Hinterviews - An NAC English Theatre podcast

In this final Hinterview of the series, we look back at some of the highlights featuring guests like Don McKellar, Robert Lepage, Paul Gross, Margaret Atwood, and Graham Greene.

The tables are turned for the King Lear Hinterview, Suzanne Keeptwo, aboriginal advisor and community liaison, interviews Peter Hinton, director of King Lear. Suzanne and Peter discuss this new take on King Lear, the significance of an aboriginal cast and setting, and the history of making August Schellenberg's dream come true.

It all starts when God sets the universe in motion. Then comes the story of Adam & Eve, Cain & Abel, Noah, and Moses as the Old Testament comes alive through the madcap imagination of Peter Anderson – and the magic of last season's nativity is brought to life once again. Songs by Allen Cole contribute the musical complement to the serpent's temptation, the menagerie of animals boarding the Ark, and all the episodes of this modern “mystery play.” Not quite the King James Bible, but definitely entertaining.

Dreaming dreams, hoping for success, facing reality. That's the funny and touching story of Ted and Richard—whiz kids who want to become superstar pianists—and how they survive piano teachers, pushy parents, hours of practice, stage fright, and nerve-wracking competitions. Will they gain fame and fortune? Come find out as we mark the 15th anniversary of this wildly popular show, with more than two million delighted fans in 150 cities worldwide.

Dickens' timeless classic comes to life as you follow the tale of the orphan Oliver, the Artful Dodger, Fagin, Nancy, and all the down-and-out denizens of London. Broadway legend Lionel Bart's memorable songs — “Food, Glorious Food,” “Where is Love?” and “As Long as He Needs Me” — capture the flavour of Victorian England in the Tony Award-winning musical Oliver!. Stirring, powerful, and uplifting.

Imagine: you are Mr. Mann, and you've just won two tickets to Chekhov's comedy, The Three Sisters. You've barely heard of Chekhov, but you go anyway (alone, because no one else in the family is interested). Unexpectedly the experience begins to alter your life, and slowly beauty … Can beauty actually reveal a new way to see the world? This play opens a window to the answer.

On a moonlit night in August, 1926, 18 year-old Jacob Mercer has returned from Toronto to the tiny Newfoundland outport of Coley's Point, hoping to win back his former sweetheart, Mary Snow. But Mary, still hurt and puzzled by Jacob's sudden departure a year earlier, has become engaged to wealthy Jerome McKenzie and will not be easily wooed.

Artistic Director Peter Hinton speaks with Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People Artistic Director Allen MacInnis about the Theatre, creating work with young people in mind and the how i think i can, a story told through tap dance and co-created by Florence Gibson and Shawn Byfield, came to life.

Artistic Director Peter Hinton speaks with Lauchie, Liza and Rory producer and Mulgrave Road Theatre Artistic Director Emmy Alcorn about touring productions from the East Coast, the history of Mulgrave Road and what the theatre scene is like in Nova Scotia.

Artistic Director Peter Hinton speaks with Saint Carmen of The Main translator Linda Gaboriau about working with Michel Tremblay, the creation process and new translation of Saint Carmen of The Main and what goes into translating a play.

Special Guest Suzanne Keeptwo speaks with Ed Roy, director and dramaturg of Agokwe, about the creation of the production, the importance of the message and how he worked with Waawaate Fobister on bringing the play from a monologue to an award-winning one-man show.

On Saturday, January 22, a Special Hinterview took place for NAC English Theatre subscribers and Friends of English Theatre, as Artistic Director Peter Hinton and Dramaturg and Artistic Associate Paula Danckert, sat down with the members of the NAC English Theatre Company for an informal meet and greet.

NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton speaks with Michael Shamata, director of The Year of Magical Thinking and Artistic Director of the Belfry Theatre in Victoria, about directing a book adapted for the stage and working alongside Seana McKenna.

NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton speaks with nativity playwright Peter Anderson about the inspiration of the play, the process of the creation and how his career in theatre began.

NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton chats Vimy playwright Vern Thiessen, about the life of a playwright and how the play Vimy came to be. This powerful co-production with the Great Canadian Theatre Company played at the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre from November 9 – December 11

NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton chats with Sherry Bie, Artistic Director of the English Section of the National Theatre School of Canada, about the history of the school and the celebration behind its 50th Anniversary, which included a partnership with the NAC English Theatre on William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet, which ran in the NAC Theatre October 19 – November 6.

NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton chats with Roy Surette, Artistic and Executive Director of the Centaur Theatre in Montreal, about the differences of theatres in different cities and co-producing productions with other theatre companies as the NAC/Centaur co-production of The Comedy of Errors.

NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton chats with Where the Blood Mixes playwright Kevin Loring about the play, his winning the Governor General's Award and being an NAC Playwright in Residence.

NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton chats with playwright Joanna McClelland Glass and director Marti Maraden about the creation of this new production and their working history.

NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton chats with English Theatre Company member and Mother Courage and Her Children Assistant Director Stephen Ouimette about his life in theatre, being part of the English Theatre Company and working on both A Christmas Carol and Mother Courage and Her Children.

NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton chats with Night Writer and Director Christopher Morris about the history and creation of the play and how his travels influenced the production.

NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton chats with NAC English Theatre Company Historian David Dean about the life of Charles Dickens and England at the time he wrote A Christmas Carol.

English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton chats with Elephant Wake Director and Designer Bretta Gerecke about the production and designing theatre in different stages in Canada.

Peter Hinton chats with The Drowsy Chaperone Director Max Reimer and Choreographer/Assistant Director Dayna Tekatch, about the production, its history and some background on musicals in Canada.

A Special Celebrity Hinterview, a tradition and an audience favourite, where Peter Hinton, Artistic Director chats with a guest artist involved with a production at the NAC. As a special treat for the Magnetic North Theatre Festival, Peter Hinton will interview Don McKellar and Greg Morrison, two of the minds behind the recent Broadway hit, The Drowsy Chaperone. On Saturday, June 5, patrons of the Festival can become one of the artists as well. Musical Director Greg Morrison and Writer Don McKellar will have an afternoon Choir Practice. Festival patrons can learn and sing along to the songs from The Drowsy Chaperone.

NAC English Theatre Artist Director Peter Hinton is interviewed by the NAC's Sean Fitzpatrick on the upcoming 2009-2010 season.

Robert Lepage, multiple award winner and internationally acclaimed director, scenic artist, playwright, actor and film director talks with Laurie Brown.

Peter chats with Menno Plukker, Associate Producer for The Blue Dragon by Marie Michaud and Robert Lepage, about the process of the production, the history behind touring, and how Canadian work is viewed in other countries.

Sean Fitzpatrick chats with Maurice Podbrey, Producer for Lara Foot-Newton's Tshepang, about the history of the production, how the production has been viewed throughout the countries it has played and what is happening in theatre in South Africa.

Graham Greene, Academy Award-nominated actor (Dances with Wolves,) joins Laurie Brown to talk about his prestigious stage and film career.

Peter chats with Patricia Hamilton, famous for her stage work at the Shaw Festival and TV productions such as Road to Avonlea, for a discussion on her career as an actress, teacher and cast member who appeared in the original production of Belle Moral: A Natural History, then titled The Arab's Mouth.

Jackie Maxwell, director, dramaturg and Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival speaks with Laurie Brown in the second National Arts Centre English Theatre 2008-09 Celebrity Speakers Series about her career, including her beginning in Canada at the NAC.

Peter chats with Buried Child Set and Costume Designer Eo Sharp, Lighting Designer Robert Thomson and Sound Designer Troy Slocum for a discussion on the working progress on their design, how they came to their respective fields and how they worked together with Peter to bring Buried Child to the NAC stage.

