Théâtre la Seizième
The award-winning play Le Soulier. Photo by GaetanNerincx
Théâtre la Seizième is the main French-language, professional theatre company in British Columbia. Over almost 50 years, it’s grown into a major production and presentation centre.
Contributing to the richness and diversity of the performing arts on the West Coast, it drives new play development, production, presentation, and touring in French. Through powerful experiences that reflect the very best of francophone performing arts, from here and elsewhere, Théâtre la Seizième aims to inspire, enrich, and bring together diverse audiences.
The company programs a full mainstage season based out of Studio 16 at its home in the thriving Maison de la francophonie on West 7th Avenue. It also helms a young-audiences season, a drama-workshop series, and training and dramaturgical development programs for local artists.
The troupe’s history goes back to its founding in 1974 by a group of trailblazing women, including Huguette Lacourse, Monique Bergamo, and Ruth Pilote. Originally located on 16th avenue, it launched with a production of Michel Tremblay’s Les Belles-Soeurs, bringing together 15 women on stage. The director and first artistic director Catherine Colvey was named “la seizième” (the sixteenth person)—and so the name was born.
Called Troupe de la Seizième until 1995, the company produced plays for general audiences and for children in Vancouver and all of Western Canada, achieving full professional status in 1980.
In 1985, Réjean Poirier developed the theatre-for-young-audiences program to meet the increasing demand for French plays for children. Productions for youth audiences were added to the programming in the ‘90s; today, that legacy continues, with the company bringing theatre in French language to thousands of young people across the province.
Between 1991 and 1993, la Seizième outfitted and moved into its main performance space, Studio 16, eventually launching complete seasons of programming in 1998.
Since 2016, artistic director Esther Duquette has helmed the organization, overseeing the creation of works and bringing in productions that have won accolades on the local level as well as on the national stage. Many shows, such as Straight Jacket Winter and Statu Quo, have toured regionally and nationally, with works including Le Soulier and À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou taking home Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards. At the same time, the company frequently programs major international productions, such as Akram Khan Company’s Chotto Desh, 7 Fingers’ Cuisine & Confessions, and Robert Lepage’s 887.
