by AMY BARRATT

The Harvest is in, and Village Scene Productions is serving up a cornucopia of theatre over the next 11 days. Harvest is the second annual Montreal GLBT International Theatre Festival, which features 15 productions taking place at three venues.

The event will be launched with cocktails today, Sept. 15, at 6 p.m. at the Just for Laughs Museum, followed by a performance of Sex and La Cité, a show that played to sold-out houses at the 2005 Montreal Fringe. Stick around for a taste of queer heaven in the form of two early Michel Tremblay pieces. La Duchesse de Langeais is an unflinching portrait of an ageing queen, all the more remarkable for the fact that it was written in the early '60s. Surprise Surprise is about how two girlfriends' plans to throw a surprise party for a third go horribly wrong. Don't miss the lovely Mado Lamotte in the role of Laurette. The Tremblay double bill begins at 8:45 p.m. If you're still peckish, take in Fairy's Tales, from Montreal's own Brave New Productions, at 10:30 p.m.

And that's only day one! Later in the week, and also at the Musée, check out Unaccessorized, a one-man hit from the New York and Seattle Fringes.

The other main venue for the festival is the Théâtre Ste-Catherine, where you can take in two Toronto shows, Lady in Waiting, and Safe Word, and one local production, Cuthbert's Last Stand. After its opening night performance at the Musée, Sex and La Cité moves to Cabaret Mado on Saturday and Sunday night.

For the full schedule, visit www.villagescene.com/Programfest.html.

Condos and classics

The Segal is beginning its second season in a row with a classic musical. Bryna Wasserman and co. are hoping that their Cabaret can repeat the success of last season's Man of La Mancha. The official opening is tonight, Sept. 15, and the production continues until Oct. 2. Directed by Steven Schipper, the show is guaranteed Liza-Minnelli-free!

In November, acclaimed Irish director Ben Barnes will helm the Segal's production of The Importance of Being Earnest.

Centaur's regular season doesn't get underway until October, but in the meantime, a bold young company called PlayTime Productions has rented the space to tackle Strindberg. Dating from 1888, Miss Julie tackles issues of class and gender that are no less of interest today. It runs until Sept. 25.

Twenty-seven seasons ago, David Fennario shook up the Centaur crowd with his profanity-laced portrait of working-class Montreal, Balconville. To launch the 2005–06 season of "Montreal Stories," Fennario catches us up on what has been happening in the Pointe, and to his characters. Condoville, directed by Gordon McCall, opens Oct. 4.

Incidentally, Guy Sprung, who directed the original Balconville, currently has a show by another Montreal playwright, Trevor Ferguson, on in French at Compagnie Jean-Duceppe. Le Pont, known in English as Long, Long, Short, Long runs to Oct.15.

Persephone Productions welcomes the fall with Spring Awakening, by a German contemporary of Strindberg, Frank Wedekind. The tale of adolescent sexuality meeting Victorian repression will be performed in a new English translation by the poet Ted Hughes. Directed by Gabrielle Soskin, Nov. 10–20 at Theatre La Chapelle.

Underdog Productions will present the Quebec premiere of Canadian playwright Morris Panych's Earshot Oct. 26 to Nov. 5 at Théâtre Calixa-Lavallée. It's a dark comedy about a man plagued by ultra-sensitive hearing.

This Friday night, Sept. 16, infinitheatre presents its Cabaret at the Bain St-Michel. A fundraiser for the company's play commissioning programme, it should be a good time. Saturday eve marks the return from summer break of Kiss My Cabaret, hosted by Danette MacKay. Doors open at 8 p.m. at la Sala Rossa.

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