The Vindication of Senyora Clito Mestres

 April Productions is proud to present a re-visioning of its production of The Vindication of Senyora Clito Mestres, starring Artistic Director Dragana Varagic who was nominated for an Outstanding Performance Dora Award for her solo in this acclaimed work just over a decade ago. The Vindication of Senyora Clito Mestres, in an all-new production directed by Varagic, runs March 21-25 at Theatre Passe Muraille’s Backspace with an additional performance March 31 at the Isabel Bader Theatre.

"So passionately alive in Varagic’s hands"     – Kate Taylor, The Globe and Mail

"Our theatre is not starved of powerful actresses but Varagic, loud or soft, is plainly capable of taking on the best."         -Robert Cushman, National Post

"Varagic is exceptionally goodŠthe technique is flawlessŠshe is by turns funny, bitchy, poignant and graceful, creating a complete, believable human being."    –Robert Crew, The Toronto Star

"Varagic burns with quiet intensityŠ.She’s the queen of subtextŠ"      -Glenn Sumi, Now Magazine

"Varagic plays with heartŠ. Varagic’s acting is truly great in this play – she has impeccable timing, and her thick layers of intonation load a ton of subtext into the most innocuous line." -Rebecca Todd, eye weekly

Presented on the heels of International Women’s Day, The Vindication of Senyora Clito Mestres is a timeless legacy from one woman to all women. It speaks in fragile tones about a woman who finds herself unexpectedly at a crossroads. It is a story of a woman who loses her husband, her child, her homeland and her identity, but finds salvation in her return to theatre. Roig uses the metaphor of the Greek queen Clitemnestra to tell the story of an actress who, by preparing herself for the role, finds her own voice and inspiration to overcome the tragedies of her life. With its humorous approach and tragic overtones, the play easily finds its way into the heart of the audience.

In this new staging, Varagic was inspired by her work with world-renowned European theatre artist Jozef Nadj, studying integration of text-based and image-based theatre. In this reworked version, she takes the script and creates two selves of the same woman – one persona on stage and the second persona on video, crossing the boundaries between fiction and reality.

Varagic directs a stellar creative team including production designer Snezana Pesic, winner of a 2011 Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Lighting Design, and Toronto media artist Bojo Vasic, winner of a Gold Award at Dallas HeSCA Media Festival for his video work.