Wajdi Mouawad's Forests Opens in Toronto

TARRAGON IS THRILLED TO PRESENT THE ENGLISH WORLD PREMIERE OF WAJDI MOUAWAD'S FORESTS

Forests
English Premiere
by Wajdi Mouawad
translated by Linda Gaboriau

Starring: Dmitry Chepovetsky, Matthew Edison, Vivien Endicott-Douglas, David Fox, Sophie Goulet, Brandon McGibbon, Alon Nashman, Liisa Repo-Martell, Jan Alexandra Smith, RH Thomson, Terry Tweed

Director: Richard Rose
Set & Costume Designer: Karyn McCallum
Lighting Designer: Kimberly Purtell
Sound Designer: Thomas Ryder Payne
Stage Manager: Stéfanie Séguin

Supported by: Richard Rooney and Laura Dinner

Forests opens in the Mainspace on Wednesday, April 27, 2011 at 8:00 pm. Previews from Tuesday, April 19, 2011.

When Aimée (Jan Alexandra Smith) learns that she has a brain tumour, she has to decide whether to abort her pregnancy or risk her life to have her child. Although she knows she will have to pay the ultimate price, she chooses her child. At the age of sixteen, her daughter Loup (Vivien Endicott-Douglas) reluctantly begins a quest to discover the origin of her mother's mysterious illness, an illness that brought on unsettling visions and prophecies before it finally claimed her life. Loup turns to her grandparents and then looks to wartime Europe before the story leads us to Loup's ancestors and the forest where they lived - and where Loup begins to unearth her family's darkest secrets.

In the third play of a four play cycle that includes Tideline and Scorched, Wajdi Mouawad takes us on a quest that spans six generations and two continents where the bonds of family are tested, stretched, broken and, finally, redeemed by love.

Wajdi Mouawad describes himself as Lebanese in his childhood, French in his way of thinking and Québécois in his theatre. His foremost sources of inspiration are childhood, war and exile. For four years (2000-2004), Wajdi Mouawad was at the helm of Montreal's Théâtre de Quat'Sous. From 2007 to 2011, he was artistic director of the Théâtre français du Centre National des Arts, in Ottawa. Works include Wedding Day at the Cro-Magnons, Willy Protagoras enfermé dans les toilettes and Alphonse. Wajdi was also knighted as Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government for his prolific career. In 2009, Mouawad was appointed to the Order of Canada, and the Académie Française awarded him theGrand Prix du théâtre for his accomplishments as a playwright. He also was the artiste associé of the prestigious Festival d'Avignon in France for which he remounted Littoral (Tideline), Incendies (Scorched) and Forêts (Forests), and completed the quartet with the production of Ciels. Besides his work for the stage, Wajdi Mouawad has directed a feature-length film,Littoral, based on his play of the same name; and his play Incendies was adapted for film by Denis Villeneuve, and was an Academy Award Nominee for best foreign language film in 2011 and won the Genie Award for Best Motion Picture.

An outstanding cast of eleven has been assembled for Forests. Ten of these actors are returning to the Tarragon stage:Dmitry Chepovetsky (Remnants), Matthew Edison (Midnight Sun), Vivien Endicott-Douglas (Hush), David Fox (If We Were Birds), Sophie Goulet (Scorched), Brandon McGibbon (Misanthrope), Alon Nashman (Scorched), Liisa Repo-Martell (The Patient Hour), Jan Alexandra Smith (Tarragon debut), RH Thomson ( Democracy) and Terry Tweed (Another Home Invasion tour). Tarragon Artistic Director Richard Rose directs. The creative team includes set and costume designer Karyn McCallum, lighting designer Kimberly Purtell, sound design by Thomas Ryder Payne and stage managerStéfanie Séguin.

Forests previews in Tarragon's Mainspace from Tuesday, April 19; opens Wednesday, April 27 and runs until Sunday, May 29, 2011.

Previews: Apr. 19 - 26, 2011
Regular run: April 27 - May 29, 2011

Tuesday through Saturday at 8 pm;
Saturday & Sunday matinee at 2:30 pm.

Prices start at $23; seniors' and students' prices are available.
Friday night and Sunday matinee rush are $10.

Tickets for Forests are available online: tickets.tarragontheatre.com.

BOX OFFICE & INFORMATION: 416- 531-1827

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