Tuesday, 30 September 2014

Theatre Ontario Welcomes Ron Cameron-Lewis as Festival 2015 Adjudicator

Theatre Ontario is thrilled to welcome Ron Cameron-Lewis as adjudicator for the 2015 Theatre Ontario Festival in Oshawa.  The Festival will be Ron’s penultimate appearance as an adjudicator in Ontario, leading to his “swan song” appearance as adjudicator of the 2016 Western Ontario Drama League Festival (although he will continue with some international theatre work.)

“I am honored to be invited to adjudicate the Theatre Ontario Festival in Oshawa,” said Ron Cameron-Lewis.  “This marks the fifth time in the past 29 years that I have been asked to adjudicate the top productions from around the province. Having attended many more Theatre Ontario Festivals as well, I look forward to reconnecting with many friends from all aspects of my half century of experience in community theatre.”

Ron is well known to community groups across the province as a teacher, adjudicator and workshop leader.  He has adjudicated well over 2,000 productions throughout Ontario for community and educational theatre festivals, as well as in the USA at state, regional, national and international levels. Since 2010, he has taught the art of adjudication to 50 people, three times at Theatre Ontario Festivals and twice at AACT national festivals in Rochester, New York, and Carmel, Indiana.  In 2010, Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning appointed him Professor Emeritus, and in 2013, Ron was elected as Member-at-Large for the American Association of Community Theatres for a three-year term.

Theatre Ontario Festival 2015 will be held in Oshawa from May 13 to 17, 2015 and is co-hosted by Theatre Ontario, Oshawa Little Theatre, and the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario.

For more information about the Festival, please visit the Theatre Ontario website

Monday, 29 September 2014

ONstage Openings for the week of September 29

ONstage Now Playing in Toronto
Escape from Happiness at Alumnae Theatre Company
Lesley Robertson, Andrea Brown, Renée Haché
Photo by Scott Gorman
In Southwestern Ontario
Oct. 1, Broadway Heroes at Drayton Entertainment: Dunfield Theatre Cambridge
Oct. 3, Murder Mystery at the Museum at Elora Community Theatre (Fergus)

In Toronto
Sep. 30, Life, Death and The Blues at Theatre Passe Muraille, currently in previews*
Oct. 1, QueerCab at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
Oct. 1, Kiss and Cry at Canadian Stage*
Oct. 5, What Makes a Man at Canadian Stage, in previews*

ONstage Now Playing in Central Ontario
The Curious Savage at Peterborough Theatre Guild
In Central Ontario
Sep. 30, Country Jukebox – The Best of Country Duets at Theatre Collingwood

In South Central Ontario
Oct. 2, Beau Jest at Burl-Oak Theatre Group (Oakville)
Oct. 2, The Odd Couple at Oshawa Little Theatre
Oct. 3, This Is War (staged reading) at Theatre 3x60 (Durham Region)

ICYMI: Check out last week’s openings

For all the theatre playing across Ontario, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Theatre Ontario individual members can access discount ticket offers for shows marked with an * asterisk

Read more about our discount tickets program

Friday, 26 September 2014

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

This week's hot topic in the Twitterverse has been the news that Factory Theatre and Quiptake in Toronto will be holding the media night for The Art of Building a Bunker at the fifth performance after opening.
My own reflections so far: this is an experiment.  Applying some "scientific method" to the experiment - Factory/Quiptake have not shared their hypothesis with us, and so we are making assumptions about that hypothesis.  And unfortunately, I think the "observer effect" of those assumptions is going to affect the experiment.

Conversation Starters

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres
In Case You Missed It

Thursday, 25 September 2014

Theatre Ontario welcomes Erin Keating as our new Program Coordinator

We are thrilled to welcome Erin Keating as the new Program Coordinator of Theatre Ontario.  Erin is an arts administrator and playwright who recently relocated to Toronto from the Maritimes.

“I’ve had a lifelong passion for the arts, none more so than theatre, and made the move to Toronto to become a part of the diverse and robust theatre community this city and province have to offer,” said Erin.  “I could not be more thrilled to be welcomed onto the Theatre Ontario team and have the opportunity to facilitate, advocate and support the already thriving theatre industry of this province.”

