stage left: still life
Talisman Theatre
October 22, 2024
TEXT CONTENT FROM GRAPHIC ABOVE
Title of production: Still Life
Run dates: October 28th to November 9th, 2024
Performance venue: La Chapelle Scène Contemporaine, 3700 Saint Dominique St., Montreal, Quebec H2X 2X7
Text: Marie-Eve Milot and Marie-Claude St-Laurent
Translator: Rhiannon Collett
Director: Emma Tibaldo
Stage Manager: Elisabeth Nyveen
Give us an elevator pitch of your show.
Still life is a brilliant study of a writer struggling with general anxiety disorder. Severely shaken by a panic attack on her thirtieth birthday, she is bewildered as to the cause--she seems afraid of fear itself and becomes a shut-in! She vows to leave her apartment only when the time is right. But her dark apartment betrays her every move. Alarmed by her retreat from society, her family and friends gather at her door to coax her out. A candid look at anxiety, this feminist play criticizes performance-oriented culture. Still Life illustrates how society responds when one falls short of the accomplishments expected at life's first major milestone. It proposes that art can heal the past and provide future hope.
Why is this play important for audiences to see right now?
With the internet, the world is as connected as it has ever been, and yet we are so disconnected from one another. Social Media makes us feel that everyone else is experiencing success and happiness all the time. On top of this, having recently come out of a global pandemic, we are all feeling very isolated, kind of like the protagonist of Still Life. Seeing art that showcases these very human, but potentially unromantic emotions, can be a cathartic experience.
Do you have any other pieces or artists that have inspired you or have left inspiration on this production?
In Still Life, the 30-year-old is inspired by Nidaa Badwan’s self-portraits that she took while shut up in her one-room apartment. Another inspiration would be intra venus by Hannah Wilke.
In a sentence, tell us about the vision or the message for this production.
Our society suffers from generalized anxiety. And there are twice as many women as men who develop anxiety disorders. We wanted to find out why.
—Marie-Ève Milot co author
What has been this production’s greatest challenge?
Keeping a cast over a long artistic process. We did a residency at Centaur early on and now a full production.
How does this production align with your company’s mission or artistic vision?
Our mission is to produce high quality English translations of quebecois plays: Still Life is a play originally by francophone Quebec authors translated for the Montreal English stage. By 2025 (our 20th anniversary) Talisman will have left its mark as a producer of thought-provoking, engaging theatre and will be recognized as a hub where different communities and artists, across the language divide, meet and work together to bring about inspiring theatre projects.
BONUS QUESTION: If your show had a theme song, what would it be?
Breathin’ - Ariana Grande or Disturbia - Rihanna
Still Life
By Talisman Theatre
October 28 - November 9, 2024
La Chapelle Scène Contemporaine