THE ALEPH Opens Soulpepper's 2010 Lab Series

Albert Schultz, Founding Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, today announced that the company's new lab series will open with The Aleph. This year, with the support of the Garland Schultz Artistic Development Fund, Soulpepper launches a lab series to give the company's artists and audience a chance to share in the creative process by experiencing together various approaches to theatrical storytelling.

Three of Canada's most celebrated theatre creators, director Daniel Brooks, designer Michael Levine and actor/writer/Soulpepper Founding Member Diego Matamoros, take inspiration from a short story by Argentine master Jorge Luis Borges to lead them through a fascinating and very personal theatrical journey.

The Aleph is one of the short stories featured in Borges' collection, The Aleph and Other Stories, first published in 1949 and revised by the author in 1974. In Borges' story, the Aleph is a point in space that contains all other points. One who looks into the Aleph is able to see everything in the universe from every angle simultaneously, without distortion or confusion. This story continues the theme of infinity found in several of Borges' other works.

The three projects that make up the 2010 lab series are remarkably different in form and content. Following the debut of the series with The Aleph this March, the artists of the Soulpepper Academy are directed by Daniel Brooks in an exploration of Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, running July 1 - 10, and László Marton directs the Academy in a new work entitled Window on Toronto, running August 20 - 28. Tickets for all performances in the lab series are $20.

Soulpepper Baillie Artistic Fellow Daniel Brooks directs The Aleph with Founding Member Diego Matamoros as Man, with set and costume design by Michael Levine, sound design by Jean-Sébastien Côté, and lighting design by Kevin Lamotte.

The Aleph runs March 11 - 20 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, located at 55 Mill Street, Building 49, in the Distillery Historic District. Tickets are $20 and are available by visiting www.soulpepper.ca or by calling the Young Centre box office at 416.866.8666.

The Soulpepper Lab Series is supported by the Garland Schultz Artistic Development Fund, with additional 2010 support from the Ontario Cultural Atrractions Fund. Daniel Brooks' residency at Soulpepper is supported by the Charles and Marilyn Baillie Artistic Fellowhsip Fund. 2010 Soulpepper Lead Sponsors are: Sun Life Financial, Scotiabank Group and TELUS. Soulpepper gratefully acknowledges annual operating support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Toronto Arts Council.

Soulpepper Theatre Company is an artist-founded, classical repertory theatre company with a three-tiered mandate: to present the world's greatest stories in vital Canadian interpretations; to train a new generation of theatre artists; and to inspire and enrich youth through mentorship and access programs.

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