Thank you so much to everyone who helped make Geordie@40: Party Playlist a success! We are so grateful that even in the strangest of times, you were able to join us in a celebration that we will remember for years to come.
If you missed it, no worries! You can still watch it on our Facebook page by clicking the button below. We are also continuing to collect donations until December 31st.
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Geordie Theatre turned 40 and that called for a big celebration! As the weather turned colder, Geordie prepared a cozy afternoon filled with a colorful mix of art, laughter and fond memories of 40 years of community impact, a long-overdue reunion on November 21, 2020:
Geordie@40: Party Playlist!
“A party to mark four decades of creating theatre for young people and their families”
– Carol Ann Hoyte – Vice President, Geordie Theatre
Geordie Theatre offered the public a special 4-hour event, celebrating 40 years of celebrating young people, their stories, and their communities. Hosted by Artistic Director Mike Payette, this event was streamed live from our new Espace Geordie, located in the historic Little Italy.
The event showcased many forms of storytelling such as dance, music, poetry and song. It featured a wide variety of local talent, messages from members of the Geordie Family and our stellar supporters, as well as interviews with exceptional guests, including our founder, Canadian theatre veteran, and Order of Canada laureate Elsa Bolam.
Thank you for celebrating our 40th with us!
Jonathan Emile is a Jamaican-Canadian singer-songwriter, composer, and cancer survivor. In 2011, he garnered attention with the release of his debut EP The Lover/Fighter Document. It was followed by the 2015 release of the LP version that featured artists Kendrick Lamar, Buckshot, and Murs. Emile has been featured in major online publications such as Pitchfork, Hip Hop DX, Billboard, Fader, and Complex. Additionally, he has shared the stage with rappers Coolio in San Francisco, Nelly in Las Vegas, and Naughty By Nature and Slick Rick in New York. He has also recently collaborated with Grammy-nominated reggae singer Etana and multi-platinum reggae-fusion legend Maxi Priest. Emile recently launched his debut reggae album Spaces-in-Between in Montreal, Toronto and NYC, through a partnership between his independent record label MindPeaceLove and Tuff Gong International, the legendary label once founded by music rating reggae, Bob Marley. Released in January 2020, the album received a warm critical reception and received over 4million views and streams. Several renowned media, from here and elsewhere, have mentioned the album or have reviewed its various singles, such as Sirius XM, CTV, CBC,BBC, Le Devoir, Reggaeville, LargeUp, Reggae.fr, Top Shelf Music, and more…
The Amazing Todsky is a magician-comedian, with specialized shows for children and for adults. The Great One is available for all kinds of events: Birthday Parties, School Assemblies, Close-up Strolling, Corporate Events, Daycares, Seniors Residences, etc.
Be prepared to leave all laws of nature behind as The Amazing Todsky short-circuits the logical brain cells of your mind. You will swoon in wonder at the impossible made possible! You will tremble in awe as the very foundations of reality teeter on the brink!
The Amazing Todsky has been amazing and amusing audiences for well over 38.7 years now, and has performed more than 3000 magic shows, and that’s no illusion!
Anton May is a British born, Montreal based performer, an honours graduate from Dawson College’s Professional Theatre Program and an alumni of Black Theatre Workshop’s Artist Mentorship Program. Since graduating, he has had the privilege to perform across Eastern Canada, across the border (Auburn, New York) in The PITCH at The Finger Lakes Musical Festival as well as Feinstein’s 54 Below in New York City. He has been nominated (Broadway Worlds Regional Awards) for Emerging Artist as well as Best Performance by a Male in a Featured Role for his portrayal (2017) of Donkey (Shrek the Musical, WISTA) and Hud (HAIR, In The Wings Promotions) as well as for his portrayal of Lady Capulet in Repercussion theatre’s Romeo and Juliet: Love is love (2018). A role, among others that led him to win a META for Outstanding Emerging Artist (Performance). He has also had the privilege of sharing his talents in singing, poetry and stand up comedy in multiple cabarets/open mic nights in/around Montreal.
Captain Catalyst is Steven Rosenstein, a science educator, teacher and entertainer.
Steven has taught more than 600 000 children during his 40 year career.
He will show the mysterious forces of nature. Examine the forces of physics from magnetism and spinning forces to gravity and optical illusions. Participants experience the mystery of physics through a variety of toys and gadgets.
Amarante is a thirteen-year-old, Italian-African American dancer in the pre-professional program at Ballet Divertimento. She started out as an ice skater at the age of three and was a competitive skater until the age of eight, when she quit to begin dancing. At age eleven, she attended the week-long Alvin Ailey Italian Summer Workshop in Bari, Italy, where she was awarded a scholarship to continue her studies in Horton Modern Dance. Imzadi was accepted in the Alvin Ailey Junior Division 2019 Summer Intensive in New York City. There, she took six-week-long classes in West African Dance, Hip Hop, Jazz, Horton and Ballet.
Izzy Tamale, a.k.a. T-Money from The 5, is a young rapper from Montreal, Canada. He uses music as a way to express himself, and strives not only to make songs that people would like to listen to, but also music that is meaningful and will encourage people to think about what is going on in the world around them. He has dropped a number of projects, released some songs on major music platforms and has also performed on several occasions. He is currently pursuing a law degree at the University of Birmingham in England.
