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SPRING 2009
MENTORSHIP IN ALBERTA. STORY ON PAGE 8. ALEX ARSENAULT AND BRENT PODESKY IN UNKNOWN PLEASURES
BY JONATHAN SEINEN, DIRECTED BY ANTON DEGROOT. IGNITE! 2008.
PHOTOGRAPH BY IAN MARTENS
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What’s New at Theatre Alberta
Tales From the Stacks
Meet the Board
The Sky is Falling
Mentorship in Alberta
Burning the Rules
Woodpaths: Endings or Beginnings?
The Buzz
2. spring 2009
check-in From all over Alberta we come to Calgary for PlayWorks Ink, co-sponsored by Theatre Alberta and Alberta Playwrights’ Network. The event is an extended weekend of theatre: seeing it, hearing it, speaking it, moving it, rehearsing it, envisioning it, discussing it and writing it. The participants come from all backgrounds and experience levels—professional to emerging to neophyte artist. But all come for one reason—to experience theatre in all its aspects and to be instructed by experts in many kinds of theatrical practice.
The energy and excitement is palpable as we enter the Glenbow Museum to pick up our registration packages. Clustered around the table in front of the Conoco-Phillips Theatre are old friends from past PlayWorks Ink events. Our greetings include the inevitable, “What classes are you taking?” and “Oh, great! I’m in that one too!” or “You must tell me all about your class and let me see your notes, please! We’ll meet for lunch.” Then we all enter the theatre for the first of four showcase readings and are swept into the theatrical world of words. After the reading there are more chats with friends as many of us head over to the Auburn Saloon. Instructors and participants mingle in easy camaraderie, exchanging theatre stories and experiences from across the province. All this talk reveals the rich textures of our Albertan theatre scene. We debate the way to maintain vibrant, challenging theatre and, of course, we share what we are discovering about ourselves as artists in our various classes.
Everyone is buzzing about the upcoming Edmonton and Calgary productions of Judith Thompson’s Palace of the End and East of Berlin by Hannah Moscovitch. The anticipation of seeing these two plays is further enhanced by the fact that both playwrights are involved in PlayWorks Ink this year.
PlayWorks Ink and other programs like it are important. They gather the members of our both geographically and numerically large and diverse Alberta theatre community together, and that gathering is vital to our sense of identity. Through the dialogue that takes place during more formal workshops and special events as well as the many social opportunities, we come to know a little more about each other. We are challenged by new ideas, inspired by the generous sharing of knowledge and expertise and reassured that we are a part of an important community.
Check out the excerpt of Judith Thompson’s keynote address at PlayWorks Ink, included as part of this issue of Theatre Alberta News. Take a look at the Artstrek and Dramaworks brochure that accompanied the issue. There are some fabulous opportunities for you (and others) to consider that can take you further on your theatrical journey.
MARY-ELLEN PERLEY.PRESIDENT, THEATRE ALBERTA BOARD
2. spring 2009
Theatre Alberta
is a Provincial Arts Service Organization (PASO)
committed to encouraging the growth of theatre in Alberta.
Theatre Alberta News is a publication of Theatre Alberta
issued four times a year. Contribution of notices,
news, letters, and articles about theatre are welcome,
as well as high quality (300 dpi or higher) photographs.
The opinions and views expressed in Theatre Alberta News
are those of the writers and do not necessarily
reflect those of Theatre Alberta.
Office and Library hours Monday to Friday, 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Holidays Office and library closed April 10–13 (Easter)
and May 16–18 (Victoria Day)
Theatre Alberta News E D I T O R
David van Belle [email protected] E S I G N E R
Carey van Eden [email protected]
Submission deadlines and publication dates April 10 for May 29, 2009
July 31 for September 18, 2009 November 27 for January 15, 2010
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Ads are booked at the discretion of Theatre Alberta. Request ad space at least one month prior
to the submission deadline.
Theatre Alberta Board of Directors If you have questions or concerns regarding Theatre Alberta, you are welcome to contact Theatre Alberta Board members.
OfficersP R E S I D E N T
Mary-Ellen Perley ~ Edmonton
V I C E P R E S I D E N TKaren Johnson-Diamond ~ Calgary
T R E A S U R E R Russell Thomas ~ Fort McMurray
S E C R E TA RYDavid Owen ~ Calgary
Directors Amy DeFelice ~ Edmonton
Matt Gould ~ Red DeerGail Hanrahan ~ Lethbridge Kevin McKendrick ~ Calgary Steve Penman ~ High River
Anne-Marie Szucs ~ Stony Plain Adrian Tanasichuk ~ Grande Prairie
Thomas Usher ~ Red Deer
StaffE X E C U T I V E D I R E C T O R
Marie Gynane-Willis [email protected]
O F F I C E A D M I N I S T R AT O R Gillian Campbell [email protected]
P R O G R A M C O O R D I N AT O RVanessa Sabourin [email protected]
P R O G R A M M E RLora Brovold [email protected]
A D M I N I S T R AT O RJulie Sinclair [email protected]
L I B R A R I A N SSolveig Anderson and Brenda Sutherland
F I N A N C I A L A D M I N I S T R AT O RZenovia Adams
Change of address information and undeliverable copies to: Theatre Alberta Society
3rd Floor Percy Page Centre 11759 Groat Road, Edmonton AB T5M 3K6 Phone: (780) 422-8162 Fax: (780) 422-2663
Toll Free: 1-888-422-8160 [email protected] www.theatrealberta.com
WHAT’S NEW AT THEATRE ALBERTA
theatre alberta news 3.
Australian and New Zealand Accents for Actors by Gillian Lane-Plescia
Canajun, Eh? A Collection of Canadian Dialects for the Actor by David Ferry
Thanks to everyone who has donated scripts to our collection this year. They’re much appreciated.
MORE LIBRARY CATALOGUES ONLINE…
If you haven’t checked out our online library catalogues yet, now may be a good time to have a look at what’s available. On our website, choose Library Catalogues in the Publications drop-down menu. From here, you can view and/or print the catalogues you’re interested in. Please note, some of the catalogues are quite big—you may want to
think twice before printing… We’ve added more catalogues and made a few changes to some of the ones already there. The Full Length Comedies have been split into smaller pdf files to make it easier for you to view or print. The new split is 1-3 characters, 4-6 characters, 7-9 characters, and 10+ characters. All four files are up-to-date as of December 5th, 2008. We’ve also added the Full Length Drama pdfs that several of you requested. They come in the same split as the Full Length Comedies. Last but not least, the Canadian Full Length Plays pdf file is also available and up-to-date. We’re still working on Full Length Drama in Collections and Canadian Full Length Drama in Collections. Hopefully, by the time you read this, they’re available online as well.
