Alexander Kirby and Theatre 6

[Andre G. Bourassa]

Bonjour,

A few years ago, May 6 202, Allana Lingren gave us on this list (see  
below) some informations about a performance, Les Deux Arts, held at  
the Theatre des Compagnons, 8 and 9 May 1949.

Does anyone know who is or was Alexander Kirby and the company Theatre  
6 who performed 4 plays, in French and English , one being translated  
by Claude Gauvreau? At that time, Claude had written Les Entrailles,  
considered by him as "objetrs dramatiques", three having been  
published in Refus global in 1948.

The dance part by Françoise Sullivan is well known. We also know about  
Gauvreau as translator of Ray Bradbury for Radio-Canada in 1955. But  
what about Kirby and his 4 "morceaux dramatiques" played by him or  
under his direction?  Was he one of the poets, French and English,  
meeting in Montreal's cafes, like the Hutte suisse, the Casa  
espagnole  or the Petite éeurope?. Kirby is not mentioned in the  
Oxford Companion of Canadian Drama.

Merci d,avance,
amicalement,
André G. Bourassa, professeur mérite
École supérieure de théâtre, UQAM

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The event in question was called "Les Deux Arts" and was held at  
Th��tre des Compagnons on Sunday, May 8 and Monday, May 9, 1949.  
Almost fifty-three years ago to the day, Fran�oise Sullivan joined  
forces with a young director, Alexander Kerby and his company, Theatre  
6, to share an evening of dance and theatre. The programme was as  
follows: Black and Tan (choreography: Sullivan); Berceuse  
(choreography: Sullivan); Lucr�ce (choreography: Sullivan and Racheed  
Aboud); Femme Archa�que (choreography: Sullivan); **intermission**;  
Theme in Four Colours (collaborators: Alexander Kerby, Fredrick  
Garbutt, Marilyn Petty, Ren� Lemarquand, Kenneth Haslam and Bernice  
Robinson); **intermission**; Gothique (choreography: Sullivan); Au  
Bazar (Racheed Aboud); Dualit� (choreography: Sullivan); and Deux  
Danses � Midi (choreography: Sullivan). The dance part of the evening  
contained character and narrative elements. Similarly Theatre 6  
offered a Theme in Four Colours, in an attempt (as H.W. wrote) "to  
present a dramatic and intellectual idea mainly through the medium of  
movement." Claude Gauvreau translated the text of one of the sections,  
"Endless Grey," for Kerby�s Theme in Four Colours. Please note that a  
copy of the programme for Les Deux Arts is located in the Dance  
Collection Danse archive in Toronto.

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