April 05, 2006 -

Entertainment was first discovered in 1852 when a drunkard,dancing for some table scraps in a wealthy eating establishment, accidentally decapitated himself upon the laughter of his benefactors. Art, and all the political ambiguities it brought along with it, followed soon after.

Jacob Wren

Ottawa -- For over twenty-years, Peter Hinton has been creating inquisitive, provocative, intelligent and entertaining theatre in Canada. He began his theatrical career as a performer. He soon became intrigued by what he saw as the pivotal creative role of the director. So he became a director. Then he began to suspect that it is the playwright who plays the most important role in the creative process. And so he began to write plays. He says now that he’s beginning to feel once again, that it is the actor who is at the heart of it all....

Peter’s enduring curiosity about his art form is what makes him so fascinating and what makes him ideally suited to take the helm of the country’s National Arts Centre English Theatre. Immediately upon accepting his new role, Peter began to ask questions, and central to these was a big one:

What kind of theatre should best express a National Arts Centre for Canada in the twenty-first century?

As Peter himself writes in the introduction to the season handbook, the question is a lofty one, but one which demands attention from a new artistic director. And in the investigation of it, it is not, perhaps, the answer that is important, but the “possibilities that [can] be explored.”

With these possibilities in mind, Peter Hinton is inviting Canadians, in his inaugural season, to join him on an adventure of discovery and enquiry – to engage with a season of contemporary plays, lectures, discussions, readings and more that either directly or indirectly, literally or figuratively, explore the question

What is the role of the Artist in Society?

In 2006-2007, audiences will see 11 plays, including 5 world premieres, 2 English-language premieres of plays from Quebec, 2 revivals of plays from the national repertoire, and 2 recent hit shows (one that has toured the world and another that is about to embark on a tour of its own.) They will see comedy, tragedy, musical and physical theatre. They will enjoy the fruits of our collaborations with artists and theatres from across the country. They will be encouraged to participate actively in an ongoing dialogue through pre-show chats, increased talkbacks, new bartoks (Friday evening bar chats with the artists) (see season handbook for details) and more. We are introducing two preview performances for every show to allow audiences more opportunities to see a work in the final stages of production and to allow our productions slightly more creative time. Audiences, more than ever before, will become part of a season that welcomes them as a vital and valuable contributor to the art of creation.

Your detailed guide to the work and artists of the 2006-2007 season is waiting for you here - click on the link to discover the wonderful season handbook in which Peter shares the ideology behind his inaugural season, and his passion for the plays, people and art of The Artist in Society season.

This season embraces innovation and enquiry. To that end, the 2006-2007 season will see the inaugural appointment of two Playwrights in Residence at the NAC English Theatre: Marie Clements, an award-winning Métis performer, playwright, director, and artistic director of Galiano Island’s urban ink productions; and Daniel David Moses, a registered Delaware Indian, whose prolific work for the stage has earned him both national and international attention, and who, among other things, teaches at Queen’s University department of Drama. These artists will participate in the day-to-day activities of the company, and will conduct professional writers workshops, participate in youth and education outreach, as well as work on a new play created especially for the NAC. We are honoured to have them with us and are grateful to the Canada Council for the Arts Theatre Section and Aboriginal Secretariat for support in making this residency possible.

In addition, respected arts broadcaster Laurie Brown will host a speakers series, in which the guests are invited to share their thoughts and ideas on the role of the artist in society. We are thrilled that acclaimed playwright Anne-Marie MacDonald, and multiple award-winning author Michael Ondaatje are joining us in this series. A third speaker will be announced shortly.

In 2006-2007 we are taking an important first step towards the dream of re-establishing a resident company at the NAC. We will be inviting a company of artists to work for a three week period on The Ark, an exploration of works by Shakespeare and some of his lesser-known contemporaries -- works that will form the basis of our 2007-2008 season. This project, produced by us in Association with the National Theatre School of Canada, will allow artists to have an opportunity to work with a text under lab conditions. We’ll offer a special sneak peek of the work in a one-night presentation entitled The Jacobethan Imagination: from Riot to Restoration.

At the English Theatre we believe that the arts “are central to the enrichment of our youth – nothing extracurricular about it.” We’ll continue to offer a wide range of programmes including student matinees, pre-performance workshops, backstage visits, in-school workshops, youth at risk outreach, artist-in-residence programmes and our Student Club. This year marks a departure, however, in terms of our family programming. Instead of offering a Family Theatre Series, we will offer, within the context of our season, programming that is suitable for both adults and younger audiences.

In this vein, we are no longer dividing our season into a Main Stage, Studio Series and Family Theatre Series. Programming is instead staged in the venue that best suits the work – pieces that require a large canvas to tell a tale, appearing in the Theatre, and more intimate pieces being staged in the Studio. In one case – we are staging outdoors!

We are offering an increased range of innovative and flexible ticket packages – something to suit every possible budget, age and taste, in addition to offering new this season a free exchange policy for subscribers AND a new second viewing ticket policy – allowing subscribers to purchase a ticket to see a show again at a reduced rate. We want our audiences to be able to come and see a show as many times as they like!

The cultural community across Canada has waited with baited breath to see what Peter Hinton has planned for the National Arts Centre English Theatre. We think you’ll agree that it’s been worth the wait. Peter Hinton has planned a season that embodies the essence of the theatre – it invites us to be challenged, provoked, enraged, delighted, entertained and changed forever!

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