Interview: 5 Questions with Trevor Barrette of MAX AND AARON WRITE A MUSICAL
MAX AND AARON WRITE A MUSICAL will take it's first bow on Sunday, June 15, 2025 at The Segal Centre for Performing Arts.
By: Noelle Hannibal Jun. 12, 2025
Born and raised on the West Island of Montreal, Trevor Barrette is a queer theatre-maker, performer, stage manager and teacher. I had the opportunity to chat with Barrette just prior to the World Premiere of MAX AND AARON WRITE A MUSICAL, which he has written and is directing. MAX AND AARON WRITE A MUSICAL will take it's first bow on Sunday, June 15, 2025 at The Segal Centre for Performing Arts.
When we last spoke, it was just prior to ONE DAY the previous version of MAX AND AARON WRITE A MUSICAL How has the project, which is part of Fierté Montreal Pride, evolved since then?
It's funny how this project continues to evolve and surprise me even after almost a decade! One thing that's special about our World Premiere, with regards to the book at least, is that we've added French text to the show. Aaron (of Max and Aaron), played by the fantastic Émile Auger, is bilingual in this production and it has created a truly Montreal experience. We're running French and English surtitles for every show to continue to expand access and immersivity. That's a very specific example, more broadly though, we have a beautiful production design by fantastic designers, so here we go! We've got a whole show coming your way!
As the show is billed as “A Love Letter to Montreal,” how important was it to you for the premiere to be held in Montreal at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts?
I actually fell in love with theatre at the Segal Centre two decades ago (then the Saidye Bronfman) and so it's been a very beautiful experience being able to rehearse and build this show about what we can create together in the space where it all started for me. I've been working at the Segal Centre for just as long as I've been working on MAX AND AARON WRITE A MUSICAL, I've taught, performed, stage managed and directed here. It really feels like a second home to me. I'm so grateful and excited for this homegrown production to be in the Segal's very musical season.
As multi-hyphenate, how has your skill as an actor and musician influenced the writing of this piece?
I think so much of the show is just about balancing all of the things we do! How do we balance our love for the work and paying rent? How do we balance our personal and professional relationships, expectations and dreams? It's about creating work here in Montreal. The show is a callout to creatives, to celebrate the messy art of collaboration. I think the fact that I do work in so many roles in theatre has helped me shape this show, especially all of the metatheatrical elements that are really the heartbeat of the production.
I love the inclusion of so many Ancillary Events, such as mentorship programs,
talkbacks and even a Fierté Montréal Queer Seniors Matinee. Can you tell me a bit about what including these events is important to you and the process of developing and presenting the show?
Yes! As soon as this show got programmed, I knew that this was an oppurtunity to build and lift up our community. I've worked at Stratford and studied in Toronto, but my comitment is to Montreal, our artists and the work that we do. Our Ensemble mentorship program came out of a need to give back and to open up our space to young creatives, it's been incredible!
Is there anything else you would like to add?
MAX AND AARON WRITE A MUSICAL is an unapologetically queer rom com and musical within a musical. It's a celebration of what we can do when we come together and be our truest selves. I think we need more pieces like this that are joy-forward and playful. I want audiences to come to MAX AND AARON WRITE A MUSICAL and then immediately go get their next theatre ticket or go home and make something!
MAX AND AARON WRITE A MUSICAL
When: Sunday, June 15 - Sunday, June 22, 2025
Where: The Segal Centre for Performing Arts
5170 chemin de la Côte-Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, H3W 1M7
Tickets are on sale now at 514-739-7944 or at www.segalcentre.org
Set in present-day Montreal, MAX AND AARON WRITE A MUSICAL follows friends and creative partners Max and Aaron as they attempt to write a musical loosely based on their own lives. With a looming deadline and rising tensions, their collaboration is tested by creative differences and unspoken feelings. As their fictional characters, Mason and Jesse, come to life onstage, the lines between art and reality blur in hilarious and heartfelt ways. Full of witty banter, catchy songs, and tender moments, the show is a celebration of love, friendship, and the messy magic of making art together.
This vibrant production highlights Montreal’s unique tapestry while centering queer narratives of love, collaboration, and self-expression — a sexy cautionary tale about writing what you know.
Every performance is presented with French and English surtitles.
CAST
Max RYLAN ALLEN
Aaron ÉMILE AUGER
Mason Patrick Park
Jesse NATHANIEL BACON
CREATIVE TEAM
Book, music & lyrics TREVOR BARRETTE
Original arrangements & orchestrations LUCE BÉLANGER
New piano & vocal arrangements CHRIS BARILLARO
Dramaturgy FATMA SARAH ELKASHEF
Director TREVOR BARRETTE
Musical director & choreographer JONATHAN PATTERSON
Intimacy director CARA REBECCA
Assistant director LIOR MAHARJAN
Set design BRUNO-PIERRE HOULE
Costume design GEORGES MICHAEL FANFAN
Assistant set & costume design JULIA CARRIER
Lighting design AURORA TOROK
Sound design & additional music ERIC ELLIOT LEE
Additional French text & surtitles DAVID NOËL
Stage Manager AVA BISHOP
Assistant Stage Manager ABI SANIE
This production was made possible by the Conseil des arts de Montréal and the Fondation du Grand Montréal.
BEYOND THE STAGE – ANCILLARY EVENTS:
THE ENSEMBLE
Throughout the rehearsal process, a group of emerging queer artists from theatre programs at John Abbott College, Dawson College and McGill University will join the Max and Aaron Write a Musical team as part of our Ensemble – a mentorship-based internship program that invites participants to observe, learn, and contribute to the creative process. From table work to tech week to community outreach, the Ensemble offers a dynamic glimpse into professional theatre-making in a joyful, queer-affirming space.
FIERTÉ MONTRÉAL’S QUEER SENIORS MATINÉE
Join us on Thursday, June 19th, for Fierté Montréal’s Queer Seniors Matinee! Kick off the afternoon with a pre-show panel at 1 PM, where members of the creative team will share insights about the production—served alongside coffee, tea, and tasty treats. Then, settle in for the 2 PM matinee, proudly presented as part of the 2025 Fierté Montréal Festival.
BACKSTAGE CHATTER
Sunday @ the Segal, our popular pre-show panel, is now online as Backstage Chatter podcast. Look for it on YouTube and Spotify June 16, 2025.
NIGHTLY TALKBACKS
A chance to interact with the creator and performers of the musical after the curtain goes down at every performance as of June 17, 2025.
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