Monday 28 February 2011

ONstage Openings for the week of February 28

In Southwestern Ontario
Mar. 2, Hamlet (solo) at The Grand Theatre (London)
Mar. 4, Guys And Dolls at Theatre Ancaster (Hamilton)

In Toronto
Mar. 1, Alice In Wonderland at Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People
Mar. 2, A Hamburger In A Pita at TEATRON Toronto Jewish Theatre
Mar. 3, Brothel #9 at Factory Theatre
Mar. 3, Double Door at Scarborough Theatre Guild
Mar. 3, Year 25 Vigil at Humber Theatre
Mar. 4, Yellowface at Hart House Theatre (in partnership with fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company)

In Eastern Ontario
Mar. 4, Into The Woods at Orpheus Musical Theatre Society (Ottawa)

In Northeastern Ontario
Mar. 4, Les Belles Soeurs at Thorneloe University (Sudbury)

In Northwestern Ontario
Mar. 3, Hana’s Suitcase at Magnus Theatre (Thunder Bay)

In South Central Ontario
Mar. 2, Outlaw at Newmarket Stage Company

For all the theatre current playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to add/update your listing, visit the ONstage show listings on the Theatre Ontario website.

Friday 25 February 2011

7 Days In Ontario Theatre

From The Wire
What’s New On The Bulletin Board
  • Stratford Shakespeare Festival is holding a Dialect Intensive workshop with Nancy Benjamin and Jane Gooderham on March 5 and 6
  • The Artists Health Centre Foundation is holding a hands-on clinic for increased freedom of movement of the upper body on March 7
  • For sale!  Etobicoke Musical Productions has dimmer racks and dimmers
  • For rent!  Theatre Direct has a rehearsal / audition / performance space with a discount for Theatre Ontario members
  • The Canada Council for the Arts is seeking nominations for the Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts; 2011 is the year in the four-year cycle where a theatre artist is honoured; deadline is April 30
Check out all the latest postings from Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board

TO Toasts
  • Congrats to David Yee, the new Artistic Director of fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company

Thursday 24 February 2011

Emerging Actor and Self-Producing Workshops Scheduled

Theatre Ontario has scheduled our next "Getting Started For Actors" and "Self Start: The Basics Of Self-Producing" workshops.  "Getting Started" will be on March 9, from 2pm to 4pm; "Self-Start" will be on March 30, from 2pm to 4:15pm.

Getting Started sessions are for actors beginning their professional careers. In this two-hour workshop, Tim Chapman, Professional Theatre Coordinator answers the most frequently asked questions about the business of acting. Find out about the realities of showbiz, pictures and resumes, Equity and ACTRA, Agents and casting directors, Auditioning do's and don'ts, and maintaining and improving your acting skills.  Getting Started is a free workshop, available to members of Theatre Ontario only. For more information, including how to register, please visit Getting Started For Actors on the Theatre Ontario website.

Self-Start: If you want to do a show but have never produced professionally before, and if you want to know what questions to ask first, this session is for you!  Self-Start is a practical seminar facilitated by Tim Chapman, Professional Theatre Coordinator.  This workshop is designed for individuals thinking of starting a theatre company or producing a show; and gives you the opportunity to ask questions and try out ideas, discover the questions you need to ask and answer, learn to organize your thinking and planning, work on scheduling and budget considerations, and learn about available resources and services.  It's free for Theatre Ontario members, and $30 for non-members.  For more information, including how to register, please visit Self-Start: The Basics Of Producing on the Theatre Ontario website.

Wednesday 23 February 2011

Spiderman And Mediocrity

By Dennis Johnson, Community Theatre Coordinator

I thought of several titles for this article.  Perhaps SPIDERMAN: Turn Off The Theatre or 3-D Comes To Broadway. The future of theatre is the key question here.  Something different is suddenly happening on Broadway and what happens on Broadway eventually has an impact on theatre practitioners everywhere.

I spent the first week of 2011 in New York City.  And like everyone else, I wanted to check out the biggest theatrical newsmaker of the season.  So I bought a ticket for SPIDERMAN: Turn off the Dark.  No big names in the cast, but Julie Taymor directed. Bono and The Edge are credited with music and lyrics. Big names sell tickets.


Tuesday 22 February 2011

ONstage Openings for the week of February 21

In South Central Ontario
Feb. 24, Moon Over Buffalo at Borelians Community Theatre (Port Perry)

In Toronto
Feb. 22, More Fine Girls in previews at Tarragon Theatre
Feb. 23, The Diary Of Anne Frank at Shakespeare In Action
Feb. 24, Will's 7 Deadly Sins Café at ACT II Studio Theatre

In Central Ontario
Feb. 25, Annie at Northumberland Players (Cobourg)

In Eastern Ontario
Feb. 25, Into The Woods Jr. at Mississippi Mudds of Carleton Place

In Northeastern Ontario
Feb. 23, Rabbit Hole at Sault Theatre Workshop (Sault Ste. Marie)

For all the theatre current playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to add/update your listing, visit the ONstage show listings on the Theatre Ontario website.

Friday 18 February 2011

7 Days In Ontario Theatre

I don't want to admit how many days have actually passed since the last installment of this "weekly series"...

