theatre
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The journey is the destination: Sir John A: Acts of a Gentrified...
October 5, 2017 - Over the past couple of months, the name Sir John A Macdonald and the question of whether he should be revered or vilified have been widely discussed in the media, sparking numerous debates across the country in regards to one of Canada’s most important historical…
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Director Corey Payette speaks about creating Children of God
June 16, 2017 - Shocked by the way Canada sweeps aspects of its history under the rug, creator Corey Payette wrote Children of God as a way of starting the conversation; acknowledging the hurt done, and acknowledging the strength of the survivors and their descendants. In Payette’s own…
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Kevin Loring announced as the first Artistic Director for Indigenous Theatre
June 15, 2017 - The National Arts Centre’s President and CEO, Peter Herrndorf announced today that Kevin Loring will be the first ever Artistic Director of Indigenous Theatre at the NAC, taking up his post on October 16, 2017. The first season of the Indigenous Theatre Department…
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An Electrifying Collaboration: Bringing the Donnellys to Life
April 12, 2017 - When donors to the National Arts Centre Foundation took their seats in le Salon on March 30 to listen to a pre-chat before attending a performance of Vigilante, they had no idea that they would learn that they were crucial to the play’s development. During an informal…
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The Story behind the Story: Robert Chafe’s Chance Encounter
February 13, 2017 - Attending pre-performance chats and donor previews are one of the many benefits donors receive when they support performance, creation and learning across Canada through the National Arts Centre Foundation. On January 26, National Arts Centre Foundation supporters…
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A Christmas Carol: A place where memory and imagination intersect
December 9, 2016 - A Christmas Carol is one of the most produced shows in Canada. Last year alone, there were 36 productions across the country. And this December, it will be here in the NAC Theatre. Long before rehearsals begin, Jillian Keiley, Artistic Director of NAC English Theatre…
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The Finalists for the 2016 Siminovitch Prize
October 28, 2016 - “These are bold visionaries who are shaping the future of theatre now in creating experiences that are challenging, transformative and magical.” This is how Jury Chair Bob White describes the finalists for the 2016 Siminovitch Prize; Jonathan Christenson, Ravi Jain,…
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The Summit 2016: Deaf and disability arts
October 14, 2016 - For two and a half days, 13 Artist/Leaders and 12 institutional Respondents gathered at the Stratford Festival to steep themselves in discussions of theatrical work by and about artists from the Deaf and disability arts community, and to grapple with questions of…
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NAC Unveils $25 Million Fundraising Campaign & $5 Million Gift by Gail Asper
September 28, 2016 - The National Arts Centre (NAC) today launched a transformative $25 million fundraising campaign to support the creation of new works of Music, Theatre and Dance in collaboration with artists and arts organizations across the country. The campaign is the first-ever in the…
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A gathering of Artist Leaders in Deaf and disability arts and inclusion
September 1, 2016 - For two and a half days, 13 Artist/Leaders and 12 institutional Respondents gathered at the Stratford Festival to immerse themselves in conversations led by artists from the Deaf and disability arts community, about theatrical performance. "We're building what we hope…
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Janice and Earle O’Born donate $1.5 Million to the National Arts Centre
May 18, 2016 - Inspired by the National Arts Centre’s focus on investing in Canadian creators, Janice and Earle O’Born of Toronto have made an extraordinary gift of $1.5 million in support of the NAC’s future direction. Janice O’Born, who is a Director of the NAC Foundation, said…
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Belles Soeurs’ journey from iconic French play to English musical delight
May 13, 2016 - Attending pre-performance chats and donor previews are one of the many benefits donors receive when they support performance, creation and learning across Canada through the National Arts Centre Foundation. On Wednesday April 27, National Arts Centre Foundation…
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Moh Faris and Family Donate $1 Million to National Arts Centre in...
