Where was it that the spark was first ignited?
During the long cold winters in my home town of Winnipeg, I used to take theatre classes at the Manitoba Theatre Centre. Our classes were held in the heart of downtown Winnipeg, in a building that housed the company’s second stage, called The Warehouse. What a thrill it was, arriving on a snowy day and entering the dark theatre, savouring the intense quiet, and that indescribable smell of – what- Dust? Lights? Adrenaline? To reach the stairs that led to the classrooms, we had to cross the stage- that hallowed, black-painted slab of concrete- where the night before we might have seen Brent Carver perform in Jacques Brel is Alive and Well or a new play by a Winnipeg writer, or an electrifying production of Zoo Story performed by students as part of a high school drama festival. To step into that space was pure joy.
That first year, we devised a play, set in the surrounding warehouse district, with its turn-of-the-century buildings and its storied past. At dusk, in the falling snow, we peered in the windows of the fur auction house, browsed the shelves of the Ukrainian drygoods store, and improvised scenes on the old railway loading docks. I still remember some of my lines: “How dreams are made of other things, than midnight weeds grown in the garden of despair: they are made of words and journeys.”
I never looked at the north end of Winnipeg the same way. I never thought of my life the same way. And I was hooked on creating, collaborating and making theatre.
The wonderful thing about theatre is that it is still so simple- you don’t need trailers, cameras, assistant directors, cinematographers, gaffers, grips, hair and makeup, location scouts, publicists, caterers, lawyers, dog trainers- all those people credited at the end of every movie. You just need a story, an actor or two and a place to perform. And an audience, of course.
I’m pleased to support the Paprika Festival in its mission to create a place where young theatre artists can meet, collaborate, and show their work. I hope that years from now many of them will be able to look back at this experience and remember exactly where the spark was ignited.
SUSAN COYNE: As an actor, Susan has appeared in leading roles in theatres across the country, including the Stratford Festival, the Tarragon Theatre, and Soulpepper Theatre, of which she is a Founding Member. She also well known as a writer. Her memoir, Kingfisher Days, was published by Random House in 2001 and she later adapted it for the Tarragon. She is a co-creator and co-writer (with Bob Martin and Mark McKinney) of the acclaimed tv series Slings and Arrows, for which she was awarded three Geminis, for Best Writing, and also Best Supporting Actress. She also received three Writers Guild of Canada awards for the show. Her short film, How AreYou?, written and directed with Martha Burns, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008. Recently, she appeared in the Thistle Company’s production of Peer Gynt, at the Church of the Holy Trinity. |
During the long cold winters in my home town of Winnipeg, I used to take theatre classes at the Manitoba Theatre Centre. Our classes were held in the heart of downtown Winnipeg, in a building that housed the company’s second stage, called The Warehouse. What a thrill it was, arriving on a snowy day and entering the dark theatre, savouring the intense quiet, and that indescribable smell of – what- Dust? Lights? Adrenaline? To reach the stairs that led to the classrooms, we had to cross the stage- that hallowed, black-painted slab of concrete- where the night before we might have seen Brent Carver perform in Jacques Brel is Alive and Well or a new play by a Winnipeg writer, or an electrifying production of Zoo Story performed by students as part of a high school drama festival. To step into that space was pure joy.
That first year, we devised a play, set in the surrounding warehouse district, with its turn-of-the-century buildings and its storied past. At dusk, in the falling snow, we peered in the windows of the fur auction house, browsed the shelves of the Ukrainian drygoods store, and improvised scenes on the old railway loading docks. I still remember some of my lines: “How dreams are made of other things, than midnight weeds grown in the garden of despair: they are made of words and journeys.”
I never looked at the north end of Winnipeg the same way. I never thought of my life the same way. And I was hooked on creating, collaborating and making theatre.
The wonderful thing about theatre is that it is still so simple- you don’t need trailers, cameras, assistant directors, cinematographers, gaffers, grips, hair and makeup, location scouts, publicists, caterers, lawyers, dog trainers- all those people credited at the end of every movie. You just need a story, an actor or two and a place to perform. And an audience, of course.
I’m pleased to support the Paprika Festival in its mission to create a place where young theatre artists can meet, collaborate, and show their work. I hope that years from now many of them will be able to look back at this experience and remember exactly where the spark was ignited.
SUSAN COYNE: As an actor, Susan has appeared in leading roles in theatres across the country, including the Stratford Festival, the Tarragon Theatre, and Soulpepper Theatre, of which she is a Founding Member. She also well known as a writer. Her memoir, Kingfisher Days, was published by Random House in 2001 and she later adapted it for the Tarragon. She is a co-creator and co-writer (with Bob Martin and Mark McKinney) of the acclaimed tv series Slings and Arrows, for which she was awarded three Geminis, for Best Writing, and also Best Supporting Actress. She also received three Writers Guild of Canada awards for the show. Her short film, How AreYou?, written and directed with Martha Burns, premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2008. Recently, she appeared in the Thistle Company’s production of Peer Gynt, at the Church of the Holy Trinity. |
Festival Supporters
Tarragon Theatre
Canada Council for the Arts
Ontario Arts Council
Toronto Arts Council
Toronto Fringe Festival
Jeremy Clay Photography www.jclayphoto.com
Palais Designs www.palais.vox.com
Tarragon Theatre
Canada Council for the Arts
Ontario Arts Council
Toronto Arts Council
Toronto Fringe Festival
Jeremy Clay Photography www.jclayphoto.com
Palais Designs www.palais.vox.com