ATP Interactive

The new season here at Alberta Theatre Projects has just begun but play development on the plays premiering at the 24^th Annual Enbridge playRites Festival of New Canadian Plays in February has been in full gear since the spring.   Following the Banff Playwrights Colony at The Banff Centre where playwrights and directors met to work on the four plays premiering at the Festival, I had a rare opportunity to explore the source of inspiration for one of those plays while in Washington, DC for a dramaturgy conference.

 

Quebec playwright Larry Tremblay’s play Abraham Lincoln Goes to the Theatre, receiving its English language premiere here in February in a translation by Chantal Bilodeau, follows a pair of actors and a director as they draw inspiration from the assassination of US President Abraham Lincoln at Ford’s Theatre for a show they are creating.  A unique puzzle box of a play that investigates the excesses of American living and the shifting nature of our identities in a world that thrives on imitation, the play Abraham Lincoln Goes to the Theatre was inspired by Larry Tremblay’s trip to Washington, DC and what he encountered at the site of Abraham Lincoln’s assassination Ford’s Theatre. 

 

Places and artifacts often hold great insights into the stories we explore and the hold special significance in the world of Abraham Lincoln Goes to the Theatre so, with camera in hand, I took a tour of one of the most important buildings in American History to bring just a bit of the atmosphere back to the artists creating our production.  Here is a sneak peek just for you.

 

                

Ford’s Theatre: One of the most important sites in American History is in between contemporary tourist venues the Hard Rock Café and Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum in Washington, DC.

Across the street is Patterson House, the boarding house that Lincoln was carried to and where he died on the morning of April 15, 1865.  You can tour the house and see the bed Lincoln died in, pictured here.

 

Inside the basement of Ford’s Theatre, the museum is dedicated to Lincoln’s life.  But there is a little room under the stairs where visitors encounter the figures and artifacts associated with his assassination.  This statue of assassin John Wilkes Booth stands next to the small derringer pistol used to shoot President Lincoln on April 14, 1865.

Inside the theatre itself, Ranger Powell of the US Parks Service takes the crowd through a step by step description of the assassination.  Underneath the box where Lincoln was shot, he describes the plot of the comedy Lincoln watched that night, Our American Cousin, as being “kind of like the Beverly Hillbillies.”

 

         

Finishing the trip with a visit to the Lincoln Memorial was a perfect way to gain some insight into the world that inspired Larry Tremblay’s Abraham Lincoln Goes to the Theatre.

 

To see how the events and artifacts of Ford’s Theatre inspired one of Canada’s most inventive and entertaining new plays, join us in February as we premiere Abraham Lincoln Goes to the Theatre by Larry Tremblay, translated by Chantal Bilodeau. 

by Vicki Stroich, Artistic Associate - Festival

all photos by Vicki Stroich

Fans of the Alberta Theatre Projects Enbridge playRites Festival of New Canadian Plays will remember Colleen Murphy's stunning play The December Man (L'homme de decembre) which premiered at Alberta Theatre Projects in 2007 and went on to win the Governor General's Award for Drama later that year. Colleen is a great friend to Alberta Theatre Projects and we are thrilled to sponsor her Keynote Address from the Martha Cohen Stage at Playworks Ink, the annual theatre conference co-produced by Theatre Alberta and Alberta Playwrights Network. Colleen is a passionate speaker; you won't want to miss what she has to say!

 

As human beings struggle against their own darkness in the 21st century—when there are no gods to blame—how relevant, engaging, or important is tragic drama as a tool for the full exploration of our struggles? Renowned for creating work that braves dark questions and kindles meaningful engagement with audiences, Ms. Murphy’s address is an event not to be missed. Following the keynote address, rendezvous in the lobby and enjoy a complementary cocktail, hors d’oeuvres, and lively discussion.

 

There are three ways to purchase your tickets:

1. Purchase your ticket(s) in advance by calling 1-888-422-8160 (credit card payment only). Tickets can be picked up at the door.

2. Purchase your tickets online at www.theatrealberta.com (credit card payment only).

3. Purchase your tickets at the door (cash only).

 

Vicki Stroich - Artistic Associate - Festival Alberta Theatre Projects

We are thrilled to announce Alberta Theatre Projects Playwrights in Residence for the 2009 – 2010 Season:  Eric Rose, David van Belle and Karen Hines!

Playwrights and creators have always been at the heart of Alberta Theatre Projects; the Playwrights in Residence Program is an initiative that offers playwrights project specific support in the creation of a new work and invites these playwrights to be a part of our activities and community during the Season.