TALES FROM THE STACKS
Interested in brushing up on your dialects and accents? Theatre Alberta has a large selection of dialect CDs, tapes and books to help you out at your next audition. Our collection includes a variety of different titles including but not limited to:
Acting With an Accent – Irish by David Allan Stern
Acting With an Accent – American Accent for Canadians by David Allan Stern
Acting With an Accent – American Southern by David Allan Stern
Acting With an Accent – Cockney by David Allan Stern
Acting With an Accent – New York City by David Allan Stern
theatre alberta news 3.
ARTSTREK & DRAMAWORKS Join us for year 50!
Artstrek is Alberta’s residential summer theatre program for teens that takes place at Red Deer College each July. Over the course of the week students will explore acting, voice, directing, movement, sound/music, design, creation, and integration. At the heart of this year’s curriculum is James Lapine and Stephen Sondheim’s musical Into the Woods—a fractured fairy tale packed with haunting music and surprises at every turn. Into the Woods is an Artstrek journey you won’t want to miss! Exploration I (ages 13-15): July 5–11 Exploration II (ages 16-18): July 12–19
Dramaworks is an adult summer theatre workshop program that takes place at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton each July. Workshops designed for novices to professionals are available for practitioners and enthusiasts in every facet of theatre. Dramaworks instructors provide some of the highest quality training in the country. This year, Poland’s Teatr ZAR will lead the international professional masterclass in their Canadian debut. Let curiosity be your guide for 2009! Whether you are returning or visiting for the first time, Dramaworks will provide a lush landscape for you to explore. For more information on registration and programming, visit theatrealberta.com and look under Programs. Workshop Weekends: July 2–5 & 9–12
CALLING ALL ARTSTREK SUPERS!
Are you a strong leader?
Do you possess excellent communication skills?
Do you love Artstrek?
If the answer to these questions is a
resounding “Yes!” then consider
applying to be an Artstrek Super.
Candidates should be enthusiastic,
compassionate and possess a desire to
mentor and motivate Artstrek students.
Supervisors must have previous Artstrek
attendance, been away from the
program for at least one year
and be 19 to 25 years of age.
To apply, send Theatre Alberta your
theatre/employment resumé, cover
letter, and headshot/photo.
The application deadline is April 11th.
For more information, visit
www.theatrealberta.com/artstrek _supers.htm
4. spring 2009
MEET THE BOARD Amy DeFelice, Board of Directors
What do you look for in a script? What makes you decide to direct a particular script?
I am drawn to highly theatrical, character-driven pieces—connection is the essence of theatre. When I direct, I try to live in each character’s head; therefore I want layers and contradictions. I like idiosyncratic voices who conjure images from the first silent read, images that stay with me to the next day. If I start trying to block the play while doing the dishes, I know I’ve found my next obsession. I want to try something new each time, to keep challenging myself. For my own company, I’ve mainly done sociopolitical theatre, because I’m naive enough to hope that art can expand the mind and maybe change the world a little.
What’s the most exciting thing about the Edmonton theatre community right now?
I’m excited to see new companies emerging in Edmonton who are trying to work within a different methodology and are trying to challenge themselves. I am excited to see artists finding collaborators who inspire them and see their work become deeper and more ambitious with each production.
Why produce independent theatre in Edmonton?
There are four impulses that inspire independent theatre: it’s a venue for artists in the no man’s land between being an ‘emerging’ artist and an ‘established’ artist, it’s a way of exploring alternate—often interdisciplinary—forms of creation, it’s a
forum for more experimental writing and it’s a place to show another aspect of an artist’s talents. Also, producing theatre is a compulsion.
What kind of shows have inspired you in Edmonton in the past year?
Seeing as much theatre in (and out) of my community as possible is important, because I learn from everything. Really small independent shows are sometimes the most imaginative work all season. Seeing national tours of Canadian work lets me experience an aesthetic from a different place and often a show that has had time to fully realize the moments and find the details. I’m bothered that we don’t see each other’s work and that we don’t see work in others’ disciplines.
4.
As Artistic Director of Trunk Theatre, Amy has directed many shows, including
4.48 Psychosis and Sailor’s Song. She has also directed for Shadow Theatre, Opera
Nuova and Smoke ‘em if you Got ‘em. As a Stage Manager, she has worked at
One Yellow Rabbit, Nakai Theatre and The Citadel.
CTR 136, Fall 2008, Alberta TheatreEdited by Anne Nothof
Since the last issue of Canadian Theatre Review on prairie theatre (Spring 1991), a great deal has changed
on the Alberta theatre scene, but some things have not. The conservative political agenda remains as entrenched as the Rockies, and playmakers continue to create diverse imaginative landscapes peopled by a wide range of local and extra-territorial characters. The essays in this issue speak to the long history and the wealth of creativity in the province.
The Canadian Theatre Review is the major magazine of record for Canadian theatre. It interests a wide spectrum of the theatre community in Canada – performers, directors, academics, teachers, critics, the theatre-going public, and professionals of all kinds involved in practice.
The magazine is committed to excellence in the critical analysis and innovative coverage of current developments in Canadian theatre. It introduces new artists, publishing at least one signifi cant new playscript in each issue, and it provides a forum for the national discussion of new directions and new projects in theatre.
Alberta TheatreEdited by Anne Nothof
Script17 Dogs by Ron Chambers
136
c a n a d i a n
t h e a t r er e v i e w
c t rcanadian theatre review 136
Alberta Theatre
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$10.50all taxes and shipping included
To order your copy of Alberta Theatre,please contact CTR and refer to the code VIW
Tel: (416) 667-7777 EXT. 7849 e-mail: [email protected]
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theatre alberta news 5.
the $1,500,000 needed to build their new home.
The results are extraordinary. Located at the base of the Calgary Tower, Lunchbox Theatre now resides at the very heart of downtown. Neighbors include Vertigo Mystery Theatre across the hall and the Auburn Saloon, Calgary’s ubiquitous theatre bar, right next door (surprisingly, a revolving door was not installed for direct access). Lunchbox’s new location only adds density to the burgeoning Calgary Theatre/Arts District, a growing area of galleries, museums, studios and theatres contributing to the increasingly vibrant nightlife of downtown Calgary. Additionally, a ready-made audience is literally growing up outside their door, with no less than five office towers and one hotel under construction less than one block away.
The theatre itself is a well-designed black box that makes the most of their rather unique space. Originally a Mercedes dealership that looked out onto 9th avenue, architects Bathory Associates Architecture and Design of Calgary and Proscenium Architecture and Interiors Inc. of Vancouver created a flexible 150-seat performance space including a box office, two dressing rooms, production offices, a green room, storage and an art gallery showcase. In every way, the new space improves the technical and creative flexibility of the staff and will allow Lunchbox to present new and dynamic forms of performance to their audience.
