Young Actors Theatre Company

One of the original ensembles of "Canadian Stories"
circa 1997

E.S.L. teachers have constantly asked for "Canadian Stories" to be re-mounted as they find that with so many more immigrants (particularly refugees entering Canada), the play is a perfect way to tell their stories and increase understanding of our multicultural society. E.S.L. teachers agree that we still have a long way to go in gaining an understanding of other cultures and this play is needed in schools and colleges.

"Canadian Stories" began at the Vancouver Youth Theatre during the time Carole Tarlington was Artistic Director. Carole spent six months working with and compiling the stories of E.S.L. students in Vancouver schools, conducting workshops with an aim to finding out what their lives were like and the challenges they faced in Canada.

Auditions were held and a company of young actors was formed who then set about working on acting and singing training and developing the stories using a technique called Playbuilding (which involves the input of the Instructors and the actors to create the material and allows the actors to learn their skills in context). "Canadian Stories" premiered at that year's E.S.L. Conference and received a standing ovation from the audience of workers and teachers.

Word of the show quickly spread throughout B.C., the rest of Canada and the United States. A workshop was devised for schools and teachers, a workbook created and the play began to tour schools in the lower mainland. Soon, it was playing to rave reviews in schools, colleges and theatres across the country and in the U.S. A theatre critic in the U.K. said "In a lifetime of theatre-going, I have never seen a more professional group of young actors. This play has heart, is instructive, moving and entertaining. It has what the Americans call 'the WOW factor'."

The play has now been seen by over 120,000 people around the world. It toured for over three years with three different casts. The actors received over 5,000 letters from young immigrants and audience members: "I thought I was the only who experienced this loneliness in Canada, but your play taught me otherwise. Thank you for bringing my story to the stage".

TRAINING DATES: August 5-31 - 10am-4pm (Monday-Friday) | September 11-November 27 - 10am-4pm (Saturdays) | Fee: $2500.00 (plus GST)

PERFORMANCE DATES: Tuesday, August 31 - 8pm - Firehall Arts Centre - 280 West Cordova - Vancouver, BC
Friday, October 22 - E.S.L. Annual Conference - Churchill Secondary School - Vancouver, BC

AUDITION DATE: Saturday, April 10, 2010 (no fee to audition - age 16-21 considered)