Theatre Ontario Festival is more than just a showcase, celebration, and classroom for dedicated community theatres artists—for some Ontario theatre lovers, it’s a destination as treasured as a visit to any summer theatre town.
Marilyn Fedorenko first learned about Theatre Ontario Festival when her local theatre hosted a regional final in 2005. “We learned about an all-Ontario finals in Belleville,” Marilyn said, “and we decided that we wanted to go.”
For the Fedorenkos, Festival is a “wonderful holiday” to an Ontario community, five days of “affordable, top-notch theatre” in the evening, and an opportunity to tour the host community during the day.
The Fedorenkos will try to take advantage of local attractions, helped by whatever information is available in the Festival hospitality suite. “It’s always helpful when there’s information available. We like to tour the countryside.”
They always stay for the public adjudications after each show. “We enjoy the new perspectives on what makes it so good,” Marilyn said. “We don’t think the way an adjudicator does—when we like a show so much, the adjudicator can often explain and articulate some of the reasons why.” She also commended many of the adjudicators she has seen at Festival. “They’re working to make theatre better, not just to criticize—which is lovely.”
They don’t attend the awards presentation on Sunday (“we’re always heading home”) but they do make their own guesses and pick their favourites—and then check afterwards to find out who won.
Join us for Theatre Ontario Festival 2014 in Sarnia, from May 14 to 18. Find out more at www.theatreontariofestival.ca
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