The Art of Meeting

For me the theatre is, at its essence, the art of meeting. Superficial encounters, the kind that we often have in our everyday lives, are easy-- nothing is changed, nothing is challenged. They are uneventful. They require less investment than buying a burger and fries and are the equivalent of fast food. We are left empty and craving more. Our common desire to be with like-minded people, to think the same, to dress the same, to be comfortable, to fit in, slowly drains our desire to be confronted with the unknown. We forget that the unknown is exciting. It keeps us alive. It nourishes us. An authentic meeting is just that, an encounter with the unknown.

Real encounters, the kind that provoke confrontations and propel both parties into new territories so that they might see the world differently and share new dreams, are possibilities. I want to create possibilities of meetings that are charged and have resonance, whose outcomes are strong and lasting. They satiate us and influence the society in which we live. This is the strength of the theatre and this is why it is essential.

This season, come face to face with pioneers of essential art. Reacquaint yourself with luminary Marie Chouinard. Join us as Theatre Junction and Toronto's Crow's Theatre team up to take on the knife-like writing of Martin Crimp in the Canadian premiere of The Country. Finally, let loose with the hilariously versatile and amazingly skilled Spaghetti Western Orchestra as they reintroduce you to the unforgettable classic Ennio Morricone film scores.

This is Theatre Junction GRAND Season Four. We should meet.

Mark Lawes
Artistic Director