, 2019) and the opera Le vaisseau-cœur (Bourgie Hall of the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, 2019). He is currently artist in residence at Usine C. In addition to his practice as a designer, Cédric has been a coach, internship supervisor and lecturer for various educational institutions including the National Theater School of Canada, UQAM, Concordia University, Show Business School as well as Cégep de Brébeuf and Cégep de Lanaudière.

Mykalle Bielinski : Sound Designer

Mykalle practices singing, theatrical interpretation, musical composition and poetic and scenic writing. Her works are sensory concerts between music, orality, spirituality and relational art and where the voice embodies a research on being and the sacred. In 2015, she created Gloria (Operaestate, La Chapelle Scènes contemporaines, Mois Multi, CAM en tour, PushOFF, Re: flux, OFFTA), a 360° multimedia solo sung in 6 languages, then Mythe in 2019 (Espace libre, Mois Multi, OFFTA) where a choir of women celebrates impermanence to reconcile us with our finitude. A graduate of UQAM in theatrical performance and intern at Eugenio Barba's Odin Teatret, she also collaborates as a musician, actress or sound designer with, among others, Mélanie Demers, Édith Patenaude, Véronique and Gabrielle Côté, Frédéric Blanchette, Jocelyn Pelletier, Philippe Cyr, hybris projects and many others.