Magnetic North Theatre Festival

The twelve students in the School’s first-year Acting Program have been chosen as one of the few handpicked companies from around the country to present at the inaugural Magnetic North Theatre Festival this June in Ottawa.

The Magnetic North Theatre Festival is a new national touring festival of the finest in Canadian theatre, with a focus on Canadian productions in English. Based in Ottawa, the festival will return to the city every second year, alternating between theatre communities in other Canadian cities.

Under the direction of prominent director Sarah Stanley, the class will present the very first English translation of Laval Goupil’s Le Djibou, or Dark Owl. In order to attend the festival, the first-year class has been working hard to raise the approximately $11,000 required.

Alumni Association

Over the past few months, committee members of the School’s new Alumni Association have met on several occasions to discuss and develop ideas on how to structure and organize an official network of school graduates. During their first meeting in Toronto on January 27, 2003, the committee effortlessly came up with the association’s mission statement. It reads:

The NTS Alumni Association provides bridges between graduates, the School, and its students. Through communication, mentorship, fundraising, promotion, and advocacy, the Alumni Association is committed to the growth and development of the School, while celebrating its rich history as a national institution devoted to the development of theatre.

Members of the committee can be reached by writing ntsalumni@hotmail.com

Applications for the 2003-2004 school year

It isn’t a record number, but almost: 1,205 candidates applied for September entrance to the School this year. Several trends were noticed:

There was an increase in the numbers of candidates for the Directing (60%), French Production (40%), Acting (19%), and French Acting (9%) programs.

The reputation of the NTS extends far across the globe: 48 foreign candidates from 19 different countries, including Australia, France, Haiti, Lebanon, Spain, Sweden, the Ukraine, the United States, and Mexico will take part in the audition and interview process.

Approximately 60 new students will be admitted to the School’s programs in September.

Monument-National, phase 2

The Monument-National, reopened in 1993 after being completely restored, continues its revitalization thanks to a grant of $270,000 from Quebec’s ministère de la Culture et des Communications. A portion of these funds will go towards the purchase of technical equipment — sound, lighting, flies — for the Ludger-Duvernay Theatre, as well as towards seating and tables for the du Maurier Theatre. Industrial designer Annick Blais has created new signage for the building’s interior, along with new outdoor showcases and a new look for the Salle Marie-Vincent (the old Salon rouge). Also, architect Éric Gauthier has designed a neon sign that will adorn the façade of this historical building. The work, will be completed between now and the beginning of autumn, with a number of other projects on the table for the future. It will be worth checking out.

Staging the Future: One Last Go!

The NTS’s three-year private fundraising campaign, Staging the future, ends July 31, and its global objective of two million dollars has almost been reached. The two programs that benefit the most from these donations are the School’s Bursary Funds – thanks to this second campaign the fund will soon reach four million dollars – and the Directing Chair, that will now be equipped with a fund of one million dollars.

As of March 15, 2003, the School still needs to raise $400,000 for this operation to be considered a complete success. Individuals or organizations wishing to support the School can get in touch with the Fundraising Department by calling 514.842.7954, extension 141. Information regarding the four stages of this campaign can be found on our Web site: www.ent-nts.qc.ca.

Many thanks to our generous donors!

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