Company of Sirens

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Company of Sirens
Formation1986 (1986)
TypeTheatre group
PurposeFeminist theatre
Location
Membership

Company of Sirens is a Canadian feminist theatre company formed in 1986. Company of Sirens developed the feminist play The Working People's Picture Show.

History[edit]

Company of Sirens was officially founded in 1986 by Lina Chartrand, Aida Jordão, Catherine Glen, Lib Spry, Shawna Dempsey, and Cynthia Grant.[1] Grant came to work with the new company after leaving Nightwood Theatre to work with a theatre that was more political and had more of a collective structure.[2] The women founded Company of Sirens after coming together to work on a commission from Organized Working Women.[3]

The Working People's Picture Show (WPPS) was commissioned by Organized Working Women in 1985 to celebrate their 10th anniversary and began as a ten-minute piece.[4] The show developed into a full-length play and subsequently toured Ontario. In 1987, they performed WPPS on International Women's Day with sponsorship from Canadian Action for Nicaragua and the March 8 Coalition.[5] Company of Sirens continued to perform WPPS in various contexts for at least six years after its premiere.[6] Lois Sweet of the Toronto Star described WPPS as "blatantly pro-union [and] pro-feminist".[7]

In 1991, Company of Sirens received a $12,500 grant from Metro Toronto's arts budget. This funding was criticized by Toronto Star arts critic, Gina Mallet, whom the company felt to have a prejudice against small, independent, theatre.[8]

Production history[edit]

1987

  • The Working People's Picture Show[3]

1988

  • The Working People's Picture Show at From The Ground theatre festival[9]

1990

  • Shelter From Assault, as part of a fundraiser for The Denise House[10]

1991

  • Djuna: What of the Night written and directed by Cynthia Grant and Svetlana Zylin[11]
  • Whenever I Feel Afraid

1992

1993

  • Little Miss Easter Seals written by Lina Chartrand, directed by Cynthia Grant[13]

1994

  • The Catharine Wheel written by Ingrid MacDonald, directed by Cynthia Grant, show co-sponsored by Buddies In Bad Times[14]

1996

  • A Canadian Monsoon written and directed by Sheila James[15]

1998

  • The Destruction of Eve by Svetlana Zylin[16]

Awards[edit]

Year Award Category Work Result Notes Ref.
1991 Dora Mavor Moore Awards - Theatre for Young Audiences Outstanding Performance by a Female Whenever I Feel Afraid Nominated for Ellen Ray Hennesey [17]
1998 Dora Mavor Moore Awards - Independent Theatre Outstanding Sound or Music The Destruction of Eve Nominated for Connie Kaldor and David Sereda
Outstanding Production Nominated

Notable performers[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ McGuigan, Lynn (2018-01-19). "Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia - Company of Sirens". Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia. Athabasca University. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  2. ^ Scott, Shelley (2010). Nightwood Theatre: A Woman's Work is Always Done. Athabasca University Press. p. 46. ISBN 978-1-897425-55-8 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ a b Sweet, Lois (1987-02-27). "Show portrays women's issues in an entertaining manner: [FIN Edition]". Toronto Star. p. B4. ISSN 0319-0781.
  4. ^ di Cenzo, Maria; Bennett, Susan (1992). "Women, Popular Theatre, and Social Action: Interviews with Cynthia Grant and the Sistren Theatre Collective". ARIEL: A Review of International English Literature. 23 (1): 74.
  5. ^ Bell, Laurie (1987). "Working People's Popular Appeal" (PDF). Broadside: A Feminist Review. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
  6. ^ di Cenzo, Maria; Bennett, Susan (1992). "Women, Popular Theatre, and Social Action: Interviews with Cynthia Grant and the Sistren Theatre Collective". ARIEL: A Review of International English Literature. 23 (1): 75.
  7. ^ Sweet, Lois (1987-02-27). "Show portrays women's issues in an entertaining manner: [FIN Edition]". Toronto Star. p. B4. ISSN 0319-0781. The company had no reason to believe that teenagers would connect with such blatantly pro-union, pro-feminist material.
  8. ^ Filewood, Alan (1999). "The Iconoclast Sceptic on the Beat: Gina Mallet at the Toronto Star, 1976-1984". In Wagner, Anton (ed.). Establishing Our Boundaries: English-Canadian Theatre Criticism. University of Toronto Press. pp. 354–355. ISBN 9781442611832 – via Google Books.
  9. ^ Crew, Robert (1988-04-19). "Gilbert & Sullivan is no longer a staple of the Stratford Festival. But summer theatregoers shouldn't despair - Sullivan & Gilbert will be at the St. Lawrence Centre this summer.: [FIN Edition]". Toronto Star. p. G2. ISSN 0319-0781.
  10. ^ Wright, Lisa (1990-04-19). "Sirens will perform at shelter dinner to raise awareness: [EAS Edition]". Toronto Star. p. E3. ISSN 0319-0781.
  11. ^ a b c Wagner, Vit (1991-05-14). "Djuna a stylish theatre piece: [FIN Edition]". Toronto Star. p. F3. ISSN 0319-0781.
  12. ^ Scott, Shelley (2010). Nightwood Theatre: A Woman's Work is Always Done. Athabasca University Press. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-897425-55-8 – via Google Books.
  13. ^ a b Wagner, Vit (1993-10-28). "'I laugh, I cry, I sing - all lying down': [AM Edition]". Toronto Star. p. WO10. ISSN 0319-0781.
  14. ^ Wagner, Vit (1994-12-04). "'Seed' shows hold promise of growth after Buddies tryout The Catherine Wheel offers an intriguing look at lesbian marriage: [SU2 Edition]". Toronto Star. p. C10. ISSN 0319-0781.
  15. ^ Wagner, Vit (1996-06-18). "Play's promise cut short by grinding political axes A Canadian Monsoon 504-7529 Written and directed by Sheila James. Set by Brenda Guldenstein. Costumes by Anita James. Lighting by Andrea Lundy. A Company of Sirens production, in association with Desh Pardesh, running to Sunday at Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave.: [Final Edition]". Toronto Star. p. E5. ISSN 0319-0781.
  16. ^ a b "[Stage]: [1 Edition]". Toronto Star. 1998-05-07. p. 1. ISSN 0319-0781.
  17. ^ "Nominees". Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA). Archived from the original on 2021-05-14. Retrieved 2020-07-29.
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