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TEACHERS COMPANIONSpring 2009

noël Coward’s TOniGHT AT 8:30

a celebrated collection of ten brilliant short plays brought to life on three shaw festival stages.

A once-in-A-lifetime event!

OUTSTANDING THEATRE FOR

STUDENTS!

the ShAw feStivAl in niAgArA-on-the-lAke iS one of north AmericA’S moSt exciting theAtre deStinAtionS!

One of the many highlights in 2009 is a celebration of one of Bernard Shaw’s most famous contemporaries, Noël Coward, and his collection of ten short plays entitled Tonight at 8:30. From classic Coward comedies to moving dramas – some known and treasured, and some rarely seen – each of the plays is a tiny jewel of playwriting. This marks the first time in repertory theatre history that all ten plays will be performed together. A once-in-a-lifetime experience for students!

We’ve not forgotten our illustrious namesake, presenting two rousing works by Bernard Shaw, The Devil’s Disciple and In Good King Charles’s Golden Days – as well as Garson Kanin’s romantic comedy Born Yesterday, Stephen Sondheim’s award-winning Sunday in the Park with George, Eugene O’Neill’s poignant A Moon for the Misbegotten, Michel Tremblay’s iconic Albertine in Five Times and in the new Studio Theatre, John Osborne's The Entertainer.

easy and affordable lunches for $10Try our portable student lunch with sandwich, seasonal fruit, cookie and a drink, to enjoy on the beautiful grounds of the Festival Theatre or inside at the Lobby Café. Pre-order when you book your tickets.

claire Jullien in good king cHarles’s golden days. photo by shin sugino.

niagara-on-the-lake, Ontario april 1 to november 1

Festival tHeatrebrieF encOunters Still Life, We Were Dancing, Hands Across the Sea NOEL COWARD

bOrn YesterdaYGARSON KANIN

tHe devil’s discipleBERNARD SHAW

cOurt HOuse tHeatrewaYs OF tHe Heart The Astonished Heart, Family Album, Ways and Means NOEL COWARD

a MOOn FOr tHe MisbegOttenEUGENE O’NEILL

albertine in Five tiMesMICHEL TREMBLAYTRANSLATED BY LINDA GABORIAU

rOYal geOrge tHeatreplaY, OrcHestra, plaY Red Peppers, Fumed Oak, Shadow Play NOEL COWARD

sundaY in tHe park witH geOrgeMUSIC AND LYRICS BY STEPHEN SONDHEIM BOOK BY JAMES LAPINE

in gOOd king cHarles’sgOlden daYsBERNARD SHAW

star cHaMber Lunchtime

NOEL COWARD

studiO tHeatretHe entertainerJOHN OSBORNE

$25 and $30 student tickets!Students groups can attend Special Matinee performances for just $25 and regular performances for $30. Add a backstage tour, Tell Me More talk or post-show chat at no extra cost.

1-800-511-7429 or groupsales@shawfest.com

FOR inFORMATiOn OR TO BOOK YOUR ViSiT

cAll groUP SAleS At:

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TEACHERS COMPANION SPRING 2009

AS ARTiSTiC DiReCTOR YOU CHOOSe THe

pLAYS THAT MAKe Up THe SHAw’S SeASOn.

THiS YeAR, THeRe ARe SOMe exCiTinG AnD

BOLD CHOiCeS CeLeBRATinG THe wORKS OF

nOëL COwARD. TeLL US wHAT THiS enTAiLS

AnD HOw YOU weRe inSpiReD?

This season we are thrilled to be embark-ing on an adventure – a once-in-a-lifetime project with full productions of all ten short plays in Noël Coward’s famous To-night at 8:30 collection. This will be the first time all ten plays have been per-formed in repertory by a professional com-pany since 1935-36. The plays will be per-formed in sets of three, one on each of the Festival’s stages, with the tenth, the rarely produced Star Chamber, being the lunch-time production in the Royal George.

The idea of doing all of Coward’s Tonight at 8:30 came to me as I reread the plays and was struck that each one is a brilliant jewel – like the best short stories – some well known, some not. As is typical of Coward, the ten plays vary hugely. Coward is a bril-liant miniaturist, a master storyteller, and any group of these plays, seen together, is a truly satisfying theatre experience.

in YOUR OpiniOn, ARe THe wORKS OF nOëL

COwARD ACCeSSiBLe FOR STUDenTS AnD

TeACHeRS?

A couple of years ago I ‘dragged’ my 15-year-old daughter to Noël Coward’s Design for Living. By the end of the play she was completely amazed at not only the content of the play but the fact that it had been written in 1932 and yet, was still relevant today. Often when people think of Coward they think of posh peo-ple, in smoking jackets, speaking wittily in bons mots, but Coward’s plays are much more than that simple cliché. These one act plays include comedies that poke fun at the upper class, dramas that are a bit darker in tone, and musicals that combine humour and bittersweet stories.

