W/O U I'M NOTHING
by KAREEM FAHMY

The Alternate Theatre is proud to be presenting the world premiere of the new musical W/O U I'm Nothing. The company was founded last year by former and current McGill and Concordia students who wanted to take more risks, be more original, and have more freedom to experiment. Keeping to its mandate of producing cutting edge theatre, this production, opening on the one-year anniversary of The Alternate Theatre's formation, promises to be a refreshing addition to the Montreal theatre season.

Writer/Director Kareem Fahmy (Suzan-Lori Parks' Venus, Judith Thompson's Lion in the Streets) created a concept he dubbed "Actor-Generated Theatre" through which the text of W/O U I'm Nothing was formed. Based on a framework script, Fahmy collaborated with the cast through extensive workshops and experimentation to ultimately create a theatre piece in which the lines between the actors and their characters are blurred. W/O U I'm Nothing delves deeper, pushes further, and endeavours to show more than the average musical.

A three-sided stage re-conceptualizes the way the audience watches the play's story unfold. At the heart of this story are two couples struggling through their relationships, questioning their sexual identities and their life choices. Max and Joan are a happy couple, still caught in the throes of passion. Danny and Jayne have hit a rough patch in their relationship, doubting that they are meant for each other. When two gorgeous strangers saunter in to the gym both couples frequent, sexual experimentation is discussed, the notion of the physical ideal is questioned, and a personal struggle for self-actualization ensues.

Incorporating eight musical numbers, innovative staging, and a unique perspective on the nature of the contemporary musical play, W/O U I'm Nothing is the most intimate and shocking play you will see this year. Funny and audacious, searing and passionate, this original production is not to be missed.