Scorching summer stage

>> >> Bring on the big mamas, nuns, tyrannical TVs and costume cabarets

by AMY BARRATT

Summer is the season of eclecticism, with theatres on and off the island offering everything from 18th-century Italian classics to contemporary Canadian comedies.

Théatre Lac Brome is sticking with the repertory format that panned out nicely for them last year. First off the block there is Bloody Business, a vampirish comedy by Canadian Ian Weir. In the tradition of last year's Always... Patsy Cline, Lac Brome presents Big Mama, a musical biography of blues legend Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton, beginning June 30. Written by Audrei-Karien, it stars multi-octaved Montrealer Amanda Strawn. The season is rounded out by that classic of frivolity, Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest. All three play on and off through mid-August.

In terms of summer theatres, Lac Brome used to be an island of Canadian content in a sea of American and British comedies. This year, Village Theatre in St-Lazare is giving them a run for their money. Their season features two plays by commercial theatre poster-boy Norm Foster. The Long Weekend runs July 11-29, and Drinking Alone plays August 8-26.

Playwright Dan Needles is making a career writing about a character named Walt Wingfield, a lawyer who gives it all up to become a farmer (yeah, right). Actor Rod Beattie is making a career of playing Walt Wingfield. He settles in at The Piggery in North Hatley August 10-26 in Wingfield Unbound. No sooner is he done there than he turns up at Village Theatre in Letter From Wingfield Farm (August 31-September 3).

Also at the Piggery, catch the crowd-pleasing musical Forever Plaid, a cornucopia of vapid but catchy hits from the '50s (June 29-July 15) and Communicating Doors, a "time-travelling comedy thriller" by the extraordinarily clever and popular British playwright Alan Ayckbourn (July 20-August 5).



Close to home, both infinitheatre and Playwrights' Workshop have one-nighters of note coming up. Wednesday, June 21, infinite presents its second annual Midsummer Night's Costume Cabaret. There will be performances by Gary Kurtz, Nick Carpenter, and Sonia Coté (better known as the clown Chatouille) among others. The theme of this year's party is Eros, so you can dress or undress about as outrageously as you want. That's at Le Belmont sur le Boulevard (4483 St-Laurent) from 8 p.m. on. Free for members, $10 (which buys a year's membership) for others.

Playwrights' Workshop Montreal is currently hosting six women playwrights from across the country in its first ever National Writers' Unit. The six writers--Kit Brennan (Montreal) , Mary Colin Chisholm (Halifax), Marie Clements (Vancouver), Maristella Roca (Toronto), Sheri-D Wilson (Calgary) and Lise Vaillancourt (Montreal)--have three weeks to devote entirely to writing and generally kibitzing with others of their kind. On Friday, June 23, PWM will host a rare public performance: The Clamorous Voice will showcase excerpts from works generated within the Unit, performed by local actors. That's at 8:30 p.m. at the Monument-National.



Untimely Ripped Theatre has been busy in the year since their debut at the '99 Fringe festival, producing no less than three shows in a year. Their latest, titled 2000 Televisions is the work of Christian Paul, a product, like virtually all the Untimelys, of the Dawson Theatre Program. As near as I can gather, it's a tirade against the tyranny of television. It can be seen at Théatre Calixa-Lavallée June 21-July 2. For information/reservations, call 481-8477.

Already playing in the Old Port and continuing throughout the summer, is an interactive show for ages ten and over titled MTL 2000. Audiences for the Youtheatre production will be led through abandoned Hangar 16 to view various futuristic installations. The text is by Ed Roy, who also wrote the successful The Other Side of the Closet, a play about teens and homophobia. Info: 844-8781.



Meanwhile, the Just for Laughs festival gets underway July 13. Although there will be no locally produced English theatre production, the quality of past efforts makes it difficult to mourn that loss. JFL is bringing in an American hit, Late Nite Catechism from July 10 to 23 at Centaur Theatre. The press release goes into contortions to assure you that you don't have to be Catholic to enjoy this "class" taught by a nun known simply as "Sister."

The thriving French theatre side of the Fest presents two seriously contrasting productions, Les Jumeaux vénitiens, an 18th-century comedy by Goldoni, and Pop-corn, a satire of the film industry, by Ben Elton.

One other event I'm looking forward to is Diva on the Verge, starring Julia Migenes (who starred in the fabulous movie version of Carmen back in 1984 when she was still Migenes-Johnson). I've always suspected Migenes was a righteous broad, and I look forward to hearing her sing like an angel while slagging the classical music snob-ocracy.



Repercussion Theatre rolls into town later than usual this year, but the original Shakespeare-in-the-Parkers will be back with productions of Romeo and Juliet and Comedy of Errors. They make one pit-stop in Baie D'Urfé on July 8, then escape to New York State until August. It's best to call their info-line at 279-PARK to find out when and where they'll be in a park near you throughout August.

In the meantime, Elysian River Theatre is there to satisfy your Shakespeare jones. The company marks its third year of roving theatre on the mountain with a production of Much Ado About Nothing, July 6-22. Performances are at

7 p.m. every day except Sundays. Admission is by donation. Information: 814-0781. :

Infinitheatre: 987-1774 * PWM: 843-3685/

Monument National 871-2224 * The Piggery: (819) 842-2431 * Théatre Lac Brome: (450) 242-2270 * Just for Laughs: 790-HAHA * Village Theatre: (450) 458-5361