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February 2012

Wednesday February 22, 2012
Confessions of the Other Woman - Shadbolt Centre for the Arts

Thursday February 23, 2012
Talking Stick Festival presents In a World Created by a Drunken God

Friday February 24, 2012
Galiano Literary Festival - 2012

Saturday February 25, 2012
red diva projects - Marie Clements, Michelle St. John, Women from DTES Centre

Tuesday February 28, 2012
The Leisure Society - Trafalgar Studios - UK

March 2012

Thursday March 1, 2012
Fred Wah - Versefest in Ottawa

Thursday March 1, 2012
The Kranky Reading Series - Raoul Fernandez, Jordan Abel, and Gurjinder Basran

Thursday March 1, 2012
Gordon - Morris Panych - Revue Stage

Thursday March 1, 2012
Where the Blood Mixes - Kevin Loring - Remai Arts Centre

Sunday March 4, 2012
In Absentia - Morris Panych - B Street Theatre

Tuesday March 6, 2012
The Leisure Society - François Archambault - Infinithéâtre

Friday March 9, 2012
Ms Thing - Vancouver Women in Film Festival - Embracing the Darkness

Saturday March 10, 2012
How To Write A Poem For The Queen: a workshop with the Parliamentary Poet Laureate

Wednesday March 21, 2012
BellaLuna's Fresco - Lucia Frangione - Shadbolt Centre and Cultch

Friday March 23, 2012
Words on the Water - Campbell River Writer's Festival 2012

Saturday March 31, 2012
Visual Poetry Presentation with derek beaulieu - A B Series

April 2012

Friday April 13, 2012
Bordertown Cafe - Kelly Rebar - Toledo Repertoire Theatre

Thursday April 19, 2012
Down Dangerous Passes Road - Michel Marc Bouchard - Encore Theatre

Tuesday April 24, 2012
The Real World? - Michel Tremblay -Tarragon Theatre

Monday April 30, 2012
M.A.C. Farrant at Banff Centre in 2012

May 2012

Tuesday May 1, 2012
Carmen Aguirre's Blue Box at The Cultch

Tuesday May 8, 2012
King Lear - NAC English Theatre Production

Wednesday May 23, 2012
The eh List Author Series: Michel Tremblay and Sheila Fischman

July 2012

Thursday July 19, 2012
Denman Island Readers & Writers Festival - 2012

September 2012

Tuesday September 18, 2012
Chickens - Lucia Frangione - Chemainus Theatre

King Lear - NAC English Theatre Production

King Lear
By William Shakespeare

NAC English Theatre Production

Directed by Peter Hinton
With August Schellenberg
Featuring the NAC English Theatre Company

May 8 – 26, 2012
Opening Night May 11 2012

Shakespeare’s tragedy, King Lear, set in the Canada of 1608—the year the play was written—with a cast of Aboriginal actors from across the country, including the renowned August Schellenberg as Lear. In this powerful family conflict, an aging father—dividing his kingdom—demands proof of love from his daughters, thereby unleashing a tempestuous tragedy that even a king can’t control. A play as big as Canada, resonating with our own history.

Along with August Schellenberg, Peter Hinton is pleased to announce the casting for the all-Aboriginal production of King Lear.

Keith Barker, a Métis artist raised in Kenora, ON and based in Toronto, ON, will be playing the role of Cornwall. “It is an honour to be working on a production with so many talented artists, both on stage and off. My heartfelt appreciation and sincerest gratitude to all those at the National Arts Centre for giving me another opportunity to grace Canada’s premiere stage.” Keith was last at the NAC in Death of a Chief (co-production with Native Earth Performing Arts) in 2008.

Lorne Cardinal, a Cree raised in Sucker Creek, AB and based in Squamish, BC will be playing the role of Albany and acting as Assistant Director for the production. “To me it’s the fulfillment of a dream; August Schellenberg’s dream. He dreamed of this production over 40 years ago and it has now become realized. It is the first time an all-Native cast is playing the main stage, doing Shakespeare. The first time people across Canada will see that Native people do have the talent and skills to perform the Bard’s words. This is the chance for me to work with the trailblazers of Native theatre; these are the artists who began when the norm was to have non-Aboriginals play Native characters! We have come a long way and yet there is so much farther to go…” Lorne was last at the NAC in Death of a Chief (co-production with Native Earth Performing Arts) in 2008.

