Thoughts After The Party - Festival Day 1

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

• Congratulations to Whitby Courthouse Theatre on a successful kick-off to Festival; as described by adjudicator Jane Carnwath, Suds is "a laundry line on which to hang the songs" but the company brought a commitment to the characters, the songs, and the stakes that made it a delightful way to start a week of celebrations
• My personal highlights: Donna Lajeunesse singing "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me"; the comic choreography for "The Locomotion"; Jason Butler-Burns' shape-shifting versatility to perform the role of Everyone Else; well-deployed bubble machines
• I'm a fan of Jane's expectations as Festival Adjudicator: clarity, high stakes, commitment to connections between characters - looking forwarding to hearing more at the detailed adjudications
• She also highlighted something I hadn't noticed myself: all four shows this week are period pieces, plays reflecting on the past
• The Curtain Club is my home theatre so I'm admittedly biased, but the volunteers are an enthusiastic group; their theatre is a jewel; their chefs are wonderful
• The Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts makes 600 seats feel very intimate
• Grassroots was an idea conceived at a Christmas party, and is a wonderful initiative by Playwrights Canada Press - scripts that premiered in places away from major centres like Elmira and Kincardine and Haliburton are reaching new audiences that they might have never otherwise seen; it was also great to have all of the authors on hand for the launch
• Very proud of the turnout from the Town of Richmond Hill's Council at the Opening Ceremonies: Mayor Dave Barrow, Regional Councillors Vito Spatafora and Brenda Hogg, Town Councillors Greg Beros, Nick Papa, and Carmine Perrelli whose ward is the home of The Curtain Club and has been an enthusiastic booster of The Club in his brief time in office; with cultural planning a priority on the Town's agenda, they got to meet with theatre-goers from across the province and see how their commitment to culture is vital and can have such a significant impact
• Julianne Snepsts, President of the Theatre Ontario Board, needs to keep bringing her five-month old son Duke to our events and meetings because he is adorable