THE PHILOSOPHER'S WIFE
by SUSANNA FOURNIER
directed by LEORA MORRIS
Photos by Tanja-Tiziana
Deep in the North, a philosopher, exiled for promoting his atheist work amidst a bloody religious war, knows his theories can ignite a revolution. He wants nothing more than to return to the City, join the young Prince on the verge of inheriting political power, and usher in a new age of Reason. There’s only one thing holding him back; his personal life has collapsed into chaos. In a desperate attempt to cure his wife’s inexplicable, animalistic behaviour he hires a dog trainer. What begins as an experiment in canine obedience erupts into a power struggle between the sexes--unleashing violent reckonings with the animal within. The Philosopher’s Wife, is a modern gothic Rated Mature for opium eating, female sexuality, phantoms coming for your soul, dark humour, the birth of the enlightenment project, religious persecution, and subverting notions of education, sex, power, and submission.
Listen to the radio-drama podcast version of The Philosopher’s Wife
The Philosopher’s Wife is a dark, violent and intellectually rigorous medieval version of Pygmalion, geared for the modern age” - Carly Maga, The Toronto Star
Photos by Haley Garnett & Bernie Fournier
Starring CHALA HUNTER, AVIVA ARMOUR-OSTROFF, DANNY GHANTOUS, SUSANNA FOURNIER
The world premiere was presented at AKI Studio in Toronto, December 4 - 16th 2018
producer ALISON WONG
costume design by ALEXANDRA LORD / Triga
set design by SHANNON LEA DOYLE / Triga
lighting design by KAITLIN HICKEY
sound design by CHRISTOPHER ROSS-EWART
with collaboration from EMPIRE TRILOGY designers: MICHELLE TRACEY + BEN MCCARTHY
This production was generously supported by The Storefront Theatre and the TEC program at The National Theatre School of Canada. The Philosopher's Wife won the 2013 Cayle Chernin Award and was an Honorable Mention in the Herman Voaden National Playwriting Competition.