Passionate about both theatre and music, Erin previously worked as Operations Manager of Theatre New Brunswick, the province’s only English-speaking professional theatre company, and as Music and Marketing Coordinator of Fredericton’s Harvest Jazz and Blues Festival, the biggest music festival on Canada’s east coast.  While with Theatre New Brunswick, Erin served as Secretary for PACT’s Regional Theatre Caucus.

As a playwright, Erin’s plays have been produced by the NotaBle Acts Theatre Festival, Saint John Theatre Company, Theatre on the Edge Festival, and TNB New Voices. She also had the opportunity to co-adapt Miracle on 34th Street for Theatre New Brunswick’s Main Stage last Christmas, which will be remounted at Sudbury Theatre Centre, and the Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia this Christmas. She has also acted as dramaturge on several scripts, most recently David Adams Richards’ Beaverbrook.

Erin holds a degree in Journalism and Communications from St. Thomas University in Fredericton, NB, and has developed her playwriting by working with, and learning from, such notable playwrights as Mieko Ouchi, Jeffrey Hatcher, and Walter Learning, and through her involvement with the Playwrights Atlantic Resource Centre.

“We are very excited to have Erin join the Theatre Ontario team and add her authentic voice to serving our membership,” said Bruce Pitkin, Executive Director.  “Erin brings a discerning perspective and keen insight, which will enrich the vitality of our programs and services for all of our professional and educational supporters. Please join me in welcoming Erin!”

Erin will be starting at Theatre Ontario on September 29, 2014.

ArtsVote Across Ontario

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

With the province’s municipal elections now just a month away, many of the province’s ArtsVote coalitions are hosting events, surveying candidates, and making sure that arts and culture are part of the election conversation.

What’s happening in your community?  Here are a few updates from active ArtsVote communities.

Kawartha Lakes: Mayoral and council candidates were surveyed, and results will be compiled on the Kawartha ArtsVote website.

Kingston: The official launch of the Kingston ArtsVote campaign was on Saturday, September 13 at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre.  They’re surveying candidates, and launched a video talking about the arts in Kingston.


Mississauga: The Mississauga Arts Council held a Mayoral forum in early September; the event will be re-broadcast on Rogers Cable on October 4, 5, and 8.

Niagara: September 18 featured the launch of a new website in Niagara and supporters are pledging support through a picture campaign.  They have also issued surveys to candidates for ArtsVote report cards.

Peterborough: ArtsSpace hosted an event for mayoral and town ward candidates to speak about Arts and Culture in Peterborough.  The event was live-streamed, and the recording is available on ArtsSpace’s Ustream channel.

Toronto: The ArtsVote Toronto mayoral debate is on September 29 at the Toronto International Film Festival Bell Lightbox, moderated by Damian Abraham, the lead vocalist of the band Fucked Up.  ArtsVote report cards from candidate surveys will be shared in October.

Windsor and Region: The Arts Council of Windsor and Region has been collecting proposed questions from the community, and are now issuing surveys to local municipal candidates in Windsor, Essex, Lakeshore, LaSalle, Tecumseh, Leamington, Kingsville and Amherstburg.

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario
  • Proposal Writing: Creative Approaches to Creative Proposals workshop on September 29 in Toronto with Denise Bolduc: With grant deadlines closing in why not get insight from a proposal and grant writing professional?
  • The Professional Theatre Training Program offers financial support for unique and flexible training with a chosen mentor in any theatrical discipline except performance. The application deadline is October 1.
  • The Youth Theatre Training Program offers financial support to programs led by professional theatre artists, which deliver accessible training to young people (age 14 to 21) in theatrical skills. The application deadline is October 15.
Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board
  • Port Stanley Festival Theatre is holding their free Playwrights Festival on September 26, featuring a public reading of Feathers, part of their new play development program
  • Deadline for applications for the Canada Council’s John Hobday Awards in Arts Management is September 30
  • Deadline to apply for the Ontario Arts Council’s Artist(s) in the Community / Workplace, Arts Education, and National and International Residencies programs is October 1
  • Shaw Festival’s next Play by Play, for theatre lovers interested in going behind the scenes, is October 3
New on The Bulletin Board
  • Paprika Festival now invites submissions for the 2015 Festival, with opportunities available for artists 21 and under; the application deadline is October 10
Check out these items, and other postings from our members of funding opportunities, workshops, calls for submission, awards, and more—on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

Theatre Ontario individual members can also access auditions, job postings, and volunteer opportunities on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Tuesday, 23 September 2014

A Roundtable on Richmond

By Carolee Mason

What happens when you fill a room with a group of seasoned theatre professionals, who all serve as Theatre Ontario adjudicators? When everyone sitting around the table is used to having the floor, giving opinions and guiding the discussion, you might think dialogue impossible.

