A Play in the Style of a Silent Film
An innovative production that melds a newly developed style of physical performance with film projection and live musical accompaniment, The Belle of Winnipeg is a new original play inspired by the silent film era. The culmination of over four years of collective creation this production presents a group of physically engaging characters and introduces a new vocabulary of theatrical expression in silence – save for the live accompaniment of a piano.
Originally produced by Keystone Theatre in November 2009 as an Equity Approved Co-op, The Belle of Winnipeg garnered three Dora Mavor Moore nominations and one win; Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Principle Role (Ginette Mohr), Outstanding Original Costume Design (Lorie Brown) and Outstanding Original Sound Design / Composition (David Atkinson – WINNER).
Synopsis
The Belle of Winnipeg tells the story of a young woman named Belle, played by Ginette Mohr (Stratford Festival, Fish Face – Playwrights Theatre – Cultch Theatre Award, A Bird’s Eye View – Theatre LMNOP – Dora Nomination). It is 1882 and our heroine has been shipped off from her comfortable life in France to an arranged marriage in the wilds of Canada. Unimpressed with her new life in Montreal, Belle escapes her wedding only to find herself stranded smack dab in the middle of the dangerous and foreboding frontier town of Winnipeg. From the old CP railways, to drunken bar room brawls, to a well-intentioned tramp lousing up simple jobs, to a damsel in distress being tied to the train tracks, Belle is a hilarious, exciting and often touching production.
By bringing this blend of physical performance, live music and filmic elements to the stage and presenting it in an environment that is designed and costumed in black, white and shades of grey, Keystone Theatre treats audiences to a classic form of entertainment in an entirely new way.
See review from TorontoStage.com
What do audiences and critics have to say?
Keystone Theatre is currently seeking opportunities to remount The Belle of Winnipeg. For information please contact Kimberly Beaune, General Manager kim@keystonetheatre.net or call 416-970-2044.
“Belle” Co-Creators