April 25, 2016 - The National Arts Centre Foundation is honoured to announce a generous gift of $1 million from Mohammed (Moh) Faris and his family in honour of the late Yulanda Faris. Wife of Moh and mother of three daughters, Yulanda – who died at the age of 77 on April 23, 2015 – was…
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Gail and David O’Brien donate $1.5 million to the NAC
April 1, 2016 - On March 24, 2016 the National Arts Centre unveiled its Strategic Plan for 2015–2020. Entitled “Canada is our Stage”, the new plan reinforces the NAC’s commitment to champion performance, creation and learning across Canada. The Strategic Plan emphasizes the National…
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The 2014-2015 Stewardship Report: The Impact of Your Giving
March 29, 2016 - Your support for the National Arts Centre made quite an impact in 2014-2015. Your generosity was felt on Canada’s stage, in classrooms across the country, and in the grateful and uplifted hearts of artists, audience members and students. Here are just some of the ways…
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BOOM: the cultural heartbeat of a generation
March 1, 2016 - BOOM chronologically documents a historical period stretching from that first ‘boom’ of the Atomic Bomb in 1945 all the way to the Apollo 11 landing the first human beings on the Moon in 1969. These two iconic moments span 25 of the most tumultuous years in modern…
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Setting up the Play: Donor Pre-Chats
February 3, 2016 - One of the many benefits of supporting performance, creation and learning across Canada through the National Arts Centre Foundation is having the opportunity to attend donor pre-chats to listen to the artists discuss their craft first-hand. On Thursday, January 21, 2016,…
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Shakespeare - the Old Trout way
January 29, 2016 - "We struggle against terrible obstacles to create things we think might help make the cruel world slightly more hospitable to the yearning and fragile souls that inhabit it." This is the mission statement of The Old Trout Puppet Workshop and their creative vision has…
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Twelfth Night : a comedy full of surprises
January 26, 2016 - Audiences and actors experience Shakespeare's Twelfth Night in a completely unique way. Together with Calgary's Old Trout Puppet Workshop, Jillian Keiley's production is full of surprises. The story's madcap scramble of misdirected desire is reinforced by the delightful…
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NAC Party Makes the List of Canada’s Hottest!
January 14, 2016 - The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Gala has been named by The Globe and Mail as one of the Top 10 Canadian parties of 2016! Canada’s highest honour in the performing arts, the Awards recognize our country’s top artists and arts volunteers for their…
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Anne & Gilbert: The Musical gives the gift of maritime spirit for...
December 18, 2015 - Featuring over twenty artists on stage, Anne & Gilbert: The Musical brings together members of the 2015/16 NAC Ensemble with artists who have previously been featured in the Prince Edward Island production, including Ellen Denny and Alex Furber. Vibrant fiddle music is…
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An important stage for Canadian artists like Emilie-Claire Barlow
December 2, 2015 - Emilie-Claire Barlow, a Juno Award and National Jazz Award winning vocalist from Toronto, calls it a dream come true. On December 18th, Emilie-Claire and the NAC Orchestra will perform together in Southam Hall as part of the NAC Orchestra and NAC Presents 2015-16…
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The December Man: The private shadow of public violence
November 20, 2015 - On December 6, 1989, a young man by the name of Marc Lépine entered a college classroom at the École Polytechnique in Montreal carrying a gun. Stepping into a classroom, he separated the male and female students, claiming that he was "fighting feminism.” Overall, he…
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Lucinda Davis speaks about The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search...
October 23, 2015 - NAC English Theatre opens its 2015/16 season with Djanet Sears’ The Adventures of a Black Girl in Search of God, arriving after a triumphant four-week run in Montreal at the Centaur Theatre. Created by Governor General's Literary Award-winning playwright Djanet Sears,…
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Welcoming a new maestro to the podium: Alexander Shelley begins his tenure
October 13, 2015 - It’s like visiting an old friend. That’s how Alexander Shelley, the NAC Orchestra’s new Music Director, describes the joy we feel when we listen to live classical music. “There’s nothing that compares with revisiting pieces you know and love, and the enjoyment of…
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Moments on stage: A mother’s story
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Ontario Scene Highlights
July 27, 2015 - Festival season is in full swing and Canadians everywhere are gathering to enjoy cultural activities outdoors. From Vancouver to P.E.I Shakespeare is performed in parks and on beaches, music of all kinds drifts through the warm night air and during the day families…
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BETROFFENHEIT
July 16, 2015 - A creative collaboration by two of Canada’s most adventurous artists NAC Dance continues to invest in the creation and development of new work, and to date we have supported dozens of co-productions that have gone on to tour worldwide, carrying our name alongside. The…
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Realizing a fuller Canadian story through Indigenous Theatre Works and Performance Practice
July 6, 2015 - Since the fall of 2012, NAC English Theatre has been working with Indigenous artists and leaders towards the realization of The Study. Together students and professionals alike explored aspects of the Indigenous body of performance work created across this vast…