Van Belle and Rose are beginning their third season as Playwrights in Residence as they prepare for the premiere production of The Highest Step in the World at the 24^th Annual Enbridge playRites Festival of New Canadadian plays. This is a project that we have been developing with them for the past two seasons and we are thrilled to premiere it this year. The exciting partnership between van Belle and Rose and Alberta Theatre Projects continues to be full of great imagination, unique challenges and fulfilling collaboration.

David van Belle says of the partnership, “ATP is showing a rare and brave commitment to the creation of new works by supporting our development of The Highest Step in the World, bringing the resources of an established regional theatre to a non-traditional theatre creation process. The company has been supporting us since we first were struck with the idea for the show, and they've been with us every step of the way. These kinds of partnerships are changing the landscape of Canadian theatre right under our feet.".

Eric Rose comments, “Creating art is risky.  It might even be as risky as skydiving from 103 000 feet above the surface of the earth. It takes a rare kind of belief in the possibility of the creative process to enable two creators like David and I to take the great leap into the unknown. Fortunately for us and theatre makers everywhere, Alberta Theatre Projects has an exceptional staff who not only take the leap with you but also provide the necessary support so you can take the largest, most daring leap possible.”.

And we are awfully fond of them too! For information about the premiere of The Highest Step in The World and the Enbridge playRites Festival of New Canadian Plays pleasevisit: http://www.atplive.com/OnStage/Enbridge/enbridge.html

Karen Hines is coming on board for her first season as a Playwright in Residence at Alberta Theatre Projects. Hines has developed a reputation as a truly unique and innovative playwright, performer and director. As a Playwright in Residence at Alberta Theatre Projects she will be writing and developing a new play titled Drama; this intriguing work in progress explores the idea of a collective soul. Hines divides her time between Calgary and Toronto. Alberta Theatre Projects audience will remember her as the director of Linda Griffiths’ Age of Arousal. Hines will also be directing our production of Toad of Toad Hall this season. For more information about Karen Hines and her work:  http://www.pochsy.org/ .

All of us at Alberta Theatre Projects look forward to working with these three innovative and exceptional artists and their collaborators this Season. Welcome to Alberta Theatre Projects David, Eric and Karen!

Eric Rose, Co-Artistic Director of Calgary's Ghost River Theatre and one of ATP's Playwrights in Residence (with his compadre and fellow Co-Artistic Director David van Belle) is celebrating the final installment of a three year artistic process that involved an ensemble of artists living, working and creating together out in Alberta’s inspirational Badlands with the world premiere this week of Something to do With Death; a co-presentation of Ghost River Theatre and Invisible Elephant Performance.

"Set against the backdrop of an encroaching railway, of great forces vying to shape the contours of this new land, and a slain hero resurrected by ancient gods to avenge a tragic past, Something to do With Death is a modern-day fable that exemplifies the best of Sergio Leone’s renowned ‘spaghetti western’ mythology."

After seeing a little taste of this piece at Creation Cabaret on Blitz Weekend as part of the Enbridge playRites Festival of New Canadian Plays and knowing the great imagination and energy that Eric and his creative team have applied to its creation, I know it is going to be a pretty dynamic piece of theatre. If you are looking for your summer theatre fix, you may want to check this out.

Vicki Stroich
Dramaturg


Ghost River Theatre and Invisible Elephant Performance proudly presents Something to do With Death at the Vertigo Studio Theatre from June 20th – 28th, 2009. For ticket purchase and information call 403-263-0079 or visit www.ghostrivertheatre.com . (Audience Advisory: violence, coarse language and adult themes)

CREATIVE TEAM:
Conceived & Directed by Eric Rose,
Created by the Invisible Elephant Ensemble
Scripted by Jason Patrick Rothery
Set & Costume Design by Tyler Sainsbury
Original Sound Design by Matt Waddell
Lighting Design by Alexandra Prichard
Performed by: Jamie Konchak, Geoffrey Ewert, Philip Warren Sarsons, Kelly Spilchak, & Jordan Schartner.

Tell us your thoughts or comments on NiX created by The Only Animal

A co-production with Tarragon Theatre, Starring Nicola Lipman.

Tell us your thoughts or comments on Another Home Invasion by Joan MacLeod.

What did you think of The Good Egg by Michael Lewis MacLennan?

After three years and much planning Alberta Theatre Projects, Ghost River Theatre and The Only Animal began building the dome that will house the world premiere of NiX created by The Only Animal. 

This is a shot I took of the dome from yesterday as they started building it on the Olympic Plaza ice rink.

For more information and for tickets check out our website www.atplive.com

See you at the theatre!

Vicki Stroich
Dramaturg
Alberta Theatre Projects