Black Theatre Workshop’Äôs 24th Annual Vision Awards Celebration Honouring Mr. Bertrand A. Henry

Saturday, January 30^th

La Plaza Holiday Inn Midtown Montreal ’Äì 420 Sherbrooke West

Tickets: $125

Call: 514-932-1104 ext 226

~

A LIFE DEVOTED TO YOUTH

MONTREAL December 3, 2009 ’Äì Join us as we pay tribute to Mr. Bertrand A. Henry for his accomplishments as a teacher, mentor and friend to thousands of students living across Canada and beyond. This year’Äôs 24^th Annual Vision Gala Awards Celebration honours Mr. Henry with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award. Mr. Henry is one of the original founders of Dawson’Äôs DOME theatre program and has been teaching and mentoring youth through theatre, spanning over 25 years. This year’Äôs Vision Gala will be held on January 30^th, 2010 at La Plaza Holiday Inn ’Äì Midtown Montreal, cocktails at 6, dinner at 7, dancing and entertainment until the wee hours of the night.

’ÄúAs a board, we try and give the Martin Luther King Jr. award to someone of excellence, commitment and enterprise. Bertrand is all of those things, plus he has an unwavering devotion to youth that will always be remembered, especially by them.’Äù

Jacklin Webb, President of the Board, Black Theatre Workshop.

This year Black Theatre Workshop honours Mr. Bertrand Henry for his exceptional contributions to the arts and English theatre in Montreal with the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award. Heralded by English theatre critiques as the ’Äúhottest director in town’Äù, Mr. Henry has inspired in his students a dedication to art and a pride in their work, continuing to be the hallmark of the Dawson professional theatre program today. Mr. Henry’Äôs dedication and unwavering commitment was displayed when years ago he said ’Äúyes we can’Äù, and gambled on the launching of the old Dome Theatre space and won.

Vision Celebration is also a glimpse into the future as we award two young Montrˆ©alers for their scholastic and artistic achievements. The Gloria Mitchell-Aleong Award, sponsored by Stanley Aleong and the Victor Phillips Award, sponsored by TD Bank Financial Group, are presented to two outstanding young people who achieve excellence in their academic pursuits and the performing arts between the ages of 14 ’Äì 35.

BTW is pleased to announce the 24^th Annual Vision Gala Celebration marking the unofficial launch of Black History Month and Dr. King’Äôs dream and vision of growth, unity and community. Every year the Vision Celebration awards the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award to an individual whose life has a measure of distinction in Canada and who has made significant contributions to the development of the Black performing arts.

Whether for BTW’Äôs fall or spring Mainstage productions, school tours for Black History Month, Youthworks performance troupes, or for community arts development projects, all Vision contributions are dedicated to encouraging and promoting the development of a Black and Canadian Theatre. To purchase tickets call our box office at 514-932-1104 ext. 226. For more information on Black Theatre Workshop go to our website www.blacktheatreworkshop.ca.

BTW Presents Ranee Lee in Swan Song of Maria by Carol Cece Anderson Beginning Nov. 3

Ranee Lee returns to the theatrical stage in a moving production about one woman’Äôs struggle against Alzheimer’Äôs

Black Theatre Workshop Presents

Swan Song of Maria
(A Tragic Fairy Tale)

By Carol Cece Anderson - Directed by Tyrone Benskin

Starring Ranee Lee and Joel Miller
With Classical Ballet Performances Throughout the Production

November 3 ’Äì 22 - MAI ’Äì 3680 Jeanne Mance

This year we are in a more intimate space so tickets will sell out quickly
Call today: 514-932-1104 ext 226 or email: boxoffice@blacktheatreworkshop.ca

In Collaboration with Alzheimer Groupe Inc.

MEMORY SURRENDERED
’ÄúYou’Äôll look into my eyes. And you won’Äôt see me anymore. You won’Äôt see me anymore, because I’Äôll be gone. I’Äôll have surrendered. That’Äôs when the time will come, Joe...That’Äôs when you’Äôll know.’Äù ’Äì Jillian from Swan Song of Maria

Montreal, October 7 ’Äì If nothing changes, over one million Canadians will have Alzheimer’Äôs disease or a related dementia within 25 years, with no hope of surviving. Black Theatre Workshop presents the magical world premier of its Mainstage production Swan Song of Maria (a tragic fairy tale) by Carol Cece Anderson. Starring two of Canada’Äôs finest performers, Ranee Lee and Joel Miller, accompanied by a classical ballerina and live pianist, Swan Song of Maria studies this mysterious decease, and tells the poetic story of a couple’Äôs past, present and uncertain future. Spanning over fifty years and across two continents, this incredible production is directed by Tyrone Benskin and presented at the MAI from November 3 ’Äì 22, 2009.

’ÄúBefore it all went to hell, it was just’Ķconfusion. Just a dark space. Just a huge yawning space that swallows you for an instant. Takes you back in time. And tricks you into thinking you’Äôre still here. ’ÄòTil you come out of it. And you don’Äôt know where you’Äôve been. And you don’Äôt have any idea how long you’Äôve been away.’Äù ’Äì Jillian from Swan Song of Maria

Recently work shopped and commissioned by the National Arts Centre in Toronto, this award winning production brings together language, music and dance flavoured with a Latin twist to tell the tale of Jillian. As she struggles with Alzheimer’Äôs and the theft of her past, Jillian is haunted by her husband Joe’Äôs ever present muse: a beautiful ballerina named Maria. Jillian fights against being drawn into a world where time and all that she was starts to disappear, all the while wondering where she belongs in her husband’Äôs life. Spanning the years before and during their lives together Swan Song of Maria is a story of two hearts struggling to rediscover love before it is lost forever.

Black Theatre Workshop’Äôs productions are reaching new levels this year as we come closer to our 40th anniversary, and today we stand as the only African Canadian Theatre Company in the world. Whether for BTW’Äôs Mainstage productions, school tours for Black History Month, Youthworks performance troupes, or for community arts development projects, all contributions are dedicated to encouraging and promoting the development of a Black and Canadian Theatre. To purchase tickets call our box office at 514-932-1104 ext. 226. For more information on Black Theatre Workshop go to our website www.blacktheatreworkshop.ca.

Please Join us on Twitter and Facebook for special deals and promotions throughout the run

Join us on Facebook!
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=37025932626&ref=ts

Join us on Twitter!
http://twitter.com/BlackTheatreMtl