Theatre Smith-Gilmour Brings Their Original Play to BPAC
Award-winning, Toronto-based theatre company, Theatre Smith-Gilmour (TSG) is bringing their latest original play, Pu Songling: Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, to The Burlington Performing Arts Centre on November 22nd and 23rd.
Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith founded TSG after meeting at the drama School of Jacques Lecoq in Paris in 1978. Together, they have created 40 shows, 19 of which are original plays. Smith and Gilmour have brought their performances to 14 different countries and have collected 10 Dora Mavor Moore Awards and the Montreal English Critics Award. Through TSG, they present artistically significant plays that push boundaries to “communicate stories of universal meaning reflecting ephemeral moments from the chaos of life.”
Their most recent creation, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, is based on the mythical short stories of the 17th century Chinese writer Pu Songling, whose stories about ghosts and foxes blend myth and reality to unveil society’s dark elements. The play’s cast and creatives state that they are drawn to the strange elements of Pu Songling’s writings, particularly his knack for using odd tales to capture poignant and timeless portraits of humanity.
TSG will also host an acting workshop on Saturday, November 23rd from 10 am to 1 pm in BPAC’s Community Studio Theatre. This active participation workshop, led by Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith, explores how to embody a character and story through improvisation and movement to create one’s own theatre. Gilmour and Smith, who are both professionally trained actors and directors, have taught at the National Theatre School and the Shanghai Drama Academy, and they are thrilled to bring their teachings to The Burlington Performing Arts Centre. This workshop is open to the public and all levels of experience are welcome.
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre is thrilled to host TSG as one of many exceptional, artistically driven performing arts experiences offered to Burlington citizens.
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre
440 Locust Street, Burlington, Ontario
Full performance lineup of the 2024-2025 ‘BPAC Presents’ Season is available here:
https://burlingtonpac.ca/events/
facebook.com/BurlingtonPAC | instagram.com/burlington_pac
The Burlington Performing Arts Centre provides the people of Burlington with a broad range of excellent performance opportunities that will both inspire and delight. In our spectacular LEED (Leadership in Environmental Design) GOLD certified facility, BPAC is an inclusive space that combines accessibility with imaginative design and creativity.
Media Contact: David Mason, Marketing & Development Coordinator
Phone: 905.681.2551 x 6318
Email: david.mason@burlington.ca