News: (Hudson, Qc) Heather Markgraf-Lowe, Village Theatre AD, resigns

Picture of the Week, March 20, 2014

We never get tired of photos by Cylla von Tiedemann, the grande dame of Canadian performance photography, because once in a while she lets herself go and has a blast with both subject and presentation. She does precisely that here with young actor Omari St. Aude for YPT's upcoming production of Minotaur. We especially love the Greek columns in the foreground, echoed in the background by the CN Tower. And don't miss the shadow-play. 

The Abominable Showman, March 19, 2014

Director Hugo Belanger and mezzo-soprano Emma Char (centre, rear) during a rehearsal for Engelbert Humperdinck’s classic 1893 opera Hansel and Gretel

Young hearts, run free

The Atelier lyrique de L’Opéra de Montréal, National Theatre School of Canada, and the National Circus School join forces to create a brand-new cutting-edge production of Engelbert Humperdinck’s classic 1893 opera Hansel and Gretel

by Richard Burnett 

@bugsburnett

(All rehearsal photos by Richard Burnett)

Canadian mezzo-soprano Emma Char was among the very lucky few to be chosen to study in the renowned Atelier Lyrique de L’Opéra de Montréal, a school that has bequeathed the opera world such talented singers at Etienne Dupuis, Marie-Josée Lord, the handsome Phillip Addis, as well as Taras Kulish, who today is executive director of the McGill Chamber Orchestra.

The 29-year-old Atelier Lyrique de L’Opéra de Montréal offers professional internships – combining training and on-stage experience – to young Canadian artists who have completed their studies and intend to pursue a career in the field of opera.

Char is one of 10 young artists chosen for the 2013-2014 season and while she may be young, Char has already experienced some terrifying showbiz moments, like the time she sang the title role in La Cenerentola when she completed her Artist Diploma at Cincinatti’s prestigious College Conservatory of Music. 

“It was one of the first operas I ever did, my scene partner forgot he was supposed to stay onstage with me during my entire aria!” Char recalls today. “He left the stage and I had to improvise my acting right there on the spot. I was freaking out, but I was like, ‘I can do this!’”

Review: (Vancouver / Theatre) Between the Sheets

L-R Caitriona Murphy, Stephanie Moroz (photo by Tim Matheson)

Wild trip in a confined space.

by David C. Jones

Pi Theatre has done some very theatrical shows over the years, but this time they have simplified and it was super-theatrical.

Between The Sheets is a 2012 script written by Jordi Mand; it concerns a parent-teacher interview in an elementary school that turns into a battle of wills in unexpected ways.

Artistic director Richard Wolfe has set it to great effect in Admiral Seymour Elementary School and there is no lighting design or sound design. Just the hum of the lights in a small classroom decorated with children’s art and school projects. 

News: (Ottawa) NAC announces 2014-15 dance season

Book Review: Conversations with George Luscombe

I don't train actors, I train citizens
 by Lib Spry

Lib Spry has worked for 50 years as director, playwright, teacher, performer and translator in physical, popular, TYA and site-specific theatre in Canada, the USA, the UK and France. She is founder of Straight Stitching Productions, Passionate Balance and Theatre Agile. Recent work: directing Letters to My Grandma and Where the Blood Mixes for Teesri Duniya Theatre, writing and performing her solo Trance For Matron at the 2013 Montreal Fringe, devising We Are Old! We Are Wonderful! with Montreal seniors’ group RECAA, and co-creating Luna Allison’s Falling Open. 

You want to inspire the spirit as well as the mind, as well as the body, as well as, perhaps, things we can't put our fingers on or can't describe. Therefore, those unknowns have to be free to work and they won't be unless you have a free body, a free feeling, and a good feeling about work.  

   

George Luscombe

Reading these conversations between George Luscombe and Toronto director, actor playwright and teacher Steven Bush, I found myself wondering how many people in today's Canadian theatre have heard of Luscombe? Is he, his ideas, and the 30 years of dedicated and inspiring work he put in at Toronto Workshop Productions (TWP)  a major section in every Canadian Theatre History class? Are students researching his use of Laban's Efforts or comparing his interpretation of Stanislavski with others?  Do the hopeful founders of new companies look at his creation of a true ensemble and scheme how to emulate him?  Do directors dream of having the time and money to gain the commitment from actors to stay long enough to train them in exacting ways of working together? I suspect not, which is a pity. His vision, his rigour, and his methods should be part and parcel of our daily work in the theatre.

In a Word... Tim Oberholzer on Hedwig and The Angry Inch

Hedwigging Out
by Gaëtan L. Charlebois

Tim Oberholzer is an Ottawa-based actor, theatre creator, producer, and graduate of Algonquin College’s Theatre Arts Program. He is also a recent nominee for the 2013 Emerging Artist Award from Ottawa’s professional theatre awards, Les Prix Rideau. Mr Oberholzer has most recently appeared in Age Of Arousal,  The Comedy Of Errors, The Taming Of The Shrew, (Bear & Co.), Ethan Claymore (Same Day Theatre) and The Chronicler (Screaming Artists’ Collective). Tim Oberholzer is a founding member of the Ottawa-based theatre collective Bear and Co., and also serves on the advisory board of SevenThirty Productions.  He is the artistic director of Vanity Project Productions and oversees the Ottawa Theatre Producers’ Network.

CHARPO:  First off, what brought you to Hedwig?

OBERHOLZER: My first connection to the piece was through the Original Off Broadway Cast Recording, which I purchased purely out of curiosity. I was immediately  struck by how beautiful, powerful and accessible the music was. I’ve performed in a few rock musicals over the years, and have always been a fan of the genre, but this is definitely one of the best rock musical scores out there. At the time I had taken a break from producing, but I definitely filed it away mentally as a potential future project. After seeing the subsequently released film adaptation, I was only more intrigued by the show and the Hedwig character, so sought out the script and since then have just been waiting for the right conditions to present themselves.