The Weight of Ants

THE WEIGHT OF ANTS

by David Paquet, translated by Leanna Brodie

TO RESERVE TICKETS CLICK HERE

Performances:

• Tuesday, February 10, 2026 – 7:30 pm
• Wednesday, February 11, 2026 – 7:30 pm
• Thursday, February 12, 2026 – 7:30 pm - Relaxed / Sensory Friendly performance
• Friday, February 13, 2026 – 7:30 pm - ASL performance
• Saturday, February 14, 2026 – 4 pm - Audio Described performance

Performance length: Approximately 90 minutes with no intermission.  This information may be updated closer to performance start date.

Admission: Free and open to UWinnipeg staff, faculty, and students, as well as the general public.

Reservations are recommended.

 TO RESERVE TICKETS CLICK HERE

You can also call our 24-Hour Reservation Phone line at 204-786-9152.  

Please note:  Unclaimed reserved tickets will be released 5 minutes before performance start.  If a performance is sold out online, tickets may still become available at the door.

The Weight of Ants was created in Montreal on November 19, 2019, by Theatre Bluff at the Fred-Barry room of the Denise-Pelletier Theatre, directed by Philippe Cyr.

The translation went on to win the 2022 Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama and the Playwrights Guild of Canada Tom Hendry Award.

Set at an unnamed high school where no one seems to care about anything, two characters make a powerful connection. Joan is hell-bent on tearing everything down and reacts to her anxiety about the dying world with rage. Meanwhile, Olivier is determined not to lose his optimism and tries to escape from his own anxious nightmares. Together they find a way forward.

Responsible theatre practices used

This production is also supported by the University of Winnipeg Experiential Learning fund, allowing for the integration of responsible theatre practices, with a focus on accessibility and environmental sustainability. The show will offer a sensory-friendly performance, in addition to ASL interpretation and an audio described performance. In order to remain true to the content of the play, environmentally sustainable practices are being used in the rehearsal and production of the performance.

The Weight of Ants is an extremely relevant script for the cast of 11 students. It allows them to explore how to navigate the changing world around them, while also presenting a rare opportunity as young artists to tackle a work written specifically about youth. Director Hope McIntyre shares: “It is incredible to see the cast support each other in exploring their own climate anxiety, while also finding a pathway for positive change.”

This UWinnipeg production of The Weight of Ants features costume design by faculty member Sean McMullen, scenic design by student Amanda Jones, and lighting design by recent graduate Lovissa Wiens. All technical work is done by both junior and senior production students.

Land Acknowledgement

We are performing this play on Treaty One Territory and the National Homeland of the Red River Métis, in Wiiniibak, ManidoAbi. We acknowledge these are the ancestral lands of the Anishinaabeg, Anisininew,Ininiwak/Nehethowuk, Oceti Sakowin/Dakota Oyate, and Michif (Métis) Peoples. This territory is also a place of significance for the Denesuline and the Inuit, some of whom have been living here for generations. Serving as stewards since time immemorial, Elders and First Nations have highlighted that these ancestral lands remain unceded and that the Treaties are agreements to share, not surrender, the land.

In order to not just speak empty words, we decided to take action by partnering with Morgan’s Warriors. Morgan’s Warriors is Winnipeg's Indigenous, women-led outreach team. The climate crisis – wildfires, power outages, and flooding - have led to the displacement of many communities. As a result, women and youth evacuated to the city become vulnerable. Morgan’s Warriors assists with essential items, outreach support, and addressing the unmet needs of those who end up living on the streets. We have made a contribution and encourage you to do the same. For those who cannot make a monetary contribution, giving of your time in order to support community initiatives such as this is equally valuable. 

See their website at:  Manitoba Missing Person Alerts | Morgan's Warriors

A DIGITAL VERSION OF THE PROGRAM TEXT IS AVAILABLE HERE:  PROGRAM

PROGRAM TEXT IS ALSO AVAILABLE BELOW:

THE WEIGHT OF ANTS

by David Paquet

Translated by Leanna Brodie

ARTISTIC STAFF

Director....................................................................................................... Hope McIntyre

Scenic Design............................................................................................... Amanda Jones

Costume Design / Design Instructor.......................................................... Sean McMullen

Lighting Design............................................................................................. Lovissa Wiens

Text & Vocal Coach / Voice & Speech Instructor............................................ Tom Soares

Movement Coach/Movement Instructor........................................... Aria Evans

Assistant Director......................................................................................... Dakota Barker

Research Assistant.................................................................................... Bronwyn Smyth

Research Assistant............................................................................................. Rae Toews

Accessibility Consultant................................................................ Debbie Patterson

Intimacy Consultant........................................................................... Heidi Malazdrewich

Scenic Painter................................................................................................ Shauna Jones

Hair and Makeup........................................................................................ Aileen Audette

Original Music Composer............................................................................. Geoffrey Heal

Stage Manager.......................................................................................... Keira Jordan

Assistant Stage Manager.......................................................................... Denby Perez

CAST in alphabetical order

Sol Choi....................................... Joan & Principal’s Mother & Withered Old Woman                                                                                         & Control Tower of Paradise

Mike de Jong............................................... The Principal & The Man in a Suit and Tie

Olivia Di Girolamo.............................................................................. Joan & Gabriella

C Dion................................................... Olivier & Baby Baby Dance Floor Announcer

Denise Estacio.............. Bertha the Cafeteria Lady & The Mayor & Book Store Owner

                                                  & The One Who is Hurting & Someone Else in Crowd

Veronica Ford....................................................... Joan & Katie-Sue the Math Teacher

