Author Archives: Orlando Lopez

METAs Season 2020-2021 Update

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Dearest Montreal English Theatre Community, 

As we continue to navigate the 2020-2021 season, the METAs Committee has been reflecting on what role the METAs should play at this time, and examining the ways in which we can honour our mandate while we adapt to the current reality brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

After much deliberation, the METAs Committee has decided that it will suspend METAs Jury responsibilities for the remainder of the season, while the Committee works to integrate sustainability models that allow us to better serve our cherished community.  

 
We recognize that this pandemic continues to have lasting impacts on our ability to create and attend theatre. Many of us have had to re-examine our roles as artists, and many have had to adapt unexpectedly to new territory in terms of creative process. Creating art – any art – in these difficult times is an outstanding achievement unto itself. With theatre companies, artists and audiences in such varying stages of recovery and response, we do not feel that work can be evaluated equitably this year using the pre-existing METAs framework.

Additionally, we feel strongly that now is a time of reflection, as we continue to examine our standards of excellence, and what it means for our work to be outstanding. We also seek to ensure that the METAs process is an inclusive and equitable process, and that these values are supported and maintained responsibly, and sustainably.

Over the next few months, we will endeavour to create space and opportunity for community dialogue about the METAs, and to establish new policies that will help us celebrate and elevate our community as a whole, as we continue to grow and evolve.


We acknowledge that many of our peers have been working hard to continue creating and sharing work ever since our stages were first shut down in 2020. We also anticipate that new work in a variety of formats will be taking place as the season continues. We haven’t forgotten about you and we would love to honour these amazing achievements in some way. Instead of a traditional awards show this fall, we hope to create a community event (or series of events) where we can celebrate the resilience and creativity that exist in our community. This would allow us to not only collectively reflect on everything that has happened this past year, but also to look forward to what comes next.

In the meantime, if you have any thoughts you would like to share with us, you can reach the METAs Committee at metac@metas.ca, for any questions or feedback.

With love,

The METAs Committee

Save The (New) Date! The 8th Annual METAs (Virtual) Ceremony Moves to November 29, 2020

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Save the (new) date! The METAs Committee is working hard to bring you this year’s ceremony virtually, and in order to give you the best show we possibly can, we’re moving the date. Join us Sunday, November 29, 2020 for this year’s virtual ceremony! Stay tuned to find out this year’s hosts, behind the scenes moments, and fun throwbacks of past ceremonies. See you real soon!

Announcing the METAs Nominees for the 2019-20 Season

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Montreal – September 21st, 2020 – For the first time in its history, the Montreal English Theatre Awards Committee announced the nominees for this year’s Awards Ceremony during a live streamed event. The Montreal English Theatre Awards (METAs) recognize and celebrate the outstanding artistic work of the individuals and companies that comprise Montreal’s English Theatre community. Established in 2012, the peer-juried awards exist to promote professional and emerging English theatre artists and companies, to heighten their visibility both regionally and beyond, and to elevate the level of critical discourse about theatre in Montreal amongst artists and with the community at large.

This season was completely unprecedented due to COVID-19 and the cancelation of public gatherings in the spring and summer months. Despite this upheaval, 17 productions were registered for the METAs during the 2019-2020 season. The METAs Jury has selected a robust 75 nominations, and will be awarding 18 trophies at the Ceremony: 16 peer-juried-awards and 2 honorary awards.

This year’s 8th annual Ceremony, presented in partnership with the Conseil des arts de Montréal,  will take place on Sunday, November 8th and will be streamed live. [UPDATE: Save the (new) date! The Ceremony has now been moved to November 29, 2020]

The full list of nominees follows.

1. Outstanding Lead Performance – Actor

  • Andreas Apergis – Small Mouth Sounds 
  • Stephen Booth – Fear of Missing Out
  • Bruce Dinsmore – Billy Bishop Goes to War
  • Matthew Kabwe – MOB
  • Paul Van Dyck – Going Up

2. Outstanding Lead Performance – Actress

  • Kelly Craig – Going up 
  • Alex Petrachuk – Chattermarks
  • Adrianne Richards – MOB
  • Amelia Sargisson – Paradise Lost
  • Warona Setshwaelo – Small Mouth Sounds

3. Outstanding Supporting Performance – Actor

  • Nick Carpenter – Billy Bishop Goes to War
  • Marcel Jeannin – Paradise Lost
  • Amir Sàm Nakhjavani – Winter’s Daughter
  • Dakota Jamal Wellman – Simone, Half and Half
  • Jake Wilkinson – Paradise Lost

4. Outstanding Supporting Performance – Actress

  • Susan Bain – MOB
  • Rebecca Gibian – Paradise Lost
  • Alexandra Laferrière – Simone, Half and Half
  • Julie Tamiko Manning – Paradise Lost
  • Jennifer Roberts – Simone, Half and Half

