2nd Festival Of Ideas & Creation Runs 6/8-6/27 At Berkeley Street Theatre

The Canadian Stage Company is pleased to announce the second Festival of Ideas and Creation at the Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley Street, Toronto, June 8 to 27, 2009. The three-week festival offers public, youth, artist and industry programming and features more than 350 theatre luminaries, emerging artists and youth in over 75 live events, most of them free. To reserve tickets for public and youth events, call The Canadian Stage Company Box Office at 416-368-3110 or email festival@canstage.com. To register for artist and industry events, registration is by application. Artist and industry applications available on canstage.com/festival. Information is available online at canstage.com/festival, via email festival@canstage.com or by phone 416-860-4685.

The Festival of Ideas and Creation features: a dynamic line-up of public readings and rehearsals of exciting new theatrical works by senior and emerging artists from across Canada such as two-time Governor General's Award-winner Judith Thompson, Chalmers Award-winner Ed Roy, many other award-winners and nominees and up-and-coming artists; an In Conversation Series with stalwarts in the world of live theatre such as two-time Tony Award-winner William Finn and Governor General's Award and Siminovitch Prize-winner Daniel MacIvor; book launches; backstage tours; youth programming; and artist/industry masterclasses, forums and conferences.

The Festival focuses on artistic process and exchange. It offers professional development opportunities for local and national artists to present new works and evolve their creative processes while offering audiences the opportunity to explore art behind the scenes and participate in the development of new work.

First established in 2006, the Festival is slated to become an annual event. Programmed by Festival Director Natasha Mytnowych, it integrates the Company's year-round artistic development initiatives and is programmed in collaboration with an array of artists and arts organizations.

Festival Director Natasha Mytnowych states, "The Festival of Ideas and Creation fosters an exchange of ideas and creative processes between Canadian and world-renowned theatre artists in an event which brings together multi-disciplinary artists of all statures to connect, inspire - and be inspired."

2009 Festival Highlights

William Finn: In Conversation and Celebration
In partnership with Acting Up Stage Theatre Company
Monday June 22, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $25 - $50
Open to the public
William Finn is one of the most unique voices in contemporary musical theatre today. A two-time Tony Award- winner, Finn has composed hilarious and heartbreaking songs for his often autobiographical musicals Falsettos, A New Brain, Elegies: A Song Cycle, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Join William Finn in an intimate evening as he discusses his life and craft with Toronto Star Theatre Critic Richard Ouzounian. The evening includes musical performances by some of Toronto's leading Finn interpreters including Thom Allison, Barbara Barsky, Steven Gallagher, and Eliza-Jane Scott and a post-show reception.

Public Reading of Tom Stoppard's The Coast of Utopia
Wednesday June 17, 7 p.m. (Voyage)
Thursday June 18, 7 p.m. (Shipwreck)
Friday June 19, 7 p.m. (Salvage)
Tickets: $15 per performance
Open to the public
All proceeds benefit the Actors Fund of Canada
A not-to-be-missed, intimate, staged reading of one of the most powerful theatrical events of the decade, Tom Stoppard's three-part period epic about Russian intellectuals is an inspired examination of the struggle between romantic anarchy, utopian idealism and practical reformation. The trilogy, which Time Out New York called "Stoppard's crowning achievement," garnered nine Tony awards, setting a record for the most awards won by a play in Tony history. Directed by Natasha Mytnowych, Ravi Jain and Claire Calnan, this three-day event features over 60 of Canada's most celebrated leading actors alongside emerging artists and youth.

Public Readings and Rehearsals of over 30 new Canadian plays by acclaimed veterans and exciting new voices. Playwrights include: two-time Governor General's Award-winner Judith Thompson; Chalmers Award-winner Ed Roy; award-winners and nominees Damien Atkins, Marie Beath Badian, David Brock, Mark Brownell, Claire Calnan, Romeo Candido, Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman, Monica Dottor, Waawaate Fobister, Reza Jacobs, Marcia Johnson, Camellia Koo, Nina Lee-Aquino, Kieren MacMillan, Alistair Newton, Anusree Roy, Misha Shulman, Daniela Vlaskalic, David Yee, d'bi.young and Zuppa Theatre; standout artists nisha ahuja, Gordon Boland, Kate Cayley, Melissa D'Agostino, Aaron Kelly, Ulla Laidlaw, Amy Lee Lavoie, Esther Jun and Matt White; and emerging artists in the I'd Rather Dance Collective, The Original Norwegian, Suburban Beast, TheatreKairos and The Canadian Stage Company's GYM Program.

