National Arts Centre - Centre national des Arts Canada is our stage. Le Canada en scène.

NAC English Theatre
· 2019-2020 Season

Jeff Ho © Dahlia Katz. Set Designers Nina Lee Aquino and Michelle Ramsay / Lighting Designer Michelle Ramsay / Costume Designer Joanna Yu

trace

https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/21568

Produced by Factory Theatre (Toronto)

This poised, witty and heartfelt piece by Jeff Ho brings to life a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother – each of whom made difficult and life-altering decisions to protect their families, moving from China to Hong Kong to downtown Toronto. With gambling debts, unfaithful husbands, rebellious teenagers and several tables of gossiping Majohng players, trace draws a line from occupied China to present-day Toronto, revealing universal...

November 12 - 23, 2019

Azrieli Studio 1 Elgin Street Ottawa Canada

This event has passed

trace

Nov 12 - 23, 2019

Azrieli Studio

Theatre Drama

“There's an elegant fierceness to the piece and Ho's performance.” Globe and Mail

≈ 90 minutes · No intermission

NAC English Theatre Presentation

Produced by Factory Theatre (Toronto)

This poised, witty and heartfelt piece by Jeff Ho brings to life a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother – each of whom made difficult and life-altering decisions to protect their families, moving from China to Hong Kong to downtown Toronto.

With gambling debts, unfaithful husbands, rebellious teenagers and several tables of gossiping Majohng players, trace draws a line from occupied China to present-day Toronto, revealing universal truths about hardship and hope along the way.

Please Note: There are no latecomers admitted to the performance.

Learn more in the program notes ›

Artists

Written, composed and performed by Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho)

Written, composed and performed by Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho)

Jeff Ho is a theatre artist, originally from Hong Kong. As an actor, he has toured as Ophelia in Why Not Theatre's Prince Hamlet across Canada and the United States over a span of five years. Other credits include: I Forgive You (Artistic Fraud), Orestes (Tarragon Theatre), trace (Remount - NAC/Factory Theatre), Box 4901 (Buddies in Bad Times), camera obscura (hungry ghosts) (the frank theatre/QAF - Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Production - Small Theatre), Hana's Suitcase (Young People's Theatre, tour: Toronto, Montreal and Seattle), Kim's Convenience (CBC), The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu), and Orphan Black (BBC America).

As a playwright, his works include cockroach (Tarragon Theatre), Iphigenia and the Furies (On Taurian Land) (Theatre Passe Muraille/Saga Collectif/Architect Theatre), Antigone: 方 (Young People's Theatre), and trace (NAC/Factory Theatre/b current). His plays are published by Playwrights Canada Press.

Jeff is grateful to have been honoured with a Toronto Theatre Critics Award for Best New Canadian Play (Iphigenia); the Jon Kaplan Legacy Fund Award for a Young Canadian Playwright; the Bulmash Siegel Playwriting Award; finalist for the Playwright's Guild of Canada's Drama award (cockroach); finalist for the Governor General's Literary Award (Iphigenia and Antigone); nominated for four Dora Awards. He is a graduate of the National Theatre School and is currently an MFA candidate at York University.

Jeff Ho est un artiste de théâtre, originaire de Hong Kong. Comme acteur, il a joué le rôle d’Ophélie en tournée au Canada et aux États-Unis pendant cinq ans, dans la pièce Prince Hamlet du Why Not Theatre. Il a également joué dans les pièces suivantes : I Forgive You (Artistic Fraud), Orestes (Tarragon Theatre), trace (Remount – CNA/Factory Theatre), Box 4901 (Buddies in Bad Times), camera obscura (hungry ghosts) (the frank theatre/QAF – Prix Jessie Richardson pour la meilleure production – Small Theatre), Hana’s Suitcase (Young People’s Theatre en tournée à Toronto, Montréal et Seattle), Kim’s Convenience (CBC), The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu) et Orphan Black (BBC America).

Comme dramaturge, il a notamment écrit Cockroach (Tarragon Theatre), Iphigenia and the Furies (On Taurian Land) (Theatre Passe Muraille/Saga Collectif/Architect Theatre), Antigone : 方 (Young People’s Theatre), et trace (CNA/Factory Theatre/b current). Ses pièces sont publiées chez Playwrights Canada Press.

Jeff est lauréat du Toronto Theatre Critics Award for Best New Canadian Play (Iphigenia), du Jon Kaplan Legacy Fund Award for a Young Canadian Playwright et du Bulmash Siegel Playwriting Award. En plus d’avoir été cité pour quatre prix Dora, il a été finaliste du prix Drama de la Playwright’s Guild of Canada (Cockroach) et du Prix littéraire du Gouverneur général (Iphigenia Antigone). Il est diplômé de l’École nationale de théâtre et est actuellement candidat à la maîtrise en beaux-arts à l’Université York.