On September 13, Anne Mooney and Bruce Pitkin played hosts to the annual Theatre Ontario Adjudicators’ Symposium. The day’s focus was on sharing best practice, and refining the standards for our adjudication process. With attendees running from novices to veteran Talent Bank members, all with a wide range of perspectives and experiences, the group enjoyed a full day of valuable discussion.

Anne’s focused agenda, along with her cookies and Bruce’s bottomless coffee pot, facilitated a warm and lively exchange throughout the day. We readily came to agreement around the standards for our adjudication work. We are keen to ensure that our shared practice throughout the province meets the needs of our community groups. At the same time, we hope to deliver feedback, facilitate dialogue, and offer ongoing education around all aspects of production with consistency and clarity.

Participants at the annual Symposium always represent a rich variety of experiences. Since the practice our craft is a solitary pursuit throughout the season, It’s important to have the chance to talk over some of the questions that confront us in our work.

This year, for example, we once again enjoyed a lively debate around copyright concerns. We broke free of our often circular discussion about the confusion around SOCAN, Re:Sound, and the obligation of artists and producers to secure rights, and if required, pay royalties for the use of music within a production. We’d been down this road before.

Caroline Smith pointed out the concept of “Grand Rights” to us all, and explained that securing them can be a process both lengthy and costly. Lindsay Price suggested that we might all consider looking at music that is openly shared under new Creative Commons licence. As I had doggedly spent hours telephoning and faxing rights holders over the years to secure permissions, I found these suggestions intriguing! That sent me off in search of some answers to the inevitable questions I had after the meeting. Let me share with you these websites! I found some VERY useful information:

Several of us chimed into the discussion with the reminder that groups can seek out  composers and commission original music. That had long been my practice in Perth, Ontario. Working with the fabulous composer and teacher Jack Hurd ( shout out to Jack in Perth!), I was able to involve many more artists in the productions - inspiring us all in the process, and heightening the theatrical experience for our audiences.

You have to believe that the Symposium is well loved by the Adjudicators. If it didn’t offer such worthwhile professional development, the Theatre Ontario office wouldn’t be so popular a Saturday destination once every Fall.

Find out more about Theatre Ontario's Adjudicator Symposium

The 2013 Adjudicators Symposium

Monday, 22 September 2014

ONstage Openings for the week of September 22

In Southwestern Ontario
Sep. 26, Treading Water – Spirit Walk II at Shadowland Theatre (Norfolk County)
Sep. 26, And Then There Were None at Theatre Aquarius (Hamilton), with previews from Sep. 23

In Toronto
Sep. 25, Life, Death and The Blues at Theatre Passe Muraille, in previews*
Sep. 26, Escape From Happiness at Alumnae Theatre Company
Sep. 28, Starry Notions at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

In Central Ontario
Sep. 25, Country Jukebox at Theatre Orangeville
Sep. 26, The Curious Savage at Peterborough Theatre Guild

In Eastern Ontario
Sep. 26, Educating Rita at Thousand Islands Playhouse (Gananoque)*

In Northeastern Ontario
Sep. 26, The Rocky Horror Show at Sudbury Theatre Centre, with a preview on Sep. 25

ONstage Now Playing in Toronto
The Importance of Being Earnest at Hart House Theatre
Victor Pokinko and Eliza Martin
Photo by Scott Gorman
ICYMI: Check out last week’s openings

For all the theatre playing across Ontario, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Theatre Ontario individual members can access discount ticket offers for shows marked with an * asterisk

Read more about our discount tickets program

Friday, 19 September 2014

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters
Thomas A Stewart School Integrated Arts
Program at Peterborough Theatre Guild
Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres



From the Wire
Migrations
TO Toasts
In Case You Missed It
You can also receive news from Theatre Ontario every month by email.  Our archives are online and the September issue is now available.

Thursday, 18 September 2014

PTTP Profiles: Exploring Projects Funded by the Professional Theatre Training Program

Eight individuals were chosen as recipients of Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program grants during our Spring 2014 application round.  This month, we check in with three projects: one at the beginning, one in the middle, and one that has finished.

