Théâtre Espace Go


Théâtre Espace Go is a theatre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1985 as the feminist Théâtre Expérimental des Femmes, the company changed its name to Théâtre Espace Go in 1994 and broadened its mandate.
In 1988, it received the Grand Prix from the :fr:Conseil des arts de Montréal|Conseil des arts de Montréal for its contributions to the city's culture. In 1991, it was honoured with a special prize from the Association Québécoise des Critiques de Théâtre.
In 1995, Espace Go moved to a new $5,000,000 complex on Saint Laurent Boulevard. Architect Éric Gauthier received the Prix d'Excellence from the Ordre des architectes du Québec for the building, which was formally inaugurated on March 9, 1995. The initial production in the new space was :fr:Philippe Minyana|Philippe Minyana's Inventaires, directed by :fr:Louise Laprade|Louise Laprade, who was one of the co-founders of the Théâtre Expérimental des Femmes.
Espace Go serves as a home for several Montreal theatre companies, including :fr:Théâtre PÀP|Théâtre PÀP and :fr:Théâtre I.N.K.|Théâtre I.N.K..

Controversy

The evolution of Espace Go from its roots as a feminist theatre group has not been without controversy. In January 2010, Pol Pelletier, a co-founder of the, took out an advertisement in Le Devoir attacking Espace Go for abandoning the founding group's feminist principles. This was not the first time that Pelletier had leveled such a charge at Espace Go: ten years earlier, a condemnatory letter from Pelletier earned a "terse response" from the theatre's then-director of the board, Louise Beaudoin.