Tantoo Cardinal, a Métis artist raised in Anzac, AB and based in Vancouver, BC, will take on the role of Regan. “There have been many political and social decisions that have created drama in our lives. We have overthrown kingdoms/queendoms, schisms, warring nations, bastard children, raging anger, psychosis, deep dark secrets. Whatever Shakespeare got, we got. It has been a career-long dream to do Shakespeare, and to work with August on stage. I am honoured and enthused to be on the list to enter that stage, and to play Regan.” King Lear marks Tantoo’s first appearance at the NAC since Beyond Batoche (Globe Theatre production) in 1985.

Ryan Cunningham, a Métis artist raised and based in Edmonton, AB, will play Oswald. “This production is a huge accomplishment for me as an actor and one of the highlights of my career because it is so incredibly important to the evolution and acceptance of Aboriginal artists across Canada. I know I will learn so much working with this calibre of cast, with Peter Hinton as director, and with this material.” Ryan last appeared at the NAC in The Ecstasy of Rita Joe (co-production with Western Canada Theatre) in 2009.

Meegwun Fairbrother of Ojibway descent, raised in Grassy Narrows First Nation and based in Toronto, ON, will play Burgundy. “I just want to work…and now I have the chance to work with people I have looked up to since I was a child growing up on the rez. Let’s play!” Meegwun is making his NAC debut.

Craig Lauzon of Ojibway descent, raised in Ottawa, ON and based in Toronto, ON, will play the role of Kent. “To the best of my knowledge there has never been a production like this. The cultural significance is unparalleled here in Canada. To stage a straight production of King Lear in this manner is historic not just here in Canada, but for all of Turtle Island and the world. I feel quite honoured to be a part of this piece of history.” Craig is making his NAC debut.

Jani Lauzon of Métis heritage, raised in Cranbrook, BC and based in Toronto, ON, will take on the role of Cordelia and The Fool. “Three things. More Shakespeare, the chance to work with August and Peter, and to be back ‘home’ at the NAC.” Jani returns for her third consecutive season as a member of the NAC English Theatre Company, previously appearing in Saint Carmen of The Main (co-production with Canadian Stage), nativity, A Christmas Carol, and Mother Courage and Her Children (co-production with Manitoba Theatre Centre). She also appeared in Death of a Chief (co-production with Native Earth Performing Arts) in 2008, and provided musical compositions for Copper Thunderbird (co-production with Urban Ink Productions) in 2007.

Kevin Loring, a member of the N’lakap’mux First Nation, raised in Lytton, BC and based in Vancouver, BC, will play the role of Edmond. “While working on The Ecstasy of Rita Joe, August Schellenberg talked about his dream to play the Bard’s tragic king with an all-Aboriginal cast. And in that moment, it became my dream too. I think that this will be a production that people will talk about for years to come.” This marks Kevin’s second consecutive season as a member of the NAC English Theatre Company, having appeared in Saint Carmen of The Main (co-production with Canadian Stage), and Vimy (co-production with GCTC). Previous work with the NAC includes: Burning Vision, Copper Thunderbird (co-production with Urban Ink Productions) in 2007, The Ecstasy of Rita Joe (co-production with Western Canada Theatre) in 2009; NAC English Theatre Playwright in Residence for 2009-10. In 2010, his play, Where the Blood Mixes (Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company and Belfry Theatre revival production in association with The Savage Society) toured Canada including the NAC.

Billy Merasty of Cree descent, raised in Brochet, MN and based in Toronto, ON, will play the role of Gloucester. “It is a privilege and an honour for me to work with my professional Native community in King Lear, and to work with the great Peter Hinton, once again. May love conquer all. Peace out.” Billy has appeared at the NAC in Where the Blood Mixes (Vancouver Playhouse Theatre Company and Belfry Theatre revival production in association with The Savage Society) in 2009, and Copper Thunderbird (co-production with Urban Ink Productions) in 2007. Earlier in his career, he appeared in the NAC production of Dry Lips Oughtta Move To Kapuskasing in 1991.

