Magnetic North Theatre Festival Unveils Outstanding, Eclectic
Line-Up June 11-21 in Ottawa -- A New National Festival of the
Best in Contemporary Canadian Theatre in English
March 31, 2003 -
Don't miss the inaugural program of the Magnetic North Theatre
Festival, taking place June 11-21, 2003. For ten days in June, Ottawa
will play host to some of the country's most noted actors,
directors, playwrights, presenters and producers who will bring an
eclectic series of outstanding performances.
Mary Vingoe, Artistic Director of the Festival, explains, "At long
last, we have a national festival devoted to Canada's own
theatrical voices. Ten productions that have delighted audiences
across the country come to Ottawa June 11-21 for a unique celebration
of the most stimulating and adventurous theatre Canada has ever
produced."
The Festival will also include a symposium called Magnetic
Encounters, featuring fabulous guest speakers, stimulating lunch time
panels and intimate 'teas' with artists, not to mention
workshops and a presenters' marketplace for theatre
professionals.
Magnetic North is also proud to be presenting Magnetic Kids
- some of the best theatre for young audiences this country
has to offer in a special series at the Ottawa Little Theatre, which
has opened its doors especially for the festival. Magnetic Kids is
presented by Imperial Oil.
The Magnetic North Theatre Festival is a first for Ottawa and for
Canada. It is co-presented by the National Arts Centre and hosted by
the Great Canadian Theatre Company, Ottawa Little Theatre, Arts Court
and the University of Ottawa.
Programming at a Glance...
To The Wall: A hilarious one-man show that takes a
philosophical jab at everything from Newfoundlanders and salt-beef to
God and the big bang. Featuring the incomparable comic talents of
Andy Jones, member of the legendary CODCO and one of Canada's
greatest comic minds.
Burning Vision: By internationally acclaimed Dene
playwright Marie Clements, Burning Vision traces the journey
of uranium rock from its origins embedded in Sahtu Dene territory
into the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. Described by The
Globe and Mail as, "A brave new play that bombards the senses and
fires up the mind."
Chekhov longs...In the Ravine: An adaptation of
Chekhov's short story In the Ravine by Toronto's
Theatre Smith-Gilmour. Featuring the company's unique physical
performance style and comic mastery, the play tells the dark, strange
story of a turn-of-the-century Russian family.
The Unlikely Birth of Istvan: An underground puppet
production for adults? Welcome to the strangely colourful world of
Istvan, with its rollicking music and frolicking puppets. By
the one and only, internationally acclaimed, Old Trout Puppet
Workshop. An oddly sexy puppet skirmish.
Citizen Pochsy: The third in Karen Hines's one-woman
trilogy, featuring the unforgettably charming Pochsy, finds the
character preparing for everyone's worst nightmare, the tax
audit. Described by the Toronto Star as "A coy, seductive, bitingly
funny muse."
Metis Mutt: This often hilarious, sometimes heartbreaking
one-man show features the amazing Sheldon Elter telling the powerful
story of a young Metis boy growing up between two cultures.
Thunderstruck: A freakishly funny, moving play by
Calgary's internationally acclaimed One Yellow Rabbit ensemble,
Thunderstruck tells the bizarre story of three backwoods
brothers orphaned in childhood by a lightning bolt. A triumph of the
Edinburgh Fringe!
Featuring Loretta: The fifth of George F. Walker's
hugely popular Suburban Motel series, directed by John Kirkpatrick. A
beautiful young woman named Loretta has run away and come to the
infamous motel so that she can make some crucial decisions about her
life. A runaway hit of the Edmonton Fringe.
Magnetic Kids
Magnetic Kids provides the opportunity for both children and
adults to enjoy some of Canada's best theatre for young audiences.
Discover the simple and elegant art of storytelling!
Jest Try Not to Laugh: Sometimes breathtakingly beautiful
and frequently side splitting, Jest in Time's performances have
won the praise and affection of children and adult audiences around
the world. Jest in Time has written and performed three national
television specials for CBC-TV.
Morgan's Journey: This play for children 4 years and
up follows Morgan the Clown as he learns about the meaning of love
and friendship. Written and performed by Robert Morgan,
Morgan's Journey has enjoyed a performance history
virtually unparalleled in theatre for young audiences in Canada.
Magnetic Encounters
For theatre professionals and the general public alike -
Magnetic Encounters features a series of dialogues with artists and
critics, workshops, a marketplace for international presenters, and a
special presentation of Dark Owl by students of the National
Theatre School. Don't miss it!
Speaker Series
Renowned leaders in Canadian theatre will strike a keynote before
each evening's performance. Speaker include Tomson Highway,
Sharon Lewis, Ann-Marie MacDonald, Christopher Newton, Gordon Pinsent
and R.H. Thomson.
Lunchtime Panel Discussions
Each day of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival, provocative,
enlightening and informative debates will be held over lunch. Panels
discuss everything from theatrical creation to the theatrics of
criticism.
Tea With The Artists
At tea-time, artists featured at the Magnetic North Theatre
Festival will be responding to questions in live interviews with
Artistic Associate Sarah Stanley.
Dark Owl
The first English version of Acadian playwright Laval
Goupil's Le Gjibou ever staged. Performed by the first-year
acting students of the National Theatre School and directed by Sarah
Stanley, Dark Owl, it is a haunting play about an Acadian
family struggling with hardship and facing up to their psychological
demons.
Workshops for Theatre Professionals
Acclaimed artists, agents and presenters will share their
knowledge of touring nationally and internationally in a series of
workshops designed for theatre professionals.
Magnetic Encounters Marketplace
The Marketplace is a forum, a meeting place, where companies from
across Canada can share information about their current and upcoming
touring productions with the rest of the country and the
international community.
An Idea Whose Time Has Come . . .
The idea of a Canadian theatre festival has been percolating for
some time, and with the support of the theatre community from across
the country, it will now become a reality under the aegis of the
newly incorporated, non-profit Canadian Theatre Festival Society.
As its name suggests, the Magnetic North Theatre Festival will not
be a stationary festival, but will travel from place to place. Based
in Ottawa, it will premiere there in June 2003 for a ten-day run, and
will return every second year thereafter. In alternate years, the
Festival will be hosted by theatre communities in other Canadian
cities. In 2004, the Magnetic North Theatre Festival will be held in
Edmonton, Alberta.
The artistic vision of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival is one
of excellence, inclusiveness and creative development. Dedicated to
work on tour, the festival will provide a forum for the theatre
community to celebrate the quality and diversity of Canadian theatre
as never before. It will stimulate the independent creative vision of
individual artistic directors and pique the interest of audiences
from coast to coast. Finally, it will be the national stage from
which our best theatre speaks to the world about who we are as
Canadians.
The 2003 Magnetic North Theatre Festival gratefully acknowledges
the assistance of our Title Sponsor: SuperPages; Festival
Co-presenter: the National Arts Centre; Host Venues: the Great
Canadian Theatre Company, Ottawa Little Theatre, Arts Court and the
University of Ottawa Academic Hall; Public Funders: Canada Council
for the Arts, Department of Canadian Heritage, The Ontario Trillium
Foundation, Ontario Arts Council, Department of Foreign Affairs and
International Trade, Human Resources Development Canada; Private
Funders Imperial Oil Foundation, The Craig Foundation; Media
Sponsors: Ottawa Citizen, CBC Radio One, CBC Television, Ottawa
X-Press/Voir Outaouais; Production Sponsor: Friction Design
Group.
