BWW Previews: Playground Productions to present inaugural production, GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES at Harold Greenspon Auditorium 9/23

Montreal's 2017-2018 theatre season is starting up, and there's a new kid on the playground. Playground Productions is Montreal's newest theatre company, and the team of young artists behind it could not be more excited to open their first production in late September.

The upcoming production is GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES, written by American playwright Rajiv Joseph. In it, two characters continue to meet as a result of various injuries and illnesses; through their shared experiences, the two form a unique bond not easily broken. The production stars Nicola Hanchet and Merlin Simard, two of the founding members of Playground Productions.

The company is the brainchild of five emerging Montreal theatre professionals-Dominique Foucault, Nicola Hanchet, Emma Loerick, Gabriel Maharjan, and Merlin Simard-conceived in the spring of 2017. Four of the five graduated from Dawson College's Professional Theatre Program this last spring. Faced with the daunting task of entering the Montreal theatre scene, they chose to do it their own way.

"Artists are always being told to make their own opportunities, create their own work, instead of waiting for work to come their way," said Gabriel Maharjan, who is serving as the director of GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES. "We wanted to find a way to provide opportunities for the many emerging actors and artists in Montreal." While GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES features a small cast and small team, the company hopes to grow in later productions, offering further opportunities to the community.

"What was really remarkable to me was how quickly everyone got on board with this project," Nicola Hanchet explained. "A few of us had this idea, and very quickly we had others asking to help out and be a part of this project. It grew immediately." The group also credits the Montreal theatre community at large with being incredibly supportive of their new venture. "A few companies and theatre groups have been incredibly supportive and helpful, lending us space, materials, resources," said Dominique Foucault. "It's really nice to see the community come together, that everyone is willing to help out the new guys."

The play itself embodies the company's mandate, which is to present theatre that is innovative, creative, and socially relevant, while remaining accessible to all audiences-theatre lovers or not. "It's a really interesting story," says Merlin Simard, who portrays Doug. "It's really unique, but it's also incredibly relatable, and that's what makes it so captivating. You can always understand what they're going through - they're very real people."

As for the future? According to Maharjan, "we don't know exactly what's in store for us in the future, but we have a few ideas. Right now, we're focusing on starting off with a bang, and hoping to remain a permanent part of the Montreal theatre scene."

Performances run from September 23 to 26 at the Harold Greenspon Auditorium, 5801 Cavendish, Montreal. Tickets are available online at www.PlaygroundProductionsMTL.com.