Crow's Theatre Launches 25th Anniversary Matching Funds Program

A message from Tara Parker, Chair of the Crow's Theatre Board of Directors

On behalf of the Crow's Theatre Board of Directors, I would like to invite you to join us as Crow's Theatre Celebrates 25 Years of Groundbreaking Canadian Theatre with the launch of our 25th Anniversary Matching Funds Program.

Since 1983, Crow's Theatre has grown from a small artist-run company to an industry-leading producer, known across Canada for its innovation and artistic rigour. We have solidified this reputation through our lasting commitment to new Canadian work and the artists who create it, producing several of our country's seminal works.

In 2007, Chris Abraham joined the company as its new Artistic Director. He has brought with him an impressive body of work as an award winning freelance theatre maker, as well as a wealth of experience as an independent producer. His vision for a stronger commitment to challenging contemporary subjects, and expanded touring activity has already reinvigorated the company's reputation as one of the countryÕs most highly regarded producers of in–demand contemporary theatre.

Inspired by Chris' vision and the twenty-five year legacy of Crow's Theatre, we are introducing the company's first ever Matching Funds Program. This 25th Anniversary Matching Funds Program, generously supported by one of our Directors, will generate funds for the commissioning and development of new work by donating a further $1 for every $3 you contribute. Your donation will go further than ever to help us provide our artists with the kind of time and resources that have made our upcoming season possible. 

Indeed, our 25th Anniversary Season is one of the most exciting seasons in recent memory and is a true celebration of the history and spirit of Crow's Theatre. Chris has programmed an ambitious season that will see us working with some of the country's top artists to bring a diverse line-up of bold new works and award winning remounts to stages in Toronto and across the country. Continue Reading»

Donations can be made on-line, or by sending a cheque to Crow's Theatre.

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[boxhead] Closes November 2

The critics are calling [boxhead] "experimental theatre at its finest" (Toronto Star), "delightfully bizarre" (Toronto Sun), "vastly entertaining and brilliantly silly" (Xtra) and it has been selected by Toronto Life's Best of Fall issue.

"* * * *" - Toronto Sun, Eye Weekly

"Abraham's meticulous directing of what is essentially physical theatre is a visual knockout"
- The Globe & Mail

"Superbly realized... a staggering feat" -National Post

Starring Adam Lazarus (Director of this year's Fringe Festival sensation Lupe Undone), and Andrew Shaver (Artistic Director of SideMart Theatrical Grocery), [boxhead] is a theatrical experience unlike anything youÕve ever seen. Originally produced by Chris Abraham's go-chicken-go in 2000, [boxhead] has not played in Toronto for over five years and must close on November 2nd.

"I had somehow missed all previous productions of [boxhead], but this one has spoiled me for anything else in theatre... perfectly fabulous." -Audience Member

photos of Adam Lazarus & Andrew Shaver by Beth Kates

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The recently published book, which includes the full text of the play along with musical score and introduction, is now available from Coach House Books.

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Darren O'Donnell's [boxhead] Published by Coach House Books

The following is an excerpt from Darren O'Donnell's introduction to [boxhead], published by Coach House Books.

I'm most proud of the fact that [boxhead] wasn't my idea; the theatrical challenge of a show entirely about a guy with a box on his head was something that came from director Chris Abraham and actor Paul Fauteux. As far as Chris remembers it, they were working on Peter Handke's Kaspar, and dealing with language and reason as a kind of prison, game or box for the character. They approached me to work with them on a new project because Chris was curious to see how I would respond to the very actorly Paul. IÕm always cranky about representational theatre, so trying to throw stuff that would irritate Paul became a primary motivation for me. I'm proud of all of this because it was the first large-scale collaboration on my part, the first time I had taken someone's constraints, run with them and come up with something better than any of us could have generated alone.