Jason “Blackbird” Selman is a Montreal born poet, trumpet player and community worker. He is the author The Freedom I Stole(2007, Cumulus Press), Africa As A Dream That Travels Through My Heart(2016, Howl) and co-editor of the poetry anthology Talking Book(2006, Cumulus Press)which chronicles the writings of Kalm Unity Vibe Collective(of which he is a founding member). He has done extensive poetry workshops across the Montréal area in schools and community groups. His work is grounded in the themes of ethno-musicology, surrealist expression, love and the intersection of masculinity and emotional vulnerability.
Matt Goldberg is a Montreal-based comedian, writer, actor and storyteller, as well as a founder and featured performer with Uncalled For — an award-winning Canadian sketch and improv comedy troupe, based in Montreal and Toronto. He is also the founder and executive director of Confabulation — a non-profit, dedicated to the art of true life storytelling, and has been the host of the Montreal Confabulation since its founding in 2010. He hosts the Confabulation podcast, and has performed at Fringe Festivals and storytelling shows across Canada, as well as at special events with Centre Phi, CBC Books and Just for Laughs. Matt teaches English literature and storytelling at Vanier College, in Montreal.
My name is Nathalie Gervais and I have been singing (non–professionally) all my life. I have sung in various school musicals, talent shows, choirs, and with a few bands in Montreal. I am an elementary school teacher and administrator at my school and incorporate music and singing wherever I can.
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Richard Wills has been a part-time professional musician for over 50 years, having been signed as an RCA Victor recording artist in 1968, working with musicians who also played with Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Since then he has played in a series of bands in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.
Nina Segalowitz is an Inuvialuit /Chipweyan from Fort Smith, NWT. She is a proud mother of three. A 60s Scoop Survivor, Nina graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Human Sciences, a DEP in accounting and a DEP in Social Work.
She has dedicated her entire career to working with the Indigenous community, especially with victims of violence, and is currently a cultural consultant for the Canadian Armed Forces, the Montreal Police Force as well as many universities and schools.
Nina is a multi-talented artist. An accomplished throat singer, drummer and cellist, Nina has performed all over the world including recently an impromptu performance with musician Bobby McFerrin .
She is presently part of the group Oktoecho directed by Katia Makdissi Warren. As well she sits on the Board of Directors for the Native Friendship Centre of Montreal and the Legacy of Hope Foundation.
I am a 15-year-old high school student who plays the piano and enjoys playing around with music software and digital composition. I was first introduced to electronic music by my brother and cousins, and to the world of DJing and music production by one of my teachers, who is a professional DJ, in an elective class when I was in middle school. I’ve gone to see Geordie plays every season for most of my life and have always been a huge fan!
Violette Kay is a playwright, composer and multidisciplinary performer… who also works at the Geordie office! She studied classical violin at the Conservatoire de Musique de Gatineau before going on to teach herself a multitude of other genres, which she enjoys integrating into her theatre practice. Past projects include A Joy that’s Mine Alone (National Theatre School’s Art Apart Program) and Adoration (Tantalus/Studio Porte Bleue). She is so thankful to have an occasion to perform during pandemic times.
From November 14 to 21, we ran an online auction jam-packed with over 40 items including fashion apparel, jewellery, gift certificates and more!
Thank you to our generous supporters who donated auction items, and to everyone who bid on them and helped us raise funds to continue bringing enchanting and important stories to young audiences near and far!
We are so grateful for the generosity of our donors:
Kevin Abdallah
Samantha Abdallah
Boyana Andric
Marcia Babb
Michael Babb
Elsa Bolam Podbrey
Sebastien Boyer
Patricia Bryan
Greg Butler
Pepita Capriolo
Edward Chan
Ronald Chan
Decio Coviello
Carmen D’Elia
Rafeef Dajani
Gary Da Ponte
Fatma Sarah Elkashef
Dean Fleming
Lorna Gailis
Anne Gregory
Diana Gregory
Benjamin Herrera
Brett Hooton
Christie Huff
Sophie Johnson
Zach Kahn
Amanda Kellock
Lindsay Milner
Elisa Moscatell
Kelly Murphy
Marcel Pinchevsky
Kit Racette
Dory Reimer
Jennifer Roberts
Casey Scott
Laura Semaan
Claire Sherwood
Minna Shulman
David Sklar
Joseph Ste-Marie
Israel Tamale
Julie Tamiko Manning
Marsha Warmuth
Andrew Westoll
Neil D. Westoll
Carmen Yuen
Geordie Theatre is located on the unceded Indigenous lands of the Kanien’kehá:ka (Mohawk) nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Tiotià:ke (known as Montréal) has existed as a meeting place of many First Nation peoples, including but not limited to the Abenaki , Anishinaabeg (Algonquin), and the Huron-Wendat. We extend our deepest respect to the elders of these communities and to all Indigenous peoples who carry the history of this island’s land and waters – caring for it and calling it home. We are honoured and privileged to share stories on this land.
We wish to also acknowledge that we are grateful to those seeking sustainable solutions to our global climate crisis, so that we may continue to inspire and challenge our audiences near and far.