Playwrights' Workshop Montréal

08/25/2026

Ready to dive further into the craft of theatre translation? Don’t miss your chance to apply for the Cole Foundation Mentorship for Emerging Translators.

The selected applicant will receive a $2,000 honorarium, a year-long mentorship with acclaimed theatre translator Alexis Diamond, a workshop with professional actors, and a public reading.

To be eligible, emerging translators must have completed either one translation of a script which has undergone a workshop, public reading, production, or publication, or have completed PWM’s Introduction to Theatre Translation program.

Apply by September 7! Visit the link in our bio for more information.

ID: A lime green yellow background with two green circles on the top and one yellow and one green circle on the bottom of the graphic. Centered, the words Apply by September 7. Beneath, the program name Cole Foundation Mentorship for Emerging Translators.

08/10/2026

Applications are now open for the 12th edition of the Cole Foundation Mentorship for Emerging Translators!

In partnership with the Cole Foundation, PWM offers this early-career program to mentor emerging translators who are ready to develop a more nuanced understanding of their practice. The successful applicant will receive a $2,000 honorarium and a mentorship with acclaimed theatre translator, Alexis Diamond, for guidance on every aspect of creating a new French to English translation. This development process will include a workshop with actors and a public reading. The mentorship begins in November 2026, and lasts for approximately one year.

Applications close September 7, 11:59PM EST.

Visit the link in our bio to apply.

ID: A lime green yellow background with two green circles on the top and one yellow and one green circle on the bottom of the graphic. Centered, the words Call for Applications. Beneath, the program name Cole Foundation Mentorship for Emerging Translators.

07/15/2026

Emerging playwrights and theatremakers, this is your last chance to apply to our 2026-2027 Young Creators Unit!

“The YCU has empowered me to create with integrity, intention, and courage. It has been a privilege to bear witness to the creativity and passion of my cohort’s work. The one-on-one dramaturgical collaboration has been invaluable in cultivating my understanding of how to meet failure and fear as worthy companions, and tell the stories that emerge from the darkness and press urgently into the light.” - Vassiliki Gicopoulos (YCU Cohort ‘26)

As part of the YCU Cohort, you will take part in a creative journey, consisting of group meetings, skills-building intensives with local experts, workshops, and individual dramaturgical sessions with YCU Dramaturg Leila Ghaemi. Join the YCU to find your voice, make connections in the theatre community, and learn new creation tools, all while developing the practical skills you need to establish a successful career in the arts.

Applications close Sunday, July 19 at 11:59PM EST. To learn more and apply, please follow the link in our bio.

ID: A graffiti-like background of blue, turquoise, and black. In the centre, a white banner with the words Young Creators Unit 2026-2027. Above that, the words Final Reminder! written in blue on a white banner. On the bottom right, the PWM logo in white.

07/10/2026

“I had the privilege of being a researcher on the DDIS (Digital Dramaturgy Integration Strategy) conceived by Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal in partnership with potatoCakes_digital and with support from the Canada Council for the Arts. The project involved a long-form process supporting artist collaborators across the creation of 4 new Canadian live performance works focused on digital experimentation. It was led by digital dramaturgs Andrew Scriver and Emily Soussana (potatoCakes_digital) in collaboration with the following PWM dramaturgs: Fatma Sarah Elkashef, Aki Matsush*ta, and Leila Ghaemi. The collaborating creators/playwrights on the project were: Amanda Smith, Maxime Corbeil-Perron, Gillian Stone, Panthea Vatandoost, Scout Rexe, Emma Tibaldo and Lois Brown. A core facet of the project was its more than two-year duration, as well as the funds, time, and resources allocated to artists to foster experimentation and ongoing conversations across several workshops.”

Read the rest of Erin Lindsay’s blog post on the Digital Dramaturgy Integration Strategy process on our website! Link in bio.

07/07/2026

PWM is going on vacation!

Our offices will be closed from July 13-August 7, 2026. Any scheduled workshops and meetings during this period will be held as planned.

Wishing everyone a safe and peaceful summer!

07/06/2026

We are saddened to share the passing of Aviva Ravel, a playwright, educator, and one of PWM’s co-founders. We send our deepest condolences to her family and friends.

Today, the library community remembers playwright, educator, and long-time Côte Saint Lucer, Aviva Ravel.

Born in 1928 in Montreal, Quebec; her parents worked in a clothing factory. At 12, she becomes active in the Zionist-Socialist movement. After high school she became a teacher and married Nahum Ravel. They lived and worked in a kibbutz in Israel for twelve years. Two of their four children were born there, and she became involved in theatre. She studied playwriting in New York before returning to Canada to have her first work, Mendel Fish, produced at Hart House Theatre in 1967.

In 2001 at 71, she married American Al Fleitman, and moved to Pennsylvania, returning to Canada to direct and teach on occasion.
Her plays include: My Bed is Green (Place des Arts), which portrays kibbutz life; The Twisted Loaf (premiered at Saidye Bronfman Centre/SBC, 1974, directed by Roy Higgins); Dispossessed (SBC, 1977, dir.Sean Mulcahy); The Courting of Sally Schwartz (La Diligence Dinner Theatre, 1990, directed by the author); Dance Like a Butterfly (School tour, Montreal, 1994, directed by the author); and Senior Moments (Stage 2, Pittsburgh 2009).

Many of her plays have been produced on CBC radio and in Israel. She is one of the co-founders of Playwrights' Workshop Montreal.

She has edited two books of Canadian plays and has also translated ten plays from English to French. Two of her plays were adapted for film.

