Friday 28 November 2014

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters
Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres
George Randolph with Premier Kathleen Wynne at the
Economic and Trade Development mission to China
In Case You Missed It
This column will be off next week, but we return on December 12.

Thursday 27 November 2014

Bridging the Gap at Theatre Ontario

by Sarah Siddiqui (with additional content provided by Rebecca Ballarin and Madeline Smith), Theatre Ontario Youth Advisory Committee

On Saturday November 15, the Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) hosted Bridging the Gap—a multi-format Think Tank event that was a culmination of a year of work.

The idea for this event came after our Provincial Youth Forum, back in May. At our “Face to Face” component of the day (which took place during Theatre Ontario’s AGM), we hosted a multi-generational discussion in which the older, established members of Theatre Ontario got a chance to connect with the youth attendees of our workshops during the day. Many different generations got a chance to share what they wanted the future of theatre in Ontario to look like.  Both the older and younger generations felt that sharing each others experiences was a refreshing experience, and also expressed interest in more conversations like that. This past September, one of our satellite committee members, Jillian Bjelan, who is based in Huron County, hosted her own Satellite Face to Face event.

In hosting Bridging the Gap, we wanted to help youth feel supported, members of the older generation feel appreciated, and to try and flesh out the topic of the day as fully as we could.  We were lucky to have had the Annex Theatre generously donated to us by George Randolph, as well as a wonderful set of facilitators, who will be named throughout this piece.  The event was emceed by YAC member, Madeline Smith.

Bridging the Gap: Icebreaker
The day started out with an energizing, and ice-breaking activity, facilitated by Elizabeth Stuart-Morris. Elizabeth is a young, Toronto-based artist, and affiliate of the YAC. The activity involved us taking a random card from a standard playing deck. Our card determined our “status” (ace being the lowest and King being the highest.) We weren’t allowed to look at our own card; rather, we had to place it on our foreheads for everyone else to see. We interacted with each other for a few minutes, and had to determine what our status was based on how others interacted with us. Not only did the activity get us moving and talking to each other, but it also got us to reflect on some of the larger themes that would later get covered in detail—namely, systemic barriers that prevent different generations and other differing groups from working together.

Bridging the Gap: Forum Theatre
The first major component of the day was a Forum Theatre piece, facilitated by Simon Malgobat, Artistic Director of Mixed Company Theatre, with scenes performed by actors Steve Bruines, Thea Fitz-James, Omar Hady, Sharon Ramirez, Luke Reece, and Janice Yang. This part of the day consisted of four short scenes that demonstrated conflict based on aspects of the larger theme of the day. After these scenes were shown once, they were repeated one at a time, and the audience had the opportunity to take the place of one of the performers in order to resolve the conflict shown. In addition to this, each scene and conflict was open for discussion by the whole group. The Forum Theatre component sparked a lot of discussion – so much so that we began to lose track of time in discussing the third scene, so we had just enough time to cram in the fourth! From what I could tell, everyone in the room seemed to really appreciate the intersectionality of performance, discussion, and taking ownership over the scenes. From the feedback that we received following the event, it seemed to be a favourite among the participants.

Bridging the Gap: Keynote Address
by Philip Akin
Next, we had our keynote address delivered by Philip Akin, founding member and current Artistic Director of Obsidian Theatre. Philip spoke to what he thought about the overarching theme of the day (namely, “bridging the intergenerational gap.”) Rather than offering us any easy solutions, he addressed many of the facets involved, and broke down the issue. He asked us what kind of bridge we wanted to build, and how much construction had to take place between different generations – does each generation have to build an equal amount and meet each other in the middle, or does one have to build more than the other? Many participants also cited Philip’s talk as a highlight of the day.

After breaking for lunch, the group was split into two groups to participate in our two workshops of the day. Our workshop on “Education, Training, and Experience” was facilitated by Kerry Boileau (program coordinator, SKETCH) and William Webster (resident artist, Soulpepper), and “Access (and Lack of Access) to Resources” was facilitated by Natasha Mytnowych (General Manager, Artscape Youngplace) and Brian Postalian (Communications Manager, Paprika Festival). While I found myself floating between both workshops as an observer, two of my colleagues sat in on both and can attest to them in greater detail. Rebecca Ballarin, who participated in “Access (and Lack of Access) to Resources noted that: “Brian and Natasha talked about…how they got where they are today. In their stories they talked a lot about the importance of making and maintaining connections with people, and also talked a lot about just diving into positions and roles in order to learn as much as you can.”

