The Empire is three modern epics that when combined reveal a secret narrative spanning 500 years of imagined history. The Empire project is so big it needed its own website. You can explore The Empire through our podcasts of each play, our videos, and our online only graphic novels.
You first enter the world of The Empire at the birth of a new age in The Philosopher’s Wife, a modern gothic exposing power dynamics and gender wars through the lens of dog training. 20 years later, The Scavenger’s Daughter plunges you into the now destroyed landscape as orphan soldiers try to survive war, toxic masculinity, and each other. 259 years after that, time itself collapses in Four Sisters, a dance between darkness and light, as a found family of women call out for revolution.
The critically acclaimed world premieres of The Empire were produced by PARADIGM productions and was one of the 200 exceptional projects funded through the Canada Council for the Arts’ New Chapter program. With this $35M investment, the Council supports the creation and sharing of the arts in communities across Canada.
Photos by tanja-tiziana, Bernie Fournier, Haley Garnett, and Jeremy Mimnagh.
Featuring: Chala Hunter, Danny Ghantous, Susanna Fournier, Aviva Armour-Ostroff, Josh Johnston, Conor Wylie, Carlos Gonzalez-Vio, Christopher Stanton, Samantha Brown, Bea Pizano, Yolanda Bonnell, Jennifer Dahl, Ximena Huizi, Virgilia Griffith, Claudia Moore, Aria Evans, and Krystina Bojanowski with Production Design created by The Empire trilogy design ensemble: Triga Creative, Kaitlin Hickey, Steph Raposo, Ben McCarthy, Christopher Ross-Ewart, Wesley McKenzie in collaboration with directors Leora Morris, ted witzel, Susanna Fournier and Amanda Acorn.
Production stills from The Empire feature: Chala Hunter, Danny Ghantous, Susanna Fournier, Aviva Armour-Ostroff, Josh Johnston, Conor Wylie, Carlos Gonzalez-Vio, Christopher Stanton, Samantha Brown, Bea Pizano, Yolanda Bonnell, Jennifer Dahl, Ximena Huizi, Virgilia Griffith, Claudia Moore, Aria Evans, and Krystina Bojanowski with Production Design created by The Empire trilogy design ensemble: Triga Creative, Kaitlin Hickey, Steph Raposo, Ben McCarthy, Christopher Ross-Ewart, Wesley McKenzie in collaboration with directors Leora Morris, ted witzel, Susanna Fournier and Amanda Acorn.