Stria

choreographer, performer, text and vocals
Marie-Josée Chartier

director, dramaturge
Ruth Madoc-Jones

set designer
Trevor Schwellnus

sound designer
Thomas Ryder-Payne

lighting designer
Bonnie Beecher

creaturiste
Mathieu René

costume designer
Martha Cockshutt

photographer, archival videographer
Ayelen Liberona

 
photo by Ayelen Liberona

Public Energy presents
Stria
by Marie-Josée Chartier

chartierdanse.com

About Stria

STRIA is the latest solo work by multi-faceted award-winning creator and performer Marie-Josée Chartier.
Inspired by the beautiful and unpredictable terrain of the Badlands, Chartier travels through a mosaic of memories that surface as ‘états d’âme’ (soulstates) only to be transformed into new layers of experience.  Chartier invites the audience to a unique and colourful physical and theatrical expedition.
A somewhat dark, playful and unconventional self-portrait.

Says Marie-Josée, “Stria marks a vital stage in my life as a dance artist. It reveals where I stand in the ‘here and now’ by bringing to the stage my thirty years of experience in the performing arts while continuing to push myself in new directions as an interpreter.”

photo by Elodie Malroux 

Stria and Public Energy
Public Energy’s involvement with Stria is part of the organization’s ongoing commitment to supporting the creative work of Canadian artists. In 2009 and 2010 we hosted week-long creative residencies in Peterborough, during which Marie-Josée was able to work intensely with her collaborators. In 2011 PE is hosting Marie-Josée and her company for a two-week residency at PE’s home venue, the Market Hall, allowing the company to put finishing touches on the work in the very theatre where it will receive its premiere. During this time all the technical elements – sound, lights, set, costume – will be brought together, leading up to Stria’s world premiere on April 28.

Support for the creation and production of Stria has come from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, the Toronto Arts Council, Circuit-Est Centre Chorégraphique (Montréal) and Public Energy (Peterborough).

Support for Public Energy’s residency program comes from the Canada Council for the Arts’ dance program, Support For Creation-Based Collaborations.

About Marie-Josée Chartier
Marie-Josée is a choreographer, performer, director, vocalist, teacher and artistic director of Chartier Danse. Over a distinguished career spanning 30 years as a performer and choreographer she has created over thirty works that have been presented in dance series and festivals across Canada and around the world.Ms. Chartier has received numerous choreographic commissions from solo artists and companies, including How to Wrestle an Angel for Atlas Moves Watching, set on the Peterborough community group Old Men Dancing in 2009.

About Ruth Madoc-Jones (director)
Ruth Madoc-Jones is an award-winning performer, dramaturge and director and co-founder of Les Vaches. Directing credits include The Enormous Radio by Michael Healey (Diaspora Dialogues/Union Station), Madness of the Square by Marjorie Chan  (Cahoots Theatre Projects/Factory Theatre), them & us by Tracy Dawson (Theatre Passe Muraille), Bird Brain by Vern Theissen (LKTYP, 2009 Dora Nomination Best Production ), Stitch – an a cappella opera by Anna Chatterton and Juliet Palmer (Urban Vessel/Free Fall Festival/Theatre Centre, 2008 Dora Nomination Best Opera Production), a nanking winter by Marjorie Chan (Nightwood Theatre/Cahoots Theatre Projects), The Drawer Boy by Michael Healey (Theatre Passe Muraille), The Gladstone Variations – Requiem for a Hotel by Mike McPhaden (Convergence Theatre, 2009 Dora nomination Best Direction & 2007 Outstanding Production – NOW Magazine), Antony and Cleopatra (Shakespeare in the Rough) and Dreary and Izzy by Tara Beagan (Native Earth Performing Arts). Ongoing work in development includes Free as Injuns with Tara Beagan and a new solo work by Marie-Josée Chartier. Upcoming Richard III (Ryerson Theatre School) and Bird (Union Eight Theatre). Ruth was the recipient of the 1998 K.M. Hunter Award and the 2008 John Hirsch Director’s Award. She is a graduate of the Acting Program at the National Theatre School of Canada.

About Thomas Ryder Payne (sound designer/composition musicale)
Thomas Ryder Payne is a Toronto-based producer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and sound designer. He spent six years touring and recording with the Juno nominated band Joydrop, writing their top 10 single “Sometimes Wanna Die” and working under the wing of established producers like Ron St. Germain and GGGarth Richardson. As a producer, Thomas has focused on up-and-coming artists such as Rebekah Higgs, The Populars and Parker, among others and works mostly from his home studio. Recently, Thomas has been spending more and more time as a sound designer and composer for the theatre working with respected directors like Richard Rose and Weyni Mengesha. He won a Dora award for best Sound Design and Composition in 2008.

