Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui

Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui
Name	Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui
Address	3900, rue Saint Denis, Montreal
City	Montreal
Country	Canada
Opened	1968
Capacity	218

Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui is a francophone professional theatre company and venue based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in the late 1960s, it has become a central institution in the development of contemporary Canadian and Québécois playwriting, connecting stages, festivals, and cultural institutions across Canada and internationally. The company has premiered works by leading dramatists and collaborated with prominent theatres, ensembles, and cultural organizations throughout North America and Europe.

History

Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui was established in 1968 amid the cultural ferment of the Quiet Revolution and the expansion of francophone cultural institutions in Montreal. Early years saw relationships with figures from the National Theatre School of Canada, the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, and artist networks including the Festival TransAmériques and the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde. During the 1970s and 1980s the theatre participated in exchange projects with the Stratford Festival, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and ensembles from Paris, Brussels, and Berlin. Administrations collaborated with playwrights associated with Michel Tremblay, Antonine Maillet, Félix Leclerc circles, and newer voices connected to the Canada Council for the Arts. Over subsequent decades links expanded to international venues such as the Comédie-Française, the Royal Court Theatre, and institutions like La Colline — théâtre national and Schaubühne. The company weathered funding shifts involving the Government of Quebec and federal arts policy adjustments, while maintaining programming that reflected changing demographics in Montreal boroughs like the Plateau-Mont-Royal.

Mission and Artistic Focus

Théâtre d'Aujourd'hui's mission emphasizes creation, production, and dissemination of contemporary francophone plays by living authors, nurturing ties with playwrights from Quebec, Canada, France, Belgium, and Switzerland. Artistic priorities include commissioning new texts, staging premieres linked to development programs with the Playwrights Guild of Canada, and fostering translations and co-productions with the Conseil des arts de Montréal and the Canada Council for the Arts. The theatre has championed experimental forms, collaborating with collectives associated with Ex Machina, Wajdi Mouawad, and companies appearing at the Festival d'Avignon and Festival OFF d'Avignon. Programming balances established dramatists connected to Michel Tremblay-era traditions with emerging authors affiliated with the UQAM theatre departments and international playwrights from Mexico, Brazil, and Germany.

Notable Productions and Premieres

Notable premieres staged at the venue have included works by leading contemporary playwrights and translations of international successes that later toured to festivals such as Festival TransAmériques, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the Festival d'Avignon. Productions have featured collaborations with directors and companies linked to Robert Lepage, Wajdi Mouawad, Mireille Dansereau, and designers with ties to the National Film Board of Canada. The theatre has premiered texts that received recognition from awards like the Governor General's Awards and the Prix du Québec, and transferred productions to institutions such as the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde, the Centaur Theatre, and presenters at the Toronto Fringe Festival and the Ottawa Fringe Festival. Co-productions have toured to venues including the Comédie de Saint-Étienne, the Théâtre des Célestins, and repertory houses in Brussels and Geneva.

Key Personnel and Leadership

Over time leadership has included artistic directors, general managers, and literary directors who maintained ties to the National Theatre School of Canada, the Université de Montréal, and Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). Board members and patrons have included figures from the Conseil des arts de Montréal, representatives of the Secrétariat à la jeunesse and cultural affairs offices of the City of Montreal, and collaborators from production firms linked to the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the Just for Laughs organization. The theatre’s dramaturgy has involved partnerships with freelance dramaturges connected to the Playwrights Guild of Canada and translator-networks active with the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and the Dora Mavor Moore Awards community.

Building and Facilities

Located on rue Saint-Denis, the theatre occupies a mid-sized black-box and proscenium rooms under the cultural canopy of Plateau-Mont-Royal performance venues. Facilities support rehearsal studios used by ensembles associated with the National Theatre School, scenic workshops linked to local unions, and technical crews accredited by organizations such as the Canadian Actors' Equity Association. The venue’s technical capacity has enabled co-productions requiring complex lighting designs by practitioners from Moment Factory and soundscapes by collaborators affiliated with Cirque du Soleil alumni. Accessibility upgrades over recent renovation phases aligned with municipal programs administered by the City of Montreal cultural services.

Community Engagement and Education

Community programs include outreach projects with neighbourhood schools, partnerships with the Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD), and residency initiatives reaching francophone and immigrant communities from regions including Haiti, Algeria, and Morocco. Workshops and dramaturgy clinics have been offered in partnership with the Playwrights Guild of Canada, the Banff Centre, and university theatre departments at UQAM and the Université de Montréal. The theatre has participated in citywide initiatives such as MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE and collaborative seasons with the Théâtre Jean-Duceppe to expand audiences and professional development pathways for technicians and actors.

Awards and Recognition

Productions and artists affiliated with the theatre have been recipients or nominees of the Governor General's Awards, the Prix du Québec, the Dora Mavor Moore Awards, and prizes at the Festival TransAmériques. The company’s premieres have garnered critical praise in outlets covering Montreal cultural life and have been cited in retrospectives by institutions including the National Film Board of Canada and the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec.

Category:Theatres in Montreal Category:French-language theatres in Canada