Tim Welham is training in Actor Training and Coaching with Ian Watson at Ryerson University and the National Theatre School (Toronto / Montreal)


As I write this report, I'm in the middle of performing my solo version of Richard III at the Edmonton International Fringe. So being steeped in Shakespeare makes the prospect of jumping into yet another Shakespeare-based project next week absolutely thrilling! Starting on September 2nd, I will be mentoring under Shakespeare master teacher Ian Watson at both Ryerson University in Toronto, and the National Theatre School of Canada (NTS) in Montreal. While at Ryerson, we will be leading the second-year acting students through their Shakespeare project: teaching them the fundamentals of acting technique through classical text, and directing them in a public production. While at NTS, we will be coaching the graduating students on their Theatre Ontario Showcase monologues, and helping them with Shakespearean audition preparation.

Officially, I am mentoring under Ian in "Actor Training and Coaching", but the mentorship will inevitably cover much more. In addition to coaching the students, I will be learning about the pedagogy surrounding teaching Shakespearean acting technique, the workings of the two institutional administrations, and co-directing a full production. It feels like a lot to cram into thirteen weeks, but I'm looking forward to the challenge!

This mentorship has been in the works for the past few months, and Ian and I have been wanting to work together on a formal teaching and coaching project for even longer. We first met while I was completing my undergraduate acting training, and have remained good friends ever since. Ian is one of the most practically-minded Shakespeare text coaches in Canada, and works all over the country. He is currently finishing the season coaching on multiple productions at the Stratford Festival, and regularly teaches at the Birmingham Conservatory, Ryerson University, George Brown College and NTS. I am eager to learn from Ian, his vast knowledge, and extensive teaching abilities. I am confident the two of us will be able to meet any challenges and work through any difficulties we encounter together, and within the work itself.

The more Ian and I chat about the project, the more excited I get about the mentorship. We have already confirmed the dates for our first trip to Montreal, had a few conversations about the students and their needs, and spent a great deal of time cutting and editing the script for the Ryerson production. (Can't name the play here, unfortunately - we've yet to make the information public!) I've also been reading up on academic Shakespearean criticism, and doing my own prep work in anticipation of the first weeks of technique fundamentals.

Another exciting addition to our plan involves me holding in-studio "office hours" one evening per week while at Ryerson. Ideally, when the students (in either the 2nd or 4th Year) arrive with questions and concerns about monologues or scenes, we can solve them immediately and practically, on our feet in a studio space. Being able to lead private tutorials will not only be a great learning opportunity for me, but will also give the students more contact hours working the text.

This mentorship comes at the perfect time in my career as well: I have spent the past few years learning and working abroad as an actor in England and Europe, and recently completed my Masters in Classical Acting from the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London. This combined experience puts me in a unique position to teach the students: I will be able to offer them a different perspective on acting training, style and technique, and be able to advise, coach, and encourage from the point-of-view of a working professional - as opposed to formal teacher/professor.

I know one of the challenges of this work is managing individual learning styles, and I won't always have the answer to relieve an acting block, but I am confident in my abilities to guide a young actor through the processes I have seen succeed in my work and training. I'm also eager to learn from the students themselves! While I have extensive experience teaching students, and performing Shakespeare, I have yet to truly marry the two skills. Over the thirteen weeks, I anticipate learning a great deal about myself and my abilities through teaching and interacting with the students, as well as through Ian's careful guidance and advice.

Overall, I am very much looking forward to getting started with Ian, meeting the young actors, and beginning rehearsals and tutorials. The upcoming months will inevitably present many unexpected challenges, but I am keen to jump into everything with both feet!

Thank you Theatre Ontario for facilitating this fantastic mentorship opportunity.

Madeleine Donohue is training in Producing and General Management with Monica Esteves and Eric Goldstein at Crow’s Theatre in Toronto


At the half-way point in my training with Eric Goldstein and Monica Esteves at Crow's Theatre, I am now more confident than ever in the knowledge that this experience has come at exactly the right time for me in my career. I am looking forward to completing the program with a clearer picture of how I can be an asset to the company, and also a clearer focus regarding my own ambitions and interests outside the Crow's environment.