To mark the second anniversary of the NAC's Celebrity Speakers series, here is an encore presentation of the inaugural edition with very special guest, Paul Gross and host, Laurie Brown. Known foremost as an actor, Canadian Paul Gross is also a writer, producer and director. His portrayal of Constable Benton Fraser on Due South, a drama series he co-wrote and executive produced, won international acclaim. His directorial debut, Men with Brooms, broke Canadian box office records. Paul was the recipient of a Golden Nymph Award for Best Lead Actor at the Monte Carlo Television Festival for his role in H2O, a Whizbang mini-series that he also co-wrote and executive produced. For his portrayal of Geoffrey Tenant in the critically acclaimed series Slings & Arrows, Paul recently picked up his fourth Gemini Award. He portrayed Romeo and garnered a Dora Award, and a career highlight was playing Hamlet to record-breaking audiences at the Stratford Festival in 2000. Paul served as Playwright-in-residence at Stratford and the National Arts Centre and has won numerous playwriting and screenwriting awards. Currently Paul Gross is producing the sequel to H2O, Trojan Horse which he also co-wrote and will star in. He is also preparing to direct Passchendaele, a feature film script which he penned to pay tribute to the sacrifice made by Canadian Soldiers in the World War I

Peter Hinton, Artistic Director of the NAC English Theatre, chats with Laurie Brown about the 2008-09 season, and about his career as a director and playwright.

Peter speaks with Leah Cherniak, the Co-Artistic Director (with Martha Ross) of Theatre Columbus in Toronto. The company has created over 30 new plays and also has an excellent reputation for innovative productions of classics. Leah studied theatre at École Jacques Lecoq in Paris, and currently teaches an intensive clown course for the Ryerson Theatre Program. She also teaches at George Brown College, York University and the National Theatre School in Montreal.

Happy Days, written in 1961, is Beckett's last full-length drama and follows in the tradition of earlier work casting a crystal clear and almost affectionate gaze upon man's (in this case Woman's) determined optimism in the face of a universe without meaning.

Laura Denker interviews Alison Lawrence on the subject of her play "And All for Love". Set in 1660, following the restoration of the monarchy, And All for Love is a new play that explores the friendship between the celebrated actress Elizabeth Barry and the not-so-celebrated actress Winifred Gosnell (also housemaid to the diarist Samuel Pepys.) Between them stands Edward Kynaston, the great actor once famous for his portrayals of women. A romantic comedy that celebrates what two women did for the love of the theatre, and for the love of their lives.

Peter Hinton is in conversation with Rick Chafe on the subject of his play, Shakespeare's Dog. Hooker is a dog with a gift for sniffing out "soul". When his master, the young William Shakespeare, becomes entangled in domestic difficulties and possibly a crime, he quickly understands it's up to him to ensure that the playwright follows his fortune to the London stage. A tour de force of inventive wit, Shakespeare's Dog features a kennel's-worth of unforgettable characters, both canine and human. A gritty, growling look at the life and influences of the greatest playwright in the English language.

Peter Hinton in conversation with Yvette Nolann Shakespeare's tale of Julius Caesar is unearthed … this time on native ground. "We struggle to find some kind of self-government, to achieve some kind of self-determination, we're working with very flawed systems and very flawed tools and that's a hard thing. I guess that's why this story is so fascinating to us, because if we can work it out in this play then maybe we can work it out in our lives too." — Yvette Nolan

Martha Henry, actor, director and long-time member of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival company speaks with Laurie Brown in the final National Arts Centre English Theatre 2007-08 Celebrity Speakers Series.

Featuring a spectacular multicultural Indian cast of 23 dancers, musicians, actors and performers, this passionate, energetic, thrilling and beautiful re-interpretation of the play casts aside familiar traditions of performing Shakespeare and replaces them with an epic, visceral and emotional power that has amazed audiences and critics in every city in which it has played.

The tables are turned this month as dramaturge Paula Dankert interviews Peter Hinton on his NAC production of Macbeth. Director, playwright and dramaturge Peter Hinton has been an integral part of the Canadian theatre landscape for over twenty years. In November 2005, he took the helm as Artistic Director of Canada's National Arts Centre in Ottawa, where he recently announced his second season. During his tenure as Associate Artist of the Stratford Festival of Canada, his trilogy of three full length plays entitled The Swanne premiered to great critical and audience acclaim. Mr. Hinton has written the librettos to two operas with composer Peter Hannan, and has a number of published critical essays to his credit. He is also a respected teacher.

NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton chats with special guest John van Burek, Artistic Director of the Pleiades Theatre, and co-translator of Dying to be Sick.