Bridging the Gap: Workshops
In regards to the “Education, training, and experience” workshop, Madeline Smith notes: “Kerry and Bill delivered and excellent workshop. Our first activity with them ‘broke the ice’ amongst our group of theatre practitioners, facilitators, studiers, and lovers, while the second offered a chance to simply introduce ourselves and be present with the group. My primary take-away was the simultaneous ease and difficulty of making a connection with anyone. On one hand, I felt well-acquainted with everyone in the group by the end of session, as though I could easily approach them and seek collaboration, assistance or conversation, even though we had merely shared our names with each other. Kerry seamlessly created a safe space for everyone, and assisted us in taking joy (rather than cringing) at the opportunity to be silly. That said, it most certainly was not as simple as saying "hi, my name is -" to establish this connection of future possibilities.  It took a great deal of bravery and integrity to be as present as Bill encouraged and assisted us to be, both with one another when introducing ourselves and when supporting one another during others introductions.”

Bridging the Gap: Panel Discussion
Our final component of the day was a panel discussion, chaired by YAC member Ray Jacildo. Our panellists were: Nina Lee Aquino (co-Artistic Director, Factory Theatre), Kathleen Gallagher (Professor at OISE), Luke Reece (Artistic Director, Little Black Afro), Chy Ryan Spain (Youth Program Coordinator, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre), Rosamund Small (playwright-in-residence, Outside the March), and Wendell Williams (performer and researcher, Mammalian Diving Reflex). In facilitating the panel, we wanted to get a sense of how each panellist got to where they are now, what kinds of barriers they faced (systemic or specific), and what they can pledge to do to bridge the gap (whatever they interpret that to mean). A recurring sentiment throughout the panel discussion was that some of the panellists experienced a lack of supportive space or community, and later sought out to create their own spaces and communities for like-minded artists. On the other hand, some of the other panellists recalled being reached out to from other artists. In hearing both of these perspectives, I couldn’t help but think back to Philip Akin’s keynote address earlier in the day – namely, when he asked which generation had to build more of the “bridge” we kept referring to. In hearing the personal stories of the panellists, it became very clear to me that there was no straight answer.
 
Closing remarks for the day were given by George Randolph, who relayed his own personal story. Like many of the panellists, he had to actively seek out his own performance training, and carve his own unique path that ultimately led to his career as a professional dancer, and much later on, the creation of the Randolph Academy and its triple threat program.

Bridging the Gap: Theatre Ontario's Youth Advisory Committee
Throughout the day, many personal stories were shared, and a lot of dynamic conversations were developed around our theme of bridging the intergenerational gap.  Our biggest critique thus far is that the day was fairly unfocused on the central theme. Indeed, we were a little ambitious in the kind of coverage we wanted to achieve, and we welcome that critique. But, we’re happy that we were able to achieve our goal of trying to start dialogue on a very big topic. It’s a topic that we hope the next YAC can continue to foster productive dialogue on.

Catch up on tweets from Theatre Ontario's Bridging the Gap on Storify

Apply to join Theatre Ontario's Youth Advisory Committee

Wednesday 26 November 2014

Browsing Our 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 for applications for Buddies in Bad Times’ OAC Theatre Creators Reserve is November 28
  • Deadline for applications for Canadian Stage’s OAC Theatre Creators Reserve is December 1
  • Deadline for applications for Canada Council grant programs (Developmental Support to Aboriginal Theatre Organizations, Theatre Touring and Special Initiatives, and Theatre International) is December 1
  • Deadline for submissions for Theatre InspiraTO’s Ten-Minute Play Contest is December 1
  • Deadline for submissions for Ottawa Fringe Festival Lottery is December 1
New on The Bulletin Board
  • Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque is holding their 2014 Play Reading Week of public readings from their Playwrights Unit on December 4 to 9
  • Ottawa Little Theatre is hosting an acting workshop with R.H. Thomson “Telling the Story” on December 6
  • East Side Players in Toronto invites applications for directors for their 2015-2016 season; the deadline is December 12
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 and job postings on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Tuesday 25 November 2014

Legendary Commitment to Community Theatre

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

The Michael Spence Award recognizes outstanding contribution, generosity of spirit, involvement, and legendary commitment to community theatre in a region.  Originally presented every five years on Theatre Ontario's quinquennial anniversaries, the award is now presented annually within the region that is hosting the Theatre Ontario Festival.  In 2015, the award will be presented to someone in the ACT-CO region of Ontario community theatre.