                                             & The Woman Who Drives the Bus & Olivier’s Therapist

Cyan Gargol.............................................................. Olivier & Olivier’s Mother & Nort

                                                                                              & The One Who is Hungry

Geoffrey Heal..................................................................................................... Olivier

Colin Hildebrand........................................... Emilio Who Teaches Too Many Subjects

                                                                & The Woman Who Sells Books While Drunk

                                                                                         & Joey & Someone in Crowd

Colin Parsons................................ The Shampoo Ad & Psychologist & Mike & Janitor

                              & Woman Who Applies Shampoo & Raoul & The One Who is Hot

Lauren Pickering.................. Joan & Grocery Store Cashier & The One Who is Thirsty

PRODUCTION STAFF

Head of Lights............................................................................................... Charlie Buller

Production Assistant.......................................................................... Phoenix Charamuga

Costume Coordinator ............................................................................ Kimberly Fredrick

Head of Set................................................................................................. Neko Goertzen

Head of Props............................................................................................... Ruby Maclean

Head of Sound............................................................................................ Nicolas Zitaruk

House Manager................................................................................................. Alexis Hios

COSTUMERS

Jessica Desjarlais, Lee Frketich, Charlie Henrickson, Amirah Mansilla, Precious Okpo, Jonalyn Tolentino, Samantha Wilson

BACKSTAGE ASSISTANTS

Brinn Inkpen-Bailey, Kathleen Starr

CARPENTERS / PAINT CREW

Hannah Bartholomew, Lynne Budd, Angel Cahigas, Abbie Hughes, Samantha Wilson

TECHNICAL CREW

Clark Louise Dote Gonzales, Olivia Gamblin, Arlo Giesbrecht, Colin Hildebrand, Willow Isaac, Eshika Khurmi, Jordan Legace, Angela Li, Emma MacIsaac, Avery Mittermayr, Gia Linh Pham, Israel Pursina, Ayla Stewart, Solani Svingen, Erika Tata, Keely Rene Dawn Zacharias

FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF WINNIPEG

Department Chair................................................................................ Adam Parboosingh

Master Carpenter / Production Instructor...................................................... Aaron Frost

Assistant to the Master Carpenter............................................................... Rachel Baziuk

Production Coordinator............................................................................... Delton Kreller

Assistant Prod Coordinator / Production Instructor....................................... Colin Wiens

Department Technician................................................................................. Tyler Nguyen

Production Instructor......................................................................... Steve Vande Vyvere

Costuming Instructor................................................................................. Brenda McLean

Stage Management Instructor..................................................................... Leslie Watson

Poster and Layout........................................................................................ Lovissa Wiens

Running time:  Approximately 90 minutes – no intermission

A Quiet Room is available for anyone who requires it. 

Please see House Management in the lobby for any accessibility needs.

Content Information:

Climate and political anxiety; alcoholism; suggestions of violent action and self-immolation; exploration of mental wellness; depictions of grief and end of life; flashing lights and loud sounds (altered for the sensory-friendly performance).

The Weight of Ants was created in Montreal on November 19, 2019, by Theatre Bluff at the Fred-Barry room of the Denise-Pelletier Theatre, directed by Philippe Cyr.

Please turn off your cell phone.  The photographing, video and/or audio recording of this performance by any means whatsoever is strictly prohibited.

NOTES FROM THE DIRECTOR & CAST

Although this absurd and surreal comedy explores how young people deal with the reality of a dying planet, it is also about connecting and finding hope. Both of which we were able to do throughout the process of working on the show. We found moments to be upset with the horrible things occurring in the world but also moments of joy – “You have to stay angry. Then happy. Then angry. Then happy.” This is the way to transform our world: by taking cooperative action but also appreciating it is worth fighting for.

As this is an educational exercise, casting was done collaboratively with students submitting their preferred roles. We split up the characters of Joan and Olivier – both to allow for greater opportunities to the acting students but also as a statement illustrating the fact that we can all be Joan and Olivier. These two characters make a powerful connection. Joan is hell-bent on tearing everything down and reacts to her anxiety about the dying world with rage. Meanwhile, Olivier is determined not to lose his optimism and tries to escape from his own anxious nightmares. Together they find balance and a way forward, just as we all can.

The support shown for one another throughout this process was inspiring. We are so grateful to the wonderful production team and for the many communities (family, friends, and guides) who support us. Thank you to David Paquet for his script and Leanna Brodie for both the translation, as well as joining us as we embarked on this journey in the fall.

“All flourishing is mutual.” – Robin Wall Kimmerer

As an act of reconciliation, donations should be made to https://morganswarriors.com/

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Prairie Theatre Exchange, U of W Experiential Learning Fund, Daina Leitold

Audio Description provided by Vocal Image Ensemble Winnipeg (VIEW)

I.A.T.S.E. Local 63 for its continuing support of our Production students

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Please mark your calendar for our upcoming production:

UNITY (1918)

 by Kevin Kerr

March 31 – April 4, 2026

• Mature content and themes.
• Climate and political anxiety.
• Alcoholism.
• Suggestions of violent action and self-immolation.
• Exploration of mental wellness.
• Depictions of grief and end of life.
• Flashing lights and loud sounds (which will be altered for the sensory-friendly performance).

Please check back regularly for any updates to the content warnings.

To learn more about attending one of our performances at the Asper Centre for Theatre and Film, including Accessibility information, visit the Getting to the ACTF page.

There are a variety of parking options available on and around UWinnipeg's downtown campus, including a number of casual, short-term parking lots. Parking availability and rates are subject to change.

For more information, visit the UWinnipeg Parking Map.

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