THE COMPANY
Company History
Cart/Horse Theatre began in the summer o f 2006 with its inaugural production of Brian Friel’s Winners. That production appeared in the Atlantic Fringe Festival, was revived, expanded and subsequently presented in Toronto in the fall of 2007. In 2008 the company previewed its production of Conor McPerson’s Rum And Vodka at the Toronto Fringe Festival. That production was then presented in Toronto in 2009, has subsequently been performed in Halifax and continues to tour.
When choosing a project, we follow a simple formula. Actor, Audience, Story. This also forms the basis for our company’s mandate, to present stories of human nature to an engaged audience in the most honest way we can. To celebrate the shared experience that is the theatre.
ACTOR
Cart/Horse Theatre is an actors’ company. With the reminder that all that is needed for theatre to happen is for an actor to walk across an empty space with someone there to watch, we choose to celebrate that walking. We choose scripts with strong, active characters and thrilling challenges for our performers. By focusing our attention on the performances that take place on the stage we feel we will deliver the most rewarding experience for our audience.
AUDIENCE
Theatre doesn’t happen until the audience steps in the room. For all the work we do in the rehearsal hall, theatre is meaningless without the critical eye, the willingness to believe and the hunger for a story well told, that can only come from an audience. It is the communal experience that only occurs within a theatre that we strive for.
STORY
At Cart/Horse, we’re suckers for a good narrative. Sometimes the most thrilling story is the one told in the simplest terms, with no trickery, no distraction. If theatre is the mirror to nature, then we will focus that glare on the human nature. The writers we are drawn to are the ones who can respect the theatre’s storytelling ability. Writers who are honest, though maybe not truthful. Brave, but maybe to hide their cowardice. Funny in spite of themselves. We may not always tell a happy story, but it will always be one of hope.
Putting the cart before the horse means pushing yourself forward on an unexpected road, adopting new roles and risking failure. Nothing can be gained without risk.
