Click on the following links to view our videos.
Student Profile
embouteillageS
En français comme en anglais, it's easy to criticize
The Production Program on Film
Open House 2010
2010 Gascon-Thomas Award: JUDITH THOMPSON – Speech
2010 Gascon-Thomas award: WAJDI MOUAWAD – Speech (in French)
Discover the first years of the NTS
In recognition of our donors
Open House 2009
Shining the spotlight on designers
A glimpse of a Set & Costume Design workshop
All you need is love
NTS's 30 second TV spot
Open House 2008
2008 Stratford Shakespeare Festival Field Trip
Student Profile
Evita Karasek will graduate from the Set and Costume Design program in May 2012. She shares her learning curve, thoughts and motivation for coming to the National Theatre School.
Odile Gamache is in her 2nd year at the School's only colingual program. Listen to her video profile in French.
Camera and Video Editor: Chloé Robichaud
Jacynthe Lalonde is in her 3rd and final year at the NTS. She has much to say about
her training in the Production program where she touched upon everything from welding to text analysis to lighting design
to production management. But hear about it in her own words.
Camera and Video Editor: Chloé Robichaud
embouteillageS
During its 50th anniversary year, the French section of the National Theatre School (NTS) invited the Montreal public to attend a performance in Hangar 16 of Montreal's Quays of the Old Port, which ran from April 21 to 30, 2011. Under the artistic direction of Robert Bellefeuille, 70 students, 27 authors and 8 directors, all alumni and/or close collaborators of the School, participated in the presentation of embouteillageS, which took place in 15 vehicles, including cars and school and Montreal transit buses.
Produced and edited by: Michael Slobodian
En français comme en anglais,
it's easy to criticize
Video images were taken during the first days of rehearsal of
En français comme en anglais, it's easy to criticize,
a newly-devised theatre event, freely adapted from the work of Jacob Wren. In the weeks that
followed, students agreed to share their thoughts on the production with their colleagues in a porta potty;
and yes, the portable toilet is part of this performance, presented between October 25 and 30 at Montreal’s
Monument-National. Two theatrical traditions were brought together on the same stage, under the guidance of
co-directors
Chris Abraham (Directing, 1996)
and Christian Lapointe
(Mise en scène, 2005) in this first-ever bilingual co-creation between
the 2012 graduating classes of the National Theatre School and the École nationale de théâtre.
Images courtesy of the NTS; editing by Chloé Robichaud of La Brigade 3.
The Production Program on Film
Karyne Doucet-Larouche, currently in her third year of the Production Program, offers a
glimpse at the journey undertaken by the students in this program. Over the course of their three years at
the School, the students explore all the facets of creating a show. Along with their training in the field,
they also get more theoretical instruction, in the classroom. "I wanted, with this video, to deconstruct the
creative process behind a production at the School, by emphasizing the various creative and technical crafts
taught within the Production Program."
Produced and edited by Karyne Doucet-Larouche (2011 Graduating French Production Student)
Music by Archilbald Singleton
Open House 2010
Video Editor: Justine Ricard
Photos: Maxime Côté
Music: Michel Pontbriand
2010 Gascon-Thomas Award:
JUDITH THOMPSON – Speech
On November 2, the Gascon-Thomas Award was presented to two of its distinguished alumni:
playwright, director, screenwriter, actor, and professor of theatre Judith Thompson (Acting, 1979)
and playwright, director, actor, and artistic director of the French Theatre of the National Arts
Centre Wajdi Mouawad (Interprétation, 1991). Each recipient was eloquently introduced by NTS
students Krystina Bojanowski (2nd year Acting) and Isabelle Caron (2nd year Interprétation).
Both Judith and Wajdi spoke in passionate terms about the School and revealed some of
their breakthrough moments while at the NTS. Judith Thompson shared some of her more vivid
memories of the School, particularly that of finding her voice as a playwright and of her
resolve to broach social issues in her works.
Video Editor: Justine Ricard - fondationatomic.com
2010 Gascon-Thomas award:
WAJDI MOUAWAD – Speech
On November 2, the Gascon-Thomas Award was presented to Judith Thompson (Acting, 1979)
and Wajdi Mouawad (Interprétation, 1991). Both addressed the audience and paid a heartfelt
homage to the School. They spoke of difficult, but formative years. Wajdi Mouawad, who
received the award from the hands of Isabelle Caron, a 2nd-year French section Acting student,
compared the School to having tons of scalding water dumped on students akin to tea bags.
