Canadian Stage Company

Canadian Stage is a not-for-profit contemporary performing arts company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Canadian Stage
Formation1988
TypeTheatre group
Location
Artistic director(s)
Brendan Healy
Websitewww.canadianstage.com

About Canadian Stage

Canadian Stage is one of Canada's largest not-for-profit contemporary theatre companies, based in Toronto, Ontario. The company was founded in 1987 with the merger of CentreStage and Toronto Free Theatre and has been a favourite of audiences for years, as well as the topic of much discussion in the theatre community. Currently, the company has an emphasis on multidisciplinary work and work in translation, programming international contemporary theatre and developing and producing new Canadian works. Total attendance for a season is approximately 100,000 people. Canadian Stage has produced more than 300 shows - over half of which have been Canadian plays. Canadian Stage also runs a series of artist development and education initiatives, as well as youth and community outreach programs.[1][2]

The current Artistic Director is Brendan Healy, who replaced outgoing Artistic Director, Matthew Jocelyn, in 2018. The current Executive Director is Monica Esteves.

Theatres

Canadian Stage presents works at three venues: the 876-seat Bluma Appel Theatre; the Berkeley Street Theatres (244-seat Berkeley Downstairs Theatre and the 167-seat Berkeley Street Upstairs Theatre); and a 1000-seat outdoor amphitheatre in Toronto's High Park where Shakespeare is performed each summer.[3][4]

The Bluma Appel Theatre in the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts (a city of Toronto owned building) is the company's main stage. Located at 27 Front Street East, this theatre has been Canadian Stage's home for over 25 years. In the 2016.17 season, they will present eight productions at this theatre. The St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts was constructed in the late 1960s, as part of the city's Centennial Celebrations. It opened in February 1970, but was then called the Theatre. In 1982, it was renovated by the Thom Partnership. A balcony was added, the lobbies expanded and the giant chandeliers installed before the theatre re-opened the following year as the Bluma Appel Theatre, in recognition of the generous financial contributions of arts activist Bluma Appel.

The historic Berkeley Street Theatre complex contains two performance spaces, as well as a large rehearsal space, props and wardrobe facilities, and the company's administrative offices. The Berkeley site was originally built by the Consumer's Gas Corporation in 1887 as part of a gas pumping station complex. The Berkeley Downstairs Theatre was originally a pump room and served in that capacity until 1955, when Consumer's Gas moved their production out of downtown Toronto. A wrecking firm was hired to demolish the buildings in February 1971, but the complex was renovated instead of destroyed thanks to the efforts of Tom Hendry, co-founder of Toronto Free Theatre. The Berkeley Upstairs Theatre was created as part of the general 1976 renovations of the complex. This building is also owned by the City of Toronto.

Situated in the middle of Toronto's High Park, the Amphitheatre can seat over 1,000 people. The first production of Shakespeare in High Park was performed in 1983 between two large oak trees with none of the infrastructure that exists today. The City of Toronto terraced the hillside of the Amphitheatre to provide more comfortable seating in 1997, and a permanent stage was installed in 2005.

Awards

Many of the plays developed by Canadian Stage have been awarded and nominated for Canada's most prestigious literary and performing arts honours, including Governor General's, Chalmers and Dora Mavor Moore Awards. Canadian Stage is a three-time recipient of the Lieutenant Governor's Award for the Arts, in recognition of building private sector and community support. Canadian Stage has been nominated for 296 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, receiving 62, in addition to numerous other Canadian and international awards and nominations.

Partnership with York University

Since 2010, Canadian Stage and York University's Faculty of Fine Arts have collaborated through an MFA in Theatre – Stage Direction. The initiative was launched in 2011 to support the development of directorial talent for the national and international stage. The program develops emerging directors with advanced training in large-scale theatre directing. The first graduates of the program were Ker Wells and Ted Witzel.[5]

Students are deeply immersed in the professional world of theatre as they integrate their studio work at York with involvement in artistic projects at Canadian Stage. The program is customized for each student based on their experience, artistic orientation and goals. Key elements of this enriched academic experience include the opportunity to direct a Canadian Stage production and an internship with a major national or international theatre. Artistic and General Director Matthew Jocelyn and Lead Mentor, Peter Hinton serve to guide students in the MFA program, working closely with graduate faculty in York's Department of Theatre.[6]

Current Leadership

The current Artistic Director of Canadian Stage is Brendan Healy. Healy replaced outgoing Artistic Director, Matthew Jocelyn, in early 2018. Prior to his appointment at Canadian Stage, Healy maintained leadership positions at the Rose Theatre in Brampton, and Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

The current Executive Director of Canadian Stage is Monica Esteves. Esteves joins Canadian Stage after a successful tenure at Crow's Theatre.

Artistic Leadership
  • Bill Glassco - Producing Director, 1988–1990
  • Guy Sprung -Producing and Artistic Director 1990-1992
  • Bob Baker - Artistic Director, 1992–1998
  • Martin Bragg - Artistic Producer, 1998–2009
  • Matthew Jocelyn - Artistic & General Director, 2009–2018
  • Brendan Healy - Artistic Director, 2018-Present

2013–2014 season
  • The Flood Thereafter - by Sarah Berthiaume
  • Venus in Fur - by David Ives
  • Yukonstyle - by Sarah Berthiaume
  • DESH - choreographed and performed by Akram Khan
  • Winners and Losers - written and performed by Marcus Youssef and James Long
  • Needles and Opium - written and directed by Robert Lepage
  • London Road - by Alecky Blythe and Adam Cork
  • Tribes - by Nina Raine
  • Belleville - by Amy Herzog
  • The Tempest Replica - choreographed and directed by Crystal Pite
Main article: Canadian Stage production history

2016–2017 season

Spotlight Australia:

References
  1. "...Canadian Stage - Sharing innovative and vibrant theatre from ." canadianstage.com. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  2. "CANADIAN STAGE". arts.nationalpost.com. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  3. "Canadian Stage Company Bluma Appel Theatre". abouttheartists.com. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  4. "Canadian Stage Opens 2013-14 Season with THE FLOOD THEREAFTER and YUKONSTYLE, Sept-Oct 2013". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  5. "Canadian Stage". ckc.tcf.ca. Archived from the original on 2014-03-12. Retrieved 12 March 2014.
  6. "Canadian Stage". Canadian Stage Website. Retrieved 2016-06-06.

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