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Two Théâtre la Seizième artists rewarded

Two Théâtre la Seizième artists were honoured during the ceremony held by The Fondation pour l’avancement du théâtre francophone au Canada on September 10^th, 2013. Craig Holzschuh, Artistic and Managing Director at Théâtre la Seizième, won the Marcus-Banque Nationale Prize, while artist Marie Claire Marcotte went home with the Power Corporation of Canada Prize.

Craig Holzschuh receives the Marcus-Banque Nationale Prize

The winners of the Prix Marcus-Banque Nationale were announced at the NAC’s Fourth Stage on September 10. Maurice Arsenault, Artistic Director of Théâtre populaire d’Acadie (Caraquet), and Craig Holzschuh, Artistic and Managing Director of Théâtre la Seizième (Vancouver) were honoured ex aequo by the jury because of the similarities of their support of the next generation of theatre artists as well as the overall contribution of their respective careers.

Craig Holzschuh accepted the prize with much emotion, warmly thanking his mentors, the artists of his community as well as his collaborators at Théâtre la Seizième.  A graduate of Ottawa University and the University of British Columbia, Craig Holzschuh has been working in theatre as a director, playwright, actor, and designer for the past 20 years. Since July 2001, Craig has been the Artistic and Managing Director of Théâtre la Seizième. Under his guidance, a dramaturgical development program was established in 2001 in order to promote theatre in both British Columbia and French Canada. Since the beginning of his career, he’s been involved in many different regional and national organizations, such as the Association des companies de théâtre du Canada (ATFC), the Association des companies de théâtre de l’Ouest and the GVPTAYS, an association of theatre companies producing theatre for young audiences.

Given every two years, the Prix Marcus-Banque Nationale highlights the work of exemplary French Canadians artists whose work has made a major, durable impact on both the regional and national levels. It now offers $15,000. In order to promote relationships, the development of the theatrical milieu, and the transmission of theatrical knowledge, the winners of the 2013 edition of the Prix Marcus-Banque Nationale were asked to choose a protégé they will mentor during the following year. Craig Holzschuh chooses to invite two artists from Vancouver, Émilie Leclerc and Gilles Poulin-Denis, to contribute to the artistic directorship of the company over the course of the 2013-2014 season.

Prix Power Corporation du Canada

Awarded annually, the Power Corporation of Canada Prize allows a young artist from Western Canada to choose to participate in a training opportunity or in a workshop for a new project. For 2013, this prestigious prize was presented to Marie-Claire Marcotte, who will reprise her role this season in Théâtre la Seizième’s production Statu Quo.

Originally from Saskatchewan, Marie-Claire Marcotte has worked in both the French and English theatre communities as an actress, author, singer, translator and as a presenter. She is a graduate of the International School of Comic Acting in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and of the George Brown Theatre School in Toronto where she won the Edna Khubyar Acting Award.

The grant that comes with the Power Corporation of Canada Prize will allow Marie-Claire to do dramaturgical work on Peau, the play she is currently working on, through the use of movement techniques. In collaboration with the Vancouver artist Émilie Leclerc, she will hold a three week workshop during which the goal is to replace all the words in the play with movement. Through this type of work, the author will then choose which parts of the piece, that she describes as “dramatic phantasmagoria”, would be better served by words or by movement.