April 17, 2015

More than 400 students from 40 French-language Catholic and public high schools will gather in Sudbury from Wednesday, April 29, to Saturday, May 2, to take part in the in the AFOLIE Provincial Improv Tournament. Held mainly on the Collège Boréal campus, the AFOLIE tournament is a dynamic event that brings young improv artists from the four corners of Ontario together for a single reason: celebrating Franco-Ontarian culture through improvisation.

Founded in 1989, the Association franco-ontarienne des ligues d'improvisation étudiantes (AFOLIE) gives a distinct local flavour to its provincial tournament each year.  Presented this year by the Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario’s École secondaire catholique Jeunesse-Nord, this province-wide gathering was last held in Greater Sudbury in 1991 at ESC Champlain and in Northern Ontario in 2009 in Chapleau at ESC Trillium.

A strong Sudbury flavour will be given to the tournament through the participation of dynamic presenters. Stef Paquette will share his wit as master of ceremony of the opening ceremonies to take place Wednesday, April 29, at 7 p.m. Stef’s well-earned reputation as an outstanding Greater Sudbury improv artist will serve him well during the evening that will also include matches between tournament referees and local teachers.

On Thursday, April 30, from 8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m., students will take part in a variety of exciting improv matches on seven rinks. The elimination round is scheduled for Friday, May 1, from 8:15 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Finalists will face off between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 2. The venue for all improv matches is Collège Boréal.

Social and cultural activities will also be offered to tournament participants. Cartoon elastic man François-Guillaume Leblanc will present his new physical humour show in which he plays 30 different characters without stage décor or costumes. His performance is set for Thursday, April 30, at 7 p.m., at École secondaire du Sacré-Cœur (261 Notre-Dame Avenue, Sudbury).

The banquet, to take place on Friday, May 1, at 7 p.m., in the Steelworkers Hall (66 Brady St., Sudbury), will be followed by the awards ceremony at 8:30 p.m. The evening will afterwards pursue with dancing to the music of Moutarde and the band from Val Caron’s École secondaire catholique l’Horizon.

The Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario offers a French Catholic Educational Program that is widely recognized for its excellence. The CSCNO provides a quality learning environment and academic program that runs from early childhood to adult education, with some 7,000 students in 27 elementary and 10 secondary schools.

Source:

Paul de la Riva
Communications and Community Development Coordinator
Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario
(705) 673-5626, ext. 294
(705) 677-8195 – cell phone