My name is Sadie Laflamme-Snow and I am a third-year actor at the National Theatre School of Canada. I would like to extend my deepest condolences to you and your loved ones during this extremely difficult time. 

Ms. Slaight changed all of our lives by enabling us to take part in some of the most enriching initiatives of our theatre training. Her love and generosity have made an everlasting impact on us as individuals, as an institution and on the Canadian theatre landscape and for that we are forever grateful. Although the beloved Ms. Slaight is no longer with us, those she touched through her support of their artistic development, will carry on her legacy of generosity and care for our greater communities.

Despite the fact that we cannot come together in the traditional sense to grieve this loss, the NTS community is coming together virtually to send you love, peace and comfort.

With love,

Sadie Laflamme-Snow (Acting 2020, Ottawa, ON)

It was with great sadness that I learned of the death of Mrs. Ada Slaight.

First of all, I would like to offer my condolences to Mrs. Slaight's family and loved ones on the passing of this this wonderful human being.

By giving to the arts, Mrs. Slaight chose to invest in an intangible future.

Not only did she choose the arts, but among them, she chose theatre: an elusive art form that cannot be held, that withdraws after every performance, remaining only in the minds of the audience.every night after the performance, and that can only be remembered.

Not only had she chosen the theatre, but among its artists, she chose to support young people: freshly out of school and stiving to prove themselves, whose contributions will only be fully understood in decades to come.

Ms. Slaight's foresight is to be praised, for she saw a humanistic, emotional, and intellectual richness in the development of theatre, without which the human experience would be so much poorer.

It is for all of this that I thank Ada Slaight, especially for believing in these young people who are so earnestly searching for the human soul on stage!

Samuel Boucher (Production Design and Technical Arts, 2019, Joinville-le-Pont, France)

A message of condolence from Erika Prevost (Acting 2020, Dollard-des-Ormeaux, QC)

A message of condolence from Patrick Jeffrey (Acting 2020, PEI)

Ada Slaight impacted the lives and artistic training of so many of my friends and collaborators. When I graduated from the National Theatre School, the Ada Slaight Prize allowed me to immediately start focusing on my next creative projects, which made a huge difference in my transition into the professional world. I know the foundation’s contributions to NTS made many of the experiences I had there possible, and I’m so grateful for Ms. Slaight’s tireless support of young Canadian artists. My sincerest condolences to her family and friends.

David Gagnon Walker (Playwriting 2019, Edmonton)

I wanted to extend my deepest condolences on your recent loss. I am a student in my second year at NTS and was devastated to hear about the passing of such a loved woman. It feels weird to be writing to people I have no relationship to, but I think that goes to show just how special a person she was! That she could connect so many individuals by simply caring about us. I am thinking about her a lot today, and extend my love to you all as well.

All the love,

Isabel Fuentes (Acting 2, Ottawa, ON / Santiago, Chile)

Here are a few words to tell you how thankful I am to have received the Ada Slaight Prize on the day of my graduation from the National Theatre School of Canada.

First and foremost, these experiences were with and about amazing people. People from around the country and from all over the world who came to this school to devote their life to one passion: theater. However, I came to discover in my last three years at NTS that what I decided to embark on would go well beyond theatre. Thanks to people like you, my studies at NTS was a journey filled with amazing new experiences and precious, unforgettable meetings.

Every NTS student finds meaning in the art form that is theatre. From the first minute I entered the school, I wanted to be a part of this shared passion, and even more; I wanted to help these people achieve their dreams as we went through this life-changing journey. I wanted to protect my community and make sure that there were no obstacles in their way to achieve everything they've been working for. I think that is why it was so important for me to be present and active in this little community. I now have so many dear friends with whom I will likely work with later on, both francophones and anglophones, all across Canada and beyond.

As artists, even more so as young artists, it is important to learn how to communicate and take leadership roles. Otherwise, how can we convince people that what we do is relevant, that we deserve a place in the artistic community? For me, art, politics, and society are united as one. We are citizens with a voice and we can also be the voice of people who are not always heard. This has always been my way of working as an artist and your prize  allowed me to have leadership opportunities which showed me that I must continue on this path.

I come from a family of humble means; I had to accomplish everything on my own. I see my studies in art as a privilege and I couldn't have done it without people like you who truly believe in the arts and in the youth. Thank you for your unwavering support; your work is so incredibly important for artists like me.

Your prize will make a big difference in my life and I am really grateful for it.

With heartfelt thanks,

Pascale St-Onge (Écriture dramatique, 2016, Saint-Eustache, QC)

Thank you for your generous contribution towards my theatrical education. I'm very proud to have made it to my third year at NTS, where I now have agency in the shows we produce to play an active role as a designer. 

I must thank you for everything else you allow us to do at NTS, such as our trip to Shaw Festival earlier this year. It was an eye-opening, fantastic experience for me, as I have had the opportunity to visit Shaw before. I am incredibly grateful that through your interest in helping young artists grow, you have both helped me through my education financially and provided wonderful life experiences that I will draw on in the future to forward myself in my career and as an artist. 

Thank you

Most sincerely,

Jessie Paynter (Production Design and Technical Arts, 2016, Kamloops, BC)