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TEACHERS COMPANION

Tara Rosling in Saint Joan. Photo by David Cooper

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario April 3 to October 28

FESTIVAL THEATRE

SAINT JOANBY BERNARD SHAWGrade 8 & up

MACK AND MABELBOOK BY MICHAEL STEWARTMUSIC AND LYRICS BY JERRY HERMANREVISED BY FRANCINE PASCAL

Grades 6 & up

HOTEL PECCADILLOBY GEORGES FEYDEAU ADAPTED BY MORRIS PANYCH Grades 9 & up

ROYAL GEORGE THEATRE

THE CIRCLEBY SOMERSET MAUGHAM Grades 9 & up

THE PHILANDERERBY BERNARD SHAW Grades 8 & up

SUMMER AND SMOKETENNESSEE WILLIAMS Grades 9 & up

COURT HOUSE THEATRE

A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY AFTER TURGENEVBY BRIAN FRIEL Grades 9 & up

THE CASSILIS ENGAGEMENT A COMEDY FOR MOTHERSBY ST JOHN HANKIN Grades 8 & up

TRISTAN BOOK, MUSIC AND LYRICS BY PAUL SPORTELLI AND JAY TURVEY Grades 9 & up

THE KILTARTAN COMEDIES BY LADY AUGUSTA GREGORY (LUNCHTIME) Grades 7 & up

Spring Edit ion, May 2007

IN THIS ISSUE...• Mack and Mabel highlights

• Student Travel

• Sears Drama Festival

BOOK YOUR SCHOOL TODAY! 1- 80 0 -511-7429

Presented by

THE CIRCLE

SAINT JOAN By Bernard Shaw, directed by Jackie Maxwell

Each season, the first Bernard Shaw play at the Festival Theatre is considered the “flagship” production. Saint Joan is more than deserving of that title: when Bernard Shaw was awarded the Nobel Laureate for Literature in 1925, Saint Joan was highlighted for standing “more or less alone as a revelation of heroism in an age hardly favourable to genuine heroism.”

It’s small wonder that for women actors, the role of Joan is their “Hamlet.” Playing the heroine is Tara Rosling, who in four seasons here has drawn audiences to her with many powerful performances, including most recently as the lead in last summer’s extraordinary production of The Heiress. After months of preparation and rehearsal, and as the opening draws near, our anticipation and enthusiasm for this play only grows stronger.

MACK AND MABEL Book by Michael Stewart, music and lyrics by Jerry Herman, revised by Francine Pascal Directed by Molly Smith

There’s an exciting buzz around Mack and Mabel. Director Molly Smith, who hails from Arena Stage in Washington D.C., thinks this is composer Jerry Herman’s (who also wrote Mame, Hello, Dolly!, La Cage aux Folles) best score: “Every once in a while you run into a great musical with a score of ridiculously ‘hummable’ songs, wildly clever lyrics and a character-driven show. Often, you are in the middle of a Jerry Herman show.”

Instead of using film footage for the scenes called for as “filmed” in the script, these will be staged as if happening in the moment. Ms Smith didn’t want anything to take away from the power of the live performances, so all of the film sequences are re-created in black and white and grey.

OUR COMPLIMENTS – TIMES TWO!Book your school group to see Saint Joan or Mack and Mabel (or both!) and receive TWO complimentary tickets per group, and take advantage of a free backstage tour.

Call Group Sales to book. Offer ends June 15.

Kawa Ada and Glynis Ranney in Mack and Mabel. Photo by Emily Cooper

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TEACHERS COMPANION SPRING 2007

Q: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN INVOLVED WITH

THE STUDENT TRAVEL INDUSTRY?

The founder of our company was a teacher who began offering excursions in 1974, and in 1978 Educational Travel Services was born. I am also an educator and have been in the travel industry since the late ’80s and I have been with ETS since 1996. Student travel is our core business.

WHAT ARE THE CONSIDERATIONS FOR STUDENT

TRAVEL?

Increasing costs are making people look at different options. Traditional destinations (for example, Ottawa) will remain strong, but I also see growth in destinations closer to home that can offer more bang for the buck and some different options that may not be currently considered.

Q: WHAT SERVICES DOES YOUR COMPANY OFFER

AND HOW CAN A TEACHER ACCESS THESE?

