Formerly known as the Sears Atlantic Drama Festival, the event which runs from May 18th to 20th, brings together high school students from throughout the region to view, discuss and enjoy each other’s creative efforts, under the guidance of experienced adjudicators. The Festival facilitates and inspires a love of theatre, team work, problem solving, originality and entrepreneurship. “I am excited for students, teachers and community members across several provinces as we enter this new period in our history. Now, under the banner of the National Theatre School Drama Festival we look forward to our first season of compelling and unique theatre for and by theatre students,” said Wayne Fairhead, Executive Director of the organization.

“I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the volunteers, teachers, coaches, theatre professionals, adjudicators, parents and friends of the festival who give their time, expertise and encouragement to make this festival possible. At NTS, we believe that theatre allows people to imagine, think and feel collectively. The Drama Festival is a fine example of the power of theatre to encourage empathy, creativity, debate and community building,” said Gideon Arthurs, CEO of the National Theatre School of Canada.

The Atlantic Drama Festival is part of a trio of Drama Festivals, the other two are in Ontario and B.C. all now under the umbrella of the National Theatre School. The Ontario Drama Festival, founded in 1946, is Canada’s oldest theatre festival. It helped launch the careers of numerous actors, directors and production professionals, including actors Margot Kidder, Rachel McAdams, Yanna McIntosh and R.H. Thomson, as well as movie director David Cronenberg. In 2018, the National Theatre School of Canada added new artistic resources for participants and is working to eventually expand the festivals to include more young artists, as well as provide financial and administrative support.

About the National Theatre School of Canada: Founded in 1960, in Montreal, the National Theatre School of Canada (NTS) offers incomparable training for theatre artists of all kinds, actors, directors, designers, writers, production specialists, to create work that matters. A co-lingual school, NTS includes both an English section and a French section. The School has graduated some 2000 artists who have made incalculable contributions to our collective identity. Some of this country’s most important theatre, performance, film, and television artists are among their ranks, and the School’s influence is felt from coast to coast to coast and across the globe.

Watermark is thrilled to host this remarkable event and look forward to inspiring the next generation of theatre artists. “We continue to focus a lot of our energies on training, mentoring, and inspiring young theatre artists”, says Watermark Artistic Director Robert Tsonos. “This Festival, along with our professional mentorship program and our teenage acting conservatory really sets our theatre up as a training ground for the future of theatre in this province and across the country”.

For more information, or to set up an interview with any of the participants please contact Andrea Surich at 902-963-3963 or generalmanager@watermarktheatre.com

Watermark Theatre
57 Church Hill Ave
North Rustico, PE
C0A 1X0
(902) 963-3963
http://www.watermarktheatre.com

Watermark Theatre is a proud member of the Professional Theatre Network of PEI.