March 15, 2005 -

Ottawa -- The 2005 lineup for the National Arts Centre English Theatre’s annual On the Verge festival of new play readings (June 13 – 18, 2005) has been announced.  Speaking to a live audience at the opening of Alberta Theatre Projects’ playRites Blitz weekend in Calgary, Lise Ann Johnson, Artistic Associate and Literary Manager of the National Arts Centre English Theatre and Coordinator of On the Verge, revealed the names of the 11 cutting-edge new plays to be given featured readings.

They are:

Bone Cage by Catherine Banks (Halifax)

Les bonbons qui sauvent la vie by Serge Boucher (Montréal)
Translated by Shelley Tepperman (Montréal)
Co-presented by the Centre des auteurs dramatiques

Dissecting Homo by Brian Drader (Montréal)

Blind by Jonathan Garfinkel (Toronto)

Missing by Florence Gibson (Toronto)

In the Garden, Two Suns by Hisashi Inoue (Japan)
Translated by Roger Pulvers; adapted by Marjorie Chan (Toronto) with Damien Atkins (Toronto)
Presented with the support of The Japan Foundation

Bombay Talkie by Anosh Irani (Vancouver)

Scorched by Wajdi Mouawad (Montréal)
Translated by Linda Gaboriau (Montréal)

Picking up Chekhov by Mansel Robinson (Saskatoon)

And, new at On the Verge 2005, two featured readings of plays for young audiences on Saturday, June 18:

The Bookshop by Marie-Josée Bastien (Québec)
Translated by Maureen Labonté (Montréal)
Co-presented by Le Théâtre du Gros Mécano

Hana’s Suitcase by Emil Sher (Toronto), based on the book by Karen Levine
Co-presented by the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People

For the third year in a row, On the Verge has been scheduled to coincide with the Magnetic North Theatre Festival, Canada’s festival of contemporary Canadian theatre in English, building on the tremendous success of past collaborations.  All On the Verge readings will take place in the NAC Fourth Stage, June 13 – 17 at 15:00 and 21:00; theatre for young audiences readings take place on Saturday, June 18 at 11:00 and 15:00.  Admission to all readings is pay-what-you-can at the door, with all proceeds donated to the Actors’ Fund of Canada.

On the Verge is supported by the Canada Council.

Special thanks to The Cyril and Dorothy, Joel and Jill Reitman Foundation for helping to make On the Verge possible.

For more information, please contact:
Laura Denker
Publicity and Media Relations Coordinator
NAC English Theatre
(613) 947-7000 ext. 389
ldenker@nac-cna.ca