5. Outstanding Ensemble

  • Mythic – Julia McLellan, Heather McGuigan, Jessica Gallant, James Daly, Aadin Church, Patrick Park, Jacob Sheffield, Matt Raffy, Kathline Greco, Megan Brydon, Alexia Gourd & Eva Petris
  • Persephone Bound – Léda Davies, Eric Nyland & Jed Tomlinson)
  • The Water Chronicles – Stephen Booth, Chloe Giddings & Chadia Kikondjo

6. Outstanding Set Design

  • Sophie El-Assaad – The Water Chronicles
  • Bruno-Pierre Houle – Small Mouth Sounds
  • James Lavoie – MOB
  • Félix Poirier – Please Thrill Me
  • Diana Uribe – Persephone Bound

7. Outstanding Costume Design

  • Louise Bourret – Mythic
  • Sophie El-Assaad – Chattermarks
  • Sophie El-Assaad – Small Mouth Sounds
  • Sophie El-Assaad – The Water Chronicles
  • Anne-Sophie Gaudet – Please Thrill Me

8. Outstanding Lighting Design

  • Julie Basse – Alice and the World We Live In
  • Martin Sirois – MOB
  • Martin Sirois – Persephone Bound
  • Martin Sirois – Small Mouth Sounds
  • Ted Stafford – Please Thrill Me

9. Outstanding Sound Design and / or Music Composition

  • Devon Bate – Chattermarks
  • Nick Carpenter – Billy Bishop Goes to War
  • Rob Denton – Small Mouth Sounds
  • Oran Eldor, Nick Burgess & Lucie Cauchon – Mythic
  • Nataq Huault & Sean Nicholas Savage – Please Thrill Me

10. Outstanding Contribution to Theatre

  • Aerial Circus Team – Persephone Bound
    Chris Campbell – MOB – (Translation)
  • Haui – Simone, Half and Half – (Video Design)
  • Purple Divine – Going Up – (Site Specific/Immersive Production)
  • Band – Mythic – (Live Music)
  • Band – Please Thrill Me – (Live Music)

11. Outstanding New Text (Original or Adaptation)

  • Michaela Di Cesare – Fear of Missing Out
  • Kiki Dranias – Going Up
  • Christine Rodriguez – Simone, Half and Half

12. Outstanding Emerging Artist(s) – Performance

  • Chloe Bilodeau – Blue Stockings
  • Stephen Booth – Fear of Missing Out / The Water Chronicles
  • Chadia Kikonjo – Fear of Missing Out / The Water Chronicles
  • Darragh Mondoux – Blue Stockings
  • Jake Wilkinson – Paradise Lost

13. Outstanding Emerging Artist(s) – Production

  • Kiki Dranias – Going Up – (Playwright and Producer)
  • Mahalia Golnosh Tahririha – Paradise Lost – (Assistant Direction)
  • HeatherEllen Strain – Small Mouth Sounds (Stage Management)
  • Jaclyn Turner – Winter’s Daughter – (Projection Design)

14. Outstanding Direction

  • Sophie Cadieux – Please Thrill Me
  • Dean Patrick Fleming – Billy Bishop Goes To War
  • Zach Fraser – The Water Chronicles
  • Caitlin Murphy – Small Mouth Sounds
  • Andrew Shaver – MOB
  • Jen Viens – Going Up

15. Outstanding Independent Production

  • Chattermarks – Cabal Theatre
  • Going Up – Purple Divine
  • Please Thrill Me – Ballet Opéra Pantomime

16. Outstanding PACT Production
Presented in partnership with the Conseil des arts de Montréal

  • MOB – Centaur Theatre Company
  • Paradise Lost – Centaur Theatre Company
  • Persephone Bound – Geordie Theatre, Imago Theatre & Screaming Goats Collective
  • Small Mouth Sounds – Segal Centre for Performing Arts
  • The Water Chronicles – Geordie Theatre

In addition to the preceding juried awards, the following honorary awards will be bestowed during the live streaming METAs Ceremony on November 8th. These awards are community nominated and chosen by a small jury of peers.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Award 

Presented in partnership with the Conseil des arts de Montréal

Established to encourage practices of access and inclusion, the EDI recognizes those who embrace the range of cultures, identities, and abilities that make up and enrich our city.

Unsung Hero of the Theatre (UHOT) Award

Celebrating those in our community who too rarely get the public recognition they deserve, the UHOT honours a deserving member of a production or administrative team working behind the scenes.

We are currently accepting submissions for both honorary awards until October 18th: http://metas.ca/awards/honorary-awards/


For more information, please contact us at communications@metas.ca

July 8, 2020: Join the METAs Committee!

