World Premiere of CARAVAN Comes to Tableau D'Hôte Theatre

Fresh off their runaway hit production of Erin Shields' Thy Woman's Weeds at Centaur Theatre, Tableau D'Hôte Theatre (TDHT) is closing its nineteenth season with the world premiere of Anna Burkholder's Caravan, a play set against the backdrop of the 1970 pancanadian feminist reproductive justice movement that shut down parliament for the first and only time in its history. For TDHT, known for its commitment to telling untold stories that have shaped Canada, Caravan marks a remarkable end to a groundbreaking season that brought three world premieres by three women playwrights to Montréal audiences, each with an all women cast. Caravan will run at Monument-National's Studio Hydro-Québec from May 25th through June 2nd 2024.

Caravan follows Birdie as she unexpectedly races across Canada to join the historic 1970 Abortion Caravan. After meeting a stranded stranger, she finds herself on a whirlwind cross-country road trip. The Trans-Canada highway brings hitchhikers, vomit bags, and Good Vibrations under open skies, as three strangers search for understanding and support.

Like their Fall production of Julie Tamiko Manning's Mizushōbai, Anna Burkholder's Caravan was commissioned as part of TDHT's ‘More than a footnote' program, which seeks to bring buried stories from Canada's history books to the stage.

"I hope that Caravan can invite a conversation about how the treatment of one another affects the landscape of reproductive justice. We can perpetuate a culture of secrecy and shame or dismantle it. It's a shared responsibility and the choice is ours.” explains playwright Anna Burkholder, for whom this marks her playwriting debut. “Legalized just 35 years ago, it's important to remember that abortion rights are still a recent victory in Canada. Caravan, set in 1970, exposes the unsettling parallels between past and present reproductive discourse. Accessibility remains a barrier for many, including Indigenous, Trans and Immigrant communities, and those living in rural, Atlantic and Northern locations. Despite the decriminalization of abortion, reproductive coercion persists behind closed doors, robbing individuals of their autonomy. Whether in intimate partnerships, families or social circles, it is a profoundly isolating and lonely experience. Caravan looks to ignite community support, spotlighting some of the challenges -- both historic and present-day -- of reproductive justice”

Directed by long-time TDHT collaborator and Montreal English Theatre Award (META) recipient Liz Valdez, Caravan features an ensemble cast each making their professional debut after recently completing their theatrical studies at Concordia University: Olivia Kearvell-Jobin, Elly Pond, and Prerna Nehta.

The design team includes META recipients Violette Kay on sound, and Zoe Roux on set and lights, as well as Diana Uribe on costumes, and Aurora Torok on projections .

Caravan runs at Monument-National's Studio Hydro-Québec (1182 St Laurent Blvd) from May 25th to June 2nd, 2024. Caravan was developed with the collaboration of Playwrights' Workshop Montréal.

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