Angélique

April 3–21 2019, Mainspace Theatre

#AngeliqueTO

Running Time: 105 minutes
Recommended for ages 16+

Written by Lorena Gale
Directed by Mike Payette

Factory and Obsidian Theatre Company present a Black Theatre Workshop and Tableau D’Hôte Theatre co-production

Based on the true story of Marie Joseph Angélique, an enslaved Black woman who was hanged for setting fire to Montréal in 1734, Lorena Gale’s award-winning 1998 classic draws a line from Canada’s relatively unknown past to our contemporary struggles with racism. Combining historical fact with a thrilling live score and an electrifying script, this musical play gives a vibrant account of Canadian Black history beyond the Underground Railroad.

Content Warning

Angélique contains herbal cigarettes, smoke, strobe lighting, strong language and themes of sexual abuse.

L to R: Jenny Brizard, PJ Prudat. Set & Costume Design by Eo Sharp, Lighting Design by David Perreault Ninacs, Photo by Andrew Alexander

L to R: Olivier Lamarche, Jenny Brizard. Set & Costume Design by Eo Sharp, Lighting Design by David Perreault Ninacs, Photo by Andrew Alexander.

L to R: Jenny Brizard, Omari Newton. Set & Costume Design by Eo Sharp, Lighting Design by David Perreault Ninacs, Photo by Andrew Alexander

L to R: Jenny Brizard, Karl Graboshas. Set & Costume Design by Eo Sharp, Lighting Design by David Perreault Ninacs, Photo by Andrew Alexander.

About the Playwright

Lorena Gale

Born in Montreal, Lorena Gale was an award-winning actress, director and writer who worked extensively in theatres across Canada. Her first play Angelique was the winner of the du Maurier National Playwriting Competition and was nominated Outstanding New Play in Calgary’s Betty Mitchell Awards 98. Her solo performance, je me souviens: memories of an expatriate anglophone, Montrealaise, Quebecoise exiled in Canada, premiered in Eastern Front Theatre’s On the Waterfront Festival in Halifax and was produced at One Yellow Rabbit’s High Performance Rodeo in Calgary, The Firehall Theatre in Vancouver and the Belfry Theatre in Victoria.

Lorena passed away on June 21, 2009.

About the Director

Mike Payette

Mike Payette is a Montréal-based actor and director who has appeared on some of Canada’s finest stages including The Citadel, MTYP, Vertigo, The Grand, Factory Theatre, Neptune, and the National Arts Centre, as well as with great local companies Geordie Productions, Black Theatre Workshop, Imago, Repercussion Theatre, and the Segal Centre for Performing Arts among others. Directing credits include the Montréal premieres of A Line in the Sand, Elizabeth Rex, Harlem Duet, Another Home Invasion, and the Montréal English-language premiere of Michel Tremblay’s Hosanna from which he won a META for Outstanding Direction. He is the co-founder and former Artistic Director of Tableau D’Hôte Theatre, a founding member of Metachroma Theatre, has served as Artist-in-Residence for Neworld Theatre in Vancouver, and was Assistant Artistic Director for Black Theatre Workshop. Last year, Mike was appointed as the new Artistic Director of Geordie Productions and he thanks both his family at work and home for their tireless support.