Open House 1997
Get into the National Theatre School without auditioning!
Montreal, September 25, 1997 – For its part in the Journées de la culture, the National Theatre School of Canada will open its doors to the public the 27th and 28th of September. Montrealers will be able to get a backstage glimpse of the school which has trained some of this country’s best actors, designers, technicians, and playwrights, including Henry Czerny, Martha Henry, Ann-Marie MacDonald, and R.H. Thomson.
This is the School’s first open house since it was founded in 1960. Simon Brault, Director General of the School, says "We are offering Montrealers a rare glimpse of the work that goes into theatrical training, a chance to see all the hidden things behind a successful night at the theatre. We hope that meeting people who are passionate about their craft will give those who visit a new interest in the theatre."
The open house’s many activities will be united under the theme of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Visitors of all ages will be able to take part in a treasure hunt, a lighting class, a rigging class (including a knot-tying lesson); to observe a voice or makeup class or a rehearsal; and to examine costumes and scenery designed by the students. Richard Gagnon, a graduate of the School, is co-ordinating the event.
This is the first year of the Journées de la culture, a province-wide weekend in which Quebecers are invited to discover their cultural organizations with a plethora of free activities. This year, over 600 cultural providers are participating in what is planned as an annual event, patterned after Europe’s Heritage Days. The Journées seek to underline the importance culture plays in our lives, and to reach out to the 80% of the population who are not regular consumers of culture other than television and movies.