Seeds, Annabel Soutar’s docudrama about farmer Percy Schmeiser’s legal battle against biotech firm Monsanto, will be at the Centaur Theatre this Fall, from October 29th to November 24th, as staged by award-winning director Chris Abraham, artistic director of Toronto’s Crow’s Theatre.

Iconic Canadian actor Eric Peterson will portray iconic Percy Schmeiser, who asked the famous question “who owns life?” before the Supreme Court of Canada and galvanized the anti-GMO movement around the world.

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Porte Parole has a lot to be thankful for in 2012, and expresses its gratitude to everyone who participated in its success, notably its new partner, La Coop fédérée.

We were able to expand our home audience as well as opportunities to reach new markets in the upcoming years.

A first play was produced outside of Quebec: Crow’s Theatre’s presentation of Seeds in February, at Toronto’s Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Directed by Chris Abraham, Crow’s Artistic Director, and starring Canadian icon Eric Peterson, Seeds was acclaimed by critics and spectators alike.The production was offered again in June at the Festival TransAmériques, attracting a great deal of attention from theatre-goers and international presenters.

Click here to see a few photos from Seeds in Toronto.

The same staging was used in Montreal for the French version of the play, Grain(s), translated by Fanny Britt and presented at Théâtre La Licorne in September. Again, the play was a success, and will be part of the Montreal Arts Council’s 2014 touring program.

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!

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The new electrifying version of Seeds, as directed by Chris Abraham and received in Toronto with rave reviews, was presented at the Festival TransAmériques. The shows, at Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui, were warmly received.

Seeds goes behind-the-scene to reveal unknown aspects of the four-year trial that pitted a Saskatchewan farmer against multinational biotech Monsanto all the way to the Supreme Court. The legal battle was much more complex than the David against Goliath fight it seemed to be.

Who should relate to biotechnology? Anyone who eats… As a matter of fact, the future of mankind, of life as we know it, may be at play on our plate right now.

“Everything works – the actors and their multiple character, Abraham’s complex staging.” Paula Citron, paulacitron.ca, 29 février 2012

“Soutar has done such a good job sowing the seeds of doubt that you wonder if this is nothing more than passionate rhetoric. Her play gives us plenty to think about, but leaves us to make up our own minds…”
Martin Morrow, The Globe and Mail, 23 février 2012

” (… ) one of the most impressive docu-dramas I’ve seen.”
Robert Cushman, National Post, February 25th, 2012

Comments translated from the message of a French-speaking audience member:

“(…) I really appreciated the deep respect that emerges from this monumental work. The strenght of the nuances that are put everywhere, in the text, in the voices, the bodies and the images. The documentary theatre that I’m discovering now seems to be a MOST stimulating form. (…)”

Mélanie Léger

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Eric Peterson as Percy Schmeiser. Photo: Maxime Côté

Annabel Soutar’s acclaimed documentary play Seeds has been updated by Chris Abraham, artistic director of Crow’s Theatre. Canadian icon Eric Peterson plays the role of Saskatchewan farmer Percy Schmeiser. Seeds‘ new version was presented in Toronto at theYoung Center for the Performing Arts from February 18th to March 10th. It will be part of the next Festival TransAmériques, and in the Fall of 2012, a French version will be coproduced by Porte Parole in Montreal.

Named the Best English Production of 2005 by the Association québécoise des critiques de théâtre (AQCT) and nominated for Best Original Script in 2005 by the Académie québécoise de théâtre, Seeds is a dramatic re-enactment of the 4-year legal battle between Saskatchewan farmer Percy Schmeiser and one of the biggest biotech corporations, Monsanto Inc.

This is how Chris Abraham sees it: “I’m thrilled to be introducing Toronto audiences to playwright Annabel Soutar and her remarkable piece Seeds. When I read it for the first time, I couldn’t put it down. Her dogged pursuit of the truth (…) is entirely gripping, as are her observation of the social and political implications of the paradigm shift in genetics happening under our feet. I can’t wait for the conversation and debate that will be sparked by this show.”

Based on court trial transcripts, interviews with Schmeiser, Monsanto representatives, and with farmers, academics, lawyers and scientists from all across Canada, Seeds leads us through a suspenseful labyrinth of legal conflicts around patent rights, scientific showdowns about GM food, and property clashes between farmers and the biotechnology industry.

The French version of Seeds will be created by Montreal playwright Fanny Britt, whose most recent play Enquête sur le pire played to rave reviews at Théâtre Aujourd’hui in April 2010.

Thanks to our partners Playwrights’ Workshop and Hexagram-Concordia for hosting workshops of the play.

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Here’s a view of Porte Parole’s 2nd Annual SPEAKeasy, as an impressionist painter of the Roaring 20s might have seen it… Held at the lovely Le Lion d’Or, our poker night gathered a bunch of fun-loving players who challenged one another and Lady Luck herself in order to claim great prizes while supporting a good cause: Porte Parole and its groundbreaking doc theatre. A winning combination. Those of you who missed it should bet on being there next year!

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Leave your troubles at the door, and join us for a poppin’ night of poker, hooch and swinging tunes.

Here’s the lowdown:

What: A ritzy evening of poker and booze to support Porte Parole

When: Tuesday, January 17th, 2012, from 6:00 pm

Where: Le Lion D’or, 1676 Ontario East

How: $100 gets you a couple of booze tickets, some nibbles and a little poker dough ($1 500) to start you off (along with a $75 tax receipt).

6:00 pm: Welcome

7:00 pm: Poker

9:30 pm: End of silent auction

10:30 pm: End of poker tournament and winners’ announcements.

Check the dialog about it on this Facebook page.

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A scene from Sexy béton. Photo: Robert Etcheverry

Porte Parole’s tour of Sexy béton finished with a flourish on December 4^th in St-Jean-sur-le-Richelieu with an enthusiastic audience of over 400 people.  Generally, the play inspired a keen interest everywhere it went – reaching over 2,000 spectators in 10 performances. Many audience members expressed gratitude for a play that portrays ordinary Quebec citizens attempting to navigate through today’s overly bureaucratic and prohibitively expensive justice system.

A few comments from the audience:

“Cette compagnie théâtrale n’a pas fini de faire des vagues.” Serge Côté

“J’y étais et c’était formidable! bravo!“ Josée Gosselin

“Bravo pour l’audace.“ Micheline Benoit.

A warm “thank you” to our audience. And thanks once again to the tour’s team and actors for the top-notch quality of their work.

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