Theatre Outré continues this season’s celebration of the human body with Erin Shields, Maev Beaty and Andrea Donaldson’s play Montparnasse, which runs at Club Didi, Nov, 16-20.
“It is about two lifelong friends from Canada in the 1920s who reunite in Paris, France. One is an artist and the other is an artist’s model. Together they navigate world of an artist in Paris as nude art models,” described director Jay Whitehead.
Montparnasse stars Kathy Zaborsky as the model Mags and Carolyn Ruether as the artist Amelia and Nick Bohle, who plays several smaller roles as well as provides musical accompaniment on guitar, accordion and cello. All three play multiple characters.
The nudity doesn’t perturb the actresses.
“I’ve actually been an artist’s model for the past 15 years,“ said Kathy Zaborsky.
“This will be the first time I’ve appeared on stage as a nude female in a while, though I have appeared as a nude male in Castrati,” she continued.
“My best friend in the world, Erin Shields, wrote the play. She’s moved to Montreal and I miss her, so it makes me feel closer to her to be able to say her words,” she continued.
Carolyn Ruether wanted to be part of the production after reading the script.
“It’s simple yet complex. There’s only two main characters in it, but there’s so many layers to it,” she said.
Whitehead noted Montparnasse fits in with Theatre Outré’s mandate.
“We‘re excited to help present a body positive and sex positive play about the female body,” Whitehead said.
But Montparnasse is more than that.
“It’s a love story that also celebrates the best of the art of the human body,” he continued.
Zaborsky is excited to perform in a play that takes place in the 1920s.
“Montparnasse takes place in the crazy years with it’s debauchery and self destruction. It takes place after the First World War and the Second World War was about to happen,” Zaborsky said.
Ruether hopes the play will start a discussion about nudity and the human body.
“ I hope people will feel comfortable with the nudity rather than discomfort. The ’20s was an era of freedom,” Ruether said.
“The play is quite fast paced. It’s comedy is heartfelt and also pretty nostalgic at times in a very poetic way,” Whitehead said.
“We see the relationship between these two girls develop. We see them develop as artists and muses,” he continued.
“There’s lots of fun characters in it despite the fact there are only two people on stage,” Zaborsky said.
She is enjoying her character of Mags who is sowing some wild oats before she settles down.
“She wants to have some fun before getting trapped by wifery. She begins a new life. Mags wears her heart on her sleeve. She just wants to be loved,” Zaborsky said.
Carolyn Ruether is also enjoying playing Amelia.
“Amelia is a painter and an artist who goes to paris. She‘s a little bit more traditional and she learns to be more progressive after meeting Mags, who go to Paris together,” she said.
Montparnasse runs Nov. 16-20 at Club Didi.
Admission is $20 regular, $15 students. It runs at 8 p.m. each night.
