Believing better is possible is the first step. When the call goes out the birds of the world – all sizes, colours, and abilities – gather as one great flock, and embark on an epic journey in search of self, enlightenment, and truth. The beloved allegorical poem by Persian poet Farid al-Din Attar comes to life in a new adaptation filled with hope, that is both timeless and sits firmly in the present.
Today, The Parliament of Birds speaks to us with surprising clarity. We are living in a world filled with conflict, confusion, and division, and Attar’s story — brought into our contemporary moment through Guillermo Verdecchia’s thoughtful adaptation — reminds us that these struggles are not new. His birds, each with their fears and excuses, look very much like us as they search for meaning, direction, and hope.
What makes this play so relevant now is its belief that our differences — racial, religious, cultural, or political — are not what define us. In Attar’s universe, these boundaries fall away. What remains is a shared human longing: to understand ourselves, to find purpose, and to live in a more compassionate and just world.
The journey of the birds is really the journey of all of us. It asks us to look honestly at our own limitations, to question the illusions we hold onto, and to imagine what might be possible if we moved forward together.
In returning to this timeless story, through Guillermo’s adaptation, we are reminded that art can still bring people together, open conversations, and help us see one another with greater empathy. The Parliament of Birds invites us to pause, reflect, and remember that despite everything that divides us, we are connected by the same hopes and the same longing for a better world.
– Soheil Parsa
Duration: TBD
Hydro-Québec Studio
Monument-National Campus
(St-Laurent metro)
1182 Saint-Laurent, Montréal
The show is in English.
By Guillermo Verdecchia, performed by the Class of 2027.
Stay tuned! Tickets will go on sale very soon.
Sarah BergbuschA3
Pigeon
Bianca BrugmanA3
Cardinal
Finley BurkeA3
As Cast; King; Monk
Ty CohenA3
Duck
Noah HammermeisterA3
Parrot
Thea Mary KnickleA3
As Cast; Bat; Princess
Matthew LupuA3
Falcon
Naiya MarieA3
Hoopoe
Alexis MoresideA3
As Cast; The Queen; Walker
Nancy NgoA3
Sparrow
Alexander WilsonA3
Crow
Cameron GillieSC3
Set Designer
Dylan DesjardinsSC3
Assistant Set Designer
Shea SpaffordSC3
Costume Designer
Teddy MacRaePDTA3
Lighting Designer
Sara StarlingPDTA3
Sound Designer
Matthew Ivanoff PDTA3
Video Designer
Kate Munro-BergfeldtPDTA3
Production Manager
Kathleen GreeningPDTA3
Technical Director
Aydin DezellPDTA3
Assistant Technical Director
Maiyah JohnsonPDTA3
Stage Manager
Soheil Parsa
Director
Castor AngusPDTA2
Head of Sound
Julie PaterPDTA2
Head of Video
Kyra MevisPDTA2
Head Carpenter
Will IsenorPDTA2
Head of Lighting
Zoé Cajelait-AschPDTA2
Assistant Lighting Designer
Siloe MelançonSCD Independent Resident
Costume Assistant
Vanessa MarionPDTA2
Associate ATD
Molly CummingsPDTA2
Assistant Production Manager
Caitlyn GrantPDTA2
Assistant Stage Manager
Alistair LeongPDTA1
Assistant Stage Manager
Claire CousineauPDTA1
Lighting Assistant
Colwyn AlletsonPDTA1
Sound Assistant
Maggie DuffPDTA1
Video Assistant
Hugo Vieuxloup-BoulainPDTA1
Stagehand
Janelle HainesPDTA1
Stagehand
Malcolm BrownPDTA1
Stagehand
Sarah RyanPDTA1
Stagehand
Andrea Lundy
Program Director and Production Management
Rebecca Harper
Movement
Lauren Maykut
Voice
Jonathan Patterson
Music
Marjorie Lefebvre
Technical Coach
Eve-Lyne Dallaire
Properties
Véronique Pagnoux
Scenic Painting
Guillaume Simard
Head Carpenter – Scene Shop
Création et production, 2010
Christian Larochelle
Scene Shop Carpenter
Julia Metzger
Costume Project Manager
Michael Slack
Costume Project Manager
Set and Costume Design, 2001
Floriane Vachon
Wardrobe Storage Supervisor & Dressing Coach
Dave Surette
Interim Technical Director St. D
Alexandre Filion
Interim Asst. Technical Director St. D
Marc-André Couture
Technical Director MN
Thomas Morgan Jones
Artistic Director
Quincy Armorer
Program Director – Acting
Andrea Romaldi
Program Director – Playwrighting
Stéphane Longpré
Program Director – Set and Costume Design
Jeanne Dupré
Set and Costume Design Program Coordinator
Jeanne Dupré
Design coordinator
Maxime Côté
Photographer
Véronique St-Germain
Makeup
Stéphane Scotto di Cesare
Hair
Diana Uribe
Set Design
Julie Vallée-Léger
Costume Design
Amber Hood
Lighting Design
Andrew Scriver
Video Design
Aaron Collier
Sound Design
Neha Ross
Stage Management
Aurora Torok
Technical Direction
Production design & Technical arts, 2018
Marieke Séguin
Rigging
Michel Proulx
Cutter
Raphaëlle Rieu
Stitcher
Mélanie Turcotte
Dye and Patina
Legend: A Acting, SCD Set and Costume Design, PDTA Production Design & Technical Arts, DIR Directing, PW Playwriting, IR Independent Resident, NP New Pathway, NPR New Pathway Resident // 1 First-year student, 2 Second-year student, 3 Third-year student
The land on which we are gathered has long served as a site of meeting and exchange amongst nations. It is part of the traditional unceded territory of the Kanien’kehá:ka, whose rich cultural heritage continues to teach us that respect, dialogue and peace are pillars of democratic governance.
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