TEC was established in 2011. It was preceded by the Cultural and Artistic Leadership Program (CALP). The following are but a sampling of the projects that have received CALP support in the past years.
BLISS
KISMET one to one hundred
RABBIT RABBIT
RUNNING WATER
SHED
SIA

BLISS

Project lead: Steven McCarthy (Acting, 1997; Directing, 2010)

Bliss is a choral piece in which a young Wal-Mart employee and her three co-workers inhabit and impersonate various characters to tell the true tales of the failed pregnancy of an internationally renowned Quebecoise pop singer and the contrasting degradations suffered by a young girl chained day and night to her bed by her family.
Bliss was presented from August 6 to 14, 2010, and Steven McCarthy won the CanStage award for Best Direction, at the 2010 SummerWorks Festival (Toronto, ON). The show will be produced at major theatres in Toronto and Montreal during the 2011-2012 season.

"This production is an incredible example of why the National Theatre School of Canada belongs in Montreal and the opportunities it affords its students by being here. (…) It is a blend of styles and methods from the two official cultures of this country; and therefore combines the strengths of the anglophone tradition with those of the francophone theatre." Steven McCarthy

Bliss (Summer 2010)
By Olivier Choinière (Écriture dramatique, 1996 – French Playwriting Program)
Translated by Caryl Churchill
Directed by Steven McCarthy (Acting, 1997; Directing, 2010)
With Delphine Bienvenue, Jean-Robert Bourdage, Steven McCarthy and France Rolland
Set & Costume Design by James Lavoie
Lighting Design & Production Management by Rachel Dawn Woods (Production, 2011)
Sound Design by Diane Labrosse
Technical Direction by Ian Michael Costello (Production, 2012)
Stage Management by Linsey Callaghan (Production, 2012)
A Candles Are for Burning Presentation

Learn more about the project:
Candles Are for Burning website
An article in the Globe and Mail
An article in NOW

KISMET one to one hundred

Project lead: Anita Rochon (Directing, 2009)

In the spring of 2009, four artists set out across Canada to interview one hundred people, ages 1 through 100, about their experiences and beliefs around kismet – fate and destiny. What they discovered on the road – a myriad of personal stories of mystery, joy and endurance – became the anchor for a fascinating and intimate show that blends verbatim interviews with the experience of the travelers themselves.
The Chop Theatre's KISMET one to one hundred premiered at the Theatre Centre's FreeFall festival in Toronto in March 2010. It then went on to play to sold-out houses at Rumble Production's TREMORS at The Cultch and was nominated for 'Outstanding Innovative Creation' and 'Critics' Choice for Innovation' at the 2010 Jessie Richardson Awards. In addition to numerous remount in BC in 2011 and 2012, it will be one of the shows featured in the 2011 Magnetic North Theatre Festival.

"CALP's priorities lie in supporting theatre that has a social impact. This is a priority that the creators of this show share. Indeed it was one of the impetuses in making the piece. (…) For the creators and audiences alike, sharing in our humanity and searching for understanding about belief and meaning in our tiny and individual existences seemed to bring an impact that was felt long after the lights went down at the end of the show." Anita Rochon

KISMET one to one hundred (2010)
Created and performed by Daryl King, Anita Rochon, Emelia Symington Fedy & Hazel Venzon
Directed by Anita Rochon (Directing, 2009)
Dramaturgy by Camille Gingras & Lois Anderson
Sound Design by Antoine Bédard
Visual Design by Drew Facey
A Chop Theatre Production
Produced with the generous assistance of the Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council, City of Vancouver, Cultural Artistic Leadership Program (National Theatre School of Canada), Rumble Productions, The Theatre Centre & Volkswagen Canada.

Learn more about the project:
Kismet one to one hundred trailer
Kismet one to one hundred blog
The Chop Theatre website

RABBIT RABBIT

Project lead: Ron Klappholz (Acting, 2010)

A sixteen year old prostitute finds herself at the service of a paedophilic birthday clown; she is not his usual girl. In spite of her nerves and his broken routine, the two characters form a unique bond. The hotel room becomes a confessional for dark secrets and future dreams.
The show was performed at the 2009 SummerWorks Festival (Toronto, ON), from August 6 to 14, 2009, and at the Edmonton Fringe Festival (Edmonton, AB), from August 13 to 23, 2009.