Monique Mojica from the Guna and Rappahannock nations and adopted into the Cayuga bear clan, raised in New York, California, Ohio, and based in Toronto, ON, will be playing the role of Goneril. “First of all I am honoured to return to the NAC family and excited to have the opportunity to be directed by Peter Hinton for the very first time. I welcome the challenge of working in an all-Aboriginal cast, as we examine what it means to take something as culturally and temporally specific as Shakespeare’s text and story, and to transpose it not only to another time and place, but also to a culture and a collision of cultures that are rooted in the ground under our feet and not in Elizabethan England. Nuedi.” Monique has been seen at the NAC in Death of a Chief (co-production with Native Earth Performing Arts) in 2008, and Governor of the Dew in 2002.

Jeremy Proulx of Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) and Oneida (Haudenosaunee) descent, raised in Neyaashiinigmiing (Chippewas of Nawash First Nation), and based in Toronto, ON, will be playing the role of France. “I’m beyond thrilled to be returning to the NAC and to be sharing the stage with such an amazing group of First Nation performers, many of whom I’ve admired for so long. To be part of this extraordinary company of all First Nation actors, performing Shakespeare on such a major stage in Canada, will truly go down as one of the highlights of my professional career. Chi-Miigwetch to all of my Indigenous ancestors who have come before me and their fire that burns inside me; a fire that continues to ignite my passion for performing and storytelling.” Jeremy last appeared at the NAC in The Ecstasy of Rita Joe (co-production with Western Canada Theatre) in 2009.

Gordon Patrick White of French and Mi’kmaq decent, raised in Flat Bay, NL, and based in Halifax, NS, will be playing the role of Edgar. “To be working at the National Arts Centre, on a masterpiece by the greatest writer in history, and to stand with some of the best actors in the country…it means a great deal! Add to it the challenge of Edgar, and the opportunity to work in such a fresh way, I am more than excited!” Gordon was recently in Fogo Island, Newfoundland as part of the NAC English Theatre’s development project The Ark: Ibsen on Fogo Island.

Floating Up To Zero: Wheels Turning

Claudia Lapp gives a glowing review of Ken Norris’ Floating Up To Zero:

Inseparable from the writing life is the personal library: “These books that aren’t mine fill up the house…Sometimes I welcome them into the work itself. You must understand that I consider books as sacred. So much human life has gone into them.” (These Books). Diverse feminine portraits abound – a list of ex lovers and wives, their names “street signs of the road I had not taken”…

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End of Days: A Local Glimpse of Götterdämmerung

A look at Robert Lepage’s Ex Machina production of Richard Wagner’s Götterdämmerung (Live HD broadcast from the Met):

Strangely, in this century of globalized sweatshops and rampant economic crises, the themes in this opera are even more timely, as the musical drama revolves around the renunciation of emotion in favour of mineral extraction, which is the inception of the curse that enslaves others. The luxurious wealth of the powers-that-be come at the price of many labourers, and this leads to a kind of Freudian psychosis among the gods. Even the security of their dream home Valhalla has been established upon the mythical equivalent of subprime lending.

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Suffragette City: The Fighting Days

(Marina Stephenson Kerr plays Nellie McClung, on one side of an ethical split within the suffrage movement in Wendy Lill’s The Fighting Days)

In the play, Francis Beynon, who is passionately antiwar, clashes with Nellie McClung over military conscription, and over McClung’s position that the vote should be withheld from “non-Empire” immigrant women during the war.

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How to Bank Your Life on Speculative "Futures"

Jonathan Ball interviews Garry Thomas Morse about various speculative “futures”:

In two volumes of The Chaos! Quincunx, I use what William S. Burroughs called the “fold-in” method, which feels rather like battering some batter in a bowl. This process is exciting, because of its sense of immediacy. I’m never quite sure what the characters are going to do next!

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