How Far We’ve Come… by Marcel Stewart
April 15th marked one year since the final audition stage for the 2016-2018 Soulpepper Academy. There were 30 of us, from across the country, selected from 1400 applications and 400 auditions! Most of us barely knew each other at the time. We were genuinely interested in getting to know each other, oh so polite, and annoyingly courteous. After 9 challenging, exhaustive months (working together) those sentiments have pretty much all gone. We know far too much about each other, and are constantly challenging and teasing one another. Recently, a Soulpepper company member referred to us as a “family” because of how boisterous our energy is when we’re around each other!
As I mentioned, the past 9 months have been CRAZY BUSY! Here’s a rundown of some highlights:
- We explored speaking Shakespearean text, specifically Romeo and Juliet, with Albert Schultz
- We sung O Canada, from a boat, while people watched and instagrammed us on Toronto Island
- We explored Greek Tragedy, specifically The Bacchae by Euripides, with Alan Dilworth
- We participated in one of Soulpepper’s most successful fundraising events ever
- We explored Vocal Masque with Dean Gilmour, one of the founders of Theatre Smith-Gilmour
- We contributed skits, songs, and story time to the 2016 Winter Waves festival, the highest attended WWF ever
- We explored Chekhov, particularly Three Sisters and The Seagull, with Daniel Brooks and Diego Matamoros
- We collectively devised a number of pieces, using Chekhov as the launch pad
- We currently are exploring Commedia dell’arte with Marcello Magni, one of the founders of Complicite
With our first year quickly coming to an end I wanted to share some photos, to give insight into how we manage as a group.
This is week one of the Academy, and the boat that we took to the Island (and eventually sung “Oh Canada” on).
The first fundraising event we attended. About 2 months in. We thought we were so cool.
This was the BIG event that we participated in. 4 months in.
Winter Waves Festival. The Blanket Fort of Wonder. 5 months in.
Rehearsing one of the collectively devised pieces. It was titled Anonymous. 7 months in.
Another picture from Anonymous rehearsal. 7 months in.
The most recent donor event, where we met our philanthropic mentors. 8 months in.
To learn more about the Soulpepper Academy visit soulpepper.ca.