Sainte-Carmen of the Main

In Sainte-Carmen of the Main, Carmen—a character who appeared previously in Forever Yours, Marie-Lou—returns to the Rodéo from Nashville, where she has been sent to “improve her technique” in yodelling. But not only does she improve her technique, she also begins to write her own songs whose lyrics speak directly to the people about their problems, in words they understand. This challenging and profound play poses the question: “It’s fine to wake people up, but once they’re awake, what do you do with them?”

AUTHOR

John Van Burek

Born in Toronto, John Van Burek studied at St. Anselm College in the United States, at the University of New Brunswick, and at the University of Toronto. He has been a practising theatre artist for over twenty years, in both French and English, throughout Canada. He has also worked in the fields of opera, film and television. In 1971, he founded the Théâtre français de Toronto where, over the years, he directed some sixty productions. He stepped down as Artistic Director of the company in 1991. Mr. Van Burek has taught at Ryerson Theatre School, York University and at the National Theatre School of Canada in Montreal. He is also one of Canada’s leading translators for theatre, most notably of Michel Tremblay’s plays, including Les Belles-Soeurs (Talonbooks). Mr. Van Burek has received several awards and citations for his work, including the Toronto Drama Bench Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Canadian Theatre. In 1992, he was awarded a Canada Council “A” Grant for senior artists. This prestigious award allowed him to spend a year abroad, studying and working with major theatre artists in Nottingham, London and Paris. In addition, thanks to a special grant form the Minister of External Affairs and the Toronto Arts Council, he was able to undertake a program for the promotion of Canadian plays in both England and France.