Writing at night
The National Arts Centre is proud to announce that Nuits claires, a major pan-Canadian project initiated by Mani Soleymanlou, artistic director of NAC French Theatre, and Cory Haas, artistic and managing director of Vancouver’s Théâtre la Seizième, will kick off in a few weeks.
Writing the night: on and during the night, to see what this space liberates by moving away from the usual questions of identity and language. Taking twelve authors on a journey from West to East – against the spindle, in other words – this ambitious adventure will unite them in a creative exploration of the night and its mysteries.
The participants will be chosen to reflect the diversity of the contemporary world, with close supervision by the two dramaturges-accompagnateurs to script and edit the material produced. The project, combining play, nocturnal exploration and transnational collaboration, promises to reveal new voices and visions within the Francophonie in relation to the vital issues of our time.
Writer announcements
ER Simbagoye
Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario (Sudbury)
December 2024 - December is upon us, which marks the start of the residency of ER Simbagoye (he/they)! This bilingual freelance artist made their first step into theatre in 2020, during confinement. They evolve in the artistic community of Sudbury, the city of the Big Nickel… and of course of the Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario. ER will spend some of his nights writing, and his days resting since he views inactivity as an act of resistance, a way of “creating a space for healing and joy.
Amélie Tétrault
Théâtre Cercle Molière (Winnipeg)
November 2024 - Nuits claires continues in November with Amélie Tétrault, a young multidisciplinary artist from Winnipeg who works in both theatre and music. Her writing nights will take place in collaboration with Théâtre Cercle Molière, the oldest permanent theatre company in Canada!
Michael Bowden
La Troupe du Jour (Saskatoon)
October 2024 - Michael Bowden will be the author for the month of October, in collaboration with La Troupe du Jour! He lives in Prince Albert – where, regarding to him, the river freezes in winter, opening up icy trails packed with possibilities –, and his work wants to constitute a constant surprise that inspires dreams for the future.
Josée Thibeault
L'UniThéâtre (Edmonton)
September 2024 - In September, Nuits claires stops in Edmonton! Josée Thibeault will be the author of this month marking the transition between summer and fall. The multidisciplinary artist moved to the Alberta capital 30 years ago, home to L'UniThéâtre, a French-speaking company in operation since 1992.
Geneviève Doyon
Open Pit Theatre (Whitehorse)
August 2024 - After a prolonged first stop in British Columbia – since Cahier Canada got lost in the mail! – the instructions conceived by Danielle Le Saux-Farmer and Gabriel Plante will guide the work of the actress, author and director Geneviève Doyon, artist from Whitehorse where the nights are often the longest of all the cities visited by the project.
Anais West
Théâtre la Seizième (Vancouver)
July 2024 - Voilà, the project is officially launched! And we are delighted to announce that Anais West will initiate the venture in British Columbia. The author will shortly receive, by mail, a Canada notebook with the instructions concocted by Danielle and Gabriel; stay tuned to discover more, throughout the month of July, about Anais’ city, writing process, and nights! This very first step takes place in partnership with Théâtre la Seizième, whose 2024-25 season will mark its 50th anniversary.
Proposed schedule and participating companies
-
Théâtre la Seizième (Vancouver)
July 2024 -
Open Pit Theatre(Whitehorse)
August 2024 -
L’UniThéâtre (Edmonton)
September 2024 -
La Troupe du Jour (Saskatoon)
October 2024 -
Théâtre Cercle Molière (Winnipeg)
November 2024 -
Théâtre du Nouvel-Ontario (Sudbury)
December 2024 -
Théâtre français de Toronto (Toronto)
January 2025 -
La Nouvelle Scène Gilles Desjardins (Ottawa)
February 2025 -
Théâtre de Quat’Sous (Montréal)
March 2025 -
La Bordée (Québec)
April 2025 -
Théâtre l’Escaouette (Moncton)
May 2025 -
Théâtre populaire d’Acadie (Caraquet)
June 2025
A vast French-language writing relay project from Vancouver to Caraquet
Beginning in July 2024, the year-long project will be launched in British Columbia, then progress to New Brunswick in the spring of 2025; each month, each of the twelve companies will designate a playwright whose mission will be to produce a ten-minute text based on playful instructions and constraints developed and sent by Danielle Le Saux-Farmer and Gabriel Plante. Working in tandem, their task will also be to orchestrate the final presentation of the project, a gathering of all the writing segments that will take place in the federal capital in September 2025 as part of the next edition of Zones Théâtrales.