Attending any three of these ten one-act plays will be a great introduction to Cow-ard as the students will be able to experi-ence all these facets of Coward in one go!

wHAT ASpeCTS OF THe One-ACT pLAY DO YOU

FinD MORe COMpeLLinG THAn FULL-LenGTH

pLAYS?

I have always been drawn to short stories in which essential truths are shown in a very concise way. The same is true for one-act plays, especially Coward’s, where each one is a theatrical gem and his craft as a writer is brilliant. Coward also wrote these particular plays to allow himself, and his fellow actors, opportunities to strut their talents and skills as performers. It will be fun for students to see three different plays being performed back to back, with the same actors performing three very dif-ferent characters, in three very different worlds!

wHAT ARe THe CHALLenGeS AnD Re-

wARDS OF STAGinG THeSe COwARD pLAYS?

The fun of this season for us all is that because there are four teams of directors, designers, and actors working on staging the short plays by Noël Coward, we are all able to share information and resources. We can bounce ideas off one another and, at the same time, create our own unique productions.

As the director of Brief Encounters at the Festival Theatre the challenge for me has been getting my head around the fact that there are THREE plays thus three differ-ent worlds. So, during rehearsals, I’ll have to be really organized as we create and move from play to play to play.

The challenge for designers is how do we physically and artistically move from one setting to the next, all on one stage? They have to keep in mind the stage size and theatre space as well as the practicalities of designing, moving and storing three sets.

For actors, the challenge will be maintain-ing the focus and concentration that will be necessary while performing in three vastly different plays in the span of one evening. They will literally be morphing from character to character to character!

As Coward said, “The primary objective of

the scheme is to provide a full and varied evening’s entertainment for theatre-goers.” I believe we’ll achieve this!

in the spotlight: Tonight at 8:30a conversation WitH Jackie MaxWell

Jackie Maxwell, photo by david cooper

noël coward’s tOnigHt at 8:30

Brief Encounters (Still Life, We Were Dancing,

Hands Across the Sea)

Ways of the Heart (The Astonished Heart, Family Album,

Ways and Means)

Play, Orchestra, Play (Red Peppers, Fumed Oak,

Shadow Play)

Star Chamber

www.tonightat830.com

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TEACHERS COMPANION SPRING 2009

Featured package A GReAT SHAw ADVenTURe

A student-friendly package! The Shaw Festival has partnered with Niagara Falls’ Great Wolf Lodge to offer a fantastic new package at an incredibly affordable price. Your student group will enjoy an overnight stay, hot breakfast buffet, waterpark pass, a Shaw Festival matinee performance and educational activity for only $65-$120 per student. How perfect is this for an end of year school trip?

For other great Shaw student packages, visit shawfest.com or see the 2009 Groups brochure. For information or to book, call Group Sales at 1-800-511-7429.

Fall packageBeAT THe RUSH!

Our ever-popular Fall into Shaw package goes on sale this August. This full day package includes a backstage tour, a technical or creative hands-on workshop, a pre-show chat with members of the company, lunch and a matinee performance. More information will follow in our Fall Teachers Companion newsletter but don’t hesitate to contact us in late summer for price and details. Book early for best availability.

Teen wORKSHOpS AT THe SHAwSaturdays, 10am to 5pm, including a backstage tour, workshop, matinee performance, and a post-show chat with Ensemble members. All workshops taught by Shaw Festival professionals.

ACCenT On FUn: Learn to talk like the Eng-lish upper class with confidence and flair. In-cludes 2 pm Brief Encounters. May 9

STAGe COMBAT: Explore how to make fight-ing look authentic while keeping it safe for the stage. Includes 2 pm Born Yesterday. June 6

wHOSe Line iS iT? Exercise your creativ-ity through improv games and techniques. In-cludes 2 pm Brief Encounters. June 13

One workshop, one play $30 Two workshops, two plays $50 Three workshops, two plays $60

ShAw ArtiSt-in-the-clASS ProgrAm Learn from the pros! Hands-on, in-class workshops provided by Shaw professionals in acting, dance, stage combat, character study, scene study, improv, design, tech, production, prop building, playwriting, mask, public relations, and more. No bus! No fuss! $75; $50 for schools in the Niagara Re-gion

ShAw SPeciAliSt high-SkillS mAJor workShoPS Students learn from Shaw theatre professionals allowing opportunities to see the connections between their stud-ies, the world beyond high school, and their future careers. $150 (higher outside To-ronto); $100 for schools in the Niagara Region.