Conversations

Far too many good ones, but some of my favourites:

TOasts

Congratulations to
  • Tara Beagan, the new Artistic Director of Native Earth Performing Arts
  • Andrew Lamb, the new Artistic Director of Roseneath Theatre

Thursday 17 February 2011

Honouring Sustained And Significant Contribution To Ontario Theatre

Theatre Ontario is now inviting nominations for the 2011 Maggie Bassett Award.  This award is presented for a sustained and significant contribution to the development of theatre in Ontario.

The four main criteria for the award are:
  • A significant contribution—the recipient's impact is measurable provincially (or beyond);
  • A sustained contribution—the recipient should have a proven body of work and/or have made a continuous effort over a period of years (more than five);
  • An unselfish contribution—recipient’s history should encompass work and activity both paid and voluntary;
  • Involvement—recipient should have been involved in more than one area of theatre (professional, community, educational.)
For more information on the award criteria, past recipients, nomination deadline and procedures, please visit the Maggie Bassett Award on the Theatre Ontario website.

Wednesday 16 February 2011

Call for Applications for the Youth Theatre Training Program

Theatre Ontario is now inviting applications for the March 15, 2011 deadline for the Youth Theatre Training Program (YTTP), funded by the Ontario Arts Council.

The YTTP provides training dollars to fund accessible theatre programs involving youth aged 14 to 21. YTTP assists Ontario organizations that wish to undertake projects providing training to youth in various theatrical skills and disciplines, lead by professional theatre artists.

Read all about the Youth Theatre Training Program on the Theatre Ontario website. After reading the YTTP guidelines, applicants are encouraged to contact Tim Chapman, Professional Theatre Coordinator (tim@theatreontario.org or 416.408.4556 x.12) regarding your application.  You can also read about the most recent mentorships (Fall 2010) funded by this program.

Monday 14 February 2011

ONstage Openings for the week of February 14

In Northeastern Ontario
Feb. 17, Skin Flick at Sudbury Theatre Centre

In South Central Ontario
Feb. 18, Happy Days A New Musical at Stage West Theatre (Mississauga)

In Southwestern Ontario
Feb. 15, Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure at The Grand Theatre (London)
Feb. 17, The Pencil Project at The Grand Theatre (London)
Feb. 18, The Duchess of Malfi at London Community Players

In Toronto
Feb. 14, The Middle Place at Canadian Stage
Feb. 16, The Rhubarb Festival at Buddies in Bad Times
Feb. 17, A Midsummer Night's Dream at Soulpepper Theatre
Feb. 17, Rough Justice at East Side Players
Feb. 17, The Hunt For Red Willie at Toronto Irish Players
Feb. 17, 26th Annual Groundswell Festival at Nightwood Theatre

In Central Ontario
Feb. 17, In A World Created By A Drunken God at Theatre Orangeville
Feb. 17, Assassins at Talk Is Free Theatre (Barrie)

In Eastern Ontario
Feb. 20, Tales Of The Moon at National Arts Centre, English Theatre (Ottawa)

For all the theatre current playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to add/update your listing, visit the ONstage show listings on the Theatre Ontario website.

Monday 7 February 2011

ONstage Openings for the week of February 7

In Eastern Ontario
Feb. 8, The Long Weekend at Ottawa Little Theatre
Feb. 9, The Invisible Man / L'Homme Invisible at Theatre Kingston
Feb. 10, Caught In The Net at Bay of Quinte Community Players (Trenton)

In Northeastern Ontario
Feb. 10, Singin’ In The Rain at Theatre Cambrian (Sudbury)

In South Central Ontario
Feb. 9, P.S. Uncle Angus at Markham Little Theatre
Feb. 10, The Women at Theatre Erindale (Mississauga)

In Southwestern Ontario
Feb. 10, On The Radio at Oh Canada Eh? Productions (Niagara Falls)
Feb. 10, Harvest at Lost And Found Theatre (Kitchener)
Feb. 11, Godspell at Theatre Intrigue Society (Windsor)
Feb. 11, Love Notes at Theatre Ancaster (Hamilton)
Feb. 11, Painting Churches at Ingersoll Theatre of Performing Arts
Feb. 11, Tuesdays With Morrie at Theatre Woodstock
Feb. 11, Wrong Turn At Lungfish at Players' Guild of Hamilton
Feb. 11, Brighton Beach Memoirs at Elora Community Theatre (Fergus)
Feb. 11, Fallen Angels at Theatre Sarnia
Feb. 11, Guys And Dolls at Seaway Valley Theatre Company (Cornwall)

In Toronto
Feb. 7, Saint Carmen Of The Main at Canadian Stage
Feb. 8, Attempts On Her Life at Ryerson Theatre School
Feb. 8, The Fantasticks at Soulpepper Theatre
Feb. 9, Ivona, Princess Of Burgundia at George Brown Theatre School

For all the theatre current playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to add/update your listing, visit the ONstage show listings on the Theatre Ontario website.

Tuesday 1 February 2011

Announcing Theatre Ontario's Teen Acting Course For 2011

Theatre Ontario is pleased to announce the 2011 edition of our Teen Acting Course.

Running from March 14 to March 18 in Toronto, this five-day course will be lead by Mary Francis Moore.  This course will explore text, using voice, movement and the exploration of action to gain an understanding of how to really “read’ a script.

Using an award-winning script by a Canadian playwright as a springboard, the actors will discuss and rehearse the organics of acting, character development, relationship, how to identify strong objectives and make the scene “come alive.”

For more information, please visit the Theatre Ontario website.