We caught up with several past recipients of the Michael Spence Award to find out how they are currently contributing to theatre in their communities.

Maureen Lukie (Toronto) was awarded the Michael Spence Award in 2007 on the recommendation of the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario


It’s been seven years since I received this award, that magical number – don’t they say that every cell in your body changes within seven years, so that you’re literally a different person?  But even at the cellular level, I’m still part of community theatre.  In those years, I have stepped back from the ACT-CO Board (14 years, that’s 2x7), but focused on supporting the Downsview Park Arts Alliance, a group of Toronto community arts companies who pool their resources to share building and storage space, materials, set pieces and knowledge, cooperating to help ensure each other’s survival in challenging times.  The DPAA also devoted several years to mentoring programmes teaching set design/build skills for youth.

While I’ve had great experiences directing and acting for other companies like Bloor West Village and the Alumnae Theatre, I’m rooted in Amicus Productions and the Toronto Irish Players.  They’re celebrating 36-year and 40-year anniversaries this year and facing inevitable ups and downs in the life cycle of a company.  Amicus has recently undergone a revitalization and reorganization; change at that level is hard but invigorating and makes you think about what you really want and value.  TIP finds itself going back to its roots as a cultural haven for recent immigrants, as it began in the late 70’s; as it entered this century, it appeared that that role had passed, but global economic changes have brought a new generation from Ireland to our city.  Time is creating a cellular turnover here.

If the past seven years have meant one thing more than any other, it is that community theatres prosper best not as islands but in archipelagos with causeways from one to another.  You need a distinctive identity but you can’t be so separate that you are alone in times of difficulty.  ‘Community theatre’ shouldn’t just be a name that signals amateur status but describe our relationship to each other, hands joined across the city, the GTA and the province, as we bring our common passion for theatre to the audience.  No matter how things change, I think that’s what I want and value.

Joe O’Brien (Ottawa) was awarded the Michael Spence Award in 2013 on the recommendation of the Eastern Ontario Drama League


I had the pleasure of directing the Ottawa Little Theatre’s production of Neil Simon’s Rumors in January and, following its most successful run, I thought maybe I would hang it up.  Well, as the OLT representative to both the EODL and the Ottawa Community Theatre Association (OCTA) , along came reports to be written and meetings to attend, and I was back in the race.

And then, this fall I was asked to direct a production of W. Somerset Maugham’s Jack Straw for the Linden House Theatre here in Ottawa. This small local company has been building a reputation for performing  British plays, often period pieces, that are amusing, light-hearted entertainment for a loyal following based mainly in Rockcliffe Village and New Edinburgh. With a strong cast made up of Linden House regulars and some top-notch performers from the OLT, this year’s offering stuck to that tradition and was well-received by everyone who saw it.

Most recently the Ottawa Little Theatre chose to honour me, along with three other candidates, as a 2014 inductee into the Cornerstone Project.  This project, begun  for OLT's 100th Anniversary in 2013 “recognizes and acknowledges the contributions of many volunteers and supporters who have given their time and energy to making the Ottawa Little Theatre the thriving community organization it is today – the cornerstones of the theatre.”  Inductees names are placed on a sculpture commissioned for the project that will stand in perpetuity at the entrance to the theatre.

As to upcoming projects, I have been offered the opportunity to direct a mystery farce titled, The Murder Room, slated for production in January 2015 at the OLT.

Ken Stephen (Elliot Lake) was awarded the Michael Spence Award in 2007 on the recommendation of QUONTA


I was awarded the Michael Spence Award after over a quarter-century of active involvement in community theatre in Elliot Lake, and on the executive of the QUONTA Drama Region.  During that time I managed to write a few plays, and two of these were performed—the was never enough time for me to give to writing, and I always had more ideas than time to develop them.

Since retiring from teaching in 2010, I have changed my address to Woodstock, and shifted my activity emphasis from performing, directing, and administration to writing.  I blog about performing arts (including extensive writing about the QUONTA and Theatre Ontario Festivals this past year), rare classical music, and travel, and particularly enjoy frequent excursions to see various plays on stage.  One of my current projects is a most unusual one-act mystery play.  I remain passionately committed to the growth and development of theatre in Ontario—most recently as a Board member for Theatre Ontario.