Most of her work is set in the Jewish community of her native Montreal and deals with issues such as adoption, care for the elderly, the effects of the holocaust on victim and victimizer, the single woman in our society, and family relationships.

She holds a doctorate from McGill University; her Ph.D. thesis was on playwright Patricia Joudry. She has taught English and drama at McGill, Concordia University, Université de Montréal, and in Israel.

Ravel is the recipient of many awards including the Women Write for Theatre Award, Segal Award, Women's Press Club Award for Humour, Quebec Drama Festival Award, Women's Federation Honoree for contribution to Montreal theatre, and the Ministry of Cultural Affairs of Quebec Award. She has also been awarded an honorary membership by the Canadian Association for Theatre Research.

https://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Ravel%2C%20Aviva
https://www.paperman.com/funerals/Aviva-Ravel-n%C3%A9e-Borenstein-3C3AC39E

We invite you to read one of her many works at our library: https://csllibrary.org/iguana/www.main.cls?sUrl=search&t=1782659278004&p=*&rtisearch=1 =aviva%20ravel

07/03/2026

This year, we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Glassco Translation Residency in Tadoussac! First imagined in 1998, when William “Bill” Glassco opened the doors of his family home, Fletcher Cottage, to translators and playwrights. For 20 years, the residency has been providing artists with time, space, and resources to explore their theatre translations and connect artists across linguistic barriers.

Did you know that 75% of the projects that come through the Glassco Translation Residency go on to be produced or published (or both!)? We are proud to continue offering this Residency, a pivotal point in the artistic journey of many theatre translators.

Let us know in the comments below if you recently saw either Centaur Theatre’s production of Seeker by Marie-Claude Verdier, translated by Alexis Diamond or Factory Theatre and Théâtre français de Toronto’s Bonnes Bonnes by Tamara Nguyen and Sophie Gee, translated by Sophie Gee - both of which were translated through the Glassco Translation Residency!

07/02/2026

“It really is a beautiful thing finding the right space to just create. Where failure feels a little less terrifying and a little more exciting; a door to something worthwhile. ” - Alyssa Angelucci-Wall (YCU Cohort ‘26)

You have until July 19 to apply for the 2026-2027 Young Creators Unit! Playwrights and theatremakers under 30, don’t miss your chance to join our 12th YCU Cohort and receive project support as well as professional development resources. All you need to apply is an idea, question, theme or image you are ready to explore.

This creative incubator is designed to support emerging artists in honing their craft, putting their ideas on paper, and establishing connections in the theatre community. YCU facilitator Leila Ghaemi will provide personalized guidance tailored to each artist’s needs and objectives.

Applications close Sunday, July 19, 2026, 11:59PM EST. Visit the link in our bio to apply!

ID: A graffiti-like background of blue, turquoise, and black. In the centre, a white banner with the words Young Creators Unit 2026-2027. Underneath, the words Apply by July 19 written in blue. On the bottom right, the PWM logo in white.

06/22/2026

Applications are now open for the 12th edition of our Young Creators Unit!

“I've loved being in this year's Young Creators Unit. Leila facilitates our cohort with a fervent loyalty towards our plays and what our writing wants to say. Here I have learned to revere my creative impulses and to lean on my peers’ expertise. Leila, the other YCU playwrights, and the theatre professionals I’ve met during our outings have made me feel like my play has found its home in this city. Thank you PWM!” — Hanesa Banks (YCU Cohort ’26)

Offering emerging theatremakers innovative workshops, 1:1 consultations, and group activities that focus on creation, dramaturgy, and professional development, the Young Creators Unit is a 9-month creative incubator. Be supported to find your voice, make connections, and learn new storytelling skills, as well as develop practical skills needed to establish a successful career in the arts.

The YCU will once again be led by PWM’s Artistic Producer & YCU Dramaturg, Leila Ghaemi, and will be taking place from September 2026 to June 2027. YCU participants are provided professional development resources and opportunities, including grant writing guidance, access to local theatre experiences and performances, and networking opportunities.

Submit your application by Sunday, July 19, 2026, 11:59PM EST.

Visit the link in our bio for more information about the program and how to apply!

ID: A graffiti-like background of blue, turquoise, and black. In the centre, a white banner with the words Call for Applications written in turquoise. Underneath, the words Young Creators Unit 2026-2027. On the bottom right, the PWM logo in white.

06/12/2026

For this year’s Glassco Translation Residency in Tadoussac, we’re excited to welcome Maureen Labonté as residency host and translation dramaturg!

Maureen Labonté is a dramaturg, translator and teacher. She has coordinated a number of play development programmes in theatres and play development centres across the country including at the Banff Centre for the Arts, the Centre des auteurs dramatiques (CEAD) in Montreal, the National Arts Centre (Ottawa) and Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal. Maureen has also worked extensively as a translation dramaturg. Maureen was the Jury Chair for the Siminovitch Prize in Theatre from 2009 to 2012. From 2006 to 2011, she was Co-Director of the Banff Playwrights Colony at the Banff Center for the Arts. Previous to that, she worked at the Colony as resident dramaturg and then as Head of Program (2002-2005). Maureen taught at the National Theatre School of Canada for twenty years starting in the mid-90’s. Maureen has also translated close to fifty plays into English. She lives in Montreal.

To learn more about Maureen and the participants she will collaborate with this year, go to our website.

ID: A graphic with a headshot of Maureen Labonté. To the left of the image, a view of Tadoussac in the background. The words Maureen Labonté, Translation Dramaturg.