Laurie Brown interviews Margaret Atwood on the occasion of the world premiere of The Penelopiad at the National Arts Centre. Margaret Atwood is an international literary star. In her thematically diverse and best-selling novels, she has anticipated, explored—and even changed—the popular preoccupations of our time. Writing about issues on both a personal and worldly scale with a knife-edge precision, Atwood has been called, by The Sunday Times, "one of the most inventive, enthralling and accomplished authors writing in English."

NAC English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton chats with special guest Deborah Shaw, Associate Director at the Royal Shakespeare Company, about the world premiere of Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad.

Marie Clements is an award-winning Métis performer, playwright, screenwriter, director, producer and founding Artistic Director of urban ink Productions. Her ten plays including Burning Vision, The Unnatural and Accidental Women, and Urban Tattoo have been presented on some of the most prestigious stages for Canadian and international work including the Festival de Theatre des Ameriques (Urban Tattoo 2001, Burning Vision 2003) in Montreal, and The Magnetic North Festival (Burning Vision 2003) in Ottawa, and have garnered awards including 2004 Canada-Japan Award, short listed for the 2004 Governor General's Literary Award, Jessie Richardson Awards and a Jack Webster Journalism nomination. As a writer Marie has worked in a variety of mediums including theatre, performance, film, multi-media, radio, and television. Her latest writing projects include her film Unnatural and Accidental invited to premiere at over fifteen film festivals including The MoMa Festival in New York, Toronto Film Festival, The Vancouver Film Festival and The American Indian Film Festival 2006. Currently Unnatural and Accidental has received ten nominations for the prestigious Leo Awards including Best Screenplay. As a producer and director Marie has been involved in the development of over seventy productions of new work across forms and disciplines. Copper Thunderbird will be published by Talon Books Fall 2007. She is currently Playwright in Residence at the National Arts Centre.

Laurie Brown interviews Michael Ondaatje. Although he is best known as a novelist for his extraordinary, multiple award-winning The English Patient and its quasi-prequel In the Skin of a Lion, to name only two, Michael Ondaatje's prolific work also encompasses memoir, poetry, and film. He won the Governor General's Award for two books of poetry: The Collected Works of Billy the Kid and There's a Trick with a Knife I'm Learning To Do: Poems 1973Ð1978, and his three films include a documentary on fellow poet bp nichol, entitled The Sons of Captain Poetry. Michael Ondaatje has been the recipient of the Booker Prize, the Canada Australia Prize, four Governor General's Awards, the Giller Prize and the Prix Médicis. In 1988 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. He is considered by many to be something of a national treasure, and we're delighted that he'll be sharing his thoughtful, often provocative and always fascinating insights with us as part of this series.

NAC English Theatre Communications Officer Laura Denker interviews Nadia Ross, artistic director of STO Union Theatre Company and George Acheson, her collaborator and the subject of the production 7 Important Things. Nadia and George discuss their backgrounds, theatrical and otherwise, as well as their creative process with this play and in general. 7 Important Things closes out the NAC English Theatre Studio4 series with a run in the Studio May 10 to 19 with a Pay What You Can performance on May 7 and two previews, May 8 and 9.

Martin Julien, actor and playwright, is Peter's special guest on this edition of the Hinterviews. Martin Julien is an actor and playwright who has appeared on stages across the country for the last thirty years. He will be remembered by Ottawa audiences for his superb portrayal of Cornell Tremble III in Allen Cole's The Wrong Son which opened Peter Hinton's inaugural English Theatre Season last September. Directing this world premiere production is Diana Leblanc, whose work audiences will remember from the NAC/Neptune Theatre coproduction of Copenhagen and, more recently, the NAC/Soulpepper production of The Real Thing.

NAC English Theatre publicist Laura Denker leads you through an in-depth look at Martin Julien's The Unanswered Question, the next play in the Studio4 Series. Laura interviews playwright Martin Julien, director Diana Leblanc and actors Tom McCamus, Chick Reid and Graeme Somerville, giving you an insider's view of the process and practices of these extraordinary artists and their work on this world premiere performance. The Unanswered Question draws on Leonard Bernstein's celebrated Harvard Lectures of the same name to examine the complicated triangle of a famous American conductor/composer, his actress wife, and the younger man who comes between them. The play runs from March 8 to March 17 in the NAC Studio.