Centaur Theatre Presents Steve Galluccio's AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME, February 21 – March 12

Centaur Theatre presents Steve Galluccio's newest work, AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME, directed by Peter Hinton-Davis. Galluccio's most personal play since Mambo Italiano, AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME is an autobiographical tale of an Italian-Canadian gay man approaching 60, who believes he has settled into life, only to be confronted with the reality of having to reimagine everything he once knew. The talented cast features Richard Jutras, Stephen Lawson, Michael Miranda, and Nadia Verrucci. AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME will be presented February 21 - March 12, 2023 at Centaur Theatre.

Three old friends gather to reminisce about the past - the good, the bad, and the outrageous. Their conversation unfolds to reveal everything that transpired between them in the 1970's, from past boyfriends to Sunday night dinners, backed by a soundtrack of Blondie, the B-52s, and the Village People. Thoughts, feelings and emotions bubble to the surface while memory and loss stir up questions about healing and moving on. A vivid chronicle of love and loss, AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME reminds us that memories are like a good shot of espresso: best shared among friends.

"With everything we have been through, it really is the beginning of time for us all. The way we once lived is over, and so how we live now is essential. This is a play dedicated to rebooting and beginning new chapters. Galluccio said, when writing this play, "After this pandemic is done - if we ever are done - we'll be in a new era." - Peter Hinton-Davis, Director

Steve Galluccio's (Playwright) career has been anything but traditional, with great success as a playwright, screenwriter, producer and author with no formal training. He debuted his work in the nineties at the Montreal Fringe Festival, later becoming an overnight sensation with the mega-hit play Mambo Italiano, a now internationally renowned work. Mambo Italiano was adapted into both a movie and a "pre-Broadway" musical which premiered in 2019 at the Broadway Theatre in Westchester, New York. The musical's run was disrupted by the pandemic. Other play credits include In Piazza San Domenico, The Saint Leonard Chronicles, Les secrets de la Petite Italie, and the feature films Surviving My Mother, Funkytown and Little Italy. Steve writes in both French and English and identifies as an allophone.

Peter Hinton-Davis (Director) is a director, playwright and teacher who has directed over 200 productions of new work, repertoire, and opera for the stage. He is thrilled to return to Centaur, having directed The Comedy of Errors in 2010 and Constellations in 2016. In 2021, he directed the premiere of his play The Sylvia Effect for Theatre Kingston. Recent directing credits include The Two Gentlemen of Verona, Stratford Birmingham Conservatory; Missing by Marie Clements and Brian Current, Pacific Opera; Sex by Mae West, Shaw Festival; and Hadrian by Rufus Wainwright and Daniel MacIvor, Canadian Opera Company. In 2022/23, Peter will be directing premieres of The Last Epistle of Tightrope Time by Walter Borden, National Arts Centre/Neptune Theatre; The Man That Got Away by Martin Julien, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre; and The Hooves Belonged to the Deer by Makram Ayache at Tarragon.

Richard Jutras (Performer) is a two-time Canadian Screen Award nominee for Best Ensemble in a Comedy, for the hit CBC series The Tournament. He won the award for Best Actor at Macabre Faire '21 Film Fest and Yes! Let's Make a Movie Film Fest 2021 for his moving portrayal in Lifelike. Theatre credits include From the Stars in the Sky to the Fish in the Sea (Geordie Theatre), The Hockey Sweater: A Musical (NAC/Segal Centre), Crazy For You (Segal Centre), Jeanne La Pucelle (Place des Arts/Théâtre Capitole), Damn Those Wedding Bells (Segal Centre), Girl in the Goldfish Bowl (HVT), Elegies For Angels Punks and Raging Queens (Spectrum), and Bent (Salle Paul-Buissonneau).

Stephen Lawson (Performer) has continuously challenged the boundaries of theatre, music, television, radio, performance art, installation, print and video for over 30 years. He was a co-founder of the performance troupe PRIMUS (Winnipeg, 1989-1998) and his work as a director includes radical multi-disciplinary creations with artists such as Jess Dobkin (Toronto). Since 2001, and emerging from Montreal's wildly eclectic cabaret scene, he has worked with his partner Aaron Pollard as part of the collaborative art duo 2boys.tv.

Michael Miranda (Performer) is a thirty-five-year veteran whose career spans the mediums of film, television, theatre and radio. For the stage, Michael has performed in F-Lying Fellini (Soulpepper Theatre), Mambo Italiano (Sudbury Theatre), The Love List (Globus Theatre), Bhopal (Cahoots Theatre), On the Money (Toronto Fringe), and Queen of Savoia (Summerworks). Michael also originated the role of Paolo in Salvatore Antonio's In Gabriel's Kitchen, which received a Governor General's Award nomination.

Nadia Verrucci (Performer) is thrilled to be returning to the Centaur stage after appearing in Carmela's Table in 2006. Selected theatre/musical credits include Measure for Measure, Romeo and Juliet, Billy (The Days of Howling), Belles Sœurs: The Musical, and Captain Aurora I & II. Selected film/TV/voice credits include Mirror Mirror, Target Number One, Being Human, The Disappearance, Mohawk Girls, Deus Ex, Far Cry, and Juno in the Assassin's Creed franchise.

Scenic painter, Daniel Barkley, is recreating The Triumph of Venus, a beautiful work by Italian artist Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, in several formats for the AT THE BEGINNING OF TIME set. Barkley is a Montreal born artist who has had many solo and group exhibitions across Canada and the United States. His water colours have won top prizes at national competitions, including the Canadian Society of Painters Watercolour's A.J. Casson Medal 2002 and 2012.

In addition, set and costumes are designed by Michael Gianfrancesco, lighting design by Andrea Lundy, sound design Troy Slocum. Acting as stage manager is Melanie St-Jacques, with Elyse Quesnel as assistant stage manager, Adam Capriolo as assistant director and Christine Lee as assistant sound designer.

Running Tuesday, February 21 - Sunday, March 12, 2023 at 8PM, with Mondays dark. Saturday and Sunday matinee performances at 2PM. Opening night is on February 24 at 8pm at Centaur 2, Centaur Theatre, 453 St. Francois-Xavier, Montreal.

Tickets ranging from $20 - $68, with subscription rates, group rates and student/senior discounts available. Tickets can be purchased at https://centaurtheatre.com/box-office/tickets/ or by phone at (514) 288-3161.

ADDITIONAL DETAILS

School matinées on Wednesday, March 1 and Wednesday, March 8 at 12PM.

Thursday Pre-Show Convo, February 23 at 7PM with Centaur's Artistic Director Eda Holmes and designers of the show to discuss their work on the production.

Sunday Chat-Up, February 26 at 12:30 PM with Lucinda Chodan speaks with pioneering columnist Richard Burnett about what life was like for a gay man in 1970's Montreal.

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