2010 will mark the seventh year that The Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance has organized local World Theatre Day celebrations. While World Theatre Day was established by the InterNational Theatre Institute on March 27th, 1961, many theatre artists are still unfamiliar with this one day a year when we commemorate Theatre.
This year's WTD celebrations will take place primarily during the final week of March, and include free and discounted theatre performances, open rehearsals, play readings, backstage tours, and talkbacks. Also, expect the unexpected in the form of theatre flashmobs popping up all over.
This year also includes the ever-popular Art by Actors, where well-known theatre personalities try their hands at visual art for a change. Their paintings will be on display at The Stanley Industrial ALLIANCE THEATRE and viewable online on the Arts Club website from March 11--April 17.
On March 21, at the Central Branch of the library, Vancouver's beloved stage and screen actor Jackson Davies (The Producers, The Foursome, The Beachcombers) will be hosting a series of intimate, no-holds barred discussions with people who shape theatre in this city. The panel includes Pat Smith (Playhouse Costume Mistress), Colleen Wheeler (Bard on the Beach), Amiel Gladstone (writer and Artistic Director), Sasa Brown (Jessie-winning actor) and many more.
On March 28, come to the World Theatre Day Wrap Party at the WISE Hall. Mix and mingle with other theatre lovers and artists as we party it up, World Theatre Day style! Program includes reading the International WTD message, encore performances and videos of our flash mob events, and video conferencing with other WTD parties world-wide. Admission is by donation.
In addition, this year's World Theatre Day message, written by Dame Judi Dench, will be read prior to curtain on stages all over Vancouver and the World on March 27. Here is an excerpt: (full text below)
March 27 is always the official World Theatre Day. In many ways every day should be considered a theatre day, as we have a responsibility to continue the tradition to entertain, to educate and to enlighten our audiences, without whom we couldn't exist.
For a full schedule of local events go to: http://www.gvpta.ca/world-theatre-day. To see what is happening world-wide, visit http://www.worldtheatreday.org.
World Theatre Day 2010 Message from Dame Judy Dench
World Theatre Day is an opportunity to celebrate Theatre in all its myriad forms. Theatre is a source of entertainment and inspiration and has the ability to unify the many diverse cultures and peoples that exist throughout the world. But theatre is more than that and also provides opportunities to educate and inform.
Theatre is performed throughout the world and not always in a traditional theatre setting. Performances can occur in a small village in Africa, next to a mountain in Armenia, on a tiny island in the Pacific. All it needs is a space and an audience. Theatre has the ability to make us smile, to make us cry, but should also make us think and reflect.
Theatre comes about through team work. Actors are the people who are seen, but there is an amazing set of people who are not seen. They are equally as important as the actors and their differing and specialist skills make it possible for a production to take place. They too must share in any triumphs and successes that may hopefully occur.
March 27 is always the official World Theatre Day. In many ways every day should be considered a theatre day, as we have a responsibility to continue the tradition to entertain, to educate and to enlighten our audiences, without whom we couldn't exist.
--The InterNational Theatre Institute: http://www.iti-worldwide.org/
