Last night marked the opening performance of Night, a production about 24 hour darkness in Pond Inlet and features artists from the North. This production has been in the works for the last six years, with workshops in Nunavut and Iceland over the last three years. At the same time, Mother Courage and Her Children, the 2nd production with the NAC English Theatre Acting Company, have moved rehearsals to the stage in the Theatre in preparation for opening next Friday night.

While all this is going on at the NAC, January and February will prove to be highlights outside as well. After playing in the Studio, Night will tour to the community of Inuvik (Jan 19, 2010), the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre in Yellowknife (Jan 22-23, 2010), and the Yukon Arts Centre in Whitehorse (Jan 27-28, 2010). Mother Courage and Her Children travels to the Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg in early February. Joanna McCelland Glass’ World Premiere of Mrs. Dexter and Her Daily, coming to the NAC in February, starts previewing this week at Vancouver’s Arts Club Theatre before opening next Wednesday.

On January 19, previews begin at the Belfry Theatre in Victoria for Kevin Loring’s Governor General Award winning Where the Blood Mixes. After Victoria, the play goes to Vancouver in February for the Cultural Olympiad at the Firehall Theatre, then to Winnipeg at Prairie Theatre Exchange and finishing at Toronto’s Factory Theatre after stopping here in the Studio in March. Elephant Wake, which played the Studio in November, also heads to Vancouver in February for the Cultural Olympiad. Artistic Director Peter Hinton heads off to Montreal the beginning of February to begin rehearsals at the Centaur Theatre on Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, which plays the NAC Theatre in April. 

And on top of that, on December 30, 2009, Peter Hinton was named an Officer of the Order of Canada by Governor General Michaëlle Jean. A very exciting time indeed!