French

MISSION

Théâtre français de Toronto (TfT) is a professional French-language theatre presenting repertoire as well as new work. While appealing to all lovers of French-language theatre, it contributes to the cultural and educational development of Toronto’s francophone community.


ARTISTIC VISION

The artistic vision, resulting from the mission and personal to TfT’s artistic director, guides the company’s choice of artistic material. The artistic vision proposed by Guy Mignault, Artistic Director of TfT, is as follows:

“From comedy to tragedy, from new creations to the greats of the classical and modern repertoire, the reservoir of theatrical works in French from which TfT draws the pieces it presents is vast. An eclectic company, TfT produces and presents theatrical productions from both here and away. Original works occupy an important place in the company’s artistic process: they are a source of collaboration, discovery and reflection. TfT’s artistic choices are driven by the need to tell, surprise and move French theatre enthusiasts, be they children, adolescents or adults.

“Because we believe in the impact that theatre can have on the community and artists, TfT’s programming must support and influence the artistic community and all enthusiasts of French theatre. In addition to presenting Canadian and international repertoire, TfT’s programming and activities must pay special attention in particular to young audiences, permit artists to develop their craft while living in French, encourage the greatest number of creators in Toronto, include original works so the public has a chance to discover new voices, and reinforce within its audiences a feeling of belonging.”


OUR MAIN OBJECTIVES

  • Increase the influence of theatre and Francophone culture: we want to continue giving our Francophone and francophile public access to the greatest number of varied theatrical styles and genres from diverse sources.
  • Diversify artistic experiences: we also want to continue to give our audiences diverse shows with themes reflecting the spirit of our company, and to present the most stimulating theatre possible in Canadian and French-language repertoires.
  • Engage young audiences: we want to continue to produce plays suitable for different age groups, recognizing that children and adolescents have their own concerns and interests. We apply the same standards of excellence and professionalism to shows meant for young audiences as we do to our adult programming.
  • Continue producing original works: we strive to play a leading role in creating a corpus of new plays. New plays for general audiences, musical theatre and youth repertoire constitute a cultural wealth to which TfT must continue to contribute.
  • Continue collaborating with other artistic companies: we want to keep developing long-term partnerships with theatre companies in Ontario and the rest of Canada.
  • Develop Francophone artists: as many young Francophone actors and designers from different parts of the country have settled in Toronto in recent years, TfT has become a crucible for emerging as well as experienced artists. The company must help them work, grow and earn a living while practising their craft in their own language, to prevent them from leaving Toronto in favour of Montreal or Ottawa.
  • Raise TfT’s profile: by producing vital, exciting theatre, we want to bring TfT to the forefront of Canada’s theatre scene. We want to be well-known among Francophones and francophiles in Toronto, in Ontario and in the rest of Canada as a company that does great work.

THE ARTISTS

TfT plays a major role in the development of francophone artists. For the past seven years, many young francophone actors and designers from different parts of the country have settled in Toronto. TfT has become a crucible for emerging as well as experienced artists. TfT gives artists the choice to grow in their craft in French, whether or not this is their first language. It is of the utmost importance to support them as it is essential to prevent francophone artists from leaving Toronto in favour of Montreal or Ottawa.


TfT AND YOUNG AUDIENCES

Our productions for young audiences have one major objective: to introduce theatre to the upcoming generations in order for them to become familiar with it. By demonstrating the sense of joy and care for perfection with which we practise our craft in French, we can instil in young people pleasure and pride in the French language, as well as the pleasure of playing and living in French.

Théâtre français de Toronto has a large young audience. Most of its productions are presented as school matinées. TfT also tours in schools throughout the province with shows written specifically for children. Its creation, Bonjour, Monsieur de La Fontaine, toured for three years, as far as Geraldton and Red Lake, and was seen by approximately 18,000 students. TfT’s new play, Grimm Grimm, by Martin-David Peters and Sébastien Bertrand, toured throughout the province for the third consecutive year in 2005 reaching out to more than 16,500 children.

Since the 2004-2005 season, TfT has presented theatre specifically geared to young audiences. This was possible thanks to the specific support of BMO Financial Group et la Fondation franco-ontarienne. This youth programming has been developed in particular with the contribution of two companies specializing in work for teenagers, Théâtre La Catapulte in Ottawa and Théâtre Le Clou in Montréal.

Each season, TfT also presents Les Zurbains in collaboration with Théâtre Le Clou. It is an original way to bridge the gap that teenagers often have with literature and the arts in general and it reveals how much talent teenagers have when given free rein to write their own stories. Les Zurbains is a year-long process with three components: first, a writing competition in francophone and immersion schools launched in Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto; then, workshops in dramaturgy; and finally, a professional production in French presented in the three cities.