Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters

• The next stop for our Ontario Summer Theatre blogger was Millbrook, where she saw 4th Line Theatre’s production of Doctor Barnardo’s Children.  Among the familiar faces in the company is Herbie Barnes, who taught Improvisation at past Summer Theatre Intensives; and Alex Saul, who won the Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Leading Role at this past year’s Theatre Ontario Festival
• Joel Varty, President of VOS Theatre in Cobourg, issued a call-to-action suitable for any community theatre
• Two reflections on the closing of TheatreBooks: “A Remembrance” from Lynn Slotkin and “Your Browser is No Longer Supported” from Joel Greenberg
• Allan Teichman, President of Canadian Actors Equity Association, wrote a good overview of the new Health and Safety Awareness Training requirements and how it applies to all employees and independent contractors.  Here is our post with links for training for both workers and supervisors
• The Cultural Value Project is trying to advance how we understand and define the value of cultural engagement to individuals and society, and the need to go beyond focusing on a stronger case for public funding and the corresponding emphasis on economic impact
• David Loehr from 2amTheatre and Jason Snell from the Incomparable Podcast talked about podcasting for theatres at a panel at the TCG14 Conference—and naturally made it available as a podcast
• Jini Stolk writes about Board development and the importance of both good recruitment and good management

Behind The Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

Zara Jestadt

• Welcome to Zara Jestadt, who will be our Education Assistant at Theatre Ontario in July and August.  Zara is a student at the George Brown Theatre School, and will be providing support for our Summer Theatre Intensive.  This Summer Experience position is made possible through the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sport
• Your next Ontario Fringe Festival stop is in Hamilton, where the Hamilton Fringe Festival kicked off yesterday

In Case You Missed It

• Part 2 of our series on the experiences of the Independent Theatre Creators International Training Scholarship receipients: “It’s Impossible, of course, but Try,” from Miriam Fernandes
• Professional Theatre Training Program project profiles featuring Pam Patel, Rachel Penny, and Joseph Recinos (in Spanish and English!)

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

And for a laugh, from Timothy McSweeney’s Internet Tendency: “Submission Opportunities for Emerging Playwrights” by Justin Warner