Richard Rose, Andy McKim and Mallory Gilbert announced the lineup, which also includes two English-language premieres, a Toronto premiere and the return of the 2006 hit, Léo, by Rosa Laborde.
The world premiere works are by Michael Healey (author of The Drawer Boy), Stephen Massicotte (whose plays include A Farewell to Kings, Mary's Wedding and The Emperor of Atlantis; Wendy Lill (a four-time nominee for the Governor General's Award, whose plays include The Glace Bay Miner's Museum, All Fall Down and Corker; and Morwyn Brebner (author of last season's hit The Optimists and Little Mercy's First Murder, Liquor Guns Karate and Music for Contortionist).
Tarragon's 2006-07 season includes:
Generous by Michael Healey, a world premiere directed by Daryl Cloran in the Tarragon Mainspace (Sept. 19-Oct. 29). "The political and personal stakes are high after the long-time governing party loses a non-confidence vote. The possibility for real change is in the air. What happens when members of society not known for their generosity become overwhelmed with the desire to help? A comic investigation of selflessness from people highly unfamiliar with the concept."
The Oxford Roof Climber's Rebellion by Stephen Massicotte, a world premiere directed by Richard Rose in a co-production with the Great Canadian Theatre Company, in the Tarragon Mainspace (Nov. 7-Dec. 17). "Two heroes return home from the First World War. Lawrence of Arabia is a leader without an army. Robert Graves is a poet who can't forget. In the aftermath of the war, two men haunted by the past grasp at love and dare to imagine a new world."Chimera by Wendy Lill, a world premiere directed by Mary Vingoe in the Tarragon Mainspace (Jan. 3-Feb. 11, 2007). "A journalist who no longer believes that there is good in the world sets his sights on the new Minister of Justice. His chosen target becomes embroiled in a moral and ethical debate around the issue of stem cell research. A sharp and timely investigation of the limits of science and biotechnology and what it means to be human."Scorched Wajdi Mouawad, the English-language premiere translated by Linda Gaboriau and directed by Richard Rose in a co-production with the National Arts Centre English Theatre, in the Tarragon Mainspace (Feb. 20-March 31, 2007). "A mother's last will and testament sends twins Simon and Janine on a journey into her past. Plunging into their mother's history in a war-torn country, they struggle to solve the mystery of their origins. A startling and poetic play from one of Quebec's leading young playwrights."The Pessimist by Morwyn Brebner, a world premiere directed by Eda Holmes in the Mainspace (April 17-May 27, 2007). "Sex, death, theatre, zombies, pies — when you're out in the country you never know who, or what, you'll meet. A dying theatre director decides to stage his last play in the garbage dump of a small Ontario town. His wife, a playwright, a would-be actress and a politician all join him and between bouts of insomnia, fight their unnamable fears and hope for the best."Thom Pain (based on nothing) by Will Eno, the Toronto premiere directed by Jennifer Tarver in the Tarragon Extra Space (Nov. 7-Dec. 17). "Thom wants to tell you a story. On second thought, maybe he doesn't. Maybe he'll tell you a joke instead. Or a story about a little boy in a cowboy suit. Called 'stand-up existentialism,' Thom Pain is an edgy and unpredictable performance experience — with a raffle."John and Beatrice by Carole Fréchette, the English-language premiere in an English version by John Murrell and directed by Leah Cherniak in the Tarragon Extra Space (March 13-April 22, 2007). "High above the city, Beatrice sits on the 33rd floor of an office tower waiting for the right man to respond to her [personal] ad. When John appears, the games begin. But if he wins, what then? A play about the difficulty of connection and the meaning of love."Léo by Rosa Laborde, directed by Richard Rose (Jan. 10-Feb. 4, 2007). "Political passions and sexual identity are delicately intertwined in this bittersweet tale of stolen youth. Set in Salvador Allende's Chile, Léo follows the path of three friends who journey from innocence to understanding as they learn what it means to truly 'disappear.'" The critically acclaimed hit, which premiered in February 2006, returns for a limited four-week run. Wajdi Mouawad won the Governor General's Award in 2000 for Littoral (Tideline) and was short-listed for the Siminovitch Prize in 2005. His play Alphonse also received a Governor General's Award nomination in 1996.
Will Eno's Thom Pain began at the Edinburgh Fringe where it won the Fringe First Award. It was later nominated in 2005 for the Pulitzer Prize. It has been produced in London and in a successful Off-Broadway run in New York City.
Carole Fréchette is the 2004 winner of the Siminovitch Prize and Governor General's Award in 1995. Three of her plays have premiered in English at the Tarragon: Helen's Necklace, Elisa's Skin and The Four Lives of Marie.
For more information about Tarragon Theatre, visit www.tarragontheatre.com.
