2009 FESTIVAL OF IDEAS AND CREATION: Explore new plays and live theatre behind-the-scene

From the press release:

Toronto, ON (June 5, 2009) – The Canadian Stage Company’s Festival of Ideas and Creation ramps up Monday, June 8 and continues to Saturday, June 27 at the Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley Street.

The three-week Festival is an opportunity for the public to explore new plays, participate in the development of new works and take a behind-the-scenes look at live theatre. At the same time the Festival offers professional development opportunities for local and national artists to evolve their creative process and present new works. The Festival features more than 350 theatre luminaries, emerging artists and youth in over 75 live events. Most events are free and open to the public. A full schedule of events is available online at canstage.com/festival. For information and tickets, call The Canadian Stage Company Box Office at 416-368-3110.

The Festival features a dynamic line-up of public play readings and rehearsals such as new works by Governor General’s Award-winner Judith Thompson, Chalmers Award-winner Ed Roy, open forums with the stalwarts of live theatre such as two-time Tony Award-winner William Finn and Governor General’s Award and Siminovitch Prize-winner Daniel MacIvor, book launches; backstage tours, youth events, and artist/industry masterclasses and conferences.

Festival Highlights:

WILLIAM FINN: IN CONVERSATION AND CELEBRATION

In partnership with Acting Up Stage Theatre Company

Monday June 22, 7 p.m.

Tickets: $25 – $50

Open to the public

One of the most unique voices in contemporary musical theatre today, Finn is a two-time Tony Award- winner whose musicals include Falsettos, A New Brain, Elegies: A Song Cycle, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Finn discusses his life and craft. The evening includes musical performances by Toronto’s leading Finn interpreters including Thom Allison, Barbara Barsky, Steven Gallagher, and Eliza-Jane Scott.

PUBLIC READING OF TOM STOPPARD’S THE COAST OF UTOPIA

Featuring Rosemary Dunsmore, RH Thomson, Maggie Huculak, Richard McMillan, Ted Dykstra, Nigel Shawn Williams, Severn Thompson, Tanya Jacobs, Damien Atkins, Jordan Pettle, Andrew Moodie, Marjorie Chan, and d’bi.young, among others

Wednesday June 17, 7 p.m. (Voyage)

Thursday June 18, 7 p.m. (Shipwreck)

Friday June 19, 7 p.m. (Salvage)

Tickets: $15 per performance

Open to the public

A not-to-be-missed, intimate, staged reading of one of the most powerful theatrical events of the decade, Tom Stoppard’s three-part period epic about Russian intellectuals is an inspired examination of the struggle between romantic anarchy, utopian idealism and practical reformation. The trilogy, which Time Out New York called “Stoppard’s crowning achievement,” garnered nine Tony awards, setting a record for the most awards won by a play in Tony history. Directed by Natasha Mytnowych, Ravi Jain and Claire Calnan, this three-day event features over 60 of Canada’s most celebrated leading actors alongside emerging artists and youth. All proceeds benefit the Actors Fund of Canada.

Festival Partners include Acting Up Stage Theatre Company, Aluna Theatre, Cooking Fire Festival, Associated Designers of Canada, Dancemakers, Design Exchange, Kahaniya; Sisters Sharing Stories, Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas, Laidlaw Foundation, Luminato Festival of Arts and Creativity, Nightswimming, Playwrights Canada Press, Playwrights Guild of Canada, The Power Plant, Random House Canada, Small Wooden Shoe, SummerWorks Festival, Theatre Revolve, Toronto District School Board and Why Not Theatre.