Public Talks with stalwarts in the world of live theatre including two-time Tony Award-winner William Finn, Governor General's Award-winner Daniel MacIvor, two-time Jessie Award-winner Kim Collier, multiple Sterling Award-winner Jonathan Christenson, three-time Dora Award-winner and Chalmers nominee Ned Dickens, Elliott Hayes, Award-winner, Governor General's Award-nominee Brian Quirt and Canadian Stage Company's incoming Artistic and General Director Matthew Jocelyn, named Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) by France's Ministry of Culture.

Public Book Launches featuring The Shakespeare's Mine and A Certain William, two compilations looking at adaptations of Shakespearean plays by a collective of Canadian playwrights, and the two-volume text love and relasianships: Contemporary Asian-Canadian Drama, Volumes I and II drawing from a rich history of Asian-Canadian theatre on stages across the country, published by Playwrights Canada Press.

Public Backstage Tours of the Berkeley Street Theatre facilities, including the wardrobe and prop shops rarely open to the public.

Youth Programs open to the public. Presentations include multi-disciplinary works by The Canadian Stage Company's Young Company and participants of Canadian Stage's Young Writers, Innovators Creation, and Art in Leadership programs, Theatre Revolve, The Toronto District School Board Arts Department Dance and Drama Co-op and Women and Hip Hop by Aluna Theatre and Kahaniya; Sisters Sharing Stories. Events also include two open forums, Community + Arts: Creation for Change, programmed by Canadian Stage interns, featuring artists and organizations making a difference in their communities and Creative Partnerships: Youth ? Arts ? Change examining arts-based strategies to bridge individuals and social service providers and institutions, in collaboration with the Laidlaw Foundation.

MasterClasses open to artists and industry only. Exploring the creative process with landmark artists William Finn, Cameron Porteous, Daniel MacIvor, d'bi.young, Jonathan Christenson, Beth Kates, Ben Chaisson, Marianne Weems (Builders Association), David Young and digital specialist Blair Francey. Not open to the public.

101 Sessions open to artists and industry only. Offering introductory classes and practical skills in Video Editing, Sound Design, Projection Design and Anti-Oppression. Not open to the public.

Investigations open to artists and industry only. Examining some of the most exciting facets of our developing art form. Through discussion and practical exploration, innovative and acclaimed artists such as Kate Alton, Nation Cheong, Reza Jacobs, Nina Lee Aquino, Anita Majumdar, Ravi Jain, Weyni Mengesha, Christopher Morris, Beatriz Pizano and d'bi.young explore language, dance/theatre and music to discover new possibilities for the stage. Not open to the public.

Conferences and Forums open to artistis and industry only. Touching on: Diversity in the Arts hosted by the Playwrights Guild of Canada, the Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas (Canada) Mini-Conference; Youth Arts hosted in partnership with the Laidlaw Foundation; Arts Education; and an Un-Conference on the Future(s) of Toronto Performance facilitated by Trampoline Hall's Misha Glouberman. Not open to the public.

2009 Festival Line-Up

Events will be held at The Canadian Stage Company's Berkeley Street Theatre unless otherwise noted. Most events are FREE except where noted. Programming is subject to change. For full schedule, click on the link canstage.com/festival.

Tickets and Registration

Most events FREE except where otherwise noted.

OPEN EVENTS: Open to the general public, youth and artists. To reserve tickets, call The Canadian Stage Company Box Office at 416-368-3110 or email festival@canstage.com.

YOUTH EVENTS: Open to the general public. To reserve tickets, call The Canadian Stage Company Box Office at 416-368-3110 or email festival@canstage.com.

ARTIST AND INDUSTRY ONLY EVENTS: Some events require registration by application. Applications available on www.canstage.com/festival or email festival@canstage.com.

Go to canstage.com/festival, email festival@canstage.com or call 416-860-4685. 

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