About Trevor Schwellnus (set Designer/scénographe)
Trevor Schwellnus is a Toronto – based scenographer, designing sets, lighting, and video for theatre. He is currently Resident Designer at the Theatre Centre. He has recently worked with Alameda Theatre(Refugee Hotel), Cahoots (The Madness of the Square), Aluna Theatre (Nohayquiensepa; Madre), Nightwood (Bear With Me), Small Wooden Shoe (Dedicated to the Revolutions), La Corporacion Colombiana de Teatro, Dancemakers, Modern Times, Unspun, Independent Auntie, Obsidian, Jumblies, fu-GEN, among others; as well as choreographers Ame Henderson, Susie Burpee (Fidelity’s Edge, Dead Philosopher’s Limbo). His work has toured across Canada, to Colombia, and Italy. He has 2 Dora Awards for his work with Aluna. Upcoming: La Communion (Aluna Theatre), Relay! (publicrecordings).

About Bonnie Beecher (Lighting Designer/éclairagiste)
Bonnie has designed over 200 productions for theatre, opera and dance. She has ongoing creative collaborations with many companies across Canada including The National Ballet of Canada, The Stratford Festival, The Shaw festival, The Canadian Stage, Soulpepper theatre, Volcano theatre, Ballet Jorgen, The Canadian Opera Company, Opera Lyra, Opera Atelier, and Obsidian theatre. Her international work includes La Traviata for New Zealand Opera, Tristan und Isolde for Mannheim Opera (Germany), Woolf for the Dutch National Ballet, and 12 world premieres for the Kevin O’day Ballett – Mannheim. Recent productions include In Good King Charles Golden Days (Shaw Festival), Lootand awake and Sing (Soulpepper theatre), Love Songs(Queen of Puddings), Namesake 3(firstthingsfirst productions), and TheMagic Flute(Opera Lyra). Upcoming productions include Proarte Danza home season, The Princess and The handmaiden (Lorraine Kisma), Perfumerie (Soulpepper), The Marriage of Figaro (Opera Atelier), One touch of Venus (Shawfestival), and The African Trilogy (Volcano theatre). Bonnie has received 11 Dora nominations and has won the award twice.

About Mathieu René (creaturiste)
Regardless of Medium, Mathieu René remains a Creature Maker, hence the name Créaturiste. He has always been and remains to this day, fascinated by a multitude of visual arts disciplines. Puppetry is his main field of activity, followed closely by mask. It enables him to express himself through a majority of his interest, within the same performance object. He creates, and performs as a puppeteer, for a local and international clientele.He also offers custom workshops in fabricating techniques of puppets, masks, and accessories.
 http://creaturiste.blogspot.com

About Martha Cockshutt (costume designer)
Martha Cockshutt is a Peterborough-based theatre artist. She has been designing sets and costumes for theatre, dance, and performance for over 25 years, and continues to work on collaborative script development, writing, and producing as well. After receiving a degree in Cultural Studies from Trent University, she joined Magic Circus Theatre, eventually becoming resident designer and touring with the company to Greece. She was a founding member of 4th Line Theatre, and spent nine seasons designing, building and performing with the company. In 1999 Artspace (Peterborough’s Artist Run Centre) mounted “Sartor Resartis” a retrospective exhibition of Martha’s design work, featuring costumes from 4th Line productions, collaborations with performance artist David Bateman, and work with Writers Workshop Theatre. With Em Glasspool, Martha co-founded Mysterious Entity Theatre, working as a designer and co-producer. She wrote “Domestic Science” for the company as part of “Skirting the Edge”, which she recently re-designed for an upcoming tour. Martha has been costuming dance since 1987, focussing on work with independent artists. Recent credits include “How to Wrestle an Angel” (Marie-Josée Chartier), “Atlas Moves Watching” (Bill James), and “Canticles” (David Earle) for Old Men Dancing, “Oskorai” for Ryan Kerr, and “Performances May Be Permanent” for Kate Story. Upcoming design work includes “Beside Herself” (Tara Beagan) for Mysterious Entity, and “The (Post)Mistress” (Tomson Highway).