Points of View – Details, episodes & analysis

In this Points of View, around the presentation of Crow’s Theatre and Talk is Free Theatre’s production of The Wedding Party, NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Jillian Keiley hosts a discussion with special guests, Lisa Levia, Catering Sales Manager for NAC Food & Beverage and Kraig-Paul Proulx, Wedding & Special Events Designer & Coordinator, about the challenges, changes and beautiful moments go into planning weddings and receptions. The Wedding Party ran in the NAC Theatre January 30 – February 9.

In this Points of View, around the holiday presentation of the Segal Centre For Performing Arts from Montreal’s The Hockey Sweater: A Musical, NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Jillian Keiley hosts a discussion with special guests, Author Roch Carrier on the history and creation of the story, leading to the musical, and a surprise visit from CSA Astronaut Robert Thirsk, who chats about reading the story in space. The Hockey Sweater: A Musical ran in the NAC Theatre December 5 - 23.

The cynical, skeptical daughter of a theoretical physicist and a composer, Sarah Jean’s clinical approach to love meets with little success. In this absorbing drama infused with science and classical music, three exceptional minds collide like charged particles in an accelerator. Sarah Jean’s hugely talented yet severely dysfunctional family will learn that love and time itself are connected in unimaginable ways. Infinity is the highly-anticipated NAC debut of Ottawa-raised Hannah Moscovitch, one of Canada’s most exciting playwrights.

“Infinity is one of those wonderful plays that make you feel smarter. The writing is clever and the performances are profound. And, having a pre-schooler at the time I saw the show, Sarah Jean’s epic little girl tantrum made me cringe with delight!” – Jillian Keiley, Artistic director, NAC English Theatre

A sweeping drama of personal and political ambition follows soon-to-be Premier Joey Smallwood – the self-described “Last Father of Confederation” – as he propels the Dominion of Newfoundland into union with Canada in 1949. Both saint and sinner, the charismatic, controversial Smallwood is hounded every step of the way by witty, booze-soaked reporter Sheilagh Fielding – his intellectual equal and lifelong nemesis.

With a crackling narrative, sultry jazz score and a cast of forty characters, The Colony of Unrequited Dreams is an epic and expansive retelling of a defining Canadian story.

“My collaborator Robert Chafe started working on Wayne Johnston’s epic in 2009. It was a nearly impossible task – a story spanning 25 years with the most unlikely hero and villain combined in one man as ever landed in our collective history. This production debuted in January 2015 and I’m really proud to bring it to our national stage.” – Jillian Keiley, Artistic director, NAC English Theatre

“Artistic Fraud is one of the most innovative and exciting theatre companies in Canada. The set design and staging were kinetic, memorable, elemental. Desks, chairs, walls, and actors slid and curved into place like perfectly thrown curling stones – like the stage floor was made of smooth ice. I found myself wishing that Colony of Unrequited Dreams could be made into a mini-series.” - NFLDTXT.COM

An Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland (St. John’s) production in collaboration with Canada’s National Arts Centre.

In Victorian London, bitter, selfish Ebenezer Scrooge spends Christmas Eve counting his money. But unexpected visits by the ghost of his former partner Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come change his life forever. This heart-warming classic tale of redemption and the true meaning of the season is a unique, stylish new production designed by the acclaimed Bretta Gerecke and showcasing dazzling guest artists from the NAC’s worlds of theatre, music and dance. Join the Cratchit family in a perfect holiday treat for the entire family!

“I’m always looking for a Canadian angle to things, even when they're written by the most iconic of Brits. This Christmas Carol is built around the stars featured in NAC seasons across the disciplines. It’s a perfect opportunity to see the wonderful array of Canada’s best, in one of the world’s best holiday stories.” – Jillian Keiley, Artistic director, NAC English Theatre

In this exhilaratingly original, multimedia one-man show, actor / comedian / radio broadcaster Tetsuro Shigematsu tells the dynamic story of an emotionally distant father whose legacy is felt beyond his lifetime.

From the ashes of Hiroshima to swinging 1960s London, Akira’s incredible personal history continues to influence two generations. Separated by language, culture and history, what truly keeps father and son apart are their similarities. Empire of the Son is a funny, emotional and deeply thoughtful portrayal of parent/ child relationships.

Empire of the Son was recently nominated for five Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards, including Outstanding Production, Actor and Direction.

“I couldn’t help but hear the incredible amount of talk this work generated after its sold out debut in Vancouver last year. West of the Rockies, it was on the top of the reviewers’ year-end lists and when you see it, you’ll know why. In Empire of the Son, the personal becomes magic.” – Jillian Keiley, Artistic director, NAC English Theatre

Get back to your roots! “If you want to know a black woman, you touch her hair,” says Novelette of the clients in her Toronto hair salon. ‘da Kink is raw, energetic theatre, showcasing eight fascinating, multi-faceted women. With riffs on sexuality, families and inner lives, this theatrical kaleidoscope is accompanied by live rhythm-and-blues and gospel music.
A joyous and triumphant hit, this hugely popular work by writer/ performer Trey Anthony kicks off the English Theatre season with style.

“‘da Kink was a revolution when it sprang from the Toronto Fringe to land on the main stage of the Mirvish season in 2005. The script is so entertaining and so moving I jumped at the opportunity to work with Theatre Calgary to bring this beloved work back to Canadian audiences.”
– Jillian Keiley, Artistic director, NAC English Theatre

In this final Points of View of the 2015/16 season, Artistic Director Jillian Keiley hosts a discussion with two special guests, Belles Soeurs Producer Allan Sandler and Joël Beddows, Outgoing Director, Department of Theatre, University of Ottawa / Incoming Artistic Director, Théâtre français de Toronto, about the impact of Michel Tremblay’s Les Belles-Soeurs on the development of Quebec theatre, and the creation of this English-language musical production.

Belles Soeurs: The Musical is now clearly a musical in the Broadway sense. The jokes remain hilarious. The result is a highly entertaining show. No musical lover should miss this historic production.”– Montreal Gazette

Something happened at the Concord Floral greenhouse. Nobody talks about it – until two girls uncover the horrifying secret. Now havoc has been unleashed, forcing ten teenagers to flee a mysterious plague they’ve brought upon themselves. Featuring ten young Ottawa actors, Concord Floral is a supernatural cellphone thriller with alternating kicks of conscience, cruelty, denial and morality. One of Canada’s fastest-rising artists, Governor General’s Award-winning playwright Jordan Tannahill takes us to a surreal and gothic suburbia. This new work is a highly entertaining Canadian tale.

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“…masterfully blends naturalistic dialogue, poetic lyricism and magic realism. Concord Floral is an ensemble choral piece that packs a theatrical and emotional punch.”
NOW TORONTO

Concord Floral - March 29 - April 9, 2016 - NAC STUDIO

BOOM chronologically documents a historical period stretching from that first ‘boom’ of the Atomic Bomb in 1945 all the way to the Apollo 11 landing the first human beings on the Moon in 1969. These two iconic moments span 25 of the most tumultuous years in modern history, fuelled by a generation of children with incredible influence due to their numbers, and to the advances of technology and communication.

Award-winning writer, director and legendary solo-performer Rick Miller brings to life dozens of politicians, writers, activists and entertainers, effortlessly recreating each one.

"Technology and the way we used it was key not only to the execution of it but also the themes" explains Miller. BOOM allows the audience to experience the global events as they unfold – the Cold War, McCarthyism, Beatlemania, Trudeaumania, JFK, MLK, Mao, Vietnam and several others. The various stories spiral into the “The Summer of Love”, and BOOM ends as it began – with a new generation born into a new world order.