Centaur Theatre

The Centaur Theatre is a theater in Montreal, specializing in English-language productions. It is located at the 453 Rue Saint -François -Xavier, the former building of the Stock Exchange of Montreal in the Old Town (Vieux -Montreal ).

Theater

The Centaur Theatre Company, founded in 1969, hired for their performances, the former stock exchange building and acquired 1974. Been restored were from 1975 two theaters available, the existing Centaur 1, a "black theater " with 220 seats, and the new Centaur 2, a proscenium with 440 seats. An extensive renovation was carried out in the years 1996 to 1999. Under the artistic direction of the South African Maurice Podbrey, who worked until 1997, the Centaur Theatre has developed into the leading English-language theater of Montreal. It reached this status in particular by the performance of contemporary Canadian and international productions, including many world premieres. Classical plays are usually available only once a year on the program.

Building

In 1903, the American architect George B. Post commissioned to design a building for the growing market of Montreal. After a year of construction, the first day of trading was on June 29, 1904. The Montreal Exchange was domiciled to October 1965 in the building and then moved into the Tour de la Bourse.

The U-shaped building in the neoclassical style consists of a central section flanked by two lower wings. It is dominated by a portico with six Corinthian columns. The resemblance to a Greco- Roman temple gives it a certain amount of monumentality.