The Indigenous Artist Residency program at NTS allows Indigenous artists to expand their artistic practice. The program puts resident artists in contact with dozens of professionalartists who act as coaches and mentors during the training.

Rebecca Cuddy, member of the Métis Nation of Ontario, graduatedof the Indigenous Artists in Residence Program in 2022. She isleaving NTS with several projects in development that she willcontinue to nurture. These include a confident draft of her of herfirst play. Another is a work of augmented reality which weavestogether elements of her Métis heritage and personal beadworkpractice. “The Maydee Box” will be presented at the Festival ofLive and Digital Art this June in Kingston.

“The program has just been pushing me in a very nurturing way tonot be afraid to explore things that I’ve only pondered and thought:”Well maybe one day, but no, right now!”. It’s just access to all ofthese diferent amazing teachers who have so much time tochallenge you, it’s really great.”
Rebecca Cuddy

FIRST YEAR

Rebecca began following the first-year actors’ curriculum:

– Daily voice and movement classes-
– Silent Improvisation
– Solo Piece (a short-form creation process)
– Canadian Theatre in Context
– Ongoing Indigenous Resistance Through Theatre
– Full Play Study
– Project Motherland
– Introduction to an Actor’s Process

Rebecca has also been participating in some classes and workshops with the Directing Program
– Light and Sound Design Workshop
– Indigenous Theatre in Canada

She has also taken courses in the Playwriting and Directing programs:
– Free Writing
– Indigenous Theatre in Canada
– Approaches to Performance-making in a Digital Context
– Stage Management and Production Management seminars
– Performing Objects

Rebecca also participated in private coaching sessions:
– Exploration of Creation and Dramaturgy with Jani Lauzon,Yvette Nolan and Meegwun Fairbrother
– Foundations of Concept-building with Julie Fox
– Text Analysis with Andrea Romaldi
– Foundations of Directing with Matjash Mrozewski

SECOND YEAR

Rebecca has taken part in the following classes and workshops:
– Sound Design Intensive
– Voice Over seminar
– Next Gen Showcase (audition preparation for an online showcase)
– Theatre History
– Free Writing
– Scenography
– Adaptation

Rebecca Cuddy was invited by Alisa Palmer, the English Section’s Artistic Director, to speak on behalf on all anglophone students at the school’s AGM. Rebecca’s enthusiasm, joy in creative exploration and appetite for work made her an ideal spokesperson.

The last term of Rebecca’s residency was structured around projects:
– Ongoing dramaturgical conversations with Yvette Nolan
– Two script workshops on her Adaptation draft of Waubegeshig Rice’s 2018 novel “Moon of the Crusted Snow”
– Spiderwebshow commissioned Rebecca to create a work for the Festival of Live and Digital Art’s Alpha series (for works indevelopment.)
– Rebecca’s creation, The Maydee Box, was presented on June 10th and 11th 2022.
– Rebecca acted as vocal coach on the student production of Cabaret, presented in the Ludger-Duvernay Theatre of theMonument-National
– Rebecca participated in the digital Next Generation Audition Showcase, along with the 3rd year Acting students

The Tullio Cedraschi Award was established in 2007 in order to acknowledge the student who best exemplifies the vision and values of the School; a person who will be part of a broad and diverse community of Canadians that will ensure that the performing arts continue to play an important role in society. This year two students from the French section and one student from the English section tied for the prize.

The recipient of this award is a force to be reckoned with. Within her class she is a leader and provides a foundation of strength, diligence, and care. She is a gifted stage manager who can understand the needs of the room, schedule multiple activities in multiple venues, manage a team of assistants, communicate with designers, actors, directors and a team of production personal with kindness and steadfast determination.

She embodies the values of the school and the PDTA program with her rigour and her understanding of the importance of teamwork in the creative process. She supports her peers and their work, she pushes them to do better, but is also compassionate when that is out of reach. She speaks up when we can do better and holds people accountable to their word. Wei Qing leads by example and all students are drawn to her work ethic and her compassion. Her strength of character drives her work and I know she is deeply admired by students, teachers and coaches alike.

Congratulations to Wei Qing Tan (Production Design and Technical Arts, 2022)!