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Alice’s Looking-Glass Adventures Continues Across Canada
June 25, 2015 - Director Jillian Keiley with actors playing Alice across Canada: Gwendolyn Collins (Winnipeg’s Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre), Ellie Heath (Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre), Trish Lindström (the Stratford Festival) and, seated, Natasha Greenblatt (NAC and Charlottetown's…
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Red carpet highlights from the 2015 Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards
June 3, 2015 - The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards for Lifetime Artistic Achievement are Canada’s highest honour for the performing arts. This year's recipients are singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan, filmmakers Atom Egoyan and Jean-Marc Vallée, actor-directors Diana Leblanc…
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The Summit: A vital conversation on Indigenous theatre
May 7, 2015 - In the spring of 2014, NAC English Theatre, the Indigenous Performing Arts Alliance (IPAA), the Luminato Festival and the Banff Centre collaborated on an initiative called The Summit. We brought together leading Indigenous artists from across the country for a vital…
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Behind the scenes with English Theatre
April 30, 2015 - Attending pre-rehearsal chats and open rehearsals are one of the many benefits donors receive when they support performance, creation and learning across Canada through the National Arts Centre Foundation. On Thursday, March 26, members of the Donors’ Circle were…
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Experience Ontario’s best artists at the Scene
April 27, 2015 - At the National Arts Centre, we like to say that “Canada is our stage,” a statement that underlines our commitment to work with artists and arts organizations across the country to build a national stage for the performing arts. The Scene festivals are a perfect…
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Brigitte Haentjens crosses swords with Shakespeare
April 16, 2015 - By Raymond Bertin (Text first published in the Théâtre français' Cahier SIX) First in March at the TNM, then in April at the NAC, Sébastien Ricard incarnates the tyrant king Richard III, supported by a cast of top-notch actors. Under the Sibyllines banner, Brigitte…
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La figure de Richard III
April 14, 2015 - - This text is only available in French - Par CATHERINE GIRARDIN Texte paru dans le Cahier SIX du Théâtre français Excroissance maligne Sans doute notre époque s’intéresse-t-elle au théâtre élisabéthain parce qu’il met en avant la personne, l’individu, des…
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From the truck to the stage
April 10, 2015 - The National Ballet of Canada's production of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland is a dazzling over-the-top extravaganza that truly delights audiences. The sets, costumes and equipment required for this magnificent ballet fill nine tractor trailers and it takes an expert…
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Governor General Performing Arts Awards: Shining the spotlight on this year’s laureates
April 9, 2015 - Montreal—Winners of the Governor General Performing Arts Awards were announced at a news conference at the PHI Centre in Montreal. The 2015 laureates for the highest honour in the performing arts in Canada are: Walter Boudreau, C.M. Composer, conductor and artistic…
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Robert Lepage speaks about ‘Needles and Opium’
April 9, 2015 - Theatrical wizard Robert Lepage’s Needles and Opium arrives at the National Arts Centre through a unique collaboration between the NAC English Theatre, Théâtre français and Canada’s Magnetic North Theatre Festival. Originally created in 1991 when Lepage was Artistic…
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Take Me Back to Jefferson
April 2, 2015 - The National Arts Centre is proud to present some of Canada’s most creative artists and arts organizations on its stages, and Theatre Smith-Gilmour is no exception. The highly acclaimed Toronto company has a 35-year history of producing highly engaging, award-winning…
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“Art should force us into the streets!” – André Breton
April 1, 2015 - We don’t say it often enough: The NAC French Theatre is an amazing space of artistic freedom. In an age where conformity and compliance are seen as desirable (which admittedly makes things easier from an accounting point of view), it is precious to have access to a few…
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It Takes Two
April 1, 2015 - Gerda and Kay. Téqui and Téoù. Brévalaire and Lénaïque. Brice and Katia. A demiurge surrounded by his colourful creatures. Adolescents hanging out with none other than Antigone. And so on … On the French Theatre stage this season, the Other is never far away. We sense…
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Richard III: Colossal venture by Brigitte Haentjens a huge success
March 17, 2015 - After nearly three years of hard work, Shakespeare’s Richard III was at last on the stage of the Théâtre du Nouveau Monde in Montreal, and will soon be presented at the NAC’s Théâtre français in April. In staging this monumental piece, director Brigitte Haentjens worked…
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Creative insights
March 13, 2015 - Attending pre-rehearsal chats and open rehearsals are one of the many benefits donors receive when they support performance, creation and learning across Canada through the National Arts Centre Foundation. Recently, on two separate occasions, composer Mark Neikrug and…
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Canada’s Magnetic North Theatre Festival: Bringing together Canadian artists one festival at...
