Grade 12 student Genevieve Guimond has played the main role in the last three TIS Secondary Player’s performances. She has proven herself to be a budding actor and now she has also tried her hand as a playwright by writing her very first play “Blanc and Mortem”, a suspense thriller set in the 1950’s in a remote fictional waterfront town of Maria Tenebris and the mysterious island Mortemcliff, in Scotland.

“I’ve always wanted to write my own play” said Genevieve, so when she learnt that she could take on a “Passion Project” in lieu of taking a traditional subject such as calculus, she knew this would be her opportunity to work on her play. The project, which will be evaluated and credited towards her final marks, included two other elements – an interview and a short film. The play is the final submission for her Passion Project.

The setting of the story was inspired by a recent trip to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, where Genevieve was captivated by a piece of art depicting a Scottish fishing village. Next came creating the characters, which was the easy part according to Genevieve, as they are loosely based on the two actors she worked alongside in the latest TIS Secondary Play, “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”. The two main characters, Luca Blanc and Tom Bradley, bring humor to what is otherwise a rather dark story.

Genevieve is looking into publishing Blanc & Mortem on an online platform where novice writers share their work.  After graduation, Genevieve hopes to pursue a career in theatre. She is interested to work both on stage and behind the scenes.