This is Why We Live
Created by Open Heart Surgery Theatre
Combining poetry-theatre, live music, and collage; two actors and a musician journey through fragmented and visceral encounters with the world. Inspired by the poems and ironic collage work of Polish poet Wisława Szymborska, This is Why We Live is a kaleidoscope of characters; bringing the audience close to the poet’s state of astonishment. This is a unique international collaboration between Canadian company, Open Heart Surgery Theatre, Tara Arts (UK) and Theatre de L’Enfumeraie (France); blending three languages, we delight in bringing our audience into a surreal performance that celebrates a great female voice of the 20th century.
Post-show talk on Saturday October 8th – EMBODIED Poetry – Szymborska Today with Professor Tamara Trojanowska, author Eva Stachniak, and Toronto poets Shirley Camia and Robert Priest.
Funded by the Canada Council for the Arts, The Polish Cultural Institute in Paris, and the Polish Consulate.
Created by Open Heart Surgery Theatre
Directed by Coleen MacPherson
Performed by Elodie Monteau, Alaine Hutton, Dobrochna Zubek
Music Development and Dramaturgy by Tatiana Judycka and Dobrochna Zubek
Stage Manager Sasha Theodora
Set and Costume Design by Helen Yung
Lighting Design by Rebecca Picherak
Artistic Associate Yearime Castel Barragan & Sallie Lyons
Polish Translation Consultant Viktor Lukawski
Producer Rose Hopkins
October 6, 2016
to October 9, 2016
Tickets are Regular $25 | Arts Worker/Student $20
The Theatre Centre
Thursday, October 6 – 7:30pm
Friday, October 7 – 7:30pm
Saturday, October 8 – 7:30pm
Sunday, October 9 – 1:30pm
May 11, 2026
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April 16, 2026
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