Stage Door News
Stage Door News
To conclude its tenth anniversary season, Toronto Masque Theatre presents its seventh commissioned masque, Europa and the White Bull, by acclaimed composer James Rolfe and celebrated poet/novelist Steven Heighton. It follows last season's commission The Lesson of Da Ji by Alice Ping Yee Ho and Marjorie Chan which won the Dora Mavor Moore award for Outstanding New Opera.
Europa and the White Bull will be presented alongside the Baroque masterpiece Europe by Michel Pignolet de Montéclair. Both works present radically different takes on the myth of Europa, one the most powerful stories of the classical world. Where the de Montéclair work is filled with joy, Rolfe and Heighton have created a work that explores the story's darker themes. This is how Artistic Director Larry Beckwith has described Europa and the White Bull, which imagines an encounter between Europa and her former fiancé, Hiram:
I’m overwhelmed by the many layers of emotion and meaning that Steven and James have created with their new piece. It’s simple, direct and stunning.
This will be Rolfe's third commission from Toronto Masque Theatre. For Heighton it is his first time as a librettist. Here's what he had to say about why this experience had particular meaning for him:
My mother was Greek-Canadian and I grew up hearing Greek myths as bedtime stories, in the way that a child of northern a European background might hear the tales of the Grimm Brothers. So the myths of Ancient Greece formed the bedrock of my narrative imagination. And yet, until now, I've written almost nothing that touches on them directly, whether poetry, fiction, or song. Working on this libretto has not only corrected that gap but also linked me back to childhood and those rich, strange, vital stories.
These two works of musical theatre - one classic, one contemporary - will be presented in an evening of masque stripped down to its bare essentials: a single singer, the celebrated soprano Suzie LeBlanc, a single dancer, Stéphanie Brochard, and a single actor, Martin Julien.
Choreography and direction will be by Marie-Nathalie Lacoursière, with projection design by Alexandre Quessy, costume and prop design by Angela Thomas and lighting by Gabriel Cropley.
The evening will be also include movements from François Couperin’s La Françoise woven between excerpts of works by the ancient Greek poet Moschus and the Roman poet Ovid that illuminate the themes of the myth and provide audiences with a rich presentation of a complex and troubling story.
Artistic Director, Larry Beckwith will lead a baroque ensemble featuring Kathleen Kajioka, Baroque violin; Roseen Giles, baroque flute; Justin Haynes, viola da gamba; Sylvain Bergeron, lute; Christopher Bagan, harpsichord and organ.
More about TMT Commissions
This season Toronto Masque Theatre is not just celebrating ten years as a company but also ten years of commissioning new works. Our first commission, Orpheus and Eurydice, was composed by James Rolfe with novelist André Alexis providing the libretto.
The creation of new works in the spirit of masque has been at the heart of Toronto Masque Theatre right from the very beginning. Our desire with these new commissions is to create a body of Canadian masques that speak to contemporary audiences through this unique art form. Here is a list of the commissioned works that Toronto Masque Theatre has presented over the last decade:
Orpheus and Eurydice (2003-04) - James Rolfe/André Alexis
Two Reaney Songs (2004-05) - Abigail Richardson/James Reaney
Neruda Canciones (2005-06) - Omar Daniel/Pablo Neruda
Aeneas and Dido (2006-07) - James Rolfe/André Alexis
The Mummers Masque (2008-09) - Dean Burry
The Lesson of Da Ji (2012-13) - Alice Ho/Marjorie Chan
Europa and the White Bull (2013-14) - James Rolfe/Steven Heighton.
What
The Myth of Europa: featuring Europa and The White Bull a new work by James Rolfe and Steven Heighton.
When
Fri 25 and Sat 26 April. Both performances at 8 pm. A pre-show chat with Artistic Director Larry Beckwith and guests will be held 45 minutes before each performance.
Where
Trinity-St. Paul’s Centre, 427 Bloor St. W., Toronto.
How
Tickets: $45; $40 (over 65 years) and $20 (under 30 years) available from Toronto Masque Theatre website or by phoning 416 410 4561.
Who
For more information on Toronto Masque Theatre please go to our website.
About Toronto Masque Theatre
Toronto Masque Theatre was founded by Artistic Director Larry Beckwith in 2003 and immediately became a significant player in the City of Toronto’s arts scene. Taking its inspiration from the rich, courtly masque tradition of the late Renaissance, the company celebrates and reinvents the classic masque form for contemporary audiences. Through a blending of the music, dance and drama the company offers clever, intimate, and entertaining productions that are both historically informed and daringly modern.
In ten seasons, the company has produced close to 30 critically-acclaimed multi-disciplinary productions, ranging in repertoire from the late Renaissance to the modern day. They have commissioned seven new works, three from James Rolfe and one each from Omar Daniel, Abigail Richardson, Dean Burry and Alice Ping Yee Ho, as well as presenting music theatre works by Monteverdi, Purcell, Handel, Stravinsky and John Beckwith, plays by Edna St. Vincent Millay, James Reaney, Patrick Garland, and Moliere and "variety" evenings including Commedia, Tears of a Clown, and Masque of the Muses.
Photo: Stéphane Brochard and Suzie Leblanc.
2014-04-03
Toronto: Toronto Masque Theatre ends its 2013/14 season with a new commission from james Rolfe