Bev Dietrich (Elmira) was awarded the Michael Spence Award in 2014 on the recommendation of the Western Ontario Drama League


I have just finished stage managing The 39 Steps by John Buchan at Elmira Theatre Company and found it to be one of the most challenging plays I have ever worked on: 86 lighting cues, 46 ASM cues, 300+ sound cues, 4 actors playing 28 characters which means 28 costumes, all done in 33 scenes. To top it off, we then loaded up the show and travelled it to another theatre to do it all over again for another weekend. It was just like Festival week!

Auditions are coming up for our spring show Same Time, Next Year by Bernard Slade, which I am stage managing.  As Minifest chairperson for WODL, I am working with Binbrook Little Theatre as they prepare to host Minifest in July 24 and 25 of 2015: six theatre companies doing the same one-act play.

Finally I love when my work and my theatre world collide. Next year is the 100th anniversary of the writing of the poem "In Flanders Fields" by John McCrae. McCrae House has commissioned a local playwright to write a play about John McCrae of which will be performed in the back yard of McCrae House for a summer theatre experience. I have been working with the playwright assisting him with research and sit on the committee which will take this idea and make it happen next year.

The 2015 Michael Spence Award will be presented to an individual from the south central Ontario community theatre region, which includes the City of Toronto, Durham Region, York Region, Peel Region, Halton Region (except for the City of Burlington), Simcoe County, Dufferin County, and the District of Muskoka.  Find out more about nominating someone for Theatre Ontario’s Michael Spence Award.

Monday 24 November 2014

ONstage Openings for the week of November 24

In Toronto
Nov. 25, The De Chardin Project at Theatre Passe Muraille, currently in previews*
Nov. 27, James and the Giant Peach at Young People's Theatre, with previews from Nov. 24
Nov. 27, The Stronger Variations at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, with a preview on Nov. 26
Nov. 27, Kim's Convenience at Soulpepper Theatre
Nov. 27, A Christmas Carol at Soulpepper Theatre
Nov. 28, A Christmas Carol at Alexander Showcase Theatre
Nov. 28, The Griffin and the Minor Canon at ACT II Studio Theatre
Nov. 29, Mad About Munsch at George Brown Theatre School
Nov. 30, Shoestring Magic Flute at Solar Stage Children's Theatre

In Central Ontario
Nov. 25, Aladdin! (The Panto) at Port Hope Festival Theatre
Nov. 28, Everything I Love About Christmas at Theatre Orangeville, with a preview on Nov. 27

In Eastern Ontario
ONstage Opening in Eastern Ontario
The Railway Children at Ottawa Little Theatre
Nov. 25, The Railway Children at Ottawa Little Theatre
Nov. 26, Cyrano at Bottle Tree Productions (Kingston)
Nov. 27, Pomme and 'Restes: SHIPWRECKED! on the Tempestuous Lost Island of Never at Great Canadian Theatre Company (Ottawa), with previews from Nov. 25
Nov. 28, Cinderella at Mississippi Mudds of Carleton Place
Nov. 29, Lights, Camera...Christmas! (The TV Christmas Special That Nearly Never Was) at Upper Canada Playhouse (Morrisburg), with previews from Nov. 27

In Northwestern Ontario
Nov. 28, Ethan Claymore at Magnus Theatre (Thunder Bay), with a preview on Nov. 27

In South Central Ontario
Nov. 27, GLT-YC Y1A at Georgetown Little Theatre

In Southwestern Ontario
Nov. 27, Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus at Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre
Nov. 28, Shrek The Musical at The Grand Theatre (London), currently in previews

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 21 November 2014

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters
Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres
TO Toasts
Eastern Ontario Drama League One-Act Festival Award Recipients
You can also receive news from Theatre Ontario every month by email.  Our archives are online and the November issue is now available.

Thursday 20 November 2014

Congratulations to the Fall 2014 Professional Theatre Training Program Recipients

We are pleased to announce the latest recipients of training grants through Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP).  We thank all those who applied to the program.