But back to irritating Paul. At the time, he was my idea of the worst sort of actor: National Theatre School trained, with a need to understand every line, a desire for every word to make sense; he insisted on comprehending what he was saying at every point, as if this were, somehow, the standard human condition. Which was a problem for me, since I had no clear idea of what the hell the show was about and was defiantly proud of that fact... Continue Reading»

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Crow's Theatre Welcomes 08/09 Writers In Residence

	Award winning New York-based playwright/director Misha Shulman was born and raised in Jerusalem where he served in the Israeli army as a Commander in charge of Education. Misha is a founding member of Boundless Theatre (NYC) and a member of the famed Living Theatre. His 2005 play Desert Sunrise has toured across the U.S. and, most recently, he directed DADA New York in his play Brunch at Luthers. Misha joins us as a Writer in Residence for the 2008/2009 season.
	Michael MacKenzie is a writer and director for both theatre and film, whose plays have been produced at theatres across Europe and North America. He has worked with Robert LePage's esteemed ex machina company in Montreal, as well as the National Arts Centre, BBC Radio, and Cirque du Soleil. He is currently collaborating with Chris Abraham on an upcoming production of his play Geometry in Venice and will join the company this season as a Writer in Residence.
	Writer/Performer Evan Webber is a founding member of One Reed Theatre Ensemble whose works include the award-winning Nor the Cavaliers who Came with Us and the Summerworks hit (never underestimate) The Power. Evan also works with performance groups Small Wooden Shoe, Public Recordings and surPrise Performance and is a contributor for Alternatives Journal, The Canadian Theatre Review and Time and Space Magazine. Evan's play Antigone: A Clean House for the Dead Season, which was developed while in residence at Crow's Theatre, will premiere at Soulpepper in 2009.

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I, Claudia Closes After a Successful Run in Ottawa, Returns to Toronto in April 2009

Hailed as "A masterful accomplishment" (National Post), "A marvelous creation" (Ottawa Express) and "Blissfully funny, unexpectedly touching... a must see" (Toronto Star) I, Claudia has charmed audiences world over since 2001.

After last year's tour of western Canada, which included Liisa Repo-Martell's Sterling Award-winning performance in Edmonton, I, Claudia was invited to open the Great Canadian Theatre Company's 08/09 season at their new home in Ottawa's west end.

"Repo-Martell gives a tour-de-force performance" -Ottawa Sun

"irrepressibly charming, endearing and funny" -Wellington Oracle

"Chris Abraham's production is exquisitely refined, focusing on extreme character development and glowing moments of theatrical magic." -Vue Weekly

In April, Kristen Thomson will reprise her original performance for the show's long-anticipated Toronto return. Tickets for the Toronto engagement of I, Claudia will go on sale in early 2009 - make sure that you receive the latest box office information by signing up for our mailing list.

"My friend and I went to see I, Claudia here in Ottawa the other night at GCTC and we both loved it. In fact, she said it was one of the best plays she'd ever seen." -Audience Member

Photos of Liisa Repo-Martell by Ian Jackson

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Eternal Hydra Invited to 2009 Magnetic North Festival

Anton Piatigorsky's Eternal Hydra has been selected for the upcoming Magnetic North Theatre Festival, which is taking place in Ottawa June 3-13, 2009. This is the second year that Crow's Theatre has been invited to Magnetic North, after opening the 2008 festival with our production of [boxhead].

"I was mesmerized from the first moments of Crow's Theatre's intelligent and complex production of Anton Piatigorsky's Eternal Hydra. I love a good literary mystery and Piatigorsky's script offers a complex interlocking puzzle in which each scene reveals new information that completely usurps our understanding of what has come before. Issues of authorial intent, literary ownership and the ultimate accusation of plagiarism culminate in the stunning staging of the final scene. In the expert hands of Crow's stellar cast and under director Chris Abraham's firm hand, the book literally comes alive on the stage, refuting all of the audience's previous questions with the sheer power of words." -Ken Cameron. Artistic Director, Magnetic North

Don't miss the premiere full-length production of Eternal Hydra at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (Toronto). May 18 - 31, 2009. Buy Tickets»

Photos (L-R) of Karen Robinson, Sam Malkin, David Ferry & Liisa Repo-Martell by Colin O'Connor

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Claire Calnan, Winner of the 2008 Crow's Theatre Award for Direction, talks about her new play Raising Luke

Claire is a founding member of tiny bird productions, whose production of Raising Luke earned Claire the Crow's Theatre Award for Direction at the 2008 Summerworks Festival.