His kindness, his benevolence, his relaxed demeanour and his cheerfulness have coexisted from the start with an exemplary thoroughness, an acute intelligence and an astounding creativity. He’s funny, he’s unifying, he’s soothing. He is a seeker who loves to learn, and perhaps that’s why he first chose to train as a journalist before coming to the School.

This gentle nonconformist makes a racket in his head and leaves it to others to imagine the noise. With his feet firmly planted in his famous fish-shaped sandals, he makes a racket on his keyboard, also. He once uttered this sentence, which says it all about him: “To write a character is to put your heart into another mouth.”

Congratulations to Thomas Dufour (Écriture dramatique, 2022)!

Despite his young age, this student stands out for his excellence. From his first year, he has been actively involved and shown maturity and excellent listening skills. He is always willing to put his talent at the service of others, no matter the project. He is also always generous with his time, knowledge and, of course, equipment, which he stores with care in the garage of his family’s home.

Congratulations to Zacharie Filteau (Création et production, 2022)!

The Bernard Amyot Teaching Awards were created to recognize the contribution of new faculty members to the revitalization and renewal of the School and their positive impact on students and their work.Given annually to two teachers newly hired by the National Theatre School with no more than 3 years of teaching experience here at the School. One recipient per section will be chosen, one from the French section and one from the English section.

A newcomer to the Playwriting Program, this instructor has made her mark as an attentive, compassionate, and practical mentor. She provides sound advice and ongoing support to every student in the Program. Her role preparing them for the professional world begins in one-on-one meetings in first year and culminates in the grant-writing course in third year – a very successful addition to the Program that helps graduating students transition from school to work. A graduate of the Playwriting Program and a working playwright herself, she intimately understands the needs of students and the struggles of playwrights, and draws from her own experiences to guide the students. Accomplished, thorough, patient, and wise, we count ourselves lucky to have her. Today, on the twentieth anniversary of her own graduation, we want to express our gratitude for her wholehearted commitment to the School and its students.

Congratulations to Marie-Leofeli Romero Barlizo (Playwriting teaching artist and alumna, 2002)!

He has only been teaching in the Production Design and Technical Arts program for a few years, but he has already had a significant influence on his students.

His very human-centred pedagogical approach based on interaction helps to build trust from the outset. He helps his students navigate computer-assisted technical drawing, and with his meticulous eye for artistic detail, pushes them to perform at a high level in this area. For some, he has become a mentor who has calmly and kindly supported them during their first year, especially during Théâtre Idéal. With this award, we would like to acknowledge his commitment and the quality of his teaching.

Congratulations to Xavier Côté (Création et production teaching artist)!

The Ada Slaight Prize is awarded to a graduating student in any discipline who demonstrates leadership and empathy in working with colleagues of both the French and English sections of the School.

Recipient: David Noel

He arrived with incredible energy, with his heart and arms completely open.

To him, everything was a game, but everything was also taken very seriously. He embraced his learning and contributed to the school’s philosophical and ethical discussions by being on the student committee and taking part in every conversation in the cafeteria.

He knew how to get involved by being helpful yet critical, and never defensive or stubborn, in a great desire to understand and improve that which deserved to be transformed.

In his second year, he wrote a text defending all the redheads in the world. And he was right.

Congratulations to David Noël (Interprétation, 2022)!

Second-year Set and Costume Design students presented the exhibition En Cours, from April 26 to 30. Sketches, paintings, 3D models and etchings were on display. This also allowed them to explore exhibition design.

Photos by Margarita Brodie (Set and Costume Design, 2020)

The first English section meeting of the year was held – on Zoom, of course. This meeting brings together all students from all professional training programs in the English section, as well as program directors, associate artists and resident artists. As per tradition for a few years now, we asked returning students to bestow advice upon first-year students. Here is a snippet of what they had to say.

Julian Smith, Production Design and Technical Arts 2: “Now more than ever, mental health is really important. Take care of yourself.”

Henry Beasley, Acting 2: “Get to know the other programs. Don’t miss any chance. Community is what makes this school great.”

Jena McLean, Playwriting 3: “There are going to be moments when you cannot trust yourself or your artistic ability, but other people will. Find your people, in other programs and even outside of school.”

Brandon Carabin, Acting 2: “You are enough. You already earned your spot here.”