March 10, 2015 - Canada’s Magnetic North Theatre Festival has the distinction of being Canada’s only national theatre festival. Co-presented by the National Art Centre’s English Theatre, Magnetic North travels to a new host community in Canada every second year from their base in Ottawa,…
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Stuff Happens: powerful political theatre
February 12, 2015 - In the play Stuff Happens playwright David Hare examines the events leading up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. For actor Stuart Hughes, Stuff Happens is a history play, and as such, goes far beyond mimicking the television personas of the play’s characters, who…
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Director David Ferry on Stuff Happens
February 5, 2015 - Award-winning actor and director David Ferry describes Stuff Happens by legendary British playwright Sir David Hare as a cautionary tale of Shakespearean proportions. "It's like Richard III, or Henry V,” he said. “It deals with huge issues of power, of access to…
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Following the tracks of Pierre-Guy B.
January 27, 2015 - Creators Philippe Soldevila, Christian Essiambre and Pierre Guy Blanchard talk about the creation of the bio-fiction show Le long voyage de Pierre-Guy B.
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The Summit: English Theatre explores the power of Indigenous stories
January 20, 2015 - Excerpt from Prelude Magazine Sarah Garton Stanley, Associate Artistic Director NAC English Theatre, admits she was nervous. She and Yvette Nolan, co-curators for The Summit, were about to bring together a distinguished group of 12 Indigenous leaders and artists from…
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The National Arts Centre’s top 10 moments of 2014
December 17, 2014 - The National Arts Centre enjoyed an extremely memorable year in 2014. Here are our top 10 moments from 2014: The 30th anniversary of Michel Tremblay’s Albertine, en cinq temps (Théâtre du Nouveau Monde and Théâtre Trident) directed by Lorraine Pintal, a play…
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A Tale of Childhood Discovery
December 16, 2014 - When Alice enters the surreal looking-glass world, she moves in a dreamlike game of chess where logical reasoning and adult thinking rarely deliver the outcome she expects. For the NAC’s English Theatre ensemble, a big part of rehearsals for Alice Through the…
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The inside scoop: Pre-chats, open rehearsals and previews
December 5, 2014 - Attending pre-rehearsal chats and open rehearsals are one of the many benefits donors receive when they support performance, creation and learning across Canada through the National Arts Centre Foundation. On November 6, Cathy Levy, Executive Producer of NAC Dance,…
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Come out to play! Becoming a child again with Alice
December 1, 2014 - Childhood normally fades slowly. Wisps of childhood persist when the boy or girl is a grown man or woman. Childhood returns sometimes by day, more often by night. But it was not so with Lewis Carroll. For some reason… childhood remained in him entire, he could do what no…
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Kiss & Cry - Talkback
November 28, 2014 - In November 2014, NAC French Theatre was delighted to present Kiss & Cry, an internationally acclaimed work from Belgian artists Jaco Van Dormael and Michèle Anne De Mey. A unique production that combines theatre, dance and live filming, Kiss & Cry is a love story told…
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The Collaborations: Canadian theatre on the world stage
November 27, 2014 - Helen Lawrence is a ground-breaking co-production with Canadian Stage, the Arts Club Theatre Company, The Banff Centre and Stan Douglas that intertwines 3D animation, live-filming and theatre. NAC English Theatre invested in the show through The Collaborations, an…
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Canadian artists, home for the holidays
November 21, 2014 - Canada’s National Arts Centre is home to our country’s greatest artists. But at this time of year, the NAC is “home for the holidays” to them too. Featuring English Theatre’s resident Ensemble of actors from across Canada, Alice Through The Looking Glass in association…
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A Craigslist Cantata: Digital ads that resonate onstage
November 18, 2014 - Craigslist is the modern day marketplace - the digital destination for buying and selling. And where there is commerce and trade you will find cultural exchange and the deveopment of social relationships. Looking for a new dining room set on Craigslist can easily…
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Small wonders: Creating the magical world of Kiss & Cry
November 17, 2014 - Performers Michèle Ann De Mey and Grégory Grosjean talk about the creation of Kiss & Cry, the marvelous show by Jaco Van Dormael and Michèle Ann De Mey.
