The National Arts Centre English Theatre presents Joan MacLeod's Award-Winning play The Shape of a Girl -- Directed by Patrick McDonald Starring Jenny Young
February 13, 2003 -
"A stellar outing for playgoers of all ages...not to be missed"
Classical 93.8 fm
"An intense little powerhouse of a play that goes straight to the
heart and guts" The Calgary Straight
Ottawa -- The Shape of a Girl has played to riveted
audiences across the country to huge critical and public acclaim.
Tackling the problem of teen bullying with a frankness and honesty
that is never didactic, this one-woman show packs a powerful
emotional punch, earning four Betty Mitchell Awards including
Outstanding Original Script and Outstanding Performance by an
Actress. Called "Brilliant!" by The Globe and Mail, The Shape of a
Girl is gripping, must-see theatre for audiences aged 13 and up.
The Shape of a Girl opens in the NAC Studio on Tuesday,
February 11 and runs until Saturday, February 22.
There will be a special preview performance on Saturday, February
8 at 20:00 followed by a post-performance discussion. Performances
are at 20:00 with Saturday matinees at 14:00. There are no
performances in the Studio on Sundays and Mondays.
Braidie is a normal, frustrated, rebellious teenager. When a group
of other "normal, frustrated and rebellious" teenagers, strangers to
Braidie, commit an act of terrifying and callous violence against one
of their peers, Braidie's own complex, rule-ridden, and often
frightening teenage life is thrown into sharp relief. Braidie must
try to determine where her limits lie, who her friends are and who,
if anyone, will guide her through the mine-field of contemporary
adolescence. Facing up to the violence around her and to her own role
in that violence, Braidie's courageous examination of her life and
past is both heartbreaking and heart-warming.
Governor General's Award-Winning playwright Joan MacLeod
wrote The Shape of a Girl partly in response to the tragic
events surrounding the death in Victoria of Reena Virk. She wrote
about the play in 2001, "Braidie's voice started developing just
over three years ago, not too long after the murder of a fourteen
year-old girl by a group of teenagers...Writing about those sad
events in Victoria was the last thing I wanted to do, so it took me
another year to see a relationship between the two. I only knew
Braidie had backed herself into a corner, and I didn't know why.
I also knew I had a play because I wanted to find out why so
badly."
Jenny Young (recently seen on the NAC Main Stage as Mary in
Mary's Wedding) delivers a bravura performance as
Braidie, in this touring production directed by Green Thumb Theatre
(Vancouver) Artistic Director, Patrick McDonald. Scott Reid is the
Set Designer; Lighting Design is by Brian Pincott and Sound Design is
by Ian Tamblyn. Angela Beaulieu is the Stage Manager.
In addition to the public performances, there will be six student
matinee performances for The Shape of a Girl which are
sold-out, reflecting the ongoing intense interest in the subject
matter. The NAC English Theatre is delighted to offer expanded
outreach related to this production. Nanci Burns, High School
Coordinator of the Ottawa Safe and Caring Schools Initiative, Ottawa
Carleton District School Board and Constable Jennifer Murray, Student
Resource Officer with the Ottawa Police Department, will be present
following student matinees for question and answer "talkbacks" with
students. Ms. Burns will also be holding a post-performance
discussion, open to the public, following the February 8 preview.
Tickets for The Shape of a Girl are available at the NAC Box
Office in person or through Ticketmaster at 755-1111, and on-line
through the Ticketmaster link on the NAC's web site at
www.nac-cna.ca (a service charge applies to all purchases made
through Ticketmaster). Tickets for The Shape of a Girl range from
$17.50 (preview) to $30.00. Students should visit the Live Rush™
page online at www.liverushnac.ca
to find out how to obtain Live Rush seats ($9.50) available on a
first-come, first-served basis after 18:00 on the day of
performance.
The Shape of a Girl - Listings Info.
February 11-22. Preview February 8.
No performances Sundays or Mondays
NAC Studio
20:00 Tuesday through Saturday
Saturday matinees 14:00,February 15,22
Tickets available at NAC Box Office in person; through
Ticketmaster 755-1111 or on-line through Ticketmaster link at
www.nac-cna.ca
Tickets for February 8 preview are $17.50; and for all other
performances from to $26.00 to $30.00
Other activities related to The Shape of a Girl are:
Pre-Show Chat - An informal discussion before the Saturday
Matinee performance
Saturday, February 15 at 13:00 in the NAC Salon ; Guest
Speaker:Nanci Burns, High School Coordinator, Ottawa Safe and Caring
Schools Initiative, OCDSB
Thursday Talkbacks - A Post-Performance Question and Answer
session with performer - Thursday, February 20
Digital photography: Production images from The Shape of a
Girl will be available for download in digital format (jpeg) at
http://www/nac-cna.ca/media
Just follow the link to The Shape of a Girl