We service destinations throughout North America and we recognize that the excur-sion belongs to the students and the school. All of our programs are custom-designed for the individual group and we offer al-most limitless options. We view our job as basically being the one-stop shop for orga-nizing and planning. We consult with the group leaders on their individual needs, make suggestions and offer options. We will source specific curriculum needs and components to meet them. We provide some basic itineraries, but usually require feedback and consultation to meet the in-dividual groups’ needs.

Q: WHAT ARE THE COSTS FOR THESE SERVICES?

Our business is based on volume and we pass these savings on to our clients. We have a small service fee that is incorporated into a package cost and each excursion is based on the individual group.

Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR

TEACHERS WHO WANT TO ADD MORE VALUE TO

THEIR TRIP WITHOUT INCREASING COSTS?

Travel off-season and book early! The ma-jor cost component is quite often transpor-tation, so maximizing the number of par-

ticipants per coach helps to keep the cost down. Another consideration would be looking at different destinations the groups may not have considered. A Broadway per-formance is considerably more expensive than a Shaw Festival offering.

Q: IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE

TEACHERS TO KNOW ABOUT STUDENT TRAVEL?

The options are limitless. Sometimes we like to joke that while having some fun we trick students into learning something! We like to say that we have been “Learn-ing Outside the Classroom Since 1978”. I think that is more important today than it has ever been and we have worked hard to offer alternatives and to make adjust-ments with current situations. Regardless of whether you call ETS for your classroom excursion, the best advice I can give is to use a professional operator who specializes in students. You may also want to check out that operator in a little more detail and ensure that they recognize not only the students’ needs, but the special respect we have to pay to our clients. Another thing that I think is important is knowing who you are dealing with. To me a Canadian school travelling to our capital region with a non-Canadian company just does not make sense. Anybody providing services to students has to remember to keep the kids in mind, but also recognize the fact that we have to satisfy parents, teachers and school boards.

For further information, call 1-905-526-0450 or visit www.ets.travel

Perspectives on Student TravelAN INTERVIEW WITH MICHAEL ZUCCHERATO OF EDUCATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICES

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Professional Production Day for TeachersFRIDAY, OCTOBER 26 9:30 AM – 4:30 PM

EXPLORE SCENIC DESIGN WITH EXPERTS FROM THE SHAW THROUGH A HANDS-ON WORKSHOP ABOUT THE TECHNICAL ELEMENTS OF PERCEPTION AND DESIGN.

Registration includes morning and afternoon sessions, lunch in the Green Room, a wine & cheese reception, and an optional evening performance of Mack and Mabel at the Festival Theatre.

Cost: $80 (plus $7.50 handling charge), includes all taxes. Optional evening performance of Mack and Mabel: $27.50

To register now, or for more information, contact Rod Christensen, Senior Manager, Education at 1-800-657-1106 ext 265 or education@shawfest.com

Benedict Campbell in Mack and Mabel. Photo by David Cooper

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TEACHERS COMPANION SPRING 2007With the support of

The Carousel Players and The Shaw offer an ideal programme for young people interested in theatre – a camp for ages 10 to 15 which will focus on Bernard Shaw’s Saint Joan. Participants learn about the play, the charac-ters, and the playwright before experiencing the production at The Shaw. Campers also rehearse and perform scenes from the play for family and friends at week’s end.

Karen Wood, 2006 Camp Instructor, talks about last year’s camp experience, which fo-cused on Arms and The Man:

The group was immediately captivated by the play – the idea of romance, the soldiers at war, the life and death circumstances, the chocolates, the ladies in nightgowns and the fact that some men and women get very an-gry at each other even when they’re in love!

After hearing the story, participants were asked how they could relate to specific parts of Arms and The Man. They improvised

scenes with alternate endings. Each ending reflected opposite moral or ethical choices. Afterwards we discussed what the dilemma was and possible solutions. This helped the students connect more strongly to the con-flicts in the play as well as bring through their own personalities and perspectives in portraying Shaw’s scenes and his characters.

On another day the campers re-created a Victorian tea party from the time of the play, and the girls wore ‘bustles’ and the boys wore ‘uniforms.’

The students adored their trip to The Shaw. They met with design assistant Tyler Sains-bury, saw a performance of Arms and The Man and had an opportunity to meet actors Patrick Galligan and Diana Donnelly, who played the lead roles in the play. The camp-ers couldn’t wait to put on their own half-hour version of the play for their families at the end of the week.