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Kiss & Cry: Intimate Projections
November 17, 2014 -
Commentary on Kiss & Cry, a work by Jaco Van Dormael and Michèle Anne De Mey By Guylaine Massoutre
For Marion, who is sleeping The dream maker is ready A big ship is departing For unknown shores Sailor Marion Have a wonderful voyage Sailor Marion Sail through your… -
Do You Want What I Have Got? Craigslist-inspired musical makes the personal...
November 11, 2014 - Looking for a new apartment? New job? Something going on in your community? Stuffed penguins, decapitated dolls or love for sale? Well, look no further – the answer can be found on Craigslist, or more specifically, Do You Want What I Have Got? A Craigslist…
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Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest
October 29, 2014 - 2014-15 Ensemble members Alex McCooeye and Christopher Morris perform in a scene from the English Theatre production of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest and discuss the play and working with Director Ted Dykstra. The Importance of Being Earnest runs in the…
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Get Ready for a Wilde Time! Ted Dykstra Discusses Oscar Wilde and...
October 10, 2014 - With The Importance of Being Earnest soon to open the English Theatre’s 2014-15 Season, we sat down with director Ted Dykstra, whom English Theatre audiences will remember from the runaway hit, 2 Pianos 4 Hands. During a break in rehearsal we talked with Ted about Oscar…
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It’s Wilde Time! The 2014-15 English Theatre Ensemble begin work on The...
September 30, 2014 - Since her arrival in 2012, NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Jillian Keiley envisioned an Ensemble of artists that would represent and influence each chosen season. The 2014-15 Ensemble came together through a nation-wide search by her and Associate Artistic Director…
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The NAC: Bridging the two solitudes
August 19, 2014 - The National Arts Centre (NAC) is Canada’s only bilingual multidisciplinary performing arts centre. That’s right—the one and only! From the day it opened in 1969, the Centre’s mission has been to showcase the very best of the performing arts in Canada in both English and…
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Down the rabbit hole and through the looking-glass
August 7, 2014 - “No, no! The adventures first… explanations take such a dreadful time.” – The Gryphon in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland There’s something about young Alice that has been inspiring artists and creators since 1865 when Lewis Carroll first told her tales…
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The Summit: the power of Indigenous stories
July 7, 2014 - Listening to someone speak who knows something we do not is powerful medicine. Knowing how to listen well is hard especially when we are busy formulating clever responses to prove our worth or the acuity of our listening/learning. But what happens when we are asked to…
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“A huge, summital moment”: Annabel Soutar on collaborating with English Theatre
July 4, 2014 - In the spring of 2014 NAC English Theatre presented Annabel’s docudrama Seeds on the NAC’s national stage. Annabel is currently collaborating with English Theatre on her most recent work The Watershed, and spoke to us about the importance of the collaboration. Q: Your…
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Magnetic North in Halifax: Showcasing the best theatre from across Canada
June 17, 2014 - The Magnetic North Theatre Festival is Canada’s only national theatre festival. It brings Canadian stories to life on stage across the country, and promotes talented Canadian artists by showcasing some of the best touring theatre from across Canada. Co-presented by…
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Imagined Spaces: the NAC’s online maquette collection
June 16, 2014 - One of my most memorable experiences as NAC archivist happened soon after starting the job in 1989. On a visit to the NAC warehouse, I uncovered a collection of mysterious black boxes containing maquettes – three-dimensional scale models of sets. They were created by…
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The 2014-2015 French Theatre Season!
June 9, 2014 - Overview of the 2014-2015 French Theatre season. Don't miss it!
