A Brief Visit to a Tower of Babel
- Inquiry into the many languages spoken at Cirque du Soleil

Introducing Brian Drader
- Portrait of the new Coordinator of the Playwriting Program

The Treacherous Art
- Observations by Paula Wing

They Speak Horse, don't they?
- James Richardson's point of view

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
- Inside look at the bilingual Set and Costume Design Program

Miro (Interprétation, 1996) in Kà – © Tomas Muscinico

Linguistic Boundaries?! Qu’est-ce?

Spring is all about change and renewal and after publishing the Journal for the past 10 years, we thought it was time for a makeover: the result is this magazine, a bi-yearly to be published every spring and fall. There is one important thing that has not changed however — the pursuit of our reflection on the practice of theatre today, by giving voice to the artists and creators who are shaping it, and without limiting ourselves to what goes on within the School’s walls or in our immediate cultural environment. Being open is now, more than ever, the motivational force at the National Theatre School (NTS).

Among the many new features we have planned is that each issue will highlight a specific theme, analyzed from different angles, through various articles. We will examine a topic affecting theatre and the cultural sector in general, yet our perspective will always be rooted in the NTS reality as an art school which is both a witness and a participant in the evolution of theatre today.

In this inaugural issue, we want to take a closer look at the role that language and languages play in creating and producing a show. How do you communicate beyond words? The School welcomes students from as far away as the North-West Territories, for example, who come to Montreal long enough to undergo demanding training in production, set and costume design, directing, playwriting, or acting. Many may feel momentarily lost until they rediscover the cultural and linguistic reference points that have guided their personal and artistic journey up to now. We asked some students in the Set and Costume Design Program to talk to us about that journey. But that is not all. Alumni James Richardson and Paula Wing reflect on what it is like to explore unknown territories and the transformations resulting from their professional experiences that create a new intimacy with one’s own language and the languages of others. In the French section of the magazine you will find, under the same heading, accounts by Carole Fréchette, Jean-Sébastien Gohier, and François Marceau. In the Encounter section, we are delighted to introduce you to the new Coordinator of the Playwriting Program, Winnipeg playwright Brian Drader, who has been at the NTS for nearly a year. An article on the writing, translating, and presentation stages of the theatrical success, The Leisure Society (La Société des loisirs), first produced in Montreal and then in Calgary, Toronto, and Vancouver is presented in French. And finally, that fascinating and dazzling cultural and linguistic mosaic, Cirque du Soleil! This organization continuously tries to take the diversity of its multi-cultural artists to create a seamless artistic expression. The gestation and production of Kà (cover story) demonstrates that art has the ability to respect, transcend, and sublimate these particularities.

Finally, we hope you will enjoy reading the nts magazine. Your comments are very important, please do not hesitate to contact us and share your feelings. If you would like to receive School news more frequently, we invite you to sign up for our e-bulletin, an e-mail newsletter with up-to-the-minute information.

On behalf of the entire team,
Hugo Couturier

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