Jung A Im, Set and Costume Design 3: “If you’re having trouble with a school project, don’t be discouraged, keep going. A brilliant idea will pop up at a dramatic moment!”

Anaka Sandhu, Acting 2: “ Advocate for yourself. You know yourself best.”

Reena Jolly, Acting 2: “Invest in your classmates. They’re your family, your bubbles. I love my classmates and you will too.”

Jared Wonago, Acting 2: “Do not forget about your hobbies. You can’t be in school 24/7. Whether it’s cooking, reading, going for a run, or meditating, do it! It really helps to decompress.”

Charles Brien, Acting 2: “You’re going to meet so many instructors. Take what speaks to you. Make this school YOUR school.”

Kira Chisholm, Acting 2: “Most of all, have fun. Soak it up. Get all you can.”

Mara Teare, Acting 3: “Do not underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep and drinking plenty of water. Make sure your basic needs are met first, that will set you up for success.”

Click here to read the speech made by Frédéric Dubois, Artistic Director of the French section

*This speech was delivered on the morning of September 8, during a zoom session with the 2020-2021 first year students.

Hello everyone and welcome,

I’m Alisa Palmer. I’m the Artistic Director of the English Section and Director of the Acting and Directing Programs.

Bonjour et bienvenue,

Je m’appelle Alisa Palmer. Je suis la directrice artistique de la section anglaise et la directrice des programmes d’interprétation et de mise en scène.

Je tiens à vous souhaiter la bienvenue et à vous féliciter de votre présence ici. Vous avez travaillé très dur pour arriver à ce moment, chacun d’entre vous.

Bravo et Bravo!

I want to welcome you all today and to congratulate you on being here. You’ve worked very hard to get to this moment, each and every one of you.

Bravo.

I also want to acknowledge the incredibly hard work the staff, leadership, teachers and program directors have done in order to welcome you here today.

It means the world to us to be able to open the school to you and to support you in pursuing your love of theatre.

That’s why we’re here. You’re why we’re here.

We recognize that these times are indescribably difficult and that this deeply affects each and every one of you.

We’re here to support you, to listen and to learn alongside you as we chart this complex path together.

We’re here to accompany you as you challenge yourself to fulfill your potential.

And we’re here to explore what theatre can be.

To be true to theatre and to make a theatre that is true, we can’t shy away from complexities and challenging experiences.

But we can take care how we proceed.

This moment more than ever, demands that of us.

So this year, this year of so many unknowns, let’s take the opportunity to slow down so we can share our spaces mindfully, share our time carefully and share our art and our hearts with awareness and with compassion for one another and for ourselves.

In this way I believe we can overcome the obstacles that this strange time presents, together, and create theatre that speaks to the here and now; and that can inform and maybe even transform, our shared future.

There is so much that awaits each and every one of you. Even amidst all the restrictions and protocols, there is so much opportunity.

I wish you all the very best as you step forward into your time here. I invite you to lead with curiosity, compassionate curiosity. I invite you to try everything; to fail, to flail and to ultimately, to fly; to carve a path that will be your path, messy but uniquely you.

And I look forward to meeting each of you along the way.

On the eve of what would have been graduation day for the Class of 2020, Artistic Directors Alisa Palmer and Frédéric Dubois as well as CEO Gideon Arthurs, pen a heartfelt note of farewell to the graduating artists.

We are so proud of you…

We wish we could be with you in person right now… but let’s not say that … because we are with you!

While nothing can undo what has happened, and it has not been easy, what we have made of this situation is strong and powerful, so strong that even from afar, even through our screens, we have remained together.

Thank you for the work you have done in the School, what you have brought to us, and for your ideas; thank you for what has been difficult and not, uplifting and less so…it is all valuable and full of meaning and above all, it is yours.

We wish you a very bright future!

That you find your path; it is out there for you.

So, go forward, change the world in your own way, no matter how big or small. What this historic event can teach us is that every action counts.

As Maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin said:

”We must never forget the love of what we do… it is where we find the foundation of our profession.”

We hope that you have found enough love and joy within our School to propel you to go beyond what you thought possible.

We are proud to have played our part in your journey.

Strange and powerful beauty can emerge from these difficult times. We’ll build on that together.

May you have continued success in the future.

-Alisa, Frédéric and Gideon