Perhaps the best (and least heralded) part of this story is Lunchbox Theatre’s commitment to opening up its new home and sharing its resources with the local arts community. The art gallery showcase will promote young, local and up-and-coming artists whenever possible, and the theatre itself
will be available for rent most evenings with rates geared towards small theatre companies. “One of the reasons we designed the theatre as a flexible space was to provide a performance space for smaller companies in the evenings” says former Artistic Director Martin Fishman. “All they would have to do is move the furniture and share the lighting plot.” A facility with the location, equipment and size of Lunchbox Theatre is a real deus ex machina for an independent theatre scene in desperate need of affordable performance venues. The new space will immediately attract renters and will only serve to add vibrancy to the city year-round, as well as provide much needed support to the grassroots of Calgary’s arts community. “Pay the actors, not the rent, that’s my mantra” Fishman says.
Adversity has a strange way of bringing out the best in a community, and despite the portents of disaster looming around them, Lunchbox has seemingly ignored Chicken Little and quietly built what will surely be one of the busiest and most accessible performance spaces in the city. Who knows what else is to come? The sky’s the limit.
Scott Roberts is a Calgary actor and the current participant in Lunchbox Theatre’s BD&P Emerging Directors Program.
theatre alberta news 5.
n case you hadn’t heard, the sky is falling. Alberta’s once vaunted economy is in
a tailspin. Oil has fallen to less than $60 a barrel and the provincial surplus more than halved. In Calgary, major construction projects such as Encana’s Bow skyscraper are in danger of losing their financing, leaving gaping holes in the urban landscape in mute testimony to the boom and bust of our excess. But in the midst of all the Chicken Little doom and gloom, Canada’s longest running one-act theatre company has bucked the trend and found a new home for itself.
Lunchbox Theatre has been entertaining audiences in Calgary for more than 30 years. Founded by Margaret and Bartley Bard and Betty Gibb in 1975, Lunchbox performs musicals, revues and one-act plays for the shoppers and workers of downtown Calgary. Its Petro Canada Stage One Festival workshops between four and six new one-act plays each year, and it’s BD&P (Burnett, Duckworth & Palmer) Emerging Directors Program offers one of the city’s only professional development opportunities for young directors. Plus, it’s the only theatre company in town that asks you to bring your own food to the show.
The past five years have been nothing short of a rollercoaster for Calgary’s theatre companies, and Lunchbox Theatre is no exception. In 2006 Lunchbox was told they would have to vacate their home in Bow Valley Square by the summer of 2008. The company was faced with an enormous three-pronged challenge: relocating in the most hyper-inflated real estate market in the country, finding a downtown location in which a theatre could be built, and raising the funds necessary for the task. Accomplishing the first two could be attributed to a question of “right place, right time”, but the last came down to sheer perseverance and an aggressive fundraising campaign that raised almost $800,000 in private and corporate donations. With generous help from the city and the province, the little theatre that could raised
BY SCOTT ROBERTS . CALGARY, TA MEMBER
the sky is falling but not until after lunch
I
CALGARY’S LUNCHBOX THEATRE BUCKS THE DOOM AND GLOOM TREND WITH A BRAND NEW HOME
MARTIN EVANS (L) AND BRADEN GRIFFITHS (R) IN A LIFE IN THE THEATRE, THE INAUGURAL PRODUCTION IN THE NEW LUNCHBOX SPACE.
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6. spring 2009
1NextfestEdmonton
“Resumes, rants, and manifestos are welcome.”
So says the call for submissions for Edmonton’s annual Nextfest. According to lore, Nextfest rose fourteen years ago from the ashes of “Teen Fest” at the Citadel Theatre. Deprived of the umbrella that had brought them together, young artists decamped to Edmonton’s Roxy Theatre and started what has become a sprawling, eleven-day playground in mid-June for emerging artists, loosely defined as artists under thirty who are in need of development and exposure.
Theatre artists—from high school students to university graduates—submit their rants. They get matched up with one another. They rehearse. They perform. Visual artists, dancers, and musicians round out the festival’s proudly multi-disciplinary line-up.
For seasoned festival director Steve Pirot, it’s an open invitation for artists to take charge of their own development: “If you’re working with an artist that has an interest in exploring collective technique or physical theatre, you work with that. If a choreographer comes to the festival with an interest in working with actors and working as a director, we can be a matchmaker.”
Nextfest attracts artists at varying stages of development, says Pirot, from fledgling designers who light their first show to artists who use the festival as an opportunity to develop a new show for an upcoming fringe
tour. “In the end,” he says, “what you’re trying to do is take people to the next level.”
Pirot aims to foster a sense of ownership, community and mutual appreciation. “We’re trying to foster that sense of a tribe,” he says. “It’s also important, the work that Nextfest does in developing audiences, by being a multi-disciplinary festival and by getting people at a younger age into the habit of seeking out artistic experiences. We’re trying to train a generation to have their eyes open.”
2IGNITE!Calgary
At IGNITE!, co-presented by Calgary’s Sage Theatre and the Pumphouse Theatres, incoming festival director Ellen Close is aware that her five-year old, three-day long festival has a role model to the north, but she won’t be baited into making comparisons. “It’s great that IGNITE! started out inspired by Nextfest, but I want to work to find what best serves the Calgary community. My ignorance of Nextfest might be a benefit.”
Luckily, Close doesn’t carry her embrace of ignorance too far– she’s abuzz with ideas for growing and fine-tuning her festival and making it the best experience possible for everyone involved.
IGNITE! incorporates two levels of mentorship: high school students shadow emerging artists, and a professional artist watches over each production. “It’s useful for
MentorshipAlberta has one of the most vibrant theatre scenes in the country, producing
new and important work and making vital contributions to Canada’s cultural identity. One of the ways to ensure the continuation of this vibrancy is to cultivate the
next crop of artists. Theatre Alberta News takes a look at four important mentorship opportunities for young Alberta theatre artists:
BY ADAM BURGESS.EDMONTON, TA MEMBER
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FROM UNITY 1918 BY KEVIN KERR, PRODUCED AT THE 2008 TEENS @ THE TURN.
theatre alberta news 7. theatre alberta news 7. theatre alberta news 7.
Making it workTHREE ALBERTA SELF-PRODUCERS GIVE
THEIR BEST ADVICE ABOUT PRODUCING
YOUR OWN WORK TO YOUNG THEATRE
ARTISTS COMING OUT OF SCHOOL:
BETH GRAHAM (co-creator and producer of the Betty Mitchell Award-winning The Drowning Girls)
Go for it. Learn by doing. But first, do your research. Find out what is out there for emerging artists. Ask questions. Talk to people with experience. Then form your own opinions and do it your own way. So, here’s a little advice from someone with experience in self-production—take what you need. I would suggest producing your own work at a festival like the Edmonton Fringe Festival. For a fee, these companies provide you with a space, technical support and some marketing and administrative support. These festivals are a great place to start out and experiment. Treat this as a learning experience and don’t make it solely about making money. It’s your art after all and you need to be able to create something that you are proud of. Now, what are you waiting for? Go for it!