StUdY gUideS Prepared by theatre and education professionals, Shaw Study Guides include background information as well as pre- and post-show activities connected to the curriculum. 2009 Study Guides will be available online for The Devil’s Disciple, Born Yesterday, Brief Encounters, Sunday in the Park with George and In Good King Charles Golden Days.

tell me more Want to know more about The Shaw’s 2009 productions? Visit shawfest.com and on each play page, you will find a description and synopsis of the play.

edUcAtionAl ActivitieS Student groups can take advantage of educational op-portunities such as a backstage tour – an hour-long guided tour of the Festival The-atre, a Tell Me More pre-show talk – an in depth overview of the production your students will see or a post-show chat – an exciting opportunity to talk with two actors after the performance. The first educational activity is FREE to school and university groups; then $2/student per activity.

resources for teachers

activities for studentsteacHers, please sHare tHese exciting tHeatre-related WorksHops and classes WitH your students.

THeATRe CLASSeS AT THe SHAwSaturdays, September 26 to December 5. A ten-week drama program designed for young people who love theatre. Through engaging drama games and new theatrical skills, participants will explore their inner creativity and develop self-confidence.

Junior Company (Grades 4-6) 10am – 11:30am $195 Intermediate Company (Grades 7-8) 10am – 11:30am $195 Senior Company I (Grades 9-10) 1pm – 3pm $236 Senior Company II (Grades 11-12) 1pm – 3pm $236

To register for the workshops or theatre classes, call the Shaw Box Office at 1-800-511-7429. For more information, contact Suzanne Merriam – Senior Manager, Education at 905-468-2153 or 1-800-657-1106 ext 265

SHAw SUMMeR CAMpPresented by The Shaw and Carousel Players July 13-17 or July 20-24. For ages 10-14. $190

Explore characters, designs and scenes from Stephen Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George. Spend a day at the Shaw Festival for a performance, backstage tour, and post-show chat with actors. Rehearse scenes from the play and perform for family and friends at the end of the week.

Five days, 9am – 3pm, including a 2pm performance of Sunday in the Park with George on July 15 or 22.

To register: Carousel Players 905-682-8326 ext 23 or info@carouselplayers.com

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TEACHERS COMPANION

TEACHERS COMPANION SPRING 2009

Education Sponsor

Online registratiOn is nOw available!1. Go to www.shawfest.com2. Click on Educational Programs3. Click on Options for Teachers – you

will be on the Teachers Day page4. Follow instructions to register.

Enter promotion code 7129 when registering for the first workshop.

IT’S TIME TO REFUEL AND BE INSPIRED

Spring 09 Teachers Day – Friday, May 1Spring 08 Teachers Day sold out - Register early!

For further details, see the enclosed registration form and workshop information sheet or contact Suzanne Merriam at 1-800-657-1106 ext 265.

Here’s what past participants had to say:

"Very rich in content.""Time definitely well spent."

• Theatre Make-up and Wigs – Cindy Emery, Shaw Festival, Wig Maker and Master Teacher

• Introduction to Dance – Graham McKelvie, Dancer, Choreographer and Master Teacher

• Whisk Them Away (Storytelling) – Cathy Miyata, Storyteller, Author and Instructor (Brock University)

• Commedia dell’arte Masks – Dean Gilmour, Artistic Director, Theatre Smith-Gilmour and Instructor (Humber College)

Workshops at the Festival Theatre

Come celebrate all that theatre has to offer. Enjoy hands-on creative workshops, a specially prepared lunch, a wine & cheese reception, and an optional evening performance of Bernard Shaw’s In Good King Charles’s Golden Days at the Royal George Theatre.

Choose two of the following workshops. Registration is on a first-come basis. Cost $85: optional evening performance $30

OpTiOn 1 The Shaw Festival website of course! Select Educational Programs for current and past play specific study guides

OpTiOn 2 www.gutenberg.org has free access to many of Shaw’s plays

OpTiOn 3 Check out the ORION online network http://www.yorku.ca/abel/Orion/Shaw/Sagittarius.html

ORION is a network available for purchase by Ontario school boards

that enables students and teachers to download Shaw’s plays, connect to areas of research linked to the works of Shaw, and expand their educational resources.

This online network provides:• annotated texts for The Devil’s

Disciple and In Good King Charles’s Golden Days

• study guides tailored to the Ontario curriculum containing production details, classroom resources, in-class activities

• research resources• a search engine

To obtain information on how to connect your school to the ORION network, contact Tim Kim at tim.kim@orion.on.ca or visit www.orion.on.ca

ORION PROJECT Ontario students and teachersWondering HoW to access tHe Works of Bernard sHaW? Well, Wonder no longer – you Have several options

Mark your calendar! In celebration of the new arts curriculum, the Shaw Festival will be offering a Teachers Day dedicated to dance. No dance experience necessary!

This day will focus on teaching dance and creative movement for primary, junior, intermediate and secondary students. Shaw dance and theatre professionals will share simple strategies and techniques that will enable you to lead your students to explore creative movement and dance in the classroom. Participants will also learn how creative movement and dance lesson plans connect to other areas of the curriculum plus cover the demand of DPA – daily physical activity! Look for more information in the fall Teachers Companion newsletter.

Fall Teachers Day - Friday October 16