End of the year guest post: The return of Ian Mackenzie

Ian Mackenzie is the marketing director of Toronto’s Praxis Theatre, and has been a trailblazer in the theatre corner of the blogoshpere for over 2 years at the Praxis blog Theatre is Territory.

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The passing of a wordsmith: RIP Harold Pinter 10/10/1930-12/24/2008

Nobel Laureate Harold Pinter passed away yesterday from cancer. He was 78. Some words from a legend: Good writing excites me, and makes life worth living. Apart from the known and the unknown, what else is there? Occasionally it does hit me, the words on a page. And I still love doing that, as I [...]

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The Next Stage loves you

If you can judge the success of a venture on the quality of those who take notice of it, the The Next Stage has had a very successful year indeed. Please accept our sincerest thanks for your continued interest and support in the independent theatre and in our little corner of it, we’re thrilled about [...]

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City Council unanimously approves York Theatre protection!

Reprinted from the Georgia Straight: Vancouver City Council voted unanimously this morning to save the York Theatre, agreeing to a 100 percent density transfer for the site. Staff had recommended only a one-third density transfer, which advocates working to secure the theatre’s future said would effectively kill plans to save the venue. Now all that’s [...]

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You know, there isn’t enough poetry about arts administration

First, dig this: Live Were Around Me is an intimate, guided tour for an audience of three, a site-specific, roving theatre work that explores the notions of history and evidence in the context of the historic centre of Vancouver. Live Were Around Me is David’s toast to this city, a libation of place and experience, [...]

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The Cultch’s last stand to save The York, and how you can help

The Vancouver East Cultural Centre has been battling to save Commercial Drive’s historic York Theatre from demolition, thereby depriving Vancouver of another stunning medium-sized heritage cultural venue. I previously wrote about efforts to save the York, and about some of its history on Beyond Robson. The Cultch has found a benefactor who is willing to [...]

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Today’s post will be hosted from Toronto

During a visit to China this past Summer I managed to fill a bunch of otherwise-blank space here on TNS through the generosity of a bunch of very smart and agreeable guest bloggers. Among their number was Ian Mackenzie, the in-house marketer for Toronto’s Praxis Theatre, and long-time author of the Canadian super-blog; Theatre is [...]

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John Cleese on creativity

Boundaries of space, boundaries of time. It’s as simple as that. To know how good you are at something requires the same skills as it does to be good at that thing. Best 10 minutes you’ll spend on the internet all week. Click the image to view the video. H/T to Andrew at the London [...]

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National Theatre marketing is hip like 1980

And I had planned on blogging all day today. London’s National Theatre is hosting Steppenwolf’s runaway hit August: Osage County right now, and they have added an interactive feature to their promotional site: a A:OC version of Pac-Man. It’s the exact game that we all remember so fondly, except that you control the drug-addled head [...]

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PuSh Festival puts out call for volunteers

Whoa, immersed as I have been in our latest production, I totally forgot that the magnificent PuSh International Performing Arts Festival is coming up fast. Get ready for it, Vancouver. PuSh is much more than an annual cultural feast for Vancouver: it is a broker of international partnerships, a meeting place for creative minds, a [...]

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Why theatre will never die

After a brief absence to put his company on the rails, Matt Slaybaugh of Theatreforte returns to the theatre blogoshere with a bang. Yesterday he quoted Simon McBurney on naturalism in the theatre, in a piece that is simply the best articulated essay on the uniqueness of the form that I think I’ve ever read. [...]

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This one goes to eleven: Victoria Bidewell

Last week I dealt with my post-play post-partum by going to see somebody else’s work: In the Boom Boom Room, David Rabe’s 1970s risk-taking opus about the wide-eyed, determined young go-go dancer Chrissy. In this roll Victoria owns the Studio 16 stage, and if you missed it, they’re holding over December 3, 4 and 5. [...]

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The Art of the Business 11 – What??!? I need another photo shoot?

Last month, I wrote a post on the importance of having a good publicity photo. This month, I talk about the importance of having a good production photo. But, you say, photo shoots are expensive and time-consuming. Can’t I get away with just one? Nope, sorry, not gonna do it. Here’s why: 1. You need [...]

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