Formation 1992 Artistic director(s) Jacquie P.A. Thomas | Type Theatre group Website theatregargantua.ca | |
Location Toronto, Ontario, Canada | ||
Theatre Gargantua is a Toronto-based theatre company founded by Artistic Director Jacquie P.A. Thomas in 1992. The company emphasizes artist collaboration, both within Canada and globally, combining a range of artistic disciplines to create new work. The defining experimental style of Theatre Gargantua's productions are a hybrid of Thomas' studies in Europe, which include creation as an artistic collective, an extended development phase, imagistic production elements, original composition often performed live and choreographed physicality of performers. The topics of exploration in Gargantua's past shows have been grounded in social issues, creating compelling work that is presented through highly physical performances.
Contents
The Company
The company consists of a permanent Artistic and Associate Artistic Director along with core members and associate artists who work regularly with the company on a project basis. Production staff are hired on a project-by-project basis or as needed.
The company works as a collective to generate each project through exploration and discovery of social issues relevant to our society. Starting with an idea or social issue, artists are asked to research or create work using the idea as inspiration. From there, the idea begins to seed and grow into characters and plot. Production elements are designed to invoke metaphoric meaning and experiment with various visual and physical components.
Core Artistic Members
Mainstage Cycle
Theatre Gargantua’s productions are developed over a two-year cycle consisting of the creation, development and performance of work. New projects are developed over the annual spring and summer season of first year, with fully produced public performances of the work in development in the fall. In the second year of a cycle, the work is re-examined and explored throughout the spring and summer seasons sometimes resulting in a radically different production, which receives its premiere in the fall of the second year. The remounting of shows from completed cycles may occur for tours or festivals.
SideStream
Theatre Gargantua’s SideStream project is developed by core and associate artists, designed with touring in mind. The first SideStream Cycle, Shrapnel, was created by core member Joel Benson in 2013.
Reflector
Still in development, Reflector will have its first year production in November 2016, and it's official premiere Fall 2017.
Leaving Still
Theatre Gargantua’s fourth SideStream Cycle, Leaving Still will premier at the Nuit Blanche art festival in Toronto on October 1, 2016. Conceived and performed by Michelle Polok.
Mainstage Cycles
Avaricious (2014-2015)
The Sacrifice Zone (2012-2013)
Imprints (2010-2011)
fIBBER (2007-2008)
e-DENTITY (2005-2006)
(nod) (2003-2004)
Phantom Limb (2001-2002)
The Exit Room (1999-2000)
love not love (1997-1998)
Raging Dreams - Into the Visceral (1995-1996)
The Trials: Fortune’s Desire (1992-1994)
SideStream Cycle
The Hum (2015)
Trace (2014)
Shrapnel (2013)
Theatre Gargantua and Education
Theatre Gargantua is committed to fostering a deep engagement in the arts. The company is highly respected among university and high school educator, offering student matinees at discounted rates, as well as some of the most specialized and enriching workshops in physical theatre and the integration of arts and technology available.
The company offers an annual Master Class in Dynamic Creation for professional artists, and artistic and management internships for emerging artists.
Student programs include physical theatre workshops which allow students to learn alongside company members resulting in the performance of physical theatre integrated with technology.