Sunday morning at the Segal Centre

  • Print
  • More

December 16, 2015

The Suburban
By Bernard Mendelman
December 16, 2015


Read the article

Sunday mornings at 11 o’clock — prior to the beginning of all their new productions — the Segal Centre invites the public to Sunday @ The Segal, where they explore the history, themes and ideas behind each play with a pre-show lecture series designed to enhance the actual theatre experience. Admission is free and there’s always complimentary coffee and snacks.

I was never able to find time to attend one of these programs. They do livestream them and on occasion I have watched them on my computer, but it does not compare to actually being there in person.

On Sunday morning, Dec. 6 I took my granddaughter to the YM-YWHA to visit their Chanukah Wonderland. The building leads into the Segal Centre and while I was waiting for her, I lucked out as Sunday @ The Segal for Tribes had been rescheduled from the previous week to that morning — even though the play had already begun its run.

I had seen Tribes on opening night. The plot is about one of a family’s three siblings, a young man who has been deaf since birth. With a hearing aid he has learned to speak. A romance with a woman who teaches him sign language opens him up to a new world of self-expression. He discovers that instead of trying to fit into his family’s world, he can now break out and find his own.

The guest lecturer on Sunday was Pamela E. Witcher, a deaf activist and versatile artist. Through the use of visual aids and two interpreters, Liz Scully and Jordan Goldman, Witcher eloquently documented her personal life and the experiences of the deaf community in various facets — cultural, educational, historical and linguistic. Born in Montreal to a family of deaf parents and a deaf brother, she has mastered the four languages of her roots: American Sign Language, Quebec Sign Language (LSQ), English and French.

Witcher is a mother of a hearing child. It was a fascinating experience watching and listening to her.

After the lecture I had the pleasure of meeting Lisa Rubin, who in February, 2014, after being a long-time member of the Segal Centre family became its artistic and executive director. Working both as an artist and administrator, Rubin — with her diverse background in public relations, television and theatre in Montreal, New York and Toronto — is now carving out her own niche at The Segal.

Jack Volpe, who played the deaf son in Tribes, made an appearance at the lecture. An accomplished actor who mesmerized the audience in his portrayal, Volpe is a Montrealer from an Italian family. Tailor made for the role, he grew up in a hearing family. He speaks English but mainly converses in American Sign Language and is actively involved with the deaf community.

I also caught up with Brandon Schwartz who is part of The Segal’s marketing and communication team. This talented young man is becoming involved in all facets of musical theatre. He has built up a following for his recent performances in the musicals Hairspray and Catch Me If You Can and will have a role in The Segal’s June production of Mel Brook’s musical The Producers. Teaming up with the Côte Saint-Luc Dramatic Society, this will be the first time that this musical will be performed in Yiddish. For such an occasion it’s Rubin’s intention to try to get Brooks to be present at the opening.

This may help Rubin lure Brooks here: When he was planning the movie musical version of The Producers, Toronto was considered a filming venue, but Brooks vetoed the suggestion choosing New York instead. His reasoning was, “Toronto’s bagels are too mushy.”

So Lisa, I think all you have to do to induce Brooks is just send him some of our Montreal bagels and that should bring him here toute suite.

Tribes continues until December 20. The next Sunday @ The Segal takes place January 31 in preparation for The Secret Annex, an imaginative drama about Anne Frank that will be performed from January 31 to February 21.

Box Office
514-739-7944