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Canada is our stage : The Tale of a Town
June 2, 2014 - Toronto theatre artist Lisa DiLiberto was driving across Canada on her way home from a tour when she became fascinated with main streets. Many had become less vibrant, many stores were gone, while on the outside of towns big-box stores were thriving. DiLiberto, who is…
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Plen-tea of thanks to our Planned Giving donors
May 29, 2014 - The National Arts Centre Foundation held its annual Emeritus Circle Tea on the afternoon of May 21 to thank those donors who have provided a gift for the future through a bequest in their will, a gift of life insurance, or other planned giving arrangements. Donors were…
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Red carpet highlights of the GG Performing Arts Awards
May 23, 2014 - The Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Gala is the culmination of a weekend-long celebration of some of Canada’s greatest artists and arts volunteers. Award recipients are honoured in the House of Commons, at Rideau Hall and at the Gala at the National Arts…
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A Kindred Artist Soul: Playwright Anita Majumdar on being mentored by John...
May 12, 2014 - The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Mentorship Program helps past recipients of the Awards inspire mid-career Canadian artists. The program serves as a creative catalyst and an investment in future Canadian artistic achievement. Each year, a past recipient is…
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The power of humanity: Jillian Keiley on the true story of Oil...
May 6, 2014 - On February 18, 1942, the USS Truxtun, along with the supply ship the USS Pollux, battered by a severe winter storm, were forced onto the rocks of the southeast coast of Newfoundland. Hundreds of men from both ships died. Among the survivors was an 18-year-old…
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Lorraine Pintal, Rita Lafontaine and Jorane talk about Albertine
May 2, 2014 - Director Lorraine Pintal, original cast member (1984) Rita Lafontaine and music conceptor Jorane were at the opening of Albertine, en cinq temps at the NAC Theatre on April 30, 2014.
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huff: Finding empathy, love and hope
May 2, 2014 - "We're in this together when we come and do this story. And you can feel that. It's palpable in the room." - Cliff Cardinal huff, a play by award-winning Aboriginal writer, actor and musician Cliff Cardinal, has moved audiences across Canada on its national tour, and…
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Albertine, en cinq temps returns, 30 years after its creation at the NAC
April 25, 2014 - Michel Tremblay’s classic play Albertine, en cinq temps was first created at the NAC in 1984. Thirty years later, the play returns to the NAC. In this Radio-Canada interview, journalist Jean-François Chévrier speaks to actresses Marie Tifo (2014 cast), Rita Lafontaine…
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True love, and a miniature horse: Coppélia at the NAC
April 23, 2014 - The National Arts Centre strives to be a catalyst for performance, creation and learning. Part of that last piece – learning – means we are passionate about helping build the audiences of the future by programming performances that the whole family can enjoy. That’s why…
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huff National Tour: A Creative Exploration of Hope
April 22, 2014 - huff, from award-winning Aboriginal writer, actor and musician Cliff Cardinal, is wrenching yet darkly comic, a journey into a First Nation heart of darkness in a land called Ontario. A charismatic storyteller who combines ancestral history with brutal honesty and biting…
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Ten youth occupy the stage with Ce qui nous relie ?
April 22, 2014 - Ten local youth will occupy the stage on April 25 and 26. Come see this unique and exceptional project by authors Anne-Marie Guilmaine and Mélanie Dumont at the Ottawa Arts Court.
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Beatrice & Virgil: A Collaboration with Factory Theatre
April 17, 2014 - When the 2014-15 English Theatre season was announced last month, Artistic Director Jillian Keiley and Associate Artistic Director Sarah Garton Stanley highlighted the growth of The Collaborations, a unique partnership with theatre companies and artists across Canada.…
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Participate in a Choir Project at the NAC
April 16, 2014 - INVITATION! Because theatre is community, the French Theatre is looking for local people who would be interested in participating in a Slam Choir for Le Promenoir, directed by Christian Lapointe. This is for a 15-minute performance. There will be 2 rehearsals per…
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How does the NAC’s Théâtre français support artistic creation?
April 14, 2014 - Brigitte Haentjens, the artistic director of the Théâtre français at the National Arts Centre, discusses the role of the NAC in creating new theatre works.