So far, I have been working primarily with Eric, as Monica focuses her attentions on the capital campaign, and the preparations for the opening of the company's new venue. However, I will be spending more time with Monica this fall as she guides me through the basics of her fundraising, corporate sponsorship, and budgeting procedures, all of which are areas in which Monica excels, and in which I was specifically hoping to increase my understanding. My main tasks during the spring session were assisting Eric with contract preparation, travel arrangements, and agent negotiations for the recent workshops of their upcoming production The Watershed. He guided me through the ins and outs of the various Equity agreements, and had me serve as the main contact between the artists and agents for scheduling purposes, which was an entirely new experience for me! My other main focus was assisting Eric and Mitchell Cushman with the execution of the East End Performance Crawl, which was an incredibly valuable experience from a producing perspective. Eric and Mitchell were very forthcoming when I approached them with questions regarding the planning process, and they trusted me with a variety of duties, including arranging transportation and accommodations for out-of-town artists, manning the phone lines to deal with patron questions and concerns, and running the front of house and box office for a different venue every night. This experience allowed me to use some of the skills that I've developed in my own work as an indie producer, and I often found myself dealing with unexpected situations that required me to think on my feet, and to remain patient and composed when faced with interpersonal and logistical conflicts at the venues, whether with artists, patrons or sponsors.

One aspect of my original plan that has evolved somewhat is my interest in (and appreciation for) the complex working dynamics of a creative office environment, particularly at Crow's where everyone is working in a small, open-concept space, with many distractions. Having never worked in an office environment, I was curious to see how everyone manages their time, how individual tasks are delegated, and how the whole machine continues to run smoothly. I did not come to this experience with any remotely impressive computer skills, and I'm glad to say that I'm now much more confident in this area; I was often asked to deal with small tasks such as faxing, receiving orders, fixing equipment, creating labels, filing, preparing invoices, etc., and I now have a far greater appreciation for how beneficial these simple organizational and practical skills are for a producer or company manager. In my own previous work I have been able to get by without developing many of these simple skills, and it gives me greater confidence moving forward to no longer feel that technology is my enemy! Perhaps not the most important lesson from my time at Crow's thus far, but a surprising and welcome one.

This fall, I will be assisting with many aspects of the planning for Crow's 2015 production of The Seagull, as well with their production of Watershed in Montreal. And, as mentioned, I will shadowing Monica more often as she negotiates with sponsors, developers and donors in regards to the preparations for their new theatre space. Eric and Monica have been as inspiring, supportive, and available as I'd hoped, and I'm looking forward to getting to know them and the company better as I continue to learn and work with them this fall.

Joseph Recinos trained in Producing with Marilo Nunez at Alameda Theatre Company in Toronto


It’s been one hell of a ride. The work is the work no matter what. I’ve completed my training with Marilo and I have to reiterate: it’s been one hell of a ride. The production Paradise Red which premiered at SummerWorks this year was a journey. To begin, Marilo fell ill at the start of rehearsals and was Skyping in for the full first week; and then, about four days in, providence would have it that the challenges for this production would pick up and MC, our Stage Manager, came down with strep throat and was also out of service.  “Oh where oh where can our saviour be? Oh where oh where can they be?”  I swear that would have been the anthem for the cast and crew, had it not been for Marilo’s commitment to making the art happen. Brave woman she.

I learned a lot about where I want to go and what I want to do through the course of this training. Marilo taught me a lot, though I’m sure not in the way we would have imagined. Art requires sacrifice. No, scratch that—passion requires sacrifice. I learned that staying true to one’s passions and dreams is super important.  From what Marilo has shown me first hand: how far am I willing to go to stay true to my passions? What am I willing to give in order to free my artistic voice? Most importantly once I do, how do I keep singing against the cacophony of noise that is funding, grants, egos, politics, …life?

No matter what happens staying true to yourself, your needs and wants (artistically) are the most important aspect of whatever endeavour one takes on. And initiating any project with passion is always best. The ‘deep’ sentiments aside, I feel like I’ve been able to develop more of my ‘business’ voice through this opportunity and am very much looking forward to what the future holds in store for me in this industry.

Up next I will be producing the Sebastian Heins’ one man show Brotherhood: The Hip Hopera, being produced by b current and premiering at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in October.

Til’ then.

The next application deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program is October 1, 2014.

Read more about Theatre Ontario's Professional Theatre Training Program

Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program is funded by the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.