Bernard Shaw Inspires!SHAW SUMMER CAMP FOR AGES 10-15, JULY 23 TO 27

Patrick Galligan and Diana Donnelly in Arms and The Man. Photo by David Cooper

Location: Carousel Players in St Catharines. To register, call Carousel Players at 905-682-8326 ext 21 or email outreach@carouselplayers.com $150; add $27.50 to attend the matinee performance of Saint Joan.

Mack & Mabel

The 07 season began with a standing ovation for Mack and Mabel and its inventive choreography, memorable music and charismatic lead actors!

Here are some highlights.

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TEACHERS COMPANION SPRING 2007

Education Sponsor

A: I can’t explain how amazing it feels to go out on stage and perform what you have been trying so hard to create; the combined feeling of adrenalin and nerves is the best in the world! I think the overall experi-ence, including making new friends and the fun of rehearsing, was my true reward and I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world.

Q: DO YOUR FUTURE PLANS INCLUDE WORKING

OR CONTINUING TO PARTICIPATE IN THE ARTS?

A: I guess I could say that theatre is the ba-sis of my life. My mother is a director and my father is a stage designer so ever since I was born I’ve been acting or at the theatre. I have also been taking acting lessons for a long time now. Last year was my first real professional gig; I was cast in The Crucible at the Shaw Festival and learned so much from that experience that I want to continue acting for as long as I can. Next year, I will take my love of acting to a new country, at-tending L’école Philippe Gaulier in Paris for acting and clowning.

CURTAINS! LIGHTS! DRAMA! Sears Drama FestivalThe Sears Ontario Drama Festival is a 61-year-old tradition that promotes creativity, risk-taking and strong organization skills in all areas of student theatre: writing, di-recting, performing, technical achievement and producing. In Niagara District, 16 lo-cal schools competed, and the adjudicator for the week-long event at Brock University was Pablo Felices-Luna, Artistic Director, Carousel Players in St Catharines. Three schools won awards for outstanding produc-tions and will attend the regional finals in Brantford, Ontario:

• Ridgeway/Crystal Beach for The Lesson• E.L. Crossley Secondary School for The

Disposables• Governor Simcoe Secondary School for

Fractured Minds

The recipient of the Shaw Festival’s Most Promising Student Award went to Nelly Scott for her role as “Alex” in St Catharines Collegiate’s production of Hide and Seek. Along with The Shaw trophy, Nelly received two complimentary passes to the Shaw Stu-dent Theatre Club.

Q: HAVE YOU PARTICIPATED IN THE SEARS DRAMA

FESTIVAL BEFORE? WHY DID YOU GET INVOLVED

WITH THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL?

A: I participate in the Sears Drama Festival every other year because on alternate years, I do school musicals. This year we decided to take a risk and write a show, but not just any show – a dance drama! So since September we have been writing and choreographing our piece. Once my teacher introduced the theme of our show and the music, the play began to write itself. We decided on four cast members simply because we have a tiny stage to practice on. All four of us were on the St Catharines Collegiate dance team, We thought it would be fun to write a dance drama to incorporate our favourite hobbies.

Q: WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST REWARDING EX-

PERIENCE FOR YOU WHILE WORKING ON HIDE

AND SEEK?

Senior Manager, Education Rod Christensen with Nelly Scott. Photo by Shawn Dixon

FORGING THE CONNECTION!Engage and enlighten your

students with our 2007 study

guides, now available online at

www.shawfest.com/guides

Designed to help you and your

students explore the world of the

play, each guide includes background

information, insights to the

production, and a series of curriculum

connected activities. A study guide

CD will be mailed to your school in

advance of your class attending Mack

and Mabel, Saint Joan or Summer and

Smoke.

BRING THE SHAW INTO YOUR CLASSROOM The Portable Shaw takes

highly trained theatre professionals

from The Shaw to visit and work

with your students through hands-

on workshops and presentations.

These can be tailored to the specific

needs and interests of your class

and curriculum. We offer a variety

of workshop topics such as prop

building, acting, improvisation,

technical theatre – lights, set and

sound – playwriting, marketing

and public relations, stage combat,

character study and movement.

The cost for a Portable Shaw

workshop is only $50 for Niagara

schools and $75 for schools

outside of Niagara Region. Contact

education@shawfest.com

for information.