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Theatre: A Shapeshifting Chameleon – A message from Mélanie Dumont
April 14, 2014 - Children sometimes mix up theatre and cinema, particularly those attending a stage play for the first time. There is a chance that their little brows will furrow in confusion when they hear this strange announcement: “No, there will be no popcorn during the performance.”…
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Message from Artistic Director, Brigitte Haentjens
April 14, 2014 - “The most essential element of theatre is transformation.” – Heiner Müller It has become difficult to publicly justify the necessity of art in our lives. Is art useful in terms of providing financial value? Can we quantify what it gives us, as we can with any consumer…
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Thanks to our artists, our culture can travel
April 10, 2014 - The Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards are Canada’s highest honour in the performing arts. The Awards are how we as a country say “thank you” to the artists whose work has filled our lives with meaning, beauty and joy. When the recipients for the 2014 Governor…
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Extraordinary positivity: The Canadian Improv Games national finals
April 8, 2014 - The National Arts Centre has been a proud partner of the Canadian Improv Games for 26 years. Polly Leger, a Canadian Improv Games alumnus living in Halifax, contributed this story. She works in radio by day and performs improv by night. “The Canadian Improv Games can…
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Seeds: A play for thinking audiences
March 31, 2014 - "For me, people's spoken words are like finger prints." This line from Seeds gives the audience a clue as to the importance of words in this production. The majority of the script is taken verbatim from court transcripts and testimony. For actor Eric Peterson the play…
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Ontario Government announces support for Ontario Scene
March 28, 2014 - Imagine 600 Ontario artists taking over theatres, concert halls, clubs, galleries and artist-run centres throughout Ottawa-Gatineau. That's Ontario Scene, the next instalment in the National Arts Centre's highly-successful series of Scene festivals. From April 28 to…
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The 2013-14 English Theatre Ensemble A Look Back
March 21, 2014 - The 2013-14 Ensemble A Look Back As the artists in the 2013-14 Ensemble prepared to finish their journey, they looked back at their memories of rehearsals, readings and show performances, and how it felt to be part of this magical season. A special thank you to Petrina…
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An adolescent spring at the Théâtre français
March 19, 2014 - Discover two shows that focus on youth issues, that shout out their dreams, aspirations and doubts. March 28-29, Statu quo by Gilles Poulin-Denis Statu quo tells the story of Sarah, a young girl who wishes to make things change in her life and in her…
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Needles and Opium - an Exceptional Collaboration at the NAC
March 18, 2014 - Robert Lepage’s Needles and Opium presented by English Theatre and Théâtre français in 2015 On March 11, 2014, Jillian Keiley and Brigitte Haentjens – Artistic Directors of the National Arts Centre English and Théâtre français respectively – met with the media to…
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Brigitte Haentjens and Jillian Keiley speak about the artistry of Robert Lepage
March 17, 2014 - Jillian Keiley and Brigitte Haentjens are arguably two of the busiest women in Canadian theatre. Both of these artistic directors have had an immediate effect on theatre at the National Arts Centre. For the 2014-15 season they have collaborated to bring Robert Lepage's…
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The Collaborations Report
March 12, 2014 - As part of the NAC English Theatre 2014-15 season launch, Associate Artistic Director Sarah Garton Stanley showed off her skills as Chief Collaboratorlogist to speak about the some of The Collaborations. The goal of The Collaborations is to place different components of…
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Introducing the 2014-15 Ensemble
March 10, 2014 - Each season's unique Ensemble serves as the inspiration for the selection of the plays themselves. This group spills over with the ferocious wit it takes to do a wonderful Importance of Being Earnest; the joy and sheer belief in impossible things required to create Alice…
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Meet the young playwrights of Queen Mary Public School
March 6, 2014 - The plays written by the grade 5/6 students in Julie Coburn's class showcase the wonderful imagination of children. There is a character named 'Noodles' in one play and another features a wild wolf that becomes a friendly puppy. The plays are written in the classroom…
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ENRON - A scorching exposé of corporate madness
February 20, 2014 - This fast paced and fantastical production portrays the deception and greed that led to the collapse of a hugely powerful corporation and the financial ruin of thousands of people. Although the characters are as familiar as a 19th century snake oil salesmen the magnitude…
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Interview with Canadian playwright Ins Choi
January 29, 2014 - Canadian actor and playwright Ins Choi speaks about his play Kim's Convenience which has made the journey from the Toronto Fringe Festival to touring across Canada and is now being presented at the National Arts Centre. The story speaks to many Canadians who have…
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The NAC’s top 13 moments of 2013
December 30, 2013 - The National Arts Centre enjoyed a highly successful and memorable year over the past twelve months. Here are our top 13 moments from 2013: 1) The National Arts Centre Orchestra’s triumphant China Tour in October featured sellout concerts, rave reviews and standing…