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The Montreal English Theatre Awards Committee is looking for new members to join its volunteer Committee. Our mandate is to serve the vibrant Montreal theatre scene by recognizing and celebrating outstanding work in the community. Candidates from all backgrounds, experience levels and gender identities are encouraged to apply.

METAs Committee members will be expected to commit to a three-year mandate, although tasks and responsibilities may be subject to change during that time. While the Committee prides itself in being understanding and flexible in regards to schedules (we are all volunteers, after all), there will be a significant time commitment required, especially leading up to the ceremony. Applicants will be expected to treat the position with the same respect and responsibility as befits a paid position. Joining the METAs Committee does come with perks, including an annual getaway weekend and the joy of working alongside passionate and dedicated theatre professionals.

The following are three examples of positions that need fulfilling. If you are interested in joining the Committee, but are not sure about fitting the responsibilities listed, please apply nonetheless as duties can shift quickly. Please note that this year’s ceremony will be virtual so the responsibility break-down may be subject to change and not all tasks may apply.

Ceremony Liaison
The Ceremony Liaison is the main point of contact for the creatives involved in the METAs ceremony. They are responsible for assembling the creative team as well as liaising with the rest of the METAs Committee. This member should be creative, organized, have contacts within the artistic community and perform well under pressure.

Tasks include:

  • Overseeing the Ceremony Creatives and Production Teams and reporting progress to the METAs Committee.
  • Coordinating with the Co-Chairs, Venue Liaison and Production Manager regarding the ceremony.
  • Engaging and coordinating the following creatives (where applicable):
    • Host (s)
    • Writer (s)
    • Director
    • Musical Director (Band)
    • Choreographer
    • Stage Manager
    • Presenters
    • Technical Director
    • Production Designer
    • Lighting Designer
    • Sound Designer
    • Video Designer
    • Board Operator (s)

Box Office Coordinator
The Box Office Coordinator is in charge of all aspects of ticketing in relation to the annual METAs ceremony. They are in charge of handling and tracking complimentary tickets as well as ticket sales (in collaboration with Communication & Marketing). This member should be organized, have ticketing experience, good customer service and know the major players of the theatre scene.

Tasks include:

  • Designing a Ticketing Policy including ticket prices, any kind of promo codes and any other relevant details.
  • Deciding on ticket prices with the Treasurer and Ceremony AD.
  • Designing and printing tickets.
  • Building a Box Office Tracker.
  • Tracking ticketing transactions and comp bookings.
  • Overseeing the creation of the seating plan in cooperation with the METAC.
  • Handling nominees’ correspondences.

Co-Company Liaison
The Company Liaison is a shared position between two METAs Committee members. They are the first point of contact for all production companies applying to be registered for the METAs jury process.

Tasks include:

  • Checking registrations to validate each production’s eligibility as per the official METAs eligibility criteria.
  • Cooperating with the Jury Liaisons to ensure clear information-transfer related, but not limited to; venue safety, trigger warnings, opening nights, show dates and times.
  • Communicating with registered companies regarding any issues or questions related to the registration process (and any other administrative items that may arise)
  • Tracking invoices and payment of registration fees.
  • Maintaining the “What’s On” section of the METAs website.
  • Collecting production photos from registered companies for the Nominees’ Announcement.

Please send your CV and a short letter of intent explaining why you are interested in joining the METAs Committee and what you think you may bring to the organization to metac@metas.ca by August 3rd, 2020. Please indicate in the subject of the email which position interests you the most! We are very excited to hear from you and look forward to your replies!

June 18, 2020 Announcement: The 8th Annual METAs Ceremony Goes Virtual

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As we reach the end of our unprecedented 2019-2020 season, we here on the Montreal English Theatre Awards Committee have been discussing how best to recognize the outstanding work of our community during a season that was cut short by the pandemic. We are committed to holding space for Montreal theatre companies and artists and are working to ensure that this year’s ceremony is reflective of our core values. Awards institutions across the country have opted to hold their ceremonies virtually, and we have decided to do the same. We believe that this will allow us to prioritize the health of our community while maintaining the visibility and longevity of our thriving theatre scene.

Since 2012, the METAs have been a vital gathering-point to assemble and recognize the artistic achievements of Montreal theatre artists. While we are unable to gather in person this year, the spirit of celebrating the outstanding work of our community shall continue with the eighth annual METAs ceremony being hosted virtually and online. We are looking forward to working within this new medium to provide you with an entertaining, memorable and profound experience from the comfort of your own homes.

Further details regarding the date of the nominees announcement and the ceremony itself will be released soon. In the meantime, we encourage you to reach out with any suggestions you might have at metac@metas.ca

We wish you health, happiness and connectivity during these changing times.

The METAs Committee