All the World's a Stage: Tintamarre (1974-present)

Tintamarre (1974-present)

Established in 1974, Tintamarre is a bilingual theatre company that was founded by Alex Fancy, professor emeritus of drama and French. It was born out of Fancy's keen interest in the ways the fluid expression of theatre could be utilized to teach a second language. According to Fancy, Tintamarre’s objectives were to “promote biculturalism and bilingualism both at Mount Allison University and beyond, and to promote an appreciation of the roles that theatre can play in education." For more than fifty years, Tintamarre has welcomed both French and English speakers to perform plays in linguistic harmony, a tradition that continues to this day.

The French word tintamarre means "a din, noise or racket" and was the term that early Acadian settlers to the Sackville area coined to name the nearby salt marshes. The din, racket and noise which accompanied the annual migration of waterfowl across the marshes prompted its usage. Tintamarre was corrupted by later English settlers to “Tantramar," the name by which the marshes are known today.

Originally Fancy borrowed the term to refer to his annual production. Starting in 1974, Fancy encouraged students to perform in what was initially a compilation of French poetry, excerpts from plays in French, skits, and other materials he selected to illustrate a theme and wove together to create both an evening’s entertainment and a learning experience. During this time the actual troupe of players was unnamed. In February 1983 at the time of the presentation of Les Battiseurs d’Empire, Fancy decided to call his troupe “Les Tintamarriens”. However, the name was short-lived because it was difficult to pronounce. Since 1984 the name has been simply "Tintamarre" to designate both productions and people.

While Fancy originally served as director and playwright for most of the productions, today Tintamarre operates as a collective. The troupe produces a bilingual script through a process of guided improvisation. After a first show on campus, the troupe tours annually to junior and senior high schools throughout the Maritime provinces.

Productions

For a chronological list of Tintamarre productions, please consult the following source:

You can find additional information about Tintamarre, as well as more photographs, on our Descriptions Database. The Drama Studies database is another rich resource for those interested in learning more.