Clay and Paper Theatre

Video of Night of Dread

Clay & Paper Theatre at it again...

Creating a Public Forum For Facing Our Fears:
The Fourth Annual NIGHT OF DREAD

"OUR DEVILS, YOUR DEVILS, THEIR DEVILS, DAREDEVILS!" In response to a world filled with fear and doubt, Clay and Paper Theatre presents the fourth annual NIGHT OF DREAD on Saturday, October 25, 2003 in and around Toronto's Dufferin Grove Park. Preparation for the event begins with an ongoing series of weekend workshops where the general public is invited to help create stunning masks, gigantic puppets and costumes or learn to perform with them. This revelry culminates in a night of pageantry, masquerade and music featuring towering puppet images, stilt walkers and theatrical ritual designed to let people imagine their darkest fears and banish them.

Incorporating international folk and theatrical traditions, and timed to coincide with the dates of many festivals of death and remembrance around the world, the NIGHT OF DREAD includes a fantastical community masked parade through the Dufferin/Bloor/College Street neighbourhood. The procession returns to Dufferin Grove Park for an evening of ceremonial festivities that lay bare our personal and individual fears, then ritually purge them.

The NIGHT OF DREAD is conceived and created by David Anderson, founding artistic director of Clay and Paper Theatre. The last three years have shown successful collaborations with many Toronto artists, including associate direction by Nuno Cristo, musical direction by Chris Wilson and costumes and creative contributions from a range of community participants. A host of collaborating artists provide additional musical and visual elements, including the powerful Georgian choir DARBAZI, Toronto Island's bombastic, iconoclastic ARYTHMICS MARCHING BAND, the KNIGHTS OF SNARE, the TWO BY FOUR MARINBA BAND, the HOKEY JEREMIAHS BAND, ESCOLA DE SAMBA and the stilt dancing SWIZZLESTICK THEATRE. This year proves to be no exception, incorporating the outstanding talents of many independent artists and groups from within Toronto and throughout the world.

David Anderson, founding artistic director of Clay and Paper Theatre, has performed and directed across Canada, in the USA, Europe and the Soviet Union. He has developed a style of narrative theatre using large-scale imagery and exaggerated gesture to bring simple and complex issues to the public. Clay and Paper presents big, glorious theatre whose majesty depends not on technology, but on the creative application of human ingenuity. Clay and Paper puts theatre where there are people: in public spaces like parks, plazas and city streets. Upcoming productions include The 1st Annual Day of De Light and The Sylliad -- My Big Fat Greek War Story. Past productions include GOLD (2001, 2002), the third C&P production by local writer Larry Lewis, The Lost City of Wagadu (2000), a story from of the Soninke people of Ghana about human hubris; Lilith Unfair (1999) about the supposed first wife of Adam and The Ballad of Garrison Creek (1998).