CHARLES NETTO AND ANITA MIOTTI GIVE
MORE HELPFUL ADVICE ON PAGE 8
theatre alberta news 7.
for example, it commissioned further development of The Avenue by the iHuman Youth Society, which works with high-risk youth through arts mentorship, and presented it in the Citadel building.
This year, it’s settling on a format that includes two shows cast from the Citadel’s teen acting classes, a third that will be open to teen actors city-wide, and a yet-to-be-determined playwrighting component. The directors, designers and stage managers are professionals.
There’s also a mentorship program pairing teens with professionals and a teen advisory committee (now recruiting) that helps plan the festival.
It’s all in the name of giving the greatest range of people a kick at the can. Of the festival’s stated principles of relevancy, mentorship and diversity, Ekberg says diversity is by far the trickiest. “I find this the most fascinating thing: to me, diversity meant ethnic and cultural diversity, but that’s not what it means to the kids, to the kids that’s a given. To the kids what it means is that it’s not just for actors, that everyone can come and work together, playwrights and stage managers. . . . For them it’s about diversity of experience.”
Again, community emerges as a central value, a quality that gets Ekberg excited: “People getting into theatre often don’t understand how team and community-oriented it is as a business, what it means to be a good team player, how open you have to be.” She savours seeing opening night houses packed with the casts of the other shows, there to support their new colleagues. “The more members of the professional community I can get involved, the more the kids can understand why community is important in the professional world.”
Nextfest AD Steve Pirot, who directed for Teens last year, searches for words, his pauses imbued with gratefulness. “It was good for me, and a pleasure, and a benefit to have contact with those artists at that moment in their lives. Some of them I will be working with years from now.”
emerging artists to articulate their process and what they already know for someone else,” Close says. “When the high school students ask questions of them, it may inspire them to ask more questions of their mentor.”
The professional mentor guides the working relationships between the different artists, who might be struggling not just with their craft but with the process of working together. “We’ve had a lot of people approaching us wanting to be mentors,” Close says. “People are conscious of the fact that they received a lot of mentorship, and they want to pass it along.”
Close wants to re-imagine her festival’s impact on artists from other disciplines. “I’m trying to figure out what is an equivalent kind of a development for them,” she says, “so for the [visual] artists it’s not just another place to show their work and for the musicians it’s not just another gig.”
And she wants to keep introducing young artists to each other. At IGNITE!, 90% of the actors are cast out of general auditions. Directors are encouraged to cast from this pool rather than people already known to them, in order to maximize opportunities for growth and development.
As with Nextfest, a sense of community is central to IGNITE! Close reports that artist participants often say that IGNITE! allows them to feel a part of a community of artists for the first time.
3Edmonton
At Teens @ The Turn, the Citadel Theatre’s April festival for 15 to 19-year-olds, Keri Ekberg’s biggest concern is “not duplicating opportunities. There’s a lot of fantastic drama teachers in Edmonton doing kick-ass work, which makes it harder for me.”
In the past, the festival has lent its resources to local projects. In 2002,
Mentorship Alberta theatre cultivates its future
— continues on pg.8
Teens @ the Turn
Mentorship
8. spring 2009 8. spring 2009
That program has been a big success; recent “alumni” have been inspired to study playwrighting and marketing; the administration of the company is stocked with “grads.”
“The president of our board was a Junior Apprentice, so was our current marketing director. About seven people currently on staff have gone through our Junior Apprentice or Internship program,” says Lake. “It’s that age when you have no idea what to do but you know you’re interested in theatre. Sometimes people figure out ‘it isn’t for me’ but how great is it for them to figure that out right now before they go to school for three years?”
You can’t help but share Ellen Close’s enthusiasm for seeing the lobby of the Pumphouse Theatre filled with another sold-out crowd. For her, it’s a time and place where transformative things happen. “You see parents of artists, and you see the penny drop before your eyes, and them saying, ‘Oh, this is an actual career, people are paying to see my son or daughter do this.’”
For Steve Pirot, the magic lies in giving professional spaces over to young people. “[The Roxy] is the exact same stage where Ronnie Burkett was, where Mump and Smoot premiered work, the exact same building, and now it’s yours. It’s not a studio space, it’s not a camp kind of situation where it’s more about teaching; an audience is coming. Now you show us how it’s done.”
“Obviously, not everyone goes on,” says Pirot. “There’s a whittling down process as people find out if they’re really interested, make other career choices, but if they’ve had that sense of ownership, that will continue after they make career changes, and they may find ways to be involved other than as artists. That sense of identity will continue for years.”
While festivals give young artists unforgettable peak experiences, maybe there’s a virtue in introducing them early to the subtler pleasures of institution-building, long-term working relationships and hard work.
Adam Burgess returned to Alberta last May after studying acting at the National Theatre School. He owes much to Nextfest, Teens @ The Turn, Artstrek, high school one-acts, and the University of Alberta.
— continued from pg.7
4Calgary
Anna Lake doesn’t have a festival to brag about per se, but she co-ordinates programs that offer mentorship to dozens of teens year-round at Alberta Theatre Projects (ATP). Their high school student writers’ group is gearing up for workshops and staged readings at the theatre’s annual playRites festival, and about twenty young people from junior high students to recent high school graduates have already been through the doors this season, shadowing professionals in various jobs throughout the company. “You can come into our company and shadow anyone you want,” Lake says.
Shadowing introduces students to the highs and lows of a rehearsal process, from the early days through to cue-to-cue and opening. “They can get a really full view of what it takes to be an actor, the whole professional process of it.”
For an even fuller view, ATP’s Junior Apprentice, Kelley Cheetham, is spending her first year out of high school working nearly full-time on every aspect of running the theatre, from tech to marketing.
ATP 2007-2008 JUNIOR APPRENTICES ASHLEE MATKIN (L) AND IAN WYLIE (C) WITH LEAD PROP BUILDER STEVE BENSON.
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CHARLES NETTO co-founder of Calgary’s Swallow-A-Bicycle Performance Co-op
1) Be courageous. Putting up your own work is an act of bravery. Take risks. You will fail. You will land on your face. Reviewers will say mean things. Two people will show up for your show. You will also learn and grow. 2) Volunteer to help as many other productions in as many other capacities as possible, so that you can learn how to hang a light, call a show, talk to a designer, design a poster. You will wear many hats as a producer—the better you are at them, the better you understand others’ roles on a production, and the more effective a producer you will become. 3) Be aware of money. Budget. Be up front with people about money. Treat that side of it like a business. Protect yourself financially. 4) Have fun. It’s a lot of hard work and you most likely won’t get famous or rich from it (if you do, tell me how!), so enjoy it!
