Centaur Theatre Opens its 48th Season with CONSTELLATION

Centaur Theatre opens its 48th season with Constellations, winner of London's Evening Standard Best Play Award and written by British wunderkind, Nick Payne. Running from October 4 to 30, 2016, this quirky tale of two people finding love in multi-universes, which made waves on both sides of the Atlantic in London's West End (2012) and on Broadway (2015), is directed by the accomplished Canadian director, former Artistic Director of the NAC English Theatre and recent META nominee, Peter Hinton.

"Constellations is the poster play for our "Swept Away" season slogan, transporting audiences from the world we know to multiple universes where this ordinary couple's awkward, humorous and ultimately touching relationship develops in countless directions. We are proud to introduce this simple yet beautiful story to English Canada for the first time with our partners, Canadian Stage, and are so fortunate to have Peter direct. What a perfect artistic match in any universe! His vision is always innovative and surprising; and he's put together a celestial group of artists", said Centaur Theatre's Artistic and Executive Director, Roy Surette.

Two people. Infinite possibilities. A spellbinding journey to parallel worlds where physicist Marianne and bee keeper Roland fall in, and sometimes out, of love over and over again, in a multitude of ways. Every choice creates a different, life-altering outcome in their relationship, questioning whether our lives are the result of free will or fate. An intimate, richly romantic, quantum mechanics comedy about love, friendship, destiny and honey!

Payne wrote Constellations in the aftermath of his father's death, after stumbling across Brian Greene's documentary, The Elegant Universe, an exploration of the quantum mechanics theory which postulates the existence of eleven space-time dimensions. He describes Constellations as a dramatized attempt to reconcile "the urge to remember versus the need to forget". Director, Peter Hinton, further elaborates. "Constellations is a play in which this science is explored through the varied possible lives of a single couple. As we follow Roland and Marianne through breaking up and staying together, moving in and going their separate ways, having affairs and monogamy, we also see romance interrupted and tested by death; it is a love story both celebrated and mourned."

Graham Cuthbertson returns to Centaur as Roland, a somewhat awkward bee-keeper, while Toronto actor, Cara Ricketts, makes her Centaur debut as a studious quantum physicist, Marianne. From The Madonna Painter and August, An Afternoon in the Country to Trad and The Goodnight Bird, Graham has left many a memorable mark on Centaur audiences. Cara's previous credits include work with Soulpepper Theatre and several Stratford Festival seasons. She is also known for her role as Bertilda in the popular TV series, Book of Negroes.

Michael Gianfrancesco, who has designed for theatre, opera and dance across the country, as well as for both the Shaw and Stratford Festivals, created the sets and costumes. Andrea Lundy, a 9-time Dora Award-winner and 28-year theatre veteran, brought her considerable experience to the production's lighting design. Centaur's Audio Engineer, Peter Cerone, who has been designing for dance, theatre, art installations and more since 1980, contributed the sound design. Michael Hart, another Stratford alumnus who has worked with Peter Hinton several times, is the stage manager, assisted by Jacynthe Lalonde. Stephanie Costa assisted Mr. Hinton and Montreal performer, recording artist and teacher,Jane Chan, plays the cello live.

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