Stumble Upon

del.icio.us

Digg

Facebook

Print

Email

speakup

Mount Allison's bilingual theatre company, Tintamarre, is set to perform at Harkins Middle School and Miramichi Valley High School on May 12.

The company is about begin its annual school tour under the direction of Professor Alex Fancy. Tintamarre will stage more than 20 performances of Trocshop, an original bilingual comedy with music, in schools throughout New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Trocshop has been created according to a unique method of brainstorming, improvisation, and teamwork, which has been featured in workshops given by Fancy in six countries. The troupe has performed for well over 100,000 students throughout the Maritimes.

Although Fancy writes the bilingual scripts, Jason Swan, a graduating student from Woodstock who is setting out on his third tour, says that, "The process of creating the plays celebrates all that is best about student-centred learning and teaching." This year's play invites spectators into a used-clothing store where there are no prices or cash-registers, and where customers try on their dreams as well as clothes, and realize how different they are from each other. As Hannah Gibson sings at the top of the show, "You've got your life, and I've got mine."

Gibson is from Windsor, N.S., and is the only first-year actor.

The 11 actors have been chosen from 23 who performed in the original show at Mount Allison in November. Dominique Piché, from Fort Collins, Colorado, says that, although she is a biology major, Tintamarre and bilingual theatre have an important place in her life.

Fancy notes the shows are the work of many people, from Paul Del Motte and Decima Mitchell who designed the original production to the many students who worked on sets, costumes, lights, and sound.

The director points out that Tintamarre is part of the calendar and culture of many schools, that some teachers who welcome the troupe into their community are former Tintamarre actors, and that this year the company is also providing workshops in several schools.

The tour is supported by the Marjorie Young Bell Committee, Mount Allison. For further information, please contact Alex Fancy, tel: 506-364-2480 (afancy@mta.ca).