Les Zinspiré·e·s : À la lumière des 13 Lunes

In numerology and superstition, 13 is a double-edged number—it intrigues, it unsettles, it fascinates... But this year, Les Zinspiré·e·s is turning it into a theatrical good luck charm! For this 13th edition, Danik McAfee takes the helm as director, after shining on stage as an actor in last year’s production.

Selected from over 200 participants across Southwestern Ontario, five original, powerful, and vibrant stories will come to life at the Berkeley Street Theatre. Blending mystery, humour, and depth, this new edition dares to challenge expectations and proves that 13 is far from an unlucky number. A unique theatrical experience not to be missed!

Contempler le vide (Contemplating the Void)
by Émilie Leis (É.s. Étienne-Brûlé, Toronto), coached by François Macdonald\

On a winter night, a girl stands on a rooftop staring into the void. She no longer knows if she wants to end it all or simply be heard. The unexpected arrival of an awkward young man—who tries to break the silence without really knowing why he’s there—creates a fragile moment of truth. Contemplating the Void is a whispered play, a suspended bubble between the noise of the world and inner turmoil. Through this improbable encounter, two solitudes brush against each other… perhaps enough to change the course of a night.

13 heures pour décider (13 Hours to Decide)
by Mohammad Elnakoury (É.s. Étienne-Brûlé, Toronto), coached by Merlin Simard\

Four students find themselves trapped in their school cafeteria. They are given 13 hours to decide which one of them will win a scholarship worth $100,013. The condition? The choice must be unanimous! As the hours pass, masks fall away: secrets, betrayals, and the most shameful truths are revealed. A quest for reconciliation tips into isolation until an unexpected gesture rekindles hope. 13 Hours to Decide is a comic closed-room drama about ethics, friendship, and the visceral need to be seen.

Un nouveau foyer, un lourd héritage (A New Home, a Heavy Legacy)
by Arman Bartis (É.s. Étienne-Brûlé, Toronto), coached by François Macdonald\

After the tragic death of their mother and a forced move to Toronto, Mahikan and his sister Tanis try to rebuild their lives. One night while fishing, an incident leads to an arrest and a trial that exposes the flaws of the justice system, particularly toward Indigenous youth. Through flashbacks steeped in tenderness and pain, we discover their past, their family legacy, and the invisible weight they carry. Mahikan, both protective and wounded, becomes the witness of a generation searching for justice, belonging, and healing.

Il était (He Was)
by Leena El Hilali (É.s. Ronald-Marion, Pickering), coached by Jenny Brizard\

Layla arrived in Canada after fleeing war in her home country. Working as a nurse in a hospital, she tends to Marcel, a young boy gravely ill. Their relationship, born in fragility, gradually becomes a sacred space of sharing and listening. But behind Layla’s silences lies a past she has never truly faced: the loss of her little brother, Ilyes. He Was is a story of grief, tenderness, and invisible transmission between the living and the dead. Through her gentleness, Layla offers Marcel a final season of light, and he, without knowing it, helps her heal a buried pain.

Les cinq souvenirs (The Five Memories)
by Sophie Massicotte (É.s. Toronto-Ouest, Toronto), coached by François Macdonald\

After being hit by a car during a jog, Julie finds herself between life and death. Immersed in a liminal experience, she revisits five key memories that shaped her: a family birthday, her parents’ separation, her graduation, the start of her dream job, and the loss of her father. At each stage, her father reappears, a caring guide between worlds. The memories aren’t all happy, but together they form the vibrant patchwork of her life. The Five Memories is a tribute to memory, to family, and to the power of invisible bonds that keep us alive… even at the threshold of death.

ALL PERFORMANCES ARE ENGLISH SURTITLED. YOU ALSO HAVE THE OPTION TO TRY ON OUR AUGMENTED REALITY GLASSES FOR A MORE IMMERSIVE SURTITLING EXPERIENCE. TOGGLE BETWEEN ENGLISH OR FRENCH. YOUR PREFERENCE! OF COURSE, IT'S FREE OF CHARGE.

TfT thanks BMO for its ongoing support. Since 1997, BMO has supported all of TfT's youth initiatives. Without its help, the teen program Les Zinspiré-e-s might never have seen the light of day.This project was also made possible by a financial contribution from the Ontario Ministry of Education and the Government of Canada under the Canada-Ontario Agreement on Minority Language Education and Second Official Language Instruction.