Urban Tales, is a Christmas production with a different approach to the holiday much like Montreal's 'Ugly Tree' tradition. Philippe Pelletier (above) placed lights on an "ugly" Christmas tree on November 24, 2017l. Montreal's infamous ugly Christmas tree of 2016 generated headlines and social media posts around the world because of its awkward appearance. It was the inspiration for an entire village this holiday season.
Photo Credit: CP / Paul Chiasson

Urban Tales: First Christmas in Montreal

Urban Tales, an annual theatre production that’s in its eleventh year now, has evolved into a series of stories and performances connected by a theme, related to Christmas.

Harry Stanjofski, a writer, performer and director, describes his role in the event as “curator”; selecting the tales.

The original French edition, created by Yvon Bienvenue, began in the early 1990’s, titled then, ‘Les Contes Urbain’.

Stanjofski, who’d performed in the French productions, says there was an apetite at the time, or a desire to see stories about the end of December that weren’t enveloped in gloss and tinsel, something beyond the ‘Norman Rockwell version’ of Christmas.

Urban Tales’ curator, Harry Stanjofski as the character he created, a Turkish artist in self-imposed exile in Montreal. © Yvan Bienvenue

He says their stock response in those early days, was that the shows were “Christmas stories for people who don’t like Christmas”.

“This has been such an eyeopener for me.”

In the ensuing years, the tradition has evolved to include English editions, but the audience reaction has changed, Stanjofski says.

“People seem to be… they could handle darkness and some of the more depressing material a lot easier than they do now.”

He says “there’s less and less of a will to actually be challenged.”

Audiences now really lean toward a comedy, and not just one with laughs, but one that ends well, Stanjofski says.

It’s only in the last four years that themed shows emerged.

The first was created with the seven deadly sins in mind, the following year it was erotic stories, last year it was horror stories and ghost stories.

Choosing this year’s theme, that first Christmas in Montreal, Stanjofski explained, was “because it’s so in the news, it’s so in our lives, this notion of grand migrations all over the world, and newcomers to Montreal.”

“This has been such an eyeopener for me.” he says.

“We may think we’re completely immune from it, but we’re hardly immune from these things, these issues are all over and they have to be talked about by everyone not just the people who are actually living in those places.”

“Look: we are seven billion on the planet; 70% are not Christian… Five billion don’t celebrate that: get over yourselves!” 

Among the selections of the evening, the notion of arriving in Canada as “the second chance” is explored in a piece written by Philippina-Canadian playwright, Marie Barlizo.

The audience sees how the cost of that second chance, for many Philippine people who may be stranded, working and waiting in Saudi Arabia, can be very hefty once they get here.

Michaela Di Cesare wrote and performed a piece that contrasts the sacrifice and efforts of an Italian grandmother on the first Christmas in Montreal, with her character, a dutiful daughter, wife and now mother, who is viewing the traditions through a haze of postpartum depression.

And perhaps one of the most poignant pieces, written by Pascale Rafie, contains the proud memories of an Arabic mother whose son bravely emigrates to Montreal, only to be one of the dead in the horrific shooting that took place in the Quebec City Mosque, not quite a year ago.

For Stanjofski’s piece, there is an autobiographical detail concerning his parents dramatic escape from the Turkish pogroms in the 1950’s.

He did further research and interviews to fill out his character’s view on the current happenings in Turkey with two students, young people who left Turkey behind.

The resulting story, called ‘Smoke’, from the viewpoint of a Turkish artist, in self-imposed exile from his family and friends in Istanbul, issues a pointed reminder:

“Look: we are seven billion on the planet; 70% are not Christian. No tree, no presents, no angels, no baby born in a barn, no subsequent “sacrifice, death and resurrection”, no horrible music: it’s the most wonderful time of the year. Five billion don’t celebrate that: get over yourselves!” 

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