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• To create and present sophisticated and uncompromising theatre for, with and by young people that provokes, challenges and inspires. • To present theatre that is socially conscious and reflects and interprets the diversity of the Canadian experience. • To nurture our audience’s appreciation of the arts and each other through community and education based programs. (Charitable Registration #11921 4146 RR0001)
Since its inception in 1976, Theatre Direct has produced and toured over 85 productions reaching as many as 45,000 young people annually and has received numerous nominations and awards including 5 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, 10 Chalmers Canadian Play Awards and the Canada Council Theatre for Young Audiences Prize. The company’s productions have traveled to schools throughout Ontario and have been presented at Harbourfront Centre, Tarragon Theatre, Factory Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille and the Canadian Stage Company in Toronto, the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Mississauga’s Living Arts Centre, The River Run Centre in Guelph and in international festivals such as the Milk International Festival and Vancouver Children’s Festival. Milestone productions include: Flesh and Blood by Colin Thomas, one of the first plays dealing with HIV/AIDS; A Secret Life by Ed Roy, presented in an innovative environmental staging; Toronto at Dreamers Rock by Drew Hayden Taylor, exploring the perspective of Aboriginal youth, which toured across Canada; The Buncha’ Young Artists Festivals 2000 and 2002, which premiered 8 new emerging playwrights and their work for young adults; And by the Way Miss… by the interdisciplinary collective URGE for girls between 12 and 14 years old; and the dance/theatre piece Beneath the Banyan Tree by Emil Sher, which explored the immigration experience of a South Asian child. Our work is driven by a belief that young people deserve truth not diversion, that they have a cultural right to meaningful content and compelling, relevant theatre. We view our audience as thinking, feeling, complex individuals, not a market, not just future audiences but our present audience that needs and demands theatre that engages all their faculties and feelings. Our audience inspires us to tackle big questions in the same way children and youth ask them, honestly, directly, courageously and passionately. Values • Achieving artistic and educational excellence • Ensuring physical, cultural, economic and intellectual access in its productions and programs for all young people and their families • Mentoring and training young people and emerging professional artists through its various apprenticeships, internships, placements and volunteer opportunities • Providing fair compensation, professional development opportunities, and work/life support for its staff
Theatre Direct is an active member of Professional Association of Canadian Theatres (PACT), Theatre Ontario, Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA), Performing Arts Organization Network for Education (PAONE), and Council Of Drama/Dance in Education (CODE). We participate in these organizations’ various initiatives and committees such as the cultural diversity committees of PACT, the eligibility committee of TAPA and the youth training committee of Theatre Ontario.
Theatre Direct Canada has produced and toured productions for young people across the country since 1976. Of these, most were directly commissioned and developed by the company. In recognition of its outstanding work for young audiences, Theatre Direct Canada has been the recipient of many Dora Mavor Moore and Chalmers Canadian Play Awards. Below is a list of awards and nominations.
2009 WALKING THE TIGHTROPE by Mike Kenny - Dora Mavor Moore Award Outstanding Production, Outstanding Performance (Wane Robson), Theatre for Young Audiences SANCTURAY SONG byAbigail Richardson & Marjorie Chan Dora Mavor Moore Award Outstanding New Musical/Opera (Abigail Richardson, Composer & Marjorie Chan, Librettist) General Theatre Production Division 2008 OFFENSIVE FOULS by Jason Long - Dora Mavor Moore Award Nomination: Outstanding Production, Outstanding Performance, Theatre for Young Audiences BINTI'S JOURNEY adapted by Marcia Johnson - Dora Mavor Moore Award Nomination: Outstanding Production, Outstanding Performance, Theatre for Young Audiences 2007 THE BABYSITTER by Eric Woolfe - Dora Mavor Moore Award Nomination: Outstanding Production, Outstanding Performance (Christine Brubaker), Theatre for Young Audiences 2006 BENEATH THE BANYAN TREE by Emil Sher - Dora Mavor Moore Award nomination for Outstanding Production 2005 AND BY THE WAY, MISS... - Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Production, Outstanding Performance by the Ensemble (Theatre for Young Audiences) 2004 2003 ALPHONSE by Wajdi Mouawad - Dora Mavor Moore Award Nomination Lighting in the General Theatre Category 2002 2001 NOT QUITE THE SAME by Anne Chislett - Dora Mavor Moore Award Nomination 1999 WAITING FOR LEWIS by Fab Fillipo - Dora Mavor Moore Award Nomination Chalmers Canadian Play Award Nomination 1998 THE GENERAL by Robert Morgan - Chalmers Canadian Play Award and Dora Mavor Moore Award Nominations 1997 LITTLE SISTER by Joan McLeod - Dora Mavor Moore Award Nomination 1996 END OF SEASON by Noel Greig - The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain Award Nomination (Best Children’s Theatre Category) 1994 LITTLE SISTER by Joan McLeod - Chalmers Canadian Play Award HIPPOPOTAMUS TEA by Louise Bombardier - Chalmers Canadian Play Award Nomination 1993 1991
Jutta Brendemühl (President) Program Coordinator Goethe-Institut Toronto
Linda Brown (Chair)
Eitan Cornfield (Secretary) Producer, CBC Radio
Andrew Muirhead (Treasurer, Fundraising Committee) Senior Vice President - Corporate Development, Viterra Inc.
Agreement Administrator Writers Guild of Canada
Walter Pitman (Honorary Member)
Kim Barnhardt (Emeritus Member) Communications and Partnerships Strategist, CMAJ
Randy Bauslaugh (Emeritus Member)
Wayne Fairhead (Emeritus Member)
Nathan Gilbert (Emeritus Member)
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Photo: Xin Wang and Alvin Crawford |
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