The Theatre history website at (
visit link) tells us:
"HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
Founded in 1969 by Maurice Podbrey, Centaur Theatre Company initially rented the partially renovated Old Stock Exchange Building (which housed the first Stock Exchange in Canada) prior to purchasing the building five years later and undertaking renovations to include a second theatre space.
A number of new works evolved in the early years but it was Montreal playwright David Fennario's play, On The Job, which is considered the breakthrough production for the company. Other new works sprung from direct commissions over the years including Centaur's 1979 production of David Fennario's play, Balconville, which brought national and international acclaim to Centaur. The production toured to parts of Canada, as well as England and Ireland.
In 1985 Centaur purchased and renovated a building in Griffintown for use (and rental), as a rehearsal hall, fully equipped scene and paint shop, and storage facility.
Maurice Podbrey’s 28-year tenure was noted for supporting and producing new works by some of Montreal’s finest playwrights; Vittorio Rossi, David Gow, Linda Griffith, David Freeman, Bowser and Blue as well as David Fennario, and working with important international directors and playwrights from Russia, Ireland, France and, most notably, South Africa’s Athol Fugard. In 1997 Maurice Podbrey retired and Gordon McCall was appointed the new Artistic and Executive Director of Centaur Theatre Company.
Over the next ten years, Centaur went on to produce eighteen World Premieres of Montreal plays and created the annual Wildside Festival showcasing new and emerging theatre companies. The Brave New Works program of original “auteur” works by innovative Montreal theatre artists is another Centaur outreach program contributing to the animation and well-being of Montreal’s theatre community. The Saturday Morning Children’s Series rounds out a full house of community outreach that is a hallmark of Centaur’s artistic philosophy.
In 1998, Centaur's English-language world premiere of Michel Tremblay's For The Pleasure of Seeing Her Again, translated by Linda Gaboriau, marked a turning point in the history of theatrical collaboration between the Anglophone and Francophone communities in Montreal. It then went on to a successful tour of Canada in partnership with Toronto's Canadian Stage Co. The conclusion of the year-long tour had its American premiere as part of Washington, D.C.'s Arena Stage's 50th Anniversary in the fall of 2000.
Through the international collaboration initiative, the Artistic Director of Ireland's Abbey Theatre, Ben Barnes, directed three Irish plays for Centaur and in return. The Abbey presented its first-ever Canadian play in its illustrious history, Michel Tremblay's For The Pleasure of Seeing Her Again, directed by Gordon McCall. As a result of this initiative, The Abbey has gone on to produce other Canadian plays.
Following Centaur’s presentation of For The Pleasure Of Seeing Her Again at the Arena Stage in Washington, the Arena Stage Artistic Director, Molly Smith was invited to Centaur in March 2002 to stage an outstanding production of Moon for the Misbegotten by Eugene O'Neill. In the fall of 2004, Centaur launched a collaboration with Australian Artistic Director Simon Phillips of the Melbourne Theatre Company, who came to Centaur to direct the Australian Play, Burnt Piano, by Justin Fleming and Gordon McCall then traveled to Melbourne to direct the English Language World Premiere of Cheech by Montreal playwright François Létourneau, translated by Rick DesRochers.
In September 2002, Gordon McCall directed Centaur’s English-language world-premiere, record-breaking production of Mambo Italiano by Montreal playwright Steve Galluccio, which was remounted in January 2003 for a sold-out engagement within the Ed and David Mirvish Productions’ season in Toronto.
In December 2006, Centaur won the Grand Prix Theatre nomination from the Conseil des arts de Montréal for its remarkable contribution to Montreal Theatre life, highlighting the 2005/06 “Montreal Stories” season, which comprised six new works by Montreal playwrights. Kicking off the world premier season was David Fennario’s Condoville followed by Vittorio Rossi’s Hellfire Pass, Part I of his Carpenter’s Trilogy.
In September 2007, Gordon McCall stepped down as Artistic and Executive Director and following an extensive international search, the Centaur Board of Directors appointed Roy Surette as the next Artistic and Executive Director of Centaur Theatre Company.
Centaur has won nine Les Masque Awards including Best Actress, Revelation, and Best English-Language Production."