“The water infuses the tea and releases all of its aromas and richness,” he explained.
“But of course, no one likes to receive pots of boiling water on their heads for four year!,”
added the director, actor and artistic director of the French Theatre of the National Arts Centre,
as the audience, made up in part of students, burst out laughing.
Video Editor: Justine Ricard - fondationatomic.com
Discover the first years of the NTS
Handy with a with a 16mm camera, Paul Hecht, a graduate of the 1st Acting class (1963),
filmed the early rehearsals, classes, encounters in the "green room" as well as a couple of outings.
Luckily, all this material was saved by Paul and transferred and edited by 1964 Acting alumnus Gary Files.
The NTS hasn’t any archival film footage of those first years; we are therefore truly fortunate to have
these images to share with you.
In recognition of our donors
Each year, the School awards student bursaries, due in large part to the generosity of corporate and
private donations. In February 2010, NTS students thanked their benefactors by declaring their appreciation
at a special Valentine’s event held at the Michel and Suria Saint-Denis campus. Invited guests of honour were
Luc Plamondon, songwriter, and Tim Brodhead, President and CEO of the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation.
Video Editor: David Emmanuel Fafard
Photos: Christian Blais
Open House 2009
Video Editor: David Emmanuel Fafard
Photos: Maxime Côté
Shining the spotlight on designers
Two videos (in French) produced by the
Montréal Science Centre invite you to experience
Les sorcières de Salem from a very different angle.
Watch the various steps involved in mounting the show, from adjusting the lighting levels to putting up the set –
the play takes shape before your very eyes in unexpected ways.
The designers, who are all students in the
Set and Costume Design and
Production programs, are featured in the second
video and talk about their involvement in this magnificent production, which the students in the French
Acting section proudly presented in November 2009, at the Monument-National.
Director: Olivier B.
Cameramen: Olivier B., Mathieu Leblanc
Produced by the Montréal Science Centre, October 2009
A glimpse of a set & costume design workshop
Have the design and confection of sets and costumes always stirred your interest? This video has you in mind.
Different design professionals are invited to teach at the School throughout
the 3 year period of the Set and Costume Design Program. The following images were taken
during a second year "Sacred Space" workshop, conducted by Judit Csanadi,
Head of the School of Scenography at the University of Fine Arts of Budapest (Hungary).
Video Editor: David Emmanuel Fafard (February 2009)
All you need is love
A Valentine tradition at the school
On February 12, 2009, NTS students thanked their benefactors for their generous contributions
to the School's Bursary Funds which were at the heart of this second Valentine celebration.
Each year, approximately $200,000 in bursaries are distributed to students. Bursary funds are
essential to many of the School's students and the donations received from individuals,
corporations and foundations are valued for the individual concern and support they represent.
Invited guest speakers were Karen Radford, President of TELUS Québec and Gaétan Morency,
VP, Global Citizenship, Cirque du Soleil. NTS was also honored by the presence of Québec's
Minister of Culture Christine Saint-Pierre.
Video Editor: David Emmanuel Fafard
Photos: Christian Blais
NTS's 30 second TV spot
Many thanks go out to all those who joyously participated in this commercial:
Mario Mercier, Creative Associate and Isabelle Rousseau, Project Manager at
Orangetango;
director Louis-Philippe Eno and producer Martin Henri of
Jet Films;
Mani Soleymanlou (Interprétation, 2008) for accepting to play the NTS candidate (both French and English roles),
and to Alumni Office Coordinator, Andrée McNamara Tait, for portraying the parking enforcement officer.
The NTS ad was produced in Fall 2008 and made possible thanks to a generous donation from former board member Mona Bandeen.
NB: New Application Deadline Date :: JANUARY 31
Open House 2008
Video Editor: David Emmanuel Fafard
Photos: Maxime Côté
2008 Stratford Shakespeare Festival Field Trip
Each year since 1997, Ms. Slaight has provided approximately 60 NTS students with the opportunity to travel to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival or on alternate years to the Shaw Festival. These trips have allowed students to experience the dynamics of life in the repertory theatre system. The 2008 Stratford Shakespeare Festival Field Trip was a wonderful success and this year the NTS acknowledged Ms. Slaight by producing a "thank you" video.
Directed by: Rim Boukhssimi & Aladeen Tawfeek
Produced by: Ignite Productions