International Theatre Festival Theatre festival welcomes unprecedented 2008 line-up

Held at Liverpool’s famed Astor Theatre, this year’s festival promises to be one of the most extraordinary of its kind, offering an intriguing and varied assembly of first-time participants and new visitors to Canada.

Chris Heide, Artistic Director, announced the first of the international amateur theatre companies that will captivate audiences at the 2008 LITF.

Heide said, “Since 1992, LITF audiences have enjoyed outstanding amateur theatre from the world over. As the committee plans the 2008 season, they hope to meet and exceed expectations of excellence.”

The line-up of confirmed international participants include the following:

Israel: The Open Theatre of Jerusalem

Performance: “A View from the Bridge” (Arthur Miller)

The Open Theatre of Jerusalem is the first in Israel to bring together handicapped and non-handicapped actors working in equality and harmony. In American playwright Arthur Miller’s modern classic, “A View from the Bridge,” they transport their audience to an Italian immigrant neighborhood near the Brookline Port where Eddie Carbone and his wife are raising their niece. When two family members arrive at their house having entered the USA illegally, the devoted and loving “father” tries desperately to keep his “daughter” to himself. However, he must be willing to sacrifice his family, his dignity and his life in the process.

Syria: The Al-Khareef Theatre Troupe of Damascus

Performance: “A Feast Night Dream” (Nawar Bulbul and Ramez Alaswad)

In their original two-hander, the Al-Khareef Theatre Troupe tells a classic tale of hope and friendship. Amidst the harsh reality of life on the street, the play tells the story of a cobbler and street shoe polisher who soon discover a common bond: both love the same woman and share a desire to escape to a better life. This small company has performed “A Feast Night Dream” in Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Prague, Italy, Spain, Quebec, and the USA, earning accolades and awards from around the world.

Slovakia: The Theatre Association Partizanske

Performance: “The Dreams, Wings and Hurricane Dog” (Jozef Krasula and Ivan Hanzlic)

Set in a rustic backwoods village in Slovakia, “The Dreams, Wings and Hurricane Dog” introduces us to many charming characters, among them Vilo Bee and Edo Key. Unusual, even in their own village, they are famous for their bees, their scrambled eggs and, most of all, their indomitable spirit. Vilo and Edo dream of flying and their attempt is impressive. This inspiring story culminates above the village, with exhilaration at the sense of freedom they achieve and the fulfillment of a dream.

Since 1980, the Theatre Association has gained a reputation as one of the top amateur theatre companies in Slovakia. Their choice of texts, authentic adaptation and utilization of unconventional artistic expressions has garnered them numerous awards including the Slovakia Ministry of Culture Award for “most imaginative work of the year.”

“The Dreams, Wings and Hurricane Dog” has been presented throughout the United Kingdom and Europe since 1997, with recent performances in Paderborn, Germany and Girona, Spain in 2007. The company has also performed in Mexico, Japan, and Scandinavia and at the XII World Amateur Theatre Festival in Monaco (2001).

For complete details on these and other performances, visit the official Liverpool International Theatre Festival website at www.litf.ca.

LITF Christmas gift packages will soon be available through the Astor Theatre Box Office, 59 Gorham St., Liverpool. Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Box Office can be reached at 354-5250 or online at www.astortheatre.ns.ca.