Wednesday, 17 September 2014

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario
A stomp in time and space.
Free demonstration and discussion of
SITI Company's training dichotomies on
September 22.
  • Theatre Ontario and Why Not Theatre are hosting “A Stomp In Time And Space” on September 22 in Toronto, a free demonstration and discussion of SITI Company’s training dichotomies from the recipients of the Independent Theatre Creators International Training Scholarship
  • Financial Basics for Artists on September 23 in Toronto is a free workshop for self-employed artists covering basic financial skills
  • Unleashing Your Inner Entrepreneur (formerly known as Self-Start: The Basics of Producing) on September 24 in Toronto is for artists thinking of producing a show or starting a theatre company (free for Theatre Ontario individual members) 
  • Proposal Writing: Creative Approaches to Creative Proposals on September 29 in Toronto is a workshop for individuals and theatre organizations applying for funding and sponsorships 
  • The Professional Theatre Training Program offers financial support for unique and flexible training with a chosen mentor in any theatrical discipline except performance.  The application deadline is October 1.
  • The Youth Theatre Training Program offers financial support to programs led by professional theatre artists, which deliver accessible training to young people (age 14 to 21) in theatrical skills.  The application deadline is October 15.
Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board
  • Deadline for submissions for Theatre Passe Muraille’s Youth Blues Challenge is September 19
  • Ottawa Little Theatre’s Pick Up the Pace: A Field Guide to Playwriting with Dan Needles is on September 20
  • Alameda Theatre Company’s Playwriting Master Class with Caridad Svich is on September 21 and 22
  • Playwright’s Guild of Canada’s Libretto Writing workshop with Marjorie Chan is on October 6; registration closes on September 22
  • Port Stanley Festival Theatre is holding their free Playwrights Festival on September 26, featuring a public reading of “Feathers”, part of their new play development program
New on The Bulletin Board
  • WorkInCulture now invites nominations for the Robert Johnston Award, honouring individuals who have made a tenacious commitment to furthering human resources development in the cultural sector in Ontario; deadline is October 9
  • Alumnae Theatre is holding a playwriting intensive with Maja Ardal; applications are due on October 10
  • Tarragon Theatre invites submissions for the OAC Theatre Creators Reserve, with a deadline of October 17
  • Theatre InspiraTO invites applications for their Playwriting Academy; the deadline is October 23
  • Toronto Fringe Festival invites applications for the OAC Theatre Creators’ Reserve, with a deadline of October 31
Check out these items, and other postings from our members of funding opportunities, workshops, calls for submission, awards, and more—on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

Theatre Ontario individual members can also access auditions, job postings, and volunteer opportunities on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Monday, 15 September 2014

ONstage Openings for the week of September 15

In Northwestern Ontario
Sep. 19, Ain’t Misbehavin’ at Magnus Theatre (Thunder Bay), with a preview on Sep. 18

ONstage Opening in South Central Ontario
Skin Flick at The Curtain Club in Richmond Hill
Jo-Anne Pulfer and Andrew Pawarroo
In South Central Ontario
Sep. 19, Skin Flick at The Curtain Club (Richmond Hill), with a preview on Sep. 18*
Sep. 19, Sherlock Holmes and the West End Horror at Theatre Burlington

In Southwestern Ontario
Sep. 16, The Addams Family: A New Musical (High School Project 2014) at The Grand Theatre (London)
Sep. 17, Modus Vivendi Village Players at Registry Theatre (Kitchener)
Sep. 18, Alibis at Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre
Sep. 18, Barefoot in the Park at Simcoe Little Theatre
Sep. 18, The 39 Steps at Elmira Theatre Company

In Toronto
Sep. 18, Freda and Jem's Best of the Week at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, currently in previews
Sep. 19, The Importance of Being Earnest at Hart House Theatre*

In Central Ontario
Sep. 19, God of Carnage at Northumberland Players (Cobourg)

ONstage Opening in Eastern Ontario
The Dining Room at Kanata Theatre
Derek Barr, Paul LeDuc, Liz Szucs,
Anne Marie Chronnell, Karen Germundson
In Eastern Ontario
Sep. 16, The Dining Room at Kanata Theatre (Ottawa)
Sep. 16, Perils of Persephone at Ottawa Little Theatre
Sep. 16, The Boy in the Moon at Great Canadian Theatre Company (Ottawa)

ICYMI: Check out last week’s openings

For all the theatre playing across Ontario, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Theatre Ontario individual members can access discount ticket offers for shows marked with an * asterisk

Read more about our discount tickets program

Friday, 12 September 2014

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters
Take The Stage at Acting Up Stage Company
In Case You Missed It

Thursday, 11 September 2014

Inviting Nominations for the 2015 Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture

Do you know an individual or a collective whose leadership, activism, and service has contributed to the development and strengthening of arts and culture in Ontario through innovative and practical initiatives?  We are now inviting nominations for the 2015 Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture.

