Les suppliantes is a new theatrical creation by director and scenographer Sophie El-Assaad, presented on the main stage of Théâtre Prospero in Montreal. The production is inspired by Aeschylus's ancient Greek play written 2,500 years ago, in which a chorus of migrants flees violence and arrives in Argos to seek the protection of its king.
The show weaves together the mythological story of Io — a mortal assaulted by Zeus, transformed into a cow, and condemned to wander the earth — with the contemporary reality of asylum seekers navigating dehumanizing systems. Through a series of visceral and moving visual tableaux, the production breaks the fourth wall to restore voice to objectified bodies.
El-Assaad's staging draws on her background in visual arts, sculpture, and installation to create a sensory experience that brings myth into dialogue with personal memory. The production questions who decides who deserves to be saved, and challenges audiences to reflect on their own posture and identity.
This marks El-Assaad's first full-scale theatrical creation as a director, following her contributions to numerous productions as a scenographer, costume designer, and co-director. She was awarded the Prix François-Barbeau (Duceppe) and the Prix Gascon-Roux (TNM) in 2025 for her costume design work, and was nominated for the prestigious Prix Jovette-Marchessault in 2021.
The cast includes Melania Maria Balmaceda Venegas, Charo Foo Tai Wei, Nora Guerch, Jorge Martinez Colorado, Papy Maurice Mbwiti, Philippe Racine, and Micha Raoutenfeld.