ANITA MIOTTI (co-creator and producer of Dragonfly, Episode IV: Identity)
Creating and producing a finished piece of theatre is a process. It usually takes me 5-7 years, from conception to final performance. Often the original piece will spark an idea for another piece. I never apply for funding for the first round of performances. Better to find a small festival and flesh out the idea when the stakes are low. Apply for funding only when you REALLY know what you are going to make. Be passionate—in writing the grant, in creating the piece, in producing, in the media. Be patient. It often takes several tries to get funding for a project. Take time to write your grant application—it is a part of your project. It will help you to know what you are creating. Have as much fun as pos-sible (or you will only do it once). Write ev-erything down—keep good files so that you can more easily do it again the next time.
Alberta Theatre Projects
theatre alberta news 9. welcome back
IndividualsJames AdamsKen Agrell-SmithJim AngusPatrice BarnesMatthew BeairstoMark BellamyElisa BenzerRuth BieberColleen BishopJustin BornAndrea BoydLaureen BraleyAndrea BrassardRory BrayDanielle BroenBlake BrookerLora BrovoldLindsay BurnsEva CairnsMarty ChanCole ChapelskyAbigail ChomaKathy ClassenKandice ClingmanJill ConnellDiane ConradMarianne CopithornePatrick CreeryLinda DelaneyDaniel DerksenWendy DoerksenPatrick ErringtonKara EshpeterAnna FauldsAnna Fiddler-Berteig
BRINGING BACK THE OLD, RINGING IN THE NEW
IndividualsJesse AjohnDana AnnabGwyn AugerBecca BarringtonAlana BenzAllison BergenCandace BerlinguetteHeather BrookeRandy BurkeEllen CloseTaryn CraigCarmen CyreJillian DanielDaisy DaverAlithea DavisMitchell DexterChristopher DutchieConnie DzusOwen EmblavNathan EvenshenGraham FramptonAmber GladueJohn GlassHerb HaekelJames HamiltonElizabeth HarrisonLana HughesDevon HunterAlexandra IoannidesJerry JacksonKyle JordeDJ KellyNeil KueflerVanessa LaPrairieJeremy Laurence
Craig LentzSiobhan LeyneCamille MacLeanBlake MayanVivian MayneBeth McIntyreSuzanne McKinstry (McDowell)Morgan MelnykSven MillerHeather MorrowPaul MulloyJoseph PerryKen SawchukBrent SchausCarrie SchifflerNathan SchmidtCorey SchmittKristin SwirlesJacquie-Lee ThibaultAlynn TrottierHeidi VerweyJudy WarkErin WiltermuthAviva Zimmerman
GroupsAncient & Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry (A.A.S.R)Archbishop MacDonald High SchoolJ. H. PicardRural Route Actors Troop
Here’s where we roll out the welcome mat to all our new and renewed members for the period of October 1 – December 31, 2008. Don’t see your name here? That’s probably because you joined the organization in one of the other nine months, or you bought a two-year membership and aren’t due for renewal until next year. Just keep your eyes peeled and you’ll
surely see your name in an upcoming issue!
Kelly FrewinTravis FriesenLesley GalbeckaScott GarlandFrank/Mary GlenfieldJenna GoldadeCharles GouletMary GrahamHannah GushueBecky HallidayCarrie HamiltonCrystal HansonSarah HarveyAlex HawkinsJoan HawkinsSheila HumphreyKendra HutchinsonChantel HutchisonJulie IshidaBelinda JacksonRon JenkinsMark JenkinsNatasha JoachimHugh KemenyMichelle KennedyAlissa KeoghSherry KoehlerAaron KrogmanKelsey KrogmanDale Lee KwongDeborah LawtonTanis LefroyBob LegareDavid LeyWendy LillNorton MahGreg Martin
Clem MartiniKim McCawRyan McKinleyCatherine MedynskiAlyx MeloneDylan MetcalfeCody MichieNicole MoellerHannah MoscovitchBrendan MurphyAlison NelnerCharles NettoBlaine NewtonSandra NichollsRyan NovakAstrid O’FarrellPrudence OlenikMieko OuchiSpenser PasmanCarmen PatersonRachel PeacockMichael PengGordon PengillyValerie PlancheMarilyn PottsIan PrinslooStarr ProwseBob RaskoDana RaymentBrenda ReminKevin RitchieTammy RobertsJacqueline RussellAlix Ryan-WongMatt SchafferPamela SchmunkScott Schreiner
NEW MEMBERS
Julie SergerCameron ShankJennifer ShawMargaret ShoneLindsey SineMariette SluyterMyla SouthwardDiana-Marie StolzGeorge StoneAllan StoskiBrenda Sutherland Theo ThirskRussell ThomasJudith ThompsonMichelle ThorneThomas UsherMark VetschErika WalterStarlise WaschukKathryn WatersNatasha WeenkRebecca WohlgemuthLaryssa YanchakAdrian YoungNicole Zylstra
GroupsArchbishop MacDonald High SchoolBaying BuffoonsCalgary OperaCalmar Drama ClubChurchmice PlayersCoalhurst High School
Concordia CollegeDewdney Players Group TheatreEmpress Theatre SocietyFire Exit TheatreForemost Theatrical SocietyFriends of the Majestic TheatreFut in the Hat Theatre GuildHatterland Children’s TheatreInnisfail Town TheatreJohn Maland High SchoolKaleidoscope Theatre of Drumheller SocietyKing’s PlayersL’UniThéâtreLac Cardinal Regional
Performing Arts SocietyLeduc Drama SocietyMedicine Hat Firehall TheatrePlayhouse North School of TheatrePrime Stock Theatre CompanyRed Willow PlayersSenator Patrick Burns Jr HighSherard Musical Theatre AssociationStoryBook Theatre SocietyThe Banff CentreThe Old Trout Puppet WorkshopThe Rogue PlayersTwo Hills High SchoolUniversity of Calgary
RENEWING MEMBERS
A warm and sincere thank-you to the following for their generous contributions to Theatre Alberta: Gwyn Auger, Elizabeth Harrison,
and Val Lieske.
theatre alberta news 9. theatre alberta news 9.
www.drama.ualberta.ca
Undergraduate Programs Application DeadlinesBA Drama & Drama Honors: May 1BFA Technical Theatre Production or Stage Management: April 1BFA Theatre Design: April 1BFA Acting: Applications due January 11. Auditions in February.
Graduate Programs Application DeadlinesMA Drama: January 6MFA Directing: February 1MFA Theatre Design: February 1MFA Theatre Voice Pedagogy: February 1 (on even years, next intake 2010)
10. spring 2009
I WANT to be unsafe—when I was growing up I felt most alive when I ALMOST fell and the whole body kind of lit up. It is only when we are in danger that we create—because creation must come from NEED. I think that is what writer’s block is—it’s not that there is nothing to say, but no need to say it. And danger creates need; when we are drowning, we sink or we swim. And I think we need to re-create that urgent situation in order to create.
...We have ALL had moments—let’s not
kid ourselves—where we have wondered if it is all worth it. For example, when not only the critics hate your play, but most of the audience, even people who usually love your work.
