National Arts Centre Research Articles

A House Is Not A Home

New York producer Joseph Papp recently caused a flurry of headlines across Canada when he addressed some 250 arts managers in Ottawa and told them that the design of the 800-seat theatre in the National Arts Centre was “lousy” and that it “doesn’t work as a theatre.” He said that its layout was “divisive” separating the audience from the stage and the seating was “sprawled.” And it was “obvious,” he said during his talk, that people in the arts were not consulted in the design of the NAC. One of the first people to respond to Papp’s attack was Montreal architect Fred Lebensold, designer of the NAC. Lebensold pointed out that “a great number of people in dance, theatre and opera were consulted all along. No other arts centre has had as much artistic input as the NAC.” When CTR requested a copy of the full text of his remark s for publication, Papp agreed but pointed out that his specific comments on the NA C were made “off-the-cuff.” Nevertheless, his comments on arts centres in general were significant enough to warrant publication even without, what has come to be known around the country as, “the Papp smear.”

A Designer’s Portfolio

Winnipeg-born designer Mary Kerr has worked with director Stephen Katz on five productions, the latest being the Vancouver Play-house production of Machiavelli’s Mandragola (The Mandrake) done in January, 1974. Now living in Toronto, Ms. Kerr is one of the few designers currently working in the theatre who is consistently bold in her use of colour. In addition to her work in Vancouver, her designs have also been seen at Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre, and at The National Arts Centre in Ottawa. This coming summer she and Katz will work together again at The Shaw Festival. When not designing, she teaches at Toronto’s Ryerson Institute.

Centre Studio, National Arts Centre

Centre Studio, National Arts Centre