This Week on NFB.ca: Celebrate World Theatre Day

World Theatre Day was celebrated this week, on March 27. Since 1961, that day has been set aside to promote theatre in all its forms across the world.

Here at the NFB, we love celebrating occasions like these. Especially when we’ve got the films to do it! This week we featured five films about the theatre, and we threw in a few famous figures, to boot.

Enjoy!

30 Minutes, Mister Plummer

Ahem. Who doesn’t love a little Christopher Plummer?

This short documentary clocks in at just under 30 minutes. In that time, we get up close and personal with the great actor in his dressing room during the early 60s. It’s a great little time capsule… especially if you’re a fan of Capt. Von Trapp.

30 Minutes, Mister Plummer, Anne Claire Poirier, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

David Fennario’s Banana Boots

Get a front row seat to the extraordinary journey of acclaimed playwright David Fennario in this 1998 documentary.

In this filmed version of Fennario’s one-man play, he recounts how he moved from major theatrical performances to community productions, with the aim of “creating theatre that could be used to fight back.”

David Fennario’s Banana Boots, Alec MacLeod, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

The Stratford Adventure

This is a vintage NFB favourite that recounts the tale of mounting of the first Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario. It’s a great story about one small town that rose to fame and attracted world-famous talent to its stages.

There were some major snags in the making of this film, and if you’re a real theatre junkie, you’ll enjoy our inhouse expert’s take on it.

The Stratford Adventure, Morten Parker, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Marianne’s Theatre

And because it’s never to early for exposure to culture, here’s one for the kids.

Animator Co Hoedeman’s film about a troupe of unfortunate marionettes skews a little older than his Ludovic fare, but it’s still sure to please kids of all ages. Combining the best of cinema and theatre, he creates a magical experience for all to enjoy.

Marianne’s Theatre, Co Hoedeman, provided by the National Film Board of Canada

Horse Drawn Magic

We wrapped up the week with a look back to the 1970s to enjoy a little travelling theatre, which is just as trippy as it sounds.

In this short, you get to meet the members of the Caravan Stage Company, the world’s only horse-drawn, open-air theatre. Follow along as they tour the Canadian west, bring joy and live performance wherever they stop.

Horse Drawn Magic, Dorothy Todd Henaut, provided by the National Film Board of Canada