The award was established in 1998 by friends and colleagues of Ms. Tulloch on her retirement as Executive Director of Theatre Ontario.  This award pays tribute to the outstanding contribution that Sandra Tulloch has made to the arts in Ontario.  For nearly twenty years, Ms. Tulloch played a pivotal role at Theatre Ontario, facilitating numerous visionary initiatives in the community, professional and educational theatre sectors.  As an arts administrator, producer, arts advocate, project leader, and community activist, she has continued to devote an enormous amount of time and energy to the arts throughout the province.

While Theatre Ontario administers the award, it recognizes achievements in all arts and cultural disciplines.  Past recipients of the award are Tim Jones and Susan Serran, Angela Rebeiro, Jane Marsland, Myles Warren, Jini Stolk, Claire Hopkinson, Peter Honeywell, Janis Barlow, Winston Morgan, Judy Harquail, Heather Young, and Gary Hall.

The award is sponsored by Marinucci & Company, Chartered Accountants and consists of a $1000 prize and a statuette entitled “JOY”, designed by artist Barry Burniston of North Bay, with bronze casting by Craig Meschino of Toronto.

The nomination deadline is December 19, 2014.

Read more about Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture on the Theatre Ontario website

Wednesday, 10 September 2014

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario
Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board
  • Deadline to apply for the Canada Council’s Leadership for Change: Grants for Organizational Development is today
  • LEANARTS is an experimental pilot program designed to support promising professional arts initiatives in Toronto by introducing the tools and methodologies used by technology start-ups; the information session is on September 12
  • Deadline for submissions for Buddies in Bad Times’ Rhubarb Festival is September 12
  • Deadline for applications to ArtsBuild Ontario’s Arts Facilities Mentoring Network is September 15
  • Deadline for submissions for Theatre Passe Muraille’s Youth Blues Challenge is September 19


New on The Bulletin Board
  • Alameda Theatre Company in Toronto is hosting a Master Class Series as part of the De Colores Festival of New Works. The Playwriting Master Class with Caridad Svich is on September 21 and 22 for emerging and established theatre artists
  • The Royal Conservatory’s Learning Through the Arts program is starting its Artist-Educator Professional Training courses: Foundations (starts October 19), Level I (starts September 22) and Level II (starts September 25)
  • Port Stanley Festival Theatre is holding their free Playwrights Festival on September 26, featuring a public reading of “Feathers”, part of their new play development program
Check out these items, and other postings from our members of funding opportunities, workshops, calls for submission, awards, and more—on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

Theatre Ontario individual members can also access auditions, job postings, and volunteer opportunities on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Tuesday, 9 September 2014

Funding Unique Youth Theatre Training Programs

Does your organization want to undertake a unique youth training project, led by professional theatre artists?  The next deadline to apply for our Youth Theatre Training Program (YTTP) is October 15.

YTTP offers financial support to programs anywhere in Ontario, led by professional theatre artists, which deliver accessible training to young people (age 14 to 21) in theatrical skills such as:
  • Technical production and design
  • Theatre administration and producing
  • Performance skills and play creation
The program is funded by the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.



Read all about the Youth Theatre Training Program on the Theatre Ontario website

Read about the most recent youth training (Spring 2014) funded by Theatre Ontario's Youth Theatre Training Program

Monday, 8 September 2014

ONstage Openings for the week of September 8

In Southwestern Ontario
Sep. 12, Forever Plaid at Theatre Ancaster (Hamilton)
ONstage Opening in Central Ontario
Suddenly Mommy! at Orillia Opera House
Anne Marie Scheffler

In Toronto
Sep. 8, New Groundswell Festival at Nightwood Theatre
Sep. 13, Freda and Jem's Best of the Week at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, in previews

In Central Ontario
Sep. 9, Suddenly Mommy! at Orillia Opera House*

In Eastern Ontario
Sep. 13, Jake's Gift at St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival (Prescott)

