To Find Out Who We Are
To Find Out Who We Are By Mariah Madill, Graduate student, Applied Theatre, University of Victoria [Editor’s Note: I have loved Twelfth Night since I was a 15-year-old student acting in a production – I’ve seen it a couple of dozen times – but until now, I’ve never even heard of a production using real […]
It Took Us to the Stars
It Took Us to the Stars By Jasper Zhang, Fleetwood Park Secondary School, Surrey, B.C. The idea of Stars came to Annika and me late in the night in early January. Annika and I tend to have long writing sessions over the phone, stretching past midnight, filled with laughter, conversation, and inspiration. During one of […]
Laughter, Tears and Mood Swings
Laughter, Tears and Mood Swings By Sierra Thambiratnam York House School, Vancouver, B.C. Writing my short play Get out of the Road has been quite an experience, one filled with laughter, tears and mood swings (evidently). Yet through it all, my family, friends and teachers have been the most supportive community I could have ever […]
The Challenge of Putting a Show Together
The Challenge of Putting a Show Together By Alaster Nikolic, DSBN Academy, St. Catharines, Ont. The TAEA One-Act Play Competition has been an absolutely incredible experience, and I’m extremely grateful for this opportunity. My drama teacher had suggested I submit a piece to this contest after I had written two plays for our school and […]
In Praise of Canadian Plays
In Praise of Canadian Plays By John Lazarus, Playwright, Retired Professor, and Editor of Theatrics Maybe I’m prejudiced, but I like Canadian plays. They speak to us in ways that other plays do not. This essay will explain why I feel this way, and what I hope Canadian high-school drama teachers might do about it. […]
Executive Director’s Update March 2025
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S UPDATE By Craig Wrotniak Spring is coming, and we’re back with our newsletter. I’m going to open this with a copy of a memo I sent out to all of you a couple of weeks ago, just in case you missed it: On Interprovincial Trade Barriers, and our changing relationship with the U.S. […]
Atlantic STAR Fest: The Experience of a Lifetime!
Atlantic STAR Fest: The Experience of a Lifetime! By Aurora Hickey (Aurora was in Grade 12 at Gonzaga High School, St. John’s, NL,when she took part in Atlantic STAR Fest last May.She is now studying education at Memorial University.) On April 18th, 2024, the Gonzaga High School Drama Club performed Don Zolidis’ play “The Monologue […]
Executive Director’s Update January 2025
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S UPDATE By Craig Wrotniak Happy New Year to all our amazing members! The Regional STAR Fest saw much growth across the country, and that required our attention from mid-November through December. However, we have been working hard in all areas, and have some exciting updates to share below. This includes expanding teacher support, […]
AN ANTHOLOGY THAT CENTRES QUEERNESS
AN ANTHOLOGY THAT CENTRES QUEERNESS A book review by Brendon Allen,Drama and Theatre Coordinator,Upper Canada College, Toronto, Ont. Work reviewed: This is Beyond: A Time Capsule of Queer Experience Edited by Evan Tsitsias and Bilal Baig, Playwrights Canada Press, Toronto, 2023 The brightly-coloured cover sleeve of this collection reads: “In this rapid moment of expansion […]
COLONIALISM AND OTHER “MYTHS”: THE REBELLION AGAINST REALITY
COLONIALISM AND OTHER “MYTHS”:THE REBELLION AGAINST REALITY COLONIALISM AND OTHER “MYTHS”:THE REBELLION AGAINST REALITY COLONIALISM AND OTHER “MYTHS”:THE REBELLION AGAINST REALITY Pomerantsev argues that autocrats often dare their followers to believe absurd claims, as a kind of loyalty test. For both initiators and participants, lying also becomes an assertion of power: “We can lie,” Applebaum says, […]