Open House 2008
CITIES TAKE TO THE STAGE!
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 27 2008 FROM 11 AM TO 5 PM
Montreal, September 11, 2008 – Discover theatre artists – and the cities that inspire them – at the National Theatre School's (NTS) annual Open House, held during the 12th edition of the province-wide Journées de la Culture, on Saturday, September 27, 2008.
Whether it was the place where they were born or where they go to when they court their muse, cities have proved to be an enduring source of inspiration for many of the world's finest artists. Visitors to the National Theatre School's Open House are invited to join in on a celebration of the city in theatre, and immerse themselves in the surprising and colourful universe of playwrights from here and abroad.
Cultural and Artistic Leadership Program (CALP)
Six recent CALP projects, featuring 28 artists, will be presented during this year's Open House. Created in 2005 to assist current students and recent graduates with their personal projects and creative initiatives, CALP combines a quest for artistic excellence with the will to reinforce theatre's social impact.
The three English-language projects featured at this year's event will be Ryan Griffith's slice of life stories of the Atlantic Provinces with his Vagabond Trust, formed of six playwrights including NTS grads Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman and Darrah Teitel. Rockne Corrigan's urban retelling of Hamlet and Anita Majumdar's meditation on honour killings in The Misfit complete the set. CALP is made possible due to a donation from the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation.
Special invited guest: Théâtre de Quat'Sous
Without a home until the fall, the NTS has invited the Théâtre de Quat'Sous to bunk with them for Les Journées de la Culture. The company will present excerpts from its 2008-2009 season opener, Opium_37. Written by Catherine Léger (Écriture dramatique, 2005), this play transports us to the Paris of the 1930's and stars four other NTS graduates (Interprétation program): Kathleen Fortin, 1997; Éve Gadouas, 2005; Martine-Marie Lalande, 2005; and Daniel Thomas, 1999.
Discover the National Theatre School
As the School only opens its doors to the public once a year, there will also be many activities that will inform the public of its true nature. Workshops, exhibits, spontaneous choral performances, a literary fast-food where you can order up texts of your favourite cities, classes and open rehearsals – all revolving around this year's theme – will offer the public an occasion to appreciate the talent, skills and originality of NTS students, graduates and artist-teachers from all of our programs: Set and Costume Design, Production, Directing, Acting and Playwriting.
It is with open arms that the School's students, professors and staff await you in order to demystify the mission of an institution that has to date formed close to 1,500 actors, set and costume designers, authors and playwrights, directors and other theatre artists who have played an integral role in the development of theatre in Canada.
To join us, follow the crowd! Model citizens of a universal world will guide you starting at Laurier Metro. The School is located at 5030 Saint-Denis Street.
To give an idea of the event's scenography, Angela Rassenti (Set and Costume, 2008) drew her inspiration from the work of numerous playwrights, including the following quote from George F. Walker:
"I'm saying we've known each others existence all these years and we've never talked."
We're all yours on September 27th!
And don't forget: It's free!