Westmount gets skewered in Infinitheatre fundraiser

This year, Infinitheatre celebrates its tenth anniversary with an exceptional reward from Placement Culture, an endowment program established by the conseil des arts et des lettres du Quebec.

“For all the money that Infinitheatre raises within a year, they will double that amount to put into an endowment fund,� said Infinitheatre spokesperson Barbara Ford, who stressed that smaller theatre companies have a difficult time competing with larger theatres for government funds. The predominantly Anglophone local theatre hopes to maximize ticket sales in order to receive a grant that will establish a foundation for future generations.

“Having it at the Saidye Bronfman Centre is great too, because it allows them to have more seats,� said Ford, who expects to raise a total of $12,000 in ticket sales if the four shows are sold out.

Prescription for Murder deals with most of Westmount’s latest controversies: setting up artificial turf on soccer fields and the construction of the over-budget mega hospital. The play takes place in a midst of an ice storm in a home clinic in Westmount, where a flood forces half a dozen patients to get stuck in the doctor’s front hallway.

“The situation is like a huit-clos where people can’t come and go for whatever reason,� said Sprung, who was inspired by Agatha Christie’s story-telling style. “It’s a lot of fun, and there are a lot of local references.�

The play forces conflicting characters to gather in one common room, sparking laughter and mayhem. A sporadic black-out persuades a murderer to take his revenge on a different character every time the lights shut off. The stage welcomes the Royal Duchess of Westmount, a war veteran with recycling amnesia, and four different actors for the honorary role of mayor of Westmount—Canadian producer of Bon Cop/Bad Cop Kevin Tierney, local businessman Michael Shafter, Wednesday-Night salon co-host Diana Nicholson and a 12-year-old Spencer Wuest.

“While they might not have long extensive experience on the stage, they have their own strong personalities that they bring to the characters they play,� said Sprung about his amateur cast who have participated in Infinitheatre’s fundraising events for many years. “If we can make it work then it means very defined and rich people on stage.�

Infinitheatre has been described by critics as “one of the most vital theatre companies in Montreal� because of its successful mandate to give Quebec writers the opportunity to develop and produce their work. A few years ago, Infinitheatre helped Trevor Ferguson, a talented writer with no theatre experience, to get his play “Long, Long, Short, Long� produced at the Monument-National. Today, Ferguson’s fourth play which will soon premiere on Broadway in New York City.

Internationally recognized artistic director Sprung is no stranger to big-budget theatre productions and famous actors, but he said the most inspirational theatre is right around the corner in your hometown.

“The best theatre is always local and it always comes from the roots,� said Sprung when asked about his motivation to take part in low-budget productions. “Whether it’s Shakespeare or Molière, or the Greeks, it always starts with the issues of one area.�



Prescription for Murder will be performed at the Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre at the Saydie Bronfman Centre for the Arts, 5170 Cote Ste. Catherine Road on Jan.7, 9 10 and 11. General admission is $100 and for Infinitheatre members it is $90. Call the box office at 514.987-1774 ext.3. Donations are welcomed at 5413 Boul St-Laurent #302, Montreal, Qc, H2T 1S5.