Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, July 9, 2013 . . . The Shaw Festival pulls back the curtain and offers viewers a behind-the-scenes glimpse in The Shaw Festival: Behind the Curtain. The new PBS documentary is scheduled for broadcast nationwide on PBS stations (check local listings) and locally on WNED-TV Buffalo/Toronto, Friday, July 19 at 9:00 p.m.
During the Shaw Festival’s 2012 season, the documentary production crew was given unprecedented access to the backstage workings and creative process. The result is a film that captures key moments in the making of great theatre. The Shaw Festival: Behind the Curtain follows the development of the season and features rehearsal, set design and construction, costume design and the extensive backstage logistics required by The Shaw to achieve its unique and popular repertory schedule. Additionally, The Shaw Festival: Behind the Curtain explores the history of the Shaw Festival, from its humble beginnings as an eight performance Salute to Shaw! to its current status as one of North America’s premier theatres and examines how the Shaw Festival’s creative mandate has expanded over the years and provides insight into the artistic and financial balance that is sought and must be achieved when producing plays.
“The Shaw Festival: Behind the Curtain continues WNED’s tradition of PBS productions that present the rich history and culture of the Western New York and Southern Ontario region to viewers nationwide,” said Donald K. Boswell, WNED ǀ WBFO president and CEO. “The Shaw Theatre Festival is one of the most respected repertory theatres in the world and we are thrilled that the Festival opened their doors to the production team.”
“We are thrilled to have our home explored and showcased by this documentary,” said Jackie Maxwell, artistic director of the Shaw Festival. “The result is a great fusion between two creative organizations.”
The Shaw Festival: Behind the Curtain is a production of Forevergreen Television and Film Productions Inc., in association with Rogers Broadcasting Limited and WNED-TV Buffalo/Toronto. More information about the program is available at WNED.org. Press interested in downloading photos or previewing the film can go to pressroom.pbs.org.
Funding provided by the John R. Oishei Foundation, Rogers Documentary Fund and Rogers Cable Network Fund. Additional support from Martha and Tom Hyde, Margaret and Jim Fleck, the William and Nona Heaslip Foundation, the Peter C. Cornell Trust, and Susan B. and Richard V. Lee. With participation from the Government of Canada through the Canadian Film or Video Production Tax Credit Program and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.
The Shaw Festival’s 2013 season began April 3, runs until November 3 and features 10 productions presented on the Festival’s four Niagara-on-the-Lake stages. For more information on our 2013 season, performance schedule and ticket information, please visit www.shawfest.com or call 1-800-511-SHAW.
Illustration: The Light in the Piazza. ©2012 Emily Cooper.
2013-07-09
Niagara-on-the-Lake: Shaw Festival takes centre stage in a new PBS documentary