Argenteuil amateur theatre hosts fundraiser Friday nights

The amateur theatre troupe of Argenteuil is presenting several Friday nights of performance at Christ Church of Saint-André-d'Argenteuil - with the express goal of raising money for renovations to Saint-Mungo, a neighbouring church in Brownsburg-Chatham.

Every Friday until October 30, a host of amateur comedians will perform excerpts and short pieces as part of the "7 Fridays of ARTgenteuil" at l'Espace historique et culturel Christ Church (EHCCC). Each piece, which runs between five and 15 minutes, will be performed twice over the seven-week stretch. The acts, however, will shift every week to guarantee a new lineup for spectators.

The troupe hopes to raise $4000 for ongoing renovations at Saint-Mungo's Anglican Church in the nearby Cushing district of Brownsburg-Chatham.

"We can see that word has been getting around in the last three weeks," said Suzanne Gaudet, a coordinator and member of the troupe. The public's response has been good, she added, but the challenge remains of attracting new arrivals each week.

In total over twenty pieces - mostly taken from French and Quebecois repertory theatre - will be performed by the troupe's 18 amateur comedians. The mayor of Brownsburg-Chatham, Lise Bourgault, is one of its members and will be part of the final performance.

"The 7 Fridays of ARTgenteuil will allow the public to discover new, lesser-known works," said director Marie-Claude Hénault, herself a professional comedian.

The troupe began rehearsals in April and decided on the pieces in June.

Hénault, a graduate of the theatre program at CEGEP Lionel-Groulx in Sainte-Thérèse, noted her pride in the troupe's progress and the professional level they've achieved. "I have incredible support from the group," she said, adding, "It's a beautiful adventure."

Performances begin at 8 p.m. and last approximately two hours. Each night will open with a 45-minute showcase of songs and music performed by local talent.

Built in 1836, Saint-Mungo's Church is one of the oldest standing churches of the combined Laval, Laurentians and Lanaudière region, and was designated a historic site. The church is now in its second of three renovation phases, with a total cost of $312,000.

The amateur theatre troupe of Argenteuil is best known for its last presentation in 2006, Michel Tremblay's Les Belles-Soeurs.

They hope to host a future performance at Saint-Mungo's.

Tickets cost $15 and are available through the comedians or at Bistro du Temps, 330 avenue Béthanie, Lachute. Call 450-537-3101 for information.

Normal 0

Correction: An article published on October 16th contained inaccurate information. When writing about the theatre group it was said that Saint-Mungo's Church, founded in 1836, was the region's oldest church. However, a reader called to note that the local Presbyterian church was founded in 1818 and the Christ Church founded 1819. The Review regrets the error and thanks the reader for bringing this to our attention.