Capturing George

Play's the thing at the Manitoba Theatre for Young People. Ten-year-old William stands at centre-stage, rehearsing an exciting new role - that of Leslee Silverman, the visionary force behind English Canada's only professional young people's theatre. Silverman observes with her customary wisdom and good humour. Drawing from Winnipeg's rich cultural tradition, she engages young people in the adventure of theatre, fired by the conviction that art belongs to everyone. And she never forgets to play.

For Robert Lepage, every production begins with a sense of exploration and discovery, whether it is an intimate one-man show, or a re-staging of Wagner's epic Ring Cycle. Lepage's work marries technology with ritual, magic with cutting-edge effects to completely reinvent theatrical space. Director J. Peter Allen borrows a page from Lepage's favourite creative mediums (film and stage) to fashion a subtly shifting view of the famed director, playwright, actor and filmmaker at work.

Deepa Mehta describes herself as a cultural hybrid. She finds her passion and her stories in India and the freedom to choose how to make her films in Canada. A woman in a gold and maroon sari stands next to a window, looking out onto the chilly blue light of a snowy Toronto landscape. The image (from the film Heaven on Earth) dissolves to reveal Deepa's profile as she talks about moving between the two worlds of Canada and India. Produced by the National Film Board of Canada in co-operation with the National Arts Centre and the Governor General's Performing Arts Awards Foundation on the occasion of the 2012 Governor General's Performing Arts Awards.