Persephone Productions Presents POOL NO WATER At The Segal Centre Studio

What are we willing to sacrifice in the name of art and success? PERSEPHONE PRODUCTIONS mark their return to theatre with POOL NO WATER, a contemporary reframing of the one-act dark comedy written by Mark Ravenhill. The play presents a diverse cast and crew.

The young actors include: Lucas DiTecco, Audrey-Shana Ferus, Thomas Vallieres, David Noel, Rosemarie Sabor and Dakota Jamal Wellman. All at once a visceral and intoxicating exploration of youth, ambition, art and envy, POOL NO WATER will run September 1 - September 15, 2022 at The Segal Centre Studio.

A close-knit group of young artists bound by their passion for creating art have dreams of making it big. When one of them eventually finds success, the others are left to contemplate their own ambitions. What if success is a zero-sum game? What if for someone to succeed, someone else must fail in order to maintain cosmic balance? When a horrific accident ensues, the disturbing underbelly of success is revealed, marked by jealousy and self-righteousness. In this timely, shocking exploration of human behaviour, POOL NO WATER confronts the dark realities of success in today's world.

Beginning its 2022/2023 season with POOL NO WATER, PERSEPHONE PRODUCTIONS shifts into a new era of Montreal theatre. With an expression of deep gratitude, the company bids farewell to outgoing artistic director Gabrielle Soskin, handing the reins of leadership over to two Montreal artists: Leila Ghaemi and Rebecca Gibian. Under new leadership, PERSEPHONE PRODUCTIONS' mission will grow towards serving "emerging" artists in the largest sense of the word.

Ghaemi & Gibian explain their shared vision: "In today's landscape, artists now spend most of their careers 'emerging', often in multiple directions and in various stages. Persephone Productions aims to become a platform for Montreal artists, no matter their age, experience, artistic sphere, background or identity, to produce inspiring, provocative work that entertains audiences while challenging and strengthening artists' professional development."

In alignment with its mission, PERSEPHONE PRODUCTIONS will additionally be expanding its relationship with the Canadian Actors' Equity Association, allowing the company to reach a larger number of artists, while working to empower them regardless of their status in the industry.

Mark Ravenhill (Playwright) is an English playwright, actor and journalist. His plays include Shopping and f-ing (1996), Some Explicit Polaroids (1999) and Mother Clap's Molly House (2001). He made his acting debut in his monologue, Product, at the 2005 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

The young cast of Pool No Water features an ensemble of multi-talented new and established artists. Lucas DiTecco, a bilingual stage and screen actor, returns to PERSEPHONE for this production. He is joined by recent Dawson College Professional Theatre Program graduate, Audrey-Shana Ferus. In addition to being an actor and National Theatre School (NTS) colleague, Rosemarie Sabor, is a cellist and voiceover artist. David Noel is an actor, singer and translator who most recently graduated from NTS. A Montreal-based performer, educator, and creator, Dakota Jamal Wellman is a 2020 META award winner and a participant of Black Theatre Workshop's Artist Mentorship Program. Rounding out the six-member cast is Thomas Vallières who, after training at London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art in the UK and working on both large and small screens, bilingually, for several years, longed for the opportunity to perform on a Montreal stage.

A first generation Iranian-Canadian, LEILA GHAEMI (Co-Artistic Director) recently returned to her hometown of Montreal, after spending over a decade in The United States, where she was fortunate to work for various acclaimed theatre companies, including Huntington Theatre, American Conservatory Theatre, and New Repertory Theatre. Her specialties include direction, education, dramaturgy, and new play development. Leila received both her BFA in Theatre Arts and MFA in Theatre Education & Direction from Boston University's School of Theatre. She currently serves as co-artistic director of PERSEPHONE PRODUCTIONS and teaches theatre at The Study. Leila is thrilled to finally share Pool No Water with the Montreal theatre community and continue to advocate for representation and intersectionality in the arts.

REBECCA GIBIAN (Co-Artistic Director) is a bilingual actor and director. Born and raised in Montreal, she grew up in the French school system and graduated from The National Theatre School's Acting program in 2015. After graduating, she spent two seasons at the Shaw Festival, and then treated Toronto as a home-base for acting and directing. Forever a Montrealer at heart, she eventually began finding opportunities to work in her hometown. Credits include: Shaw Festival, Centaur Theatre, Studio 180, Howland Company, and Talisman Theatre. Through PERSEPHONE PRODUCTIONS, Rebecca is excited to be able to provide opportunities for emerging artists-a value that has always been a driving force in her work.

POOL NO WATER features music by Iva Delic, an accomplished sound designer and award-winning composer for films, documentaries and animations who has collaborated with Sony, CBC and YouTube. Set and costume design is by Maryanna Chan, a multi-talented Chinese-Canadian Illustrator and Scenographer from Treaty 6 Territory (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan). Jeremy Segal, co-founder and Artistic Director of the experimental Montreal theatre company, Title 66 Productions, and the Co-artistic Director of Youtheatre, provides the video designs. Montreal-based emerging lighting designer, Chris Wardell, is a multi-disciplinary artist with a focus on Lighting & Video Design.

PERSEPHONE PRODUCTIONS provides experience and exposure to emerging artists and to foster a collaborative work environment. Founded on the belief that the greatness of any city depends on the state of its cultural events and the health of its artistic community, PERSEPHONE PRODUCTIONS seeks to acknowledge the importance of theatre in our lives by creating opportunities for young artists to find their place and make a contribution. Created in 2000, PERSEPHONE PRODUCTIONS is mandated to provide work experience for theatre artists in all areas of their expertise. The company is committed to presenting plays that are innovative and of literary merit and social significance.

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