Congratulations To All Theatre NS Award Nominees Including Talent Trust Alumni

Congratulation to our Talent Trust alumnae for their nominations for a Theatre Nova Scotia 2020 Robert Merritt Award!

Veronique MacKenzie for Outstanding Choreography in Ben Hur with Festival Antigonish Summer Theatre and The Children with Keep Good [Theatre] Company.

Laura Vingoe-Cram for Outstanding Direction in The Children with Keep Good [Theatre] Company.

Eszther Horvath for Outstanding Musical Direction in Brundibar with Halifax Theatre for Young People. 

Shauntay Grant for Outstanding New Play by A Nova Scotian and Outstanding Production for The Bridge with 2b theatre and Neptune Theatre in association with Obsidian Theatre. 

Congratulations to all nominees! You can find the full list at Theatre Nova Scotia's website: 
https://www.theatrens.ca/robert-merritt-awards/nominations

photo credit: websites of all the mentioned artists above


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Light in the Forest Sells Out in Advance

Congratulations to Holly Carr, alumni Jennifer King and Veronique Mackenzie for their early success, selling out in advance for Light in the Forest a production by Holly Carr.

image of Veronique from https://www.dal.ca/news/2009/12/07/choreographer.html

November 2 at 7 p.m.
St Matthew's United Church
1479 Barrington Street
Sold Out!

Stay tuned for news about the spring show in Wolfville. 

As described on the Light in the Forest website, "the production is an original and unique, all ages, multi-faceted theatrical experience that takes the audience on a journey from the dark foreboding forest with all of its inhabitants and brings them slowly into the light through a series of mysterious and beautiful reveals. 

Jennifer King will play a haunting repertoire on the piano while the moving choreography of Veronique Mackenzie and the Light in the Forest dancers escort the audience. Holly Carr paints live bringing the creatures of the forest to life. There will be original costumes a soundscape of the natural world and larger than life hand painted silk panels and sculptures. The audience is presented with veiled apparitions through layers of silk-and dramatic lighting transitioning from the dark unknown into a world of beauty and tranquility. A layered illustrated environment, like that of a story book is ultimately revealed. The underpinning of the production is understanding, confronting and overcoming your fears."
Artist Bios

Nova Scotia’s Jennifer King is a versatile pianist who is at home as a soloist or collaborator. She has established herself as a sought-after performer and recording artist in the region. Jennifer’s recording, O Mistress Moon, was nominated for both the ECMA and Music Nova Scotia Classical Album of the Year for 2019. Her second recording, Doolittle: Minute Études “Excerpts” (Live) was released in August of 2019 and a new video is now available on You Tube. Jennifer has a Master of Music in performance from McGill and post-graduate diplomas from University of Reading and Royal Academy of Music in London. She has received numerous prestigious awards including scholarships from the Nova Scotia’s Talent Trust.

Véronique Mackenzie has presented her work across the country in a variety of festivals and productions including Toronto’s Junction Festival, The Edmonton Fringe Festival, Labrador Arts Festival and Festival Antigonish. Her status as an independent dancer has allowed her to dance for a variety of contemporary dance productions as well as develop a successful choreographic and solo performance career. Véronique most recently completed choreography for POP TV's "Let's Get Physical" (L.A.) and has worked on CBC's Mr. D, Bo on the Go, and Street Cents. Véronique has served on faculty at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD University), Neptune Theatre School, The Fountain School of Performing Arts (Dalhousie University) and Halifax Dance. She’s been a board member of Dance Nova Scotia and Keep Good (Theatre) Company. She is the Atlantic rep for the Dancer Transition Resource Centre out of Toronto. 

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Eszther Horvath and Veronique MacKenzie Team Up for a Children's Opera May 16-19, 2019.

Music Director Eszther Horvath and choreographer Veronique MacKenzie join the Brundibar team for Halifax Theatre for Young People’s (HTYP) presentation of the children’s opera Brundibár.

May 16-19th

Cropped Image from Original Poster

Sir James Dunn Theatre
Dalhousie Arts Centre
Room 514, 6101 University Avenue

School shows:
May 16, 9:15 am
May 17, 10:30 am

May 18 7:00 pm
May 19 2:00 pm

Brundibár is an opera written for children by Hans Krása with lyrics by Adolf Hoffmeister, composed in Prague in 1938. The opera tells the story of children who sing in the marketplace to raise money for their sick mother, but are chased away by the organ player, Brundibár. With the help of animal and bird friends, as well as other children, they defeat Brundibár and continue to sing. All watching understood that Brundibár represented Hitler and were uplifted, even momentarily, by the fact that good could triumph over evil.

Despite the background of its creation, the opera itself is light-hearted and provides a great opportunity to introduce children and youth to the topic of the Holocaust and racial discrimination, and the need to work together to defeat oppression.

The Halifax production is directed by HTYP’s Artistic Director Tessa Mendel, with musical direction by Eszter Horvath, and features professional musicians including Scott Macmillan and members of Symphony Nova Scotia, children from the local community and professional set and lighting designers. 

The production includes an educational component, guest speakers and a photography exhibit. A committee of local supporters has been working behind the scenes for several years to bring the production to Halifax audiences. Description from the Halifax Theatre for Young People Website

Veronique MacKenzie is an internationally recognized dancer, choreographer, and educator most recently recognized with a 2019 Merritt Award.  

 
Eszther Horvath is an accomplished singer, violinist, musical director and conductor.

Veronique MacKenzie Wins the 2019 Merritt Award for Outstanding Choreography.

Veronique MacKenzie receives recognition for her choreography in Kamp, presented by Eastern Front Theatre & Neptune Theatre. Kamp, a two-act musical that tells the story of a group of homosexual men, interred in a Nazi concentration camp took home several Merritt awards. 

The award adds to the growing list of her accomplishments. Veronique is a recipient of Nova Scotia’s prestigious Established Artist Awards, and two-time recipient of Live Art’s Diane Moore Scholarship for choreography. 

Véronique has presented her work across the country in a variety of festivals and productions including Toronto’s Junction Festival, The Edmonton Fringe Festival, Labrador Arts Festival and Festival Antigonish. Her status as an independent dancer has allowed her to dance for a variety of contemporary dance productions as well as develop a successful choreographic and solo performance career. Véronique most recently completed choreography for POP TV's "Let's Get Physical" (L.A.) and has worked on CBC's Mr. D, Bo on the Go, and Street Cents.

Véronique has served on faculty at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD University), Neptune Theatre School, The Fountain School of Performing Arts (Dalhousie University) and Halifax Dance. She’s been a board member of Dance Nova Scotia and Keep Good (Theatre) Company. She is the Atlantic rep for the Dancer Transition Resource Centre out of Toronto.

Her eclectic background includes training in modern dance (York University and The School of the Toronto Dance Theatre), jazz and ballet (The National Ballet School/R.A.D./Checcetti/Vagonova), visual art (NSCAD), clown and Fool-work (Laban Int’l School), creative movement (Virginia Tanner School/USA) and theatre (University of NB and Theatre NB) from which she has developed a unique performance style.

Biographical information has been summarized, and can be found in full on her website, www.veroniquemackenzie.com