Check out last week’s openings

For more information on all the theatre playing across Ontario, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Theatre Ontario individual members can access discount ticket offers for shows marked with an * asterisk

Read more about our discount tickets program

Friday, 5 September 2014

Ontario Off Stage

From Ontario Summer Theatre
Boeing Boeing at Drayton Entertainment's
Dunfield Theatre Cambridge
Keith Savage, Katie Lawson, James Kall
Photo by Hilary Camilleri
by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters
Lee Jourard, leading grace at the Awards
Brunch at Theatre Ontario Festival 2013
Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

Thursday, 4 September 2014

A New Look, A New Energy For a New Future

by Bruce Pitkin, Executive Director

The beginning of September marks a time of change: the end of summer, the start of a new school year, and the launch of new seasons for many theatres.

It's a time of change for us at Theatre Ontario: we are excited to be launching our new website, logo, and brand identity.

Theatre Ontario’s New Brand Identity

Theatre is our most visceral form of storytelling, a living and breathing collaborative art form.  Theatre Ontario is committed to ensuring that theatre stays strong, vibrant and sustainable in our province, an ideal for Ontarians today and in the future.
As Ontario’s champion for theatre, we advocate for growth, cultivate theatre resources, provide educational opportunities, foster collaboration within the theatre community, and build innovation into everything we do.
Theatre in Ontario needs a unified and compelling voice to grow, to keep telling our stories.  We are Theatre Ontario, and we are staging our collective future.
And this new look is evident not only in our logo and colours, but in our new website, as well. Simplified, cool to look at, easy to navigate, yet still containing all our incredible programs and resources. Take a look at it, from your smartphone, tablet or laptop, and let us know what you think.

Wednesday, 3 September 2014

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario
Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board
  • Deadline to apply for the Canadian Stage / York University MFA in Stage Direction is today
  • Deadline for submissions for Alumnae Theatre Company’s New Ideas Festival is September 5
  • Deadline to apply for the Buddies in Bad Times’ Young Creators Unit for queer-identified artists 25 and under is September 5
  • Deadline to apply for Acting Up Stage Company’s Syd and Shirley Banks Prize for Emerging Musical Theatre Artists is September 5
  • ACT II Studio is holding an information day on September 8; for prospective students 50+ interested in theatre training
    ACT II Studio Theatre is holding an
    information day on September 8
  • Deadline to apply for the Canada Council’s Leadership for Change: Grants for Organizational Development is September 10
  • Deadline for submissions for Buddies in Bad Times’ Rhubarb Festival is September 12
New on The Bulletin Board
  • Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto invites young blues musicians 25 and under to submit to their Youth Blues Challenge, performing during the intermissions of their upcoming production of Life, Death and The Blues; submission deadline is September 19
  • The Canada Council now invites applications for the John Hobday Awards in Arts Management, for established and mid-career arts administrators, with a minimum of ten years of experience, looking for professional development or mentorship opportunities; the deadline is September 30
  • Tarragon Theatre in Toronto invites submissions for the Urjo Kareda Residency Grant for an Emerging Theatre Artist (with two to five years of experience in the field); the first submission deadline is October 14
  • Shaw Theatre School kicks off on October 18 for a ten-week program in Niagara-on-the-Lake, with programs for youth in grades 3 through 12, plus the return of the teen sewing classes with the Shaw wardrobe department
Check out these items, and other postings from our members of funding opportunities, workshops, calls for submission, awards, and more—on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

Theatre Ontario individual members can also access auditions, job postings, and volunteer opportunities on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Tuesday, 2 September 2014

ONstage Openings for the week of September 2

In Southwestern Ontario
Sep. 4, Radio :30 at Blyth Festival*

In Toronto
Sep. 2, Glenn at Soulpepper Theatre, currently in previews
Sep. 3, QueerCab at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

ONstage Opening in Eastern Ontario
On a First Name Basis at
Upper Canada Playhouse (Morrisburg)
Patricia Vanstone and Norm Foster
In Eastern Ontario
Sep. 6, On a First Name Basis at Upper Canada Playhouse (Morrisburg), with previews from Sep. 4

Check out last week’s openings

For more information on all the theatre playing across Ontario, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Theatre Ontario individual members can access discount ticket offers for shows marked with an * asterisk

Read more about our discount tickets program