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This weekend, the Ryerson Theatre School will look back on its 40 years of history and celebrate its role as a leader in theatre education in North America.

The anniversary weekend begins this evening, running until Feb. 12, and includes a gala performance of Marathon ‘33, followed by a ‘(re)opening night’ party on Feb. 11 and an alumni brunch hosted by Gerd Hauck, dean of the Faculty of Communication & Design, on Feb. 12. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members are invited to participate in the activities.

“We’re thrilled to celebrate the school’s accomplishments and those of the graduates over the past 40 years and this weekend we’ll get to see the many faces that have helped build the program’s rich history,” said Peggy Shannon, Ryerson Theatre School chair. “Students, faculty, staff, alumni and guest artists have all contributed to the school’s growth, talent and reputation. The future looks bright as we continue on this path.”

Alumni will also be honoured throughout the weekend, including the school’s very first acting graduate, Philip Akin, who graduated in 1975. Akin has a long list of theatre, film and television credits to his name and is a founding member – and artistic director – of the Obsidian Theatre Company, which strives to produce works by acclaimed playwrights of African and Caribbean descent.

“Yes, Ryerson was new when I enrolled but it felt like a place I could belong,” Akin said. “I think everyone’s favourite teacher at the time was David Harris. It’s amazing how much he’s informed my work over the years, especially in terms of specificity.”

When the theatre school first opened, Akin remembered the high level of experimentation in terms of the curriculum and diverse philosophies the acting teachers employed. “At the time I didn’t understand the value of learning different tools but learned later on that acting is about mastering a set of tools and deciding which tool kit you’re going to use.”

The Ryerson Theatre School opened its doors for the first time in September 1971, welcoming 35 students to the inaugural Theatre Arts program. It was founded by long-time Ryerson instructor Jack McAllister, who later became the school’s first artistic director. At the time, the school offered four distinct programs: four-year degree programs in acting and arts administration; and three-year diploma programs in dance and technical production. In those early days, Ryerson was one of only two schools in North America to offer full-time professional theatre training in acting, dance teaching, arts administration and technical production all under one roof.

The arts administration and technical production programs later amalgamated and today the Ryerson Theatre School offers bachelor of fine arts programs in performance acting, performance dance and performance production.

Since its founding, the Ryerson Theatre School has been a place of study for many celebrated Canadian designers, playwrights, producers and performers. Notable alumni include actors Eric McCormack, Sonja Smits, David James Elliott, Tonya Lee Williams, Governor General Award-nominated playwright Lisa Codrington, Governor General Award-winning designer Camellia Koo, Simon Marsden, the head of production at the Royal Shakespeare Company and Ruth Smillie, artistic director of the Regina Globe Theatre.

RTS alumni interested in joining this homecoming celebration can learn more about the weekend’s events at www.ryerson.ca/theatreschool/40th-anniversary-celebrations.html.

-With files from Johanna VanderMaas