That happened for me with Sled. After Lion in the Streets, [it was] my first play in seven years. Seven years and it was a disaster. EVEYRONE hated it. Even I hated it. I came very, very close to giving up. But then I wanted to prove that I could do it, I could write something simple, pure, and true. But the reason Sled was somewhat of a disaster
ne of my heroes is Bernadette Devlin, the Irish revolutionary, who was an MP at 21, who always stood up and fought for what she believed in, who was shot along with her husband for telling the truth about the oppression of her people, and survived.
To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else. — Bernadette Devlin
Well, we hope we don’t lose everything else, but when we decide to dedicate our lives to the theatre, there is that risk. There is a risk, because I think in order to create we have to be willing to go into a danger zone. And that means giving up what keeps us safe. And living and working by rules that have been passed down is a good way to stay safe. So as I approach the writing of a play, I want to look with a fresh eye at the rules I have been abiding by and working by, burn as many as I can but respect the rules that are fundamental to our art and our lives. ...
was because I BROKE MY OWN RULE.I betrayed my initial impulse, which was
to write a seven-hour, two or three part-er. I squished it into two hours and forty-five minutes. I got rid of the scenes in Italian and Norse, when the idea of Babel is what had inspired the play. It became misshapen, diminished and bloated at the same time. After the catastrophic opening, I wept with anger at myself, with self-pity.
...Winston Churchill famously defined
success as the ability to bound enthusiastically from one failure to the next, until we stumble on success. Of course if this goes on too long, we do need to find another passion. A requited love. Those terrible freak show Canadian and American idols show us that self confidence and passion with no talent is a dreadful combination. But we do have to allow ourselves stumbles, we do have to take risks and chances, and now, I am not ashamed of Sled.
...That experience taught me my primary
rule: never break faith with the initial
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JUDITH THOMPSON DELIVERS HER KEYNOTE AT PLAYWORKS INK IN THE MARTHA COHEN THEATRE, CALGARY.
Excerpts from Judith Thompson’s
keynote address at PlayWorks Ink,
October 25, 2008, in the Martha
Cohen Theatre, Calgary.
JUDITH THOMPSON KEYNOTE
BY JUDITH THOMPSON. BURNING THE RULES
10. spring 2009
O
theatre alberta news 11. theatre alberta news 11.
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JUDITH THOMPSON KEYNOTE
impulse. It taught me that if I didn’t give up after that, I will never give up. It helped me re-establish my own rules, and vow to myself never to break them again.
The very ACT of theatre is an outrageous violation of the rules of polite society, of modesty and normalcy. Who the hell do we think we are to put our bodies, our voices, our ideas OUT THERE. Of course we are LACERATED for that arrogance. THAT in itself is breaking an essential rule of polite society: ladies and gentlemen do NOT seek CENTRE STAGE.
How DARE we try to join the catalogue of great dramatists? Actors? Directors? Designers? How DARE we take people’s TIME and their MONEY and their attention with OUR ideas, thoughts, dreams and emotions. Who the HELL CARES WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY?
We are breaking the RULE of modesty. A very Canadian rule. Better to crawl back into every day life, where it’s safe. Where no one will judge us. Much easier to go back under anesthetic. ...Freud called this the death wish, wanting to go back to the safety of the rules. Wanting to crawl in from the wind.
I believe that every time we BREAK or BURN a RULE we are brought to life with a big bang, partly because we have a renewed sense of purpose, of our purpose on earth. And partly because we are TRANSGRESSING. Which makes the
adrenalin run, and the heart beat fast, as if we are committing armed robbery.
WE are exposing the Great Oz. Pulling the curtain. And he doesn’t like that. We are making the invisible visible. We are making the silent HEARD. We are holding a mirror that UNDISTORTS what has been distorted. By breaking this rule ... we are RISKING EVERYTHING. ...
Theatre is not there to perpetuate the status quo.
It is there to subvert, to turn upside-down and to always question. And always, always, to engage. To grapple with unanswerable, difficult questions that the mind has to bend to deal with. And THEN to ask our actors, our blessed actors, to grapple with those questions, and to bring their heart and soul to them, and THEN our blessed audience to grapple with those questions. Our audience, our ideal audience, comes to the theatre in order to GRAPPLE with those questions. They want to grapple with those questions.
So here I have romanticized and glorified rule breakers; I have equated art with burning the odious rules. But the truth is: even in a profession which is all about BURNING THE RULES—the rules of thought, the rules of the social order, the rules of race, class,
hierarchy, religion, polite society—there are rules. We are very cognizant of that; that’s why we go to drama programs and then theatre schools. We know there are about a million rules, and we have to learn them all to be self respecting theatre practitioners.
I teach my playwrighting and acting students rules. And I enjoy it because then I remind myself of what the really fundamental rules ARE, because I have learned through experience that if I disregard certain rules, I am in for trouble:
1. STAY TRUE TO YOUR INITIAL IMPULSE ABOUT A PIECE. FOR EXAMPLE IF YOU ENVISIONED A TWO-PART SIX-HOUR PLAY, STAY WITH THAT...
2. ENGAGE ENGAGE ENGAGE.
3. DON’T OVER THINK, JUST WRITE.
4. NEVER EVER WRITE YOURSELF IN A PLAY.
5. NEVER HAVE A NARRATOR.
6. SATIRE CLOSES ON A SATURDAY NIGHT.
7. EVERY TRAGEDY NEEDS A DEATH OF SOME KIND, EVEN IF IT IS NOT A PHYSICAL DEATH.
8. USE WHAT THE THEATRE HAS TO OFFER.
9. DON’T TRY TO COMPETE WITH FILM.
10. BRING ALL YOUR INTELLIGENCE TO BEAR.
11. BRING ALL THE EMOTIONAL JUICE YOU HAVE.
12. TRUST YOURSELF OVER YOUR DRAMATURGE.
13. NEVER NEVER COMPROMISE GUT FEELINGS.
14. THE OPENING SHOULD HAVE A WOW FACTOR.
15. THE CLOSING SHOULD NEVER HAVE FULL CLOSURE, BUT. . . SHOULD LEAVE THINGS AMBIGUOUS.
16. ALWAYS TRY TO GRAPPLE WITH THE UNEXPLAINABLE.
BURNING THE RULES
theatre alberta news 11.
— continues on pg.12
JUDITH THOMPSON LEADS A PLAYWRIGHTING MASTERCLASS AT PLAYWORKS INK.
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17. NEVER STATE THE OBVIOUS.
18. DELETE ALL CLICHÉS—GO AHEAD AND WRITE THEM, BUT YOU NEED TO CROSS ‘EM ALL OUT.
19. IF A SCENE IS GOING IN A PREDICTABLE DIRECTION, TURN IT AROUND AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. DEFY EXPECTATION.
