Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters

• “There is just too much evidence that we are not living in a time of scarcity” – David Dower argues on HowlRound on the need for more abundance thinking in the theatre ecosystem
• #CdnCult Times focused on the changing nature of theatre criticism: Carly Maga wrote about dragging criticism into the 21st century; Michael Wheeler reflected on the increasingly impermeable divide between artists and critics; and Nikki Shaffeeullah observed that “if the most-read reviewers are serving to maintain the status quo of theatre, then they are serving its inaccessibility”
• Meanwhile Lyn Gardner in the Guardian wonders “are theatre critics covering the right shows?”
• Annie Baker’s The Flick won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and Ken Davenport argued on The Producer's Perspective that this is an example of “artistic producing at its best”
• An American perspective on the logistics of producing Canadian work in the U.S., from TCG Circle

Behind The Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• The Prix Rideau Awards in Ottawa will be presented this Sunday, April 27
• Meanwhile, the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts’ Dora Mavor Moore Awards have announced their 2014 schedule: nominations will be on June 2, with the awards on June 23

From The Wire

• CCI – Ontario Presenting Network is now “Ontario Presents”
• Richard Ouzounian reports in the Star that Sheridan College, Outside the March and Convergence Theatre are teaming up for an immersive production called Brantwood in 2015
• Sterling Studio Theatre reported on Facebook that they are closing their performance space, but will be re-launching in a new venture with Unit 102 Theatre

Migrations

• Simon Brault is the new Director and CEO of the Canada Council for the Arts

In Case You Missed It

• Searching for a Master: Miriam Fernandes writes about her anticipation for her upcoming training at SITI Company, through Theatre Ontario and Why Not Theatre’s Independent Theatre Creators International Training Scholarship
• Anne Mooney promises that there is exceptional theatre to be had at Festival 2014
• Mairin Smit participated in Mnemonic Theatre’s Theatre Is For Suckers podcast on “cattle-call auditions” providing tips on auditions from experts who know

You can also receive news from Theatre Ontario every month by email.  Our archives are online and the April issue is now available.