Close
Directed by Nina Lee Aquino
Directed by Nina Lee Aquino

Nina Lee Aquino is a renowned Filipino Canadian director, dramaturg, artistic leader, teacher, and mentor. She previously served as Artistic Director at Cahoots Theatre (2009–2012) and Factory Theatre (2012–2022). Currently, Nina is the Artistic Director of the National Arts Centre English Theatre. She edited the country’s first two-volume Asian Canadian play anthology and co-edited the award-winning inaugural book on Asian Canadian theatre. In addition, she holds an adjunct professorship at York University's Theatre Department and serves on the board of directors for the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres. Her numerous accolades include the Canada Council for the Arts’ John Hirsch Prize for Directing, the Toronto Theatre Critics Award for Best Director, the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Margo Bindhart and Rita Davies Cultural Leadership Award, and three Dora Mavor Moore Awards for Outstanding Direction.

Nina Lee Aquino est une metteuse en scène, conseillère dramaturgique, directrice artistique, pédagogue et mentore d’origine philippino-canadienne. Directrice artistique du Cahoots Theatre de 2009 à 2012 et du Factory Theatre de 2012 à 2022, elle occupe actuellement le poste de directrice artistique du Théâtre anglais du Centre national des Arts. Elle a dirigé la publication des deux tomes de la toute première anthologie de pièces canado-asiatiques et a codirigé celle d’un premier ouvrage primé sur le théâtre canado-asiatique. Elle occupe également un poste de professeure associée au Département de théâtre de l’Université York et siège au conseil d’administration de l’Association professionnelle des théâtres canadiens. Parmi les nombreuses récompenses qui lui ont été décernées, mentionnons le prix John-Hirsch de mise en scène du Conseil des arts du Canada, un Toronto Theatre Critics Award pour la meilleure mise en scène, le prix de leadership culturel Margo Binhardt et Rita Davies de la Toronto Arts Foundation ainsi que trois prix Dora Mavor Moore pour la meilleure mise en scène.
NAC media featuring Nina Lee Aquino
Close
Lighting and Co-Set Designer Michelle Ramsay

Lighting and Co-Set Designer Michelle Ramsay

Michelle Ramsay is an award-winning lighting designer for dance, theatre and opera. Previous designs include: Come Home: The Legend of Daddy Hall (Tarragon Theatre); Women of the Fur Trade (Stratford Festival); Bed and Breakfast (Capitol Theatre); Prison Dancer (Citadel Theatre/National Arts Centre); Beautiful (Arts Club); Redbone Coonhound (Tarragon Theatre/Imago Theatre); Martyr (ARC); The First Stone (New Harlem); The Doctors Dilemma (Shaw Festival); The Tempest (Theatre Rusticle).

Michelle has received eight Dora Awards, a SATAward, the 2008 Pauline McGibbon Award, and was a finalist for the 2021 Siminovitch Prize. She is on the Board of the Associated Designers of Canada.

Michelle Ramsay est une conceptrice d’éclairages primée qui œuvre dans les domaines de la danse, du théâtre et de l’opéra. Parmi les productions auxquelles elle a pris part, mentionnons Come Home: The Legend of Daddy Hall (Tarragon Theatre), Women of the Fur Trade (Festival de Stratford), Bed and Breakfast (Capitol Theatre), Prison Dancer (Citadel Theatre/Centre national des Arts), Beautiful (Arts Club), Redbone Coonhound (Tarragon Theatre/Imago Theatre), Martyr (ARC), The First Stone (New Harlem), The Doctors Dilemma (Festival Shaw) et The Tempest (Theatre Rusticle). Elle a reçu huit prix Dora, un prix SATAward et le prix Pauline McGibbon 2008, et elle a été finaliste pour le prix Siminovitch en 2021. Elle fait partie du conseil d’administration de l’Association des designers canadiens.

Close
Costume Designer Joanna Yu

Costume Designer Joanna Yu

Joanna Yu (she/her)

Joanna is an award-winning set and costume designer, having designed over 100 productions; over half of which have been World Premieres. She's designed for the Stratford Festival, the Shaw Festival, Mirvish, Soulpepper, Canadian Stage, Canadian Opera Company, Arts Club, Citadel Theatre, Theatre Calgary, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, the Grand, Neptune, Theatre New Brunswick, Factory Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Buddies in Bad Times, Obsidian, fu-Gen, Cahoots, Theatre Centre, Young People’s Theatre, Tarragon, and many others. Joanna proudly sits on the board of the Associated Designers of Canada (ADC659) www.joannayudesign.com.

.

Joanna Yu (elle)

Joanna Yu est une conceptrice de décors et de costumes primée qui a pris part à plus de 100 productions, dont plus de la moitié étaient des premières mondiales. Elle a œuvré pour le Festival de Stratford, le Festival Shaw, Mirvish Productions, le Soulpepper Theatre, la Canadian Stage Company, la Compagnie d’opéra canadienne, l’Arts Club, le Citadel Theatre, Theatre Calgary, le Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, le Grand Theatre, le Neptune Theatre, Theatre New Brunswick, le Factory Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Buddies in Bad Times, l’Obsidian Theatre Company, le fu-Gen Theatre, Cahoots Theatre Projects, le Theatre Centre, le Young People’s Theatre, le Tarragon Theatre et beaucoup d’autres. Elle est membre du conseil d’administration de l’Association des designers canadiens (ADC659). www.joannayudesign.com

Close
Production Dramaturg Matt McGeachy

Production Dramaturg Matt McGeachy

Close
Stage Manager Andrea Baggs

Stage Manager Andrea Baggs

Close
theatre company Factory

theatre company Factory

Close