We have an exciting announcement that has been bubbling on the back-burner for a few months now and is finally ready to share.
In April 2019, we became the recipient of a Canada Council for the Arts Grant to rewrite, direct and produce one of my plays, “Freeing Heaven’s Secrets” for its premier performance in Fort McMurray! This project will mark the start of our new theatre company called Symmetree Theatre in Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Symmetree Theatre is so named, because it aims to show honest “reflections” of society on stage in a way that advocate for and promotes social “growth”.
I have always felt that the beauty in theatre is that it showcases the world through a lens that looks beyond what we can or have already achieved in reality. It has the power to show us what a more inclusive world would look like and inspires audiences across the world to work towards achieving and celebrating those ideals.
One of Symmetree Theatre’s mandates will be to create stories about marginalized members of society, where the main conflict does not stem from the fact that they are marginalized. Our debut performance “Freeing Heaven’s Secrets” aims to conquer this feat.
I would like to thank a few key players who have supported me in the development of this project. My partner-in-crime, Leah Nand, who has been working alongside me as Co-Artistic Producer for the company this year. The Multicultural Association of Wood Buffalo, with whom I have worked for the last 1.5 years, and learned a lot about how to finance projects of this size. The Arts Council Wood Buffalo, Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts and Theatre; Just Because, for offering opportunities for collaboration and mentorship on the project, and a number of close friends and family, who have supported in categorizing my crazy abstract thoughts: Mia El Jamal, Zachary Barrett, Alexandra Durocher, Christopher Whiting, Melissa Mary Collette, Justin Shaw. And the original team behind the workshopped performance of "Freeing Heaven's Secrets" in 2014: Jarrett Hennig, Thaïs Polo, Braden Price, Silverius Materi, Chloe Hansen, Sareeta Lopez, and Celeste Birzgalis
Finally, I’d like to thank my parents, Sana Elache and Anas Eljamal, for being the most unique pair of parents one could ask for, and for encouraging me to pursue a career in the arts from day one.
I can’t wait to go explore new corners of the theatre world with you all, through Symmetree Theatre.
For more information and to stay updated on Symmetree Theatre’s activities, follow us on:
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Luay Eljamal
Founder & Co-Artistic Producer
Symmetree Theatre
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