The seeds for Raising Luke were planted almost a decade ago when my parents attended a reunion at the convent where my mother had served as a nun for seven years. Previously very reserved about her past she returned home brimming with stories and memories. I was in theatre school at the time and in my mid-twenties, the same age my mother had been when she was in a religious order.

I really grappled with the differences between our lives and started asking a lot of questions. I built a solo show based on the material but knew I wanted to return to the subject matter as I continued to investigate my own complicated relationship to organized religion and my mother's faith... Continue Reading»

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Crow's Theatre Announces New Outreach Program

With the generous support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Crow's Theatre is launching a new Outreach Program. This program will create opportunities for volunteerism, professional development, and community involvement.

In addition to hosting artistic residencies, internships, and community events, we will be partnering with the National Theatre School of Canada to present a showcase of work by emerging directors Phillip McKee, Anita Rochon, and Vahid Rabhini at TorontoÕs Theatre Centre. More details about this project, and other Outreach Program activities, will be released in early 2009.

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Creator's Reserve

Crow's Theatre is now accepting submissions for the Theatre Creator's Reserve grants through the Ontario Arts Council. Crow's Theatre wishes to support the variety of needs and approaches individual creators or collectives may have in creating original work. We are interested in projects that are in all stages of development. We will support theatre creators who are working on new play texts, creation based models, found sources and with unusual combinations of the three.

For more information and complete application guidelines, please visit our website.

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Volunteer

Crow's Theatre is always seeking volunteers to help out in all areas of the company. We have opportunities to participate in our marketing & development initiatives, as well as upcoming artistic and producing activities. We are also looking for people who want to contribute to our newsletter, and are always open to suggestions from people who are interested in volunteering their time and talents.

If you are interested, please contact Outreach Coordinator Mark Aikman.

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Community Listings

COACH HOUSE BRINGS [BOXHEAD] TO BOOKSTORES

This fall, Coach House Books publishes the long-overdue book of Darren O'Donnell's groundbreaking play [boxhead]. The book includes the full text of the play, musical score and an introduction by the playwright.

Visit chbooks.com for more information

THE CULTURE CONGRESS
November 14 – 16 at the Harbourfront Centre
           
The Culture Congress is a forum that opens up OntarioÕs lively artistic community to the world, connecting artists from a wide array of creative disciplines to national and international cultural communities for an exchange of ideas, skills, and information. This latest edition focuses on the development of interactions between creative communities in Quebec and Ontario and asks the question: L'art du CONTACT - how do we make it?

Visit culturecongress.wordpress.com for more information.

PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE INTENSIVES
with Adam Lazarus and guest instructors
Meagan O'Shea (movement), Adam Paolozza (Lecoq Technique) and Ilse Gudino (Flamenco)
 
Working in the tradition of French Master Teachers Philippe Gaulier and Jacques Lecoq, the forefathers of physical theatre and clowning, these 5 day courses challenge students to take risks, hone their improvisational skills and push through performance inhibitions to find the pleasure of being present, space, rhythm, fixed point, complicity, focus, flop and play.
 
Week 1: Introduction to Bouffon / Monday Nov. 17 – Friday Nov. 21 – 10am – 2pm
Week 2:  Building a Performance / Monday Nov. 23 – Friday Nov. 28 – 10am – 2pm
November 29 & 30: Class Showing at The Bread & Circus Theatre

Visit quiptake.com for more information

TORONTO SKETCH COMEDY FESTIVAL
November 18 – 23 2008 at The Diesel Playhouse, The Second City, Comedy Bar

Catch North America's best scripted comedy including performances by The Dance Party of Newfoundland and Drop Six (Best of the Fest winners in '06 and '07), Canadian Comedy Award Winners The Sketchersons and The Williamson Playboys... nearly 40 troupes performing in three venues over five nights.

Full programming details are available online at www.torontosketchfest.com

Theatre artists who are interested in learning more about comedy writing and performance are invited to some professional development workshops during the Festival. Keep your eyes on torontosketchfest.com for more information.