Theatre Passe Muraille presents the Toronto Premiere of a Delinquent Theatre Production
NEVER THE LAST
by Molly MacKinnon and Christine Quintana
How do you say what is impossible to say? What if you run out of time?
Featuring Molly MacKinnon, Amitai Marmorstein, and Christine Quintana
On stage in Theatre Passe Muraille’s Mainspace (April 8 – 16)
Toronto, Ont. – This April, Theatre Passe Muraille presents the Toronto Premiere of Delinquent Theatre’s production of Never the Last by Molly MacKinnon and Christine Quintana, on stage April 8 – 16 in the Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace. (Media night: Thursday, April 12)
Christine Quintana and Molly MacKinnon | Photos by Bold Rezolution Studio
Created by Christine Quintana and Molly MacKinnon, Never the Last follows the passionate relationship between Sophie Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté – one of the most innovative composers of early twentieth century Europe – and expressionist painter Walter Gramatté. The couple’s ten years of marriage, marked by adventure, poverty, artistic strife, and tragedy, is captured in Eckhardt-Gramatté’s ten rarely performed violin solos. Never the Last seamlessly blends classical violin performances, movement, and text to tell the heartbreaking story of two people in love, and the ever-increasing space between them. Never the Last was nominated for five Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards, and won Significant Artistic Achievement: Outstanding Interdisciplinary Collaboration.
Directed by Laura McLean, Never the Last is performed by MacKinnon, Quintana, and Amitai Marmorstein. Choreography is by Kayla Dunbar, lighting design by Jill White, set design by Jenn Stewart, projection design by Joel Grinke, costume design by Carmen Alatorre, and sound design by Nancy Tam.
“TPM is thrilled to be able to present Never The Last, which we experienced in its first iteration in Vancouver. We were blown away by Quintana’s text which skillfully and deftly evolves throughout the play, providing insight into one of Canada’s most talented and renowned musicians. Sophie Eckhardt-Grammaté’s violin caprices under Molly McKinnon’s virtuosic interpretation, punctuate and ground the production, giving us the space and time to try and understand this extraordinary woman through her music. In the end, the heart of this work is the interweaving of music, art and love and like Sophie, we are left transformed.”
— Marjorie Chan, Artistic Director (TPM)
Christine MacKinnon (L) and Molly MacKinnon (R) | Photos by Bold Rezolution Studio
An interdisciplinary collaboration between violinist Molly MacKinnon and playwright Christine Quintana, Never the Last was developed at the 2016 rEvolver Theatre Festival, the 2016 Banff Playwrights Lab, the 2016 Gabriola Island Theatre Festival, a 2017 residency at the Anvil Centre, and a 2018 workshop at Tarragon Theatre, and premiered at the Annex Theatre in Vancouver as part of the See More Theatre series.
“In a moment of time where there is so little space in our lives for the extremes of both beauty and grief, we hope to offer a piece of theatre that gives room for both – the beautiful highs of love and the haunting presence of loss and regret. Eckhardt-Gramatté’s captivating compositions, performed with virtuosity by Molly MacKinnon, are the stylistic backbone for Never The Last, a story of how to love in the face of inevitable loss.”
— Christine Quintana, Co-Creator/Performer, Artistic Producer (Delinquent Theatre)
Never the Last runs April 8 – 16 (previews April 8 and 9, opening night April 12). Performance will run Wednesday to Saturday at 7:30pm with 2pm matinees April 9 and 15. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can-Afford at three price points, $10, $30, and $60 and are available now online at passemuraille.ca.
Media Contact
Suzanne Cheriton, RedEye Media, suzanne@redeyemedia.ca, 416-805-6744