$32,225 was awarded in total among the following recipients:
  • Jasmine Chen to train in Outreach with Marjorie Chan at Cahoots Theatre (Toronto)
  • Julia Hune-Brown to train in Artistic Direction with Ruth Howard at Jumblies Theatre (Toronto)
  • Sarah Kitz to train in Directing with Amiel Gladstone at Tarragon Theatre (Toronto)
  • Amy Lee to train in Directing with Jennifer Brewin at Theatre Columbus (Toronto)
  • Emma Mackenzie Hillier to train in Dramaturgy with Bob White at the Stratford Festival
  • Mariel Marshall to train in Directing with Ross Manson at Volcano Theatre (Toronto)
  • Ariel Martin-Smith to train in Producing with Nathalie Bonjour at Culchahworks and Nightwood Theatre (Toronto)
  • Peter Pasyk to train in Artistic Direction with Chris Abraham at Crow’s Theatre (Toronto)
  • Alexis Scott to train in Artistic Producing with David Whiteley at Plosive Productions (Ottawa)
The next application deadline for this program is March 2, 2015.

Read more about Theatre Ontario's Professional Theatre Training Program

This program is funded by the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.


Wednesday 19 November 2014

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

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

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board
  • There will be a Town Hall Meeting on re-imagining the Prix Rideau Award for the Ottawa professional theatre community on November 24
  • Deadline for applications for Buddies in Bad Times’ OAC Theatre Creators Reserve is November 28
New on The Bulletin Board
  • Staging Our Histories is a new event in Ottawa in the spring of 2015, bringing together amateur and professional performing artists, academics, and the public.  They invite proposals on performance pieces presenting alternatives ways of knowing and sharing history; the submission deadline is January 9
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 and job postings on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Monday 17 November 2014

ONstage Openings for the week of November 17

In Southwestern Ontario
ONstage Opening in Southwestern Ontario
Anne of Green Gables at Simcoe Little Theatre
John Dickson, Madison Reid, Gloria Mitchell
Nov. 19, Disney's The Little Mermaid at Drayton Entertainment: Dunfield Theatre Cambridge
Nov. 19, Shrek The Musical at The Grand Theatre (London) in previews
Nov. 19, Snow White at Drayton Entertainment: St. Jacobs Country Playhouse
Nov. 20, Anne of Green Gables at Simcoe Little Theatre
Nov. 21, Jesus Christ Superstar at Theatre Ancaster (Hamilton)

In Toronto
Nov. 19, Spin at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
Nov. 20, 84 Charing Cross Road at Stage Centre Productions
Nov. 20, The De Chardin Project at Theatre Passe Muraille, in previews*

In Eastern Ontario
Nov. 21, Fiddler on the Roof at Orpheus Musical Theatre Society (Ottawa)

In Northeastern Ontario
Nov. 21, Miracle on 34th Street at Sudbury Theatre Centre

In South Central Ontario
Nov. 19, Regrets Only at Markham Little Theatre
Nov. 20, Les Misérables at Oshawa Little Theatre
Nov. 21, Almost Maine at The Curtain Club (Richmond Hill), with a preview on Nov. 20*

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 14 November 2014

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters
DNA Theatre's This Is What Happens in Orangeville (1987)
#CdnCult Times on SpiderWebShow looked at Canadian
performance culture's past, present, and future.
Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres
Migrations
  • We’re pleased to welcome Sandra Paquette as our new Executive Assistant, and Rachel Stableford as our new Development Coordinator—both joining us for one year at Theatre Ontario
In Case You Missed It

Thursday 13 November 2014

Welcome Damien Atkins as Playwright-in-Person at Festival 2015

We are thrilled to welcome Damien Atkins as Playwright-in-Person at Theatre Ontario Festival 2015 in Oshawa.  For nearly twenty years, Theatre Ontario has been bringing together professional playwrights and passionate community theatre artists at Festival.  Damien will be reading from his work on the afternoon of Friday, May 15.  Tickets are now on sale for the Festival.

Damien Atkins has acted on most of the major stages across the country.  Toronto credits include Angels in America, The Caretaker, King Lear, The Importance of Being Earnest (Soulpepper), Someone Else, Unidentified Human Remains..., Shopping and Fucking (Crow’s Theatre), Seussical (YPT), The Clockmaker (Tarragon), London Road, 7 Stories, Frost/Nixon, The Glass Menagerie, Amadeus, Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods (Canadian Stage), and Mojo, Our Country’s Good (theatrefront). Other recent acting credits include I Am My Own Wife (Dallas Theater Center), The Way of the World (NAC/Soulpepper), The Retreat from Moscow (Neptune Theatre