Carousel Theatre
Encyclopedia
Carousel Theatre is a professional theatre
company for young audiences located in Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
. The company stages plays for young people, families and educators at the Waterfront Theatre and Performance Works on Granville Island
and tours to elementary schools across British Columbia and Canada. It was also the first Canadian theatre company to offer signing
during its performances for the hearing impaired. Carousel Theatre is a member of PACT, the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres.
Carousel has mounted premieres of several productions, some of which it had commissioned and developed. Notable Canadian plays that premiered at Carousel Theatre include A Christmas Carol - The Musical by Mavor Moore
(in 1998), Dying to be Thin by Linda A. Carson (in 1992), and Basically Good Kids by Mark Leiren-Young
(in 1993). Carousel also mounted an original production of Pierre Berton
's fable The Secret World of Og
, adapted under commission by Governor General's Award-winning playwright Kevin Kerr
. Other Carousel productions have included Seussical
and Kim Selody's adaptation of The Hobbit.
Many notable Canadian theatre artists, including Roy Surette, Teryl Rothery
, and Anna Cummer
have worked for Carousel Theatre in the decades since it was founded.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
company for young audiences located in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The company stages plays for young people, families and educators at the Waterfront Theatre and Performance Works on Granville Island
Granville Island
Granville Island is a peninsula and shopping district in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It is located in False Creek directly across from Downtown Vancouver's peninsula, under the south end of the Granville Street Bridge....
and tours to elementary schools across British Columbia and Canada. It was also the first Canadian theatre company to offer signing
Sign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
during its performances for the hearing impaired. Carousel Theatre is a member of PACT, the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres.
History and productions
Carousel was founded in 1974 by Elizabeth Ball, who served as its artistic director until 2001, when she stepped down and was replaced by Carole Higgins. In its early years, Carousel garnered attention for its adaptations of Shakespeare in modern dress. Later, it shifted its focus to adaptations of classical stories and new works by Canadian playwrights. Carousel first mounted its productions in Vancouver playhouses such as the Arts Club Theatre Company’s old Seymour Street theatre and the Vancouver East Cultural Centre. In about 1993, it relocated to Granville Island, where it has administrative offices and two rehearsal halls; as well, it is across the street from the Waterfront Theatre, where it mounts many of its productions.Carousel has mounted premieres of several productions, some of which it had commissioned and developed. Notable Canadian plays that premiered at Carousel Theatre include A Christmas Carol - The Musical by Mavor Moore
Mavor Moore
James Mavor Moore, CC, OBC was a Canadian writer, producer, actor, public servant, critic, and educator.-Biography:...
(in 1998), Dying to be Thin by Linda A. Carson (in 1992), and Basically Good Kids by Mark Leiren-Young
Mark Leiren-Young
Mark Leiren-Young is a Canadian journalist, screenwriter, playwright and occasional performer in the comedy duo Local Anxiety. He lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.-Writing:...
(in 1993). Carousel also mounted an original production of Pierre Berton
Pierre Berton
Pierre Francis de Marigny Berton, was a noted Canadian author of non-fiction, especially Canadiana and Canadian history, and was a well-known television personality and journalist....
's fable The Secret World of Og
The Secret World of Og
The Secret World of Og is a children's novel written by Pierre Berton and illustrated by his daughter Patsy. It was first published in 1961 by McClelland and Stewart.This Canadian classic has sold more than 200,000 copies in four editions....
, adapted under commission by Governor General's Award-winning playwright Kevin Kerr
Kevin Kerr
Kevin Kerr is a Canadian playwright, actor, director and founding member of Electric Company Theatre. From 2007 to 2010, he was Lee Playwright in Residence at University of Alberta....
. Other Carousel productions have included Seussical
Seussical
is a musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty based on the books of Dr. Seuss that debuted on Broadway in 2000. The play's story is a rather complex amalgamation of many of Seuss's most famous books. After a Broadway run, the production spawned two US national tours and a UK tour...
and Kim Selody's adaptation of The Hobbit.
Many notable Canadian theatre artists, including Roy Surette, Teryl Rothery
Teryl Rothery
Teryl Rothery is a Canadian actress. She is best known for her role as Dr. Janet Fraiser on Stargate SG-1.-Life and career:Rothery was born in Vancouver, British Columbia...
, and Anna Cummer
Anna Cummer
Anna Cummer is an actress from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. She spent half of her adolescence in Southeast Asia and the other half in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. She finished high school in Hong Kong at the French International School and studied drama in England where she completed...
have worked for Carousel Theatre in the decades since it was founded.
Other activities
In addition to producing and staging theatrical performances, Carousel operates a theatre school for young people from the ages of 3 to 17 years old. The company also operates a "Teen Shakespeare Program" for young people aged 13 to 17 during the months of July and August, culminating in a production staged by the teen actors."Jessie" Awards
Over the years, Carousel theatre received numerous Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards and nominations, including:- 2011
- Outstanding Design, Theatre for Young Audiences - Heidi Wilkinson, Bird Brain
- Outstanding Artistic Creation, Theatre for Young Audiences – Carole Higgins, Bird Brain
- Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences, Bird Brain
- Significant Artistic Achievement, Theatre for Young Audiences, Design Team, Pharaoh Serket & The Lost Stone of Fire
- 2010
- Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences, A Year with Frog & Toad
- Outstanding Performance, Theatre for Young Audiences, A Year with Frog & Toad
- Outstanding Design, Theatre for Young Audiences - Heidi Wilkinson
- Outstanding Artistic Creation, Theatre for Young Audiences - Gordon Roberts (Musical Direction) A Year with Frog & Toad
- 2008
- Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences, Seussical (awarded with the Canada Council Prize for Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences)
- Outstanding Artistic Creation, Theatre for Young Audiences - Steven Greenfield, Musical Direction, Seussical
- Outstanding Performance, Theatre for Young Audiences - Allan Zinyk, Seussical
- 2007
- Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences, The Odyssey (awarded with the Canada Council Prize for Outstanding Production, Theatre for Young Audiences)
- 2006
- Carole Higgins, Outstanding Artistic Creation (direction), The Big League
- Alexa Dubreuil, Josh Dickson, Nathan Schwartz, Chris Van Hyfte, Significant Artistic Achievement (acting ensemble), The Big League