“…explores with great insight thematic territory I’ve never seen covered before… an intimate — and rewarding — conversation about love.” – Colin Thomas, colinthomas.ca
Ryga Arts Festival Presents
The Creatus Project & Bouche Theatre Collective
with Western Gold Theatre & Presentation House Theatre
THE BALLAD OF GEORGES BOIVIN
By Martin Bellemare
Translated by Jack Paterson with Johanna Nutter
Directed by Jack Paterson*
Featuring Allan Toots as Georges
Ryga Arts Festival
Thursday Sept. 22 @ 7 PM
Summerland Alliance Church
14820 Victoria Rd N, Summerland, BC V0H 1Z5
www.rygafest.ca
At 77, Georges Boivin “gives the dice a roll”. Georges just lost his wife, you see, the “centre of his universe”. But there is life after 70 and it must continue even after great loss. With his three friends, all older than he, he sets out on road trip from Québec to Vancouver, in search of a first love whom he hasn’t seen in 50 years. A play about love in all it’s various forms.
Followed by Community Chat About Aging in The Performing Arts
Allan Toots in The Ballad of Georges Boivin
(Ryga Arts Festival, Summerland 2024)
CREATIVE & PRODUCTION TEAM
Featuring Allan Toots | Director: Jack Paterson* | Stage Manager: Andy Sandberg | Associate Director: Hannah Siden | Set Designer: Glenn Macdonald | Sound Designer: Stephen Bulat | Video & Video Systems Design: Joel Grinke & Vanka Salim | Lighting Designer: John Webber | Assistant Lighting Designer: Chengyan Boon | Company Technician: Kaeden Atkinson-Hill | Senior’s Access Consultant: Dr. Julia Henderson
Gallery
Allan Toots in The Ballad of Georges Boivin
(Ryga Arts Festival 2024)
Director/ Translator Notes
It is no secret that older artists might face age-related physical and cognitive changes. However, far greater impediments to their successful participation in the arts are the social stigmas of ageism and ableism.
On this workshop project, we explored forms and aesthetics specifically from tools to support Senior artists in performance in festival touring. By “bringing the production to the performer”, we asked “what new is created when we make access integral to creation, design, rehearsal, and presentation processes?” And by doing so – draw attention to the needs of our ageing population in an intergenerational conversation and illuminate the experience of seniors’ day to day living.
2021 | English Language Premiere
Produced by Western Gold Theatre
In association with Bouche Theatre Collective
Featuring Jay Brazeau and John Innes alternating as Georges Boivin in repertory
November 10 – 28, 2021
PAL STUDIO THEATRE – 581 CARDERO STREET, VANCOUVER
www.westerngoldtheatre.org
Cast & Crew
Assistant Stage Manager: Jessica Adamson | Assistant Lighting Designer: Chengyan Boon | Sound Designer: Stephen Bulat | Video & Video Systems Design: Joel Grinke | Costume Designer: Alaia Hamer | Senior’s Access Consultant: Dr. Julia Henderson | Artistic Director: Tanja Dixon-Warren | Set Designer: Glenn Macdonald | Assistant Director: Hannah Siden | Video & Video Systems Assistant: Vanka Chaitra Salim | Stage Manager: Ingrid Turk | Access And Surtitle Coordinator: Anika Vervecken | Lighting Designer: John Webber
This translation was commissioned by Western Gold Theatre (Vancouver) and developed by Bouche Theatre Collective (Vancouver). The English Language premiere of The Ballad of Georges Boivin was produced by Western Gold Theatre (PAL Vancouver Theatre, 2021) featuring Jay Brazeau and John Innes as Georges, directed by Jack Paterson We gratefully acknowledge the support of Canada Council for the Arts.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of:
Ingrid Turk, Kaeden Atkinson-Hill, Upintheair Theatre, Western Gold Theatre, Presentation House Theatre, & Supertitles.gr
