One Yellow Rabbit Performance Theatre (OYR) is based in the Big Secret Theatre in

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

’s Arts Commons. With its Resident Performing Ensemble, OYR creates original theatrical works each year for its home audiences and also hosts The High Performance Rodeo, Calgary’s International Festival of the Arts. OYR was founded as a collective in 1982 and coalesced into the OYR Performing Ensemble circa 1987-8. In its history, the company has created almost 80 full-length original productions. Ensemble personnel have remained relatively consistent since then, and OYR established a professional administrative staff. The company’s philosophy and practice have been influenced by contemporary

dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...

, the

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movement, the

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, and the ''do-it-yourself'' creed. In 1987, OYR produced the ''Secret Elevator Experimental Performance Festival'', later renamed the ''High Performance Rodeo'' in 1988. The festival has grown annually in audience, venues, and impact, surpassing 10,000 attendees in 2006 and 16,000 in 2009. It now reaches over 20,000 audience members every year. The Rodeo features theatre, dance, music and multimedia presentations from across

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and abroad. Artists presented in recent years range from hundreds of emerging artists to

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

, Catalyst Theatre, Electric Company Theatre, Compagnie Marie Chouinard,

Laurie Anderson Laura Phillips "Laurie" Anderson (born June 5, 1947) is an American avant-garde artist, musician and filmmaker whose work encompasses performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and sculpting,Amirkhanian, Cha ...

, Andy Jones, members of The Kids In the Hall, Les Deux Mondes, Peggy Baker,

Daniel MacIvor Daniel MacIvor (born July 23, 1962) is a Canadian actor, playwright, theatre director, and film director. He is probably best known for his acting roles in independent films and the sitcom '' Twitch City''. Personal MacIvor was born in Sydney, ...

, and the OYR Ensemble itself. His Excellency Jean-Daniel Lafond was the Rodeo’s Honorary Patron from 2008-2009. He and Governor General Michaëlle Jean attended performances and hosted three “Art Matters” community forums as part of the festival. OYR has toured across

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and

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. The 1990s saw a large increase in the number and frequency of tours, starting with the productions ''The Erotic Irony of Old Glory'' and ''Ilsa, Queen of the Nazi Love Camp''. Scotland's Traverse Theatre was often the launching pad for international tours. In 1995, OYR expanded the Secret Theatre into the Big Secret Theatre, increasing its technical versatility and doubling its seating to 130. Seating was further upgraded in 2002 to a potential 249 (although most theatre shows play in the 189-seat configuration.) In 1998, OYR's Denise Clarke founded the Summer Lab Intensive School of performance creation, which was attended by 20 students from across Canada. The 2009 Lab was the 13th annual edition. 250 “rabbits” have graduated. In 2003, Banff Centre Press published Wild Theatre: The History of One Yellow Rabbit by Martin Morrow. The book contains prefaces by Ronnie Burkett and Factory Theatre's Ken Gass.

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* {{authority control Theatre in Calgary Theatre companies in Alberta 1982 establishments in Alberta

See also

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