20. THERE MUST BE EROS ON THE STAGE IN SOME FORM.
21. THERE MUST BE WAR ON THE STAGE IN SOME FORM.
22. NO PLAY SHOULD BE LONGER THAN TWO-AND-A-HALF HOURS.
23. DON’T WRITE MORE THAN SIX CHARACTERS; IT WILL NEVER BE DONE.
24. NEVER HAVE CHARACTERS IN LOVE SAY “I LOVE YOU”.
25. USE SILENCE—IT IS POWERFUL.
26. DON’T TALK ABOUT MOVIES OR MOVIE STARS IN PLAYS.
27. USE COLLOQUIALISM AND IDIOM, BUT NOT TOO MUCH, OR YOUR PLAY WILL FEEL OUT-DATED.
28. EVERY PRODUCTION SHOULD HAVE AT LEAST ONE BEAUTIFUL ACTOR OR ACTRESS IN IT.
29. USE ALL THE ACTORS’ GREATEST STRENGTHS, I.E. IF SOMEONE SINGS, LET ‘EM SING, IF SOMEONE DOES GYMNASTICS, THERE YA GO… OR SPEAKS HEBREW, OR GAELIC…
30. NEVER TAKE DIALOGUE SUGGESTIONS. STRUCTURE, YES, LISTEN TO THOSE, BUT NEVER DO IT IMMEDIATELY. WAIT.
31. NEVER, NEVER READ REVIEWS, WHETHER THEY ARE GOOD OR BAD. THE GOOD ONES GIVE YOU A SWELLED HEAD, AND THE BAD ONES DEPRESS YOU OR WORSE. ONLY THE BOX OFFICE NEEDS TO READ THEM. IF YOU DO READ THEM, AND THEY ARE BAD, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER TELL THE ACTORS ABOUT THE REVIEW.
32. ALWAYS WRITE MONOLOGUES INTO THE PLAY. ...THE CHARACTERS CAN SAY WHAT THEY REALLY THINK.
33. BE POLITICAL. ALL GOOD PLAYS NOW MUST DEAL WITH POLITICAL ISSUES.
34. THE MOST SERIOUS FUNDAMENTAL RULE OF THE THEATRE THAT I HAVE BROKEN BADLY, AND CONSISTENTLY, IS MY OWN, A RULE THAT I DECLARE TO ALL MY STUDENTS, TO STUDENTS WHO HAVE NEVER WRITTEN A PLAY BEFORE I SAY WRITE WHAT YOU KNOW. TURN YOURSELF INSIDE OUT. I WANT TO HEAR YOUR CONVERSATIONS I WANT TO KNOW THE EXCITING WORLD THAT IS INSIDE THE TIM HORTONS IN EMSDALE, ONTARIO. I WANT TO KNOW THE THRILLING WORLD INSIDE YOUR HEAD.
With each play, I broke some fundamental rule, or barrier, or taboo. ... With my latest, Palace of the End, and Nail Biter, which is about Omar Khadr’s nightmare, I am breaking a real taboo—
writing real people. I don’t know that I want to create characters anymore, or situations. It almost seems a pastime for acting classes or workshops, exploration. I feel that the only honest way to write is to write reality. REAL PEOPLE. But not documentary, either. Real people, channeled through me. Lyricized. It is still fiction, though, because after all, fiction writers are mostly lying when they say they have made everything up; most of it comes from their own lives.
I am fifty four. When I turned fifty, I resolved to embrace every writing adventure I was offered, to say ‘Yes’ to unusual ideas, to break some of the very rules I created. There is a quote attributed to me: “good lines are a dime a dozen. Throw out your favourite lines.” But REALLY good lines are a rare treasure forever, eg.:
‘Never never never never never!’
Within that one line, as Lear carries Cordelia, is a universe; it is a world, a
poem, a song, and it re-defines grief. It is unforgettable. It is why I write. Why I will never never throw out a GREAT line for the sake of an adequate structure.
Every generation of theatre artists learns the rules discovered by the generation before. We go to theatre school or programs and learn them as well as we can, and then, as we carve our own places in the world of our art, we discover which rules can be released into history, and which we must always keep.
We create new rules, a new foundation for the next generation, who are growing around us, so fiercely intelligent, and passionate, and resourceful. It is my greatest pleasure to work with these new voices, the voices of the next revolution.
Judith Thompson was the keynote speaker at Playworks Ink 2008. Her play, Palace of the End, is being produced in both Edmonton and Calgary this year.
— continued from pg.11
NADINE CHU IN PALACE OF THE END BY JUDITH THOMPSON, DIRECTED BY MARIANNE COPITHORNE. THEATRE NETWORK.
BURNING THE RULES CONTINUED
I believe that every time we BREAK or BURN a RULE we are brought to life with a big bang, partly because we have a renewed sense of purpose, of our purpose on earth.
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12. spring 2009
NADINE CHU IN PALACE OF THE END BY JUDITH THOMPSON, DIRECTED BY MARIANNE COPITHORNE. THEATRE NETWORK.
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Our program embraces both traditional and innovative hands-on instruction by faculty and staff who are energetic, enthusiastic and dedicated to the highest standards of excellence. You’ll study in theArts Centre, one of the finest performing arts facilities in Canada with full access to costumes, props, weaponry, special effects, and lighting and sound equipment.
Our tremendous resources provide you an ideal combination ofintense, industry related experience with the small class sizes and personal attention that make RDC a great place. Performing Arts at RDC - connecting students with opportunity and education to follow their passion!
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theatre alberta news 13.
14. spring 2009
BY IAN PRINSLOO.CALGARY, TA MEMBER
I
comes from a German word \ Holzwege \ that refers to dead end trails you come across in the forest. You follow these trails for the pleasure of discovery rather than in an attempt to get somewhere.
[noun, plural]woodpaths
n January 2007, the Calgary Committee to End Homelessness was formed in response to the growing housing crisis within the city. This committee, comprised largely of high placed business executives, spent a year reviewing the issue of homelessness in the city of Calgary and in January of 2008 presented their 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness.
At the same time that this ten-year plan was being introduced, the City of Calgary Arts and Culture department unveiled a very different initiative: This is My City. The intent of this program is to connect artists with the homeless community in Calgary in order to give the homeless a direct voice in telling their story. According to the City, the project was designed to “provide artistic tools and mentorship to enable homeless artmakers to find their creative voices and … encourage homeless citizens to use their art-making as a conduit for public advocacy and dialogue.” Over the course of the next twelve months, This is My City will bring together artists and people in the homeless community as an alternative way of meeting the challenge that we face in Calgary. The project does not see itself as the way in which homelessness will be ended but rather “the project intends to enable homeless citizens to speak on their own behalf through the power of creative self-expression.”
I am excited to see the City of Calgary show this type of leadership when faced with
the complex question of homelessness. I know that the people who crafted the Plan to End Homelessness care deeply about the issue and that they have given of their own time to address the situation in the best way they know. But I also remember a quote by Albert Einstein: “Problems cannot be solved at the same level as which they were created.” The instrumental and economic thinking that dominates the debate around the question of homelessness leaves out what is personal and human. If we are to reach the new level of thinking needed to meet the challenge of homelessness, then it is vital for the arts to be involved in the discussion. Creative investigation has the ability to give voice to the personal, the particular and the human within any situation.
One of the projects from This is My City that embarked on an exploration of the personal and particular was The Invisible Project. Presented in conjunction with One Yellow Rabbit and the High Performance Rodeo, The Invisible Project was a journey into the images, lives and world of the clients of the Mustard Seed and Calgary’s Drop In Centre, two of the largest homeless shelters in the city. The project started with mask making workshops, led by formerly-homeless maskmaker Douglas Witt, that brought together artists and members of the homeless community. During these times of shared creation a group of theatre artists led by Calgary director David van Belle began asking questions and listening to stories. Later these artists spent a month in rehearsal at the Drop In Centre, helping to serve meals, working in the clothing distribution centre and drawing in the surroundings. From these experiences evolved a show that presented stories and moments from the lives encountered. And because place is important, the work was then presented in the Atrium of the Municipal Building (City Hall) in Calgary. The Municipal Building is a building that divides the East Village of Calgary – where most of
the homeless population in Calgary is located – from the more affluent downtown. As one of the actors remarks in the show, “this show takes place in a borderland.” The night I saw the performance the audience experiencing this borderland was a mix of theatre people, average citizens and members of the homeless community. The Invisible Project allowed us all to share conversations we never get to have and make visible what most of us try to not see.
In making the creation of art a central part of creating understanding, the City is trying to find a way to open up the space for new dialogues and connections to be formed. It is making the creation of beginnings more important that trying to find an ending. It is asking the arts to reclaim their larger role in community by giving voice to the immediate nature of our city.
We, as artists, need to pick up this challenge. We need to move out to new communities, work to give voice to alternate ideas, and find the spaces where those ideas need to be shared, so that we, as artists, engage in the active creation of our cities. There is a lot of talk about the place of arts in our province. This type of initiative puts arts exactly where it should be – directly in the centre of community.
For more information on This is My City, please visit www.calgary.ca/arts.
Ian Prinsloo is a theatre artist with 20 years experience working across Canada. Currently he is completing his MFA, exploring how the alternative learning processes used in theatre can be applied in other fields.
We need to move out to new communities, work
to give voice to alternate ideas, and find the spaces where those ideas
need to be shared, so that we, as artists, engage in the active
creation of our cities.
endings or beginnings?
reshape the material to communicate across
cultures. Productions aim to communicate
on a primal, unspoken level and to engage
audiences not only through seeing theatre
but also through hearing it. This profound
experience evokes images deep in the listener
that would be difficult to create even with the
most modern theatre technology.
Teatr ZAR is the resident company at the Jerzy
Grotowksi Institute, which they administer in
addition to pursuing their own creative work.
For more information visit www.grotowski-institute.art.pl. Click on the link on the upper
right hand corner of the homepage for the
English version of the website.
CURIOUS GROUNDTeatr ZAR was founded by a multinational
group of actors who met in workshops at the
Jerzy Grotowski Institute in Wroclaw, Poland.
Between 1999 and 2003 the group went on
several ethno-musical expeditions to Georgia,
Bulgaria, and Greece, during which they
collected traditional songs from the Caucasus
theatre alberta news 15. theatre alberta news 15.
WORLD THEATRE DAY—MARCH 27, 2006
Celebrate and Promote World Theatre Day! Created in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute, World Theatre Day activities are intended to foster international creative exchange and stimulate cooperation between theatre professionals, artists and the public. The day’s celebrations unite people across countries, foster peace and friendship, and affect change in the world. If you have a theatre activity planned for your community in March or April, submit your activity listing to [email protected] to take part in the national promotion of World Theatre Day.
ALBERTA ARTS DAY BECOMES A LONG WEEKEND
Mark September 18-20, 2009 in your calendars–Alberta Arts Day is now a three-day celebration of the arts!
Alberta Arts Days is designed to raise awareness of the value of arts in our society and provide Albertans with additional opportunities to experience and participate in Alberta’s culture. The hope is that Albertans will be inspired to integrate the arts into their everyday lives in their own personal way. Host an arts day event in your own community! For tips and tricks on successful planning, visit www.culture.alberta.ca/artsdays.
THE BUZZ news and notes VANESSA PORTEOUS TO TAKE THE REINS AT ALBERTA THEATRE PROJECTS
Alberta Theatre Projects (ATP) has hired former Festival Dramaturg Vanessa Porteous as the fourth artistic director to head the 36-year old company. She will be replacing outgoing artistic director Bob White, who will be leaving the post at the end of the 2008-2009 season. Porteous is well-known to the Alberta theatre community, having distinguished herself as an accomplished director of projects at ATP and many other theatres in the province. She will be directing the Old Trout Puppet Workshop’s new production, Don Juan, the Greatest Lover in the World, as part of ATP’s current season.
STRATFORD FESTIVAL HEALTH AND SAFETY MANAGER LAUNCHES CONSULTING COMPANY
After 24 seasons, Health and Safety Manager Janet Sellery has left the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. Originally entering the theatre profession as a stage manager, Jan has since become a national resource for the performing arts industry, speaking with and training artists and theatre professionals across the country. With the recent launch of her own consulting company, Sellery Health and Safety Consulting, her commitment to health and safety continues
and exciting new opportunities are before her.
BE A PAL
Many performing arts professionals over the age of 55 require assistance in housing and support from the community in which they spent their working years. Performing Arts Lodge (PAL) chapters intend to provide affordable housing that includes supportive and creative options—as well as the possibility of theatre, gallery and studio spaces—for seniors, disabled and low-income workers. New chapters have been set up to serve Calgary and Edmonton’s professional arts communities.
PAL Calgary and PAL Edmonton will be seeking funding from all levels of government, as well as from corporate and private sectors. They need to show funding bodies there is strong support from the same community that will benefit from the establishment of a Performing Arts Lodge. Each PAL chapter in Alberta welcomes membership from all its active and past professional arts workers, anyone associated with the entertainment industry, and all those who wish to support PAL through their generosity. Be a PAL member—visit www.palcalgary.ca/members or contact PAL Edmonton Society, 11412–44A Avenue, Edmonton, AB, T6J 0Z9.
region, the core of which are some of the
oldest polyphonic (multi-voiced) songs in the
world, dating back to 2000 B.C.E.
The company emulates Jerzy Grotowski’s
ethos of ensemble work, focusing on the
long-term development of actors’ skills and
discovering new forms of expression by acting
through song. Their research and training is
based on two principles: harnessing and using
the actors’ singing energy as a power source
in performance, and using the connection
of breath and voice to create actions based
on physical contact between singers. While
their expeditions provide ethno-musicological
research, they attempt to recompose and
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