Sarasvati Productions


Sarasvàti Productions, often stylized Sarasvati Productions, was a Canadian feminist theatre company. Sarasvati hosted several annual events including the International Women's Week Cabaret of Monologues, One Night Stand, and FemFest.

History

Sarasvati Productions was founded in 1998 in Toronto and permanently relocated to Winnipeg in 2000. The company was founded by Hope McIntyre who named it after the Hindu goddess, Saraswati.
In 2003, Sarasvati launched their International Women's Week Cabaret of Monologues. The cabaret features monologues from local artists pertaining to the annual theme. In 2008, the Cabaret of Monologues expanded to include touring across Manitoba. In 2017, Sarasvati relaunched their One Night Stand series. One Night Stand features ten-minute snippets from plays written by local playwrights.
In 2020, McIntyre stepped down as artistic director and Frances Koncan was appointed the incoming artistic director. Koncan resigned in March 2021. In 2023, the Board of Directors announced the closure of the company.

FemFest

FemFest was founded in 2003. The Winnipeg Free Press described FemFest as "Canada’s main festival for female playwrights". FemFest is a two-week festival that features plays and readings from female playwrights from Manitoba and around the world.
The festival also features the annual Bake Off competition, in partnership with the Manitoba Association of Playwrights. Bake Off launched in 2012 and features several local playwrights who create ten-minute scenes with a surprise set of three "ingredients". The playwrights are given eight hours to write their scenes. The winning playwright receives dramaturgical assistance to develop their scene into a full play which will then receive a staged reading at the next FemFest.
FemFest celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2012 from September 15 to 22. The theme of this iteration of the festival was "Staging Identity". This FemFest was decidedly national and featured artists from Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal in addition to Winnipeg-based artists. As part of the 2017 FemFest, Sarasvati collaborated with the Winnipeg Public Library to create a Human Library, partially inspired by Denmark's Human Library. The "library" featured 24 human books.

Select production history

Sarasvati generally produces only one main-stage show per year in addition to its programming with FemFest, the Cabaret of Monologues, and One Night Stand.Hunger by Hope McIntyre Revisioning by Hope McIntyre Missiah by Hope McIntyre Death of Love by Hope McIntyre Fire Visions: Poems by Bertolt Brecht One for the Road by Harold Pinter You Whore - collective creation, performed at the Winnipeg Fringe FestivalJill's War by Victoria Loa Hicks and Nancy Kruh - performed at the Winnipeg Fringe FestivalImpromptu of Outremont by Michel Tremblay Ripple Effect by Hope McIntyre - touring production at various Manitoba high schoolsBone Cage by Catherine Banks - reading, part of Carol Shields Festival of New WorksFen by Caryl Churchill Eden by Hope McIntyre - directed by Sharon BajerJail Baby by Hope McIntyre and Cairn Moore with Nan Fewchuk and Marsha Knight - directed by Ann HodgesFefu and Her Friends by María Irene Fornés - directed by Hope McIntyreGiving Voice - created with VOICES: Manitoba's Youth in Care Network, touring production at Manitoba high schoolsMiss N Me by Catherine Banks - directed by Hope McIntyreShattered Breaking Through - directed by Kevin KlassenNew Beginnings - directed by Cherissa Richards

FemFest productions

2020: "Engaging Community"Alice and The World We Live In by Alexandria HaberMonstrous by Sarah Waisvisz
2019: "All the World’s a Stage"
  • Like Mother Like Daughter - directed by Rose Plotek
  • To Kill A Lizard by The Launchpad Project
  • Raising Stanley / Life with Tulia by Kim Patrick - directed by Bronwyn Steinberg
  • 4inXchange - organized by xLq
  • Baby Box by Eva Barrie, Miranda Calderon, and Michelle Polak - directed by Hope McIntyre
2018: "Staging Resistance"Sound of the Beast by Donna-Michelle St. BernardBurnt by Norah PatonWhite Man’s Indian by Darla ContoisThe Game by Manohar Performing Arts of Canada
2017: "Coming of Age"Tomboy Survival Guide by Ivan CoyoteTwo Indians by Falen Johnson
2016: "Transformation"Morro and Jasp Do Puberty by Heather Marie Annis and Amy LeeMiss Understood by Antonette ReaThe Seduction Theory by Sherry MacDonaldMouthpiece by Norah Sadava and Amy Nostbakken
2015: "Hear Her Roar"The Dance-Off of Unconscious Coupling by Frances KoncanThe National Elevator Project
2014: "She’s Got the Power"The Naked Woman by Rebecca GibsonLaunched by Tyler WhiteSkin Deep by Alison Mclean - readingGerman Silver by Priscilla Yakielashek - reading8 Ways My Mother Was Conceived by Michaela Di CesareHerewithal: A Paranormal Comedy by Jim and Tara TravisRiver Story by Rubena Sinha
2010: "On the Edge"she by d’bi young.anitafrica
2007: "We've Come a Long Way"
  • The Dance of Sara Wiens by Joy Eidse