History:
Page1 Theatre produces and presents professional Queer Theatre. The company was founded by current Artistic Director Isaac Mulè in 2015, before he and the company relocated to Kjipuktuk/Halifax in February 2021. The company started with one project, an annual festival, and has since expanded to produce a monthly improv show, Queer-prov, and individual productions.
Most recently, Page1 Theatre spent seven weeks in Ontario in September 2023, workshopping their largest production, There Are No Gays In Chechnya. The show uses the gay purge in Chechnya as a starting point to explore the rise in ani-trans and anti-queer hate globally. This show is a co-production with MTSpace and was presented as part of IMPACT, a bi-annual International Theatre Festival.
Page1 has several other projects and partnerships it is excited to announce in 2024.
We asked some questions to the Artistic Director, Isaac Mulè, for our members to get to know Page1 Theatre better.
Artistic directors play a pivotal role in shaping a company’s artistic vision. What is the driving force behind your company’s mission? How do you select the plays and projects that align with this vision, and what impact do you hope to have on your audience and the artistic community?
Our company is committed to supporting emerging and established Queer artists. We do this through our annual festival, OutFest, which is a great opportunity to develop something new or share completed work. We also look for artists and projects that we can support through either mentorships, workshops, or productions. It’s really about sharing our resources in a way that helps to strengthen the Queer arts community here so that folks can continue to work. For our audiences, we hope to showcase not only local and regional artists but national Queer artists as well. There are a lot of folks that are working and creating exciting work that they otherwise would not have the chance to present, in addition, these are shows that our audiences would not otherwise be able to see. I believe that by presenting and producing a variety of work we will inspire and strengthen the theatre community here in Halifax.
Every theatre company has its standout productions that linger in the hearts of the audience. Could you share a memorable Atlantic Canadian production from your company’s repertoire? What made it special, and how did it resonate with both the team and the audience?
We’ve had numerous memorable productions; from performing at an international theatre festival (IMPACT), to inviting Drag superstars Bunni Lapin and Mya Foxx to perform alongside our improvisers, but the production that stands out for me would be our first OutFest (2022) here in Halifax. The festival opened just as restrictions were starting to ease and the community was so supportive. That festival also featured a number of shows that have gone on to more success. “A Beginner’s Guide To The Night Sky,” by Coleen MacIsaac (Villains Theatre) premiered as an emerging piece, and “Deeper,” by Robyn Vivian premiered as a Staged Reading. “A Beginner’s Guide…” went on to be produced by Eastern Front There and has received several Merritt Award Nominations and will also be at Chester Playhouse in the summer. “Deeper,” went on to the Halifax Fringe and is back again 2024 as an emerging piece. I’m incredibly proud of the work we have achieved in such a short period of time, the artists we have supported, and I can’t wait to see where we go from here.
Tell us about the significance of PARC for the development of your company. What was the importance/ impact of our services for your organization?
PARC has been instrumental in supporting our work. Each year we organize two workshops as part of OutFest. Local artists in our emerging category have the opportunity to work with Dramaturg Annie Valentina 1:1. These workshops provide support for each of the artists, allowing them time and space to develop their projects ask questions, and experiment.
In addition, PARC has helped us to connect with artists across Atlantic Canada, which has really enriched our festival and our work in a variety of ways.
