International Theater Day was established on March 27th, 1961 by the UNESCO International Theatre Institute (ITI). On this day, various national and international theatre events take place, including a circulation of the World Theatre Day International Message. At the invitation of the ITI, a notable figure will share their reflections on ‘the theme of Theatre and a Culture of Peace’, which is then translated into more than 20 languages.
This year’s author of the message is Jon Fosse, a Norwegian writer and playwright, who you can read about here. Of his works, we have his Septology in our catalogue, ready for you to borrow and delve into.
My theater experience is limited to a production of Anastasia at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre a few years back (it was delightful and magical!) and constantly foiled attempts to see Matilda the Musical (the tickets sold out so fast).
Every year I tell myself I’ll manage to go to the Stratford festival and see a play…and every year I never do, due to various reasons. But maybe 2024 will be my year; I very much hope to watch Twelfth Night, Romeo and Juliet and/or Wendy and Peter Pan!
If getting to the theater just isn’t in the cards for you, no worries; VPL can bring the theater to you! Kanopy is a video streaming service that offers over 30,000 critically acclaimed films. The selection ranges from new popular titles, classics, world cinema, art and indie as well as top rated documentaries and performing arts productions.
Your library card will get you started watching on your desktop or mobile devices. Every month, you get 30 tickets to play a video. Your tickets reset on the first day of the month, and unused tickets don’t roll over to the next month, so make sure to enjoy them! (Note: Kanopy Kids doesn’t use tickets, so enjoy that unlimited access!) Once setup, simply search ‘performing arts’ and you’ll get a veritable feast of options to peruse.
Here are some of the plays, musicals, and theater documentaries that I’m personally excited to watch:
Macbeth
Starring Sir Patrick Stewart as Macbeth and Kate Fleetwood as Lady Macbeth, Rupert Goold‘s immediate and visceral film is set in an undefined and threatening central European world. Shot on location in the mysterious underground labyrinth of Welbeck Abbey in Nottinghamshire, this is a contemporary presentation of Shakespeare’s intense, claustrophobic and bloody drama.
Phantom the Musical
Featuring K-Pop sensation Super Junior’s Kyuhyun, world renowned soprano Sunhae Im and world class ballerina Joowon Kim, this lavish Korean production of Maury Yeston and Arthur Kopit’s, “Phantom”, is an eye-dazzling and ear-pleasing take on Gaston Leroux’s 1910 novel The Phantom of the Opera.
The Red Shoes
Filmed at Sadler’s Wells in 2019, Matthew Bourne’s “The Red Shoes” is a triumphant adaptation of the legendary 1948 feature film by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger.
The double Olivier Award-winning show is Hans Christian Andersen’s tale of obsession, possession, and one girl’s dream to be the greatest dancer in the world. Victoria Page, played by Ashley Shaw who won a National Dance Award for her performance, lives to dance, but her ambitions become a battleground between the two men who inspire her passion: the composer Julian Craster played by original cast member Dominic North, and legendary impresario Boris Lermontov, with the great Adam Cooper in the role.
On Broadway
For anyone who loves theater, this contemporary history of Broadway is a pure joy! As audiences prepare for the return of live theater after an unprecedented absence of 18 months, an all-star cast tells the inside story of the last time Broadway came back from the brink. “On Broadway” shows how this revival helped save New York City, thanks to innovative work, a new attention to inclusion, and the sometimes uneasy balance between art and commerce.
Interviews with legends of the stage and screen, including Hugh Jackman, Helen Mirren, Christine Baranski, August Wilson, James Corden, Alec Baldwin, John Lithgow, Viola Davis, and Ian McKellen take us behind the scenes of Broadway’s most groundbreaking and beloved shows, from “A Chorus Line” to “Hamilton”. Archival clips of iconic performances by Lin Manuel Miranda, Patti Lupone, Bernadette Peters, James Earl Jones and Mandy Patinkin punctuate this hurly-burly ride through the main street of American show business.
Cinderella
Matthew Bourne’s Cinderella is a thrilling and evocative love story told in dance. A reinterpretation of the classic fairy tale, it features heart-stopping choreography and vivid, truthful characters. Originally mounted in 1997 but recreated as a completely fresh production for its most recent run, this is one of New Adventures’ most popular and beloved creations.
Set in London during the Second World War, the drama features Cinderella and a dashing young RAF pilot. Together just long enough to fall in love, they are parted by the horrors of the Blitz. Among the obstacles to their reunion is Cinderella’s sinister step-mother, while the Angel weaves his magic to protect our heroine.
Beowulf
Benjamin Bagby’s legendary performance of the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf (part I) recorded live in Helsingborg, Sweden (January, 2006)
In this remarkable one-man tour de force, Bagby, accompanying himself on an Anglo-Saxon harp, delivers this gripping tale — in the original Old English — as it could have been experienced more than 1000 years ago. This is a performance which will speak to many: lovers of Beowulf and oral epic, early music enthusiasts, Tolkien fans, medievalists, and anyone searching for virtuoso storytelling, great theater, or a glimpse into the fascinating beginnings of the English language.
Shakespeare Behind Bars
Murderers, Fugitives, Thieves…Shakespeare would have loved these guys. ‘Shakespeare Behind Bars’ is an unexpectedly delightful documentary that follows the casting, rehearsal, and presentation of Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest, by convicted felons inside Kentucky’s Luther Luckett Correctional Complex. Winner of eight film festival awards, ‘Shakespeare Behind Bars’ smashes many of our long held notions about prisoners and criminals as we watch these remarkably unique actors prepare. Ultimately, we get to see the human psyche unfold in all of its complexities, as these men, ostracized from society, reveal their kindness, generosity and faith. In the process, we accompany them as they discover the power of truth, forgiveness and transformation.
‘Shakespeare Behind Bars’ does not glorify these men or excuse their crimes, but rather attempts to take a more humane look at them as human beings, not merely felons. Over the course of the year and the film, we see these men changed – enriched, challenged, awakened, and fulfilled.
Moccasins and Microphones
This documentary journeys with the Santa Fe Indian School Spoken Word Team as they prepare and present a theater production of their finest poems woven with traditional and contemporary song and dance.
I hope you’ll explore Kanopy and everything the world of theater has to offer you! Do comment with your favourite theater experience or Kanopy viewing, I’d love to expand my to-see list!