"Speaking as a first time director and producer, the constant delegating between the creative team, the actors, and keeping my vision and topics alive and accurate was a definite balancing act. (…) All in all, the entire project was incredibly enlightening and very educational for me, and for the entire team." Ron Klappholz

Rabbit Rabbit (August 2009)
By Amy Lee Lavoie (Playwriting, 2010)
Dramaturgy by Brian Drader
Directed by Ron Klappholz (Acting, 2010)
With Katie Swift & Alex McCooeye (both Acting, 2009)
Set & Costume Design by Nancy Ann Perrin (Set & Costume Design, 2010)
Sound Design, Lighting Design & Stage Management by Kate Sandeson (Production, 2010)
Produced by Rather Undisciplined Productions

Learn more about the project:
An article in Hour (Montreal)

RUNNING WATER

Project lead: Colin Mercer (Acting, 2012)

Running Water is the story of Coral, a 16 year-old girl who, at the age of 2, was diagnosed with "mental retardation." She was abandoned by her parents, separated from her sister and moved from one mental rehabilitation centre to another. The play revolves around her life as a mentally handicapped young woman in the foster care system and how she survives the challenges of her everyday life. Furthermore, as the story focuses on the powerful, cogent character of Coral, the play addresses the lack of equality in Western theatre in terms of roles for strong, independent women.
The show was presented from August 11 to 14, 2010, at the Alumnae Theatre, Toronto, ON.

"During this production of Running Water, I was taught countless lessons. Many of which will be used in my daily life and in whatever my next project happens to be. This experience has taught me the definition of being a leader and has helped me rediscover the effects art can have on a community and on the self." Colin Mercer

Running Water (August 2010)
Written, Directed & Produced by Colin Mercer (Acting, 2012)
Dramaturgy by Maureen Gualtieri (Playwriting, 2012)
With Auston Clark, Sébastien Heins (Acting, 2012), Stephen Joffe (Acting, 2012), Tanya Mok, Matthew Shachar & Michelle Yagi
Set Construction by Chris Haddock
Lighting Design by Emily Thorne (Production, 2012)
A Firebrand Theatre Production

Learn more about the project:
A homemade "mockumentary" about the rehearsal process
An article in Inside Toronto

SHED

Project Lead: Leah Jane Esau (Playwriting, 2012)

The play is based on a 2006 incident where a group of children, aged 8 to 11, pushed 14-year-old Brian McKay into a shed, closed the door, and lit the shed on fire. Brian was saved by a neighbour.
Because the children involved were under the age of 12, they were protected by the Canadian Youth Justice Act and, therefore, could not be charged. The police gave them "a warning."
Shed is a work of fiction, inspired by a news article. With this play, Les Nouvelles Theatre Company wishes to understand the crimes that are committed in our cities, in Canada, to investigate living conditions around us, and to bring these relevant social stories to audiences.
Shed was performed from August 5 to 15, 2010, at the 2010 SummerWorks Festival (Toronto, ON).

"Shed was monumental in our development as artists and leaders. (…) We are much stronger now in our craft and have been exposed to working in different areas of the theatre, giving us better knowledge and understanding of how theatre works. (…) Most importantly, I feel that we presented a show that challenged audiences to discuss issues in modern society surrounding children and youth." Leah Jane Esau

Shed (Summer 2010)
By Leah Jane Esau (Playwriting, 2012)
Dramaturgy by Judith Thompson (Acting, 1979)
Directed by Justin Madol (Acting, 2012)
With Krystina Bojanowski (Acting, 2012), Andrew Bunker, Simon Derome & Jovan Kocic
Set & Costume Design by Nancy Ann Perrin (Set & Costume Design, 2010)
Stage Management by Lynda Yearwood
Presented by Les Nouvelles Theatre Co.

Learn more about the project:
Les Nouvelles website
A review in NOW

SIA

Project lead: Matthew MacKenzie (Playwriting, 2009)

SIA is the fast and furious story of a former child soldier who takes a Canadian university student hostage in a Liberian refugee camp in West Africa; a challenging look into the complex relationship between North America and Africa.
SIA was created at the 2010 Toronto Fringe Festival, from June 28 to July 12, 2010. The play received five stars from Eye Weekly and was named Outstanding New Play by NOW Magazine. In May 2010, Matthew MacKenzie was the Grand Prize recipient of the 44th Alberta Playwriting Competition for his piece, SIA. During fall 2010, the play's original cast presented a staged reading at the inaugural Preview of the Arts, in NYC, a showcase which also featured works by John Patrick Shanley and Adam Rapp; in April 2011, a reading of the play by an American cast was presented in NYC. Furthermore, SIA will be produced in Toronto and Calgary during the 2011-2012 season.

"At the end of a performance, a young woman who had come to Canada from Liberia as a refugee five years previously, came to me weeping, thanking the company for telling the story we were sharing. (…) For us, who fought with worries regarding appropriation of voice, this was the single most important feedback on the piece we received." Matthew MacKenzie

SIA
Written and Produced by Matthew MacKenzie (Playwriting, 2009)
Directed by Philip McKee (Directing, 2009)
With Jajube Mandiela, Thomas Antony Olajide (Acting, 2010) and Brendan McMurtry-Howlett (Acting, 2008)
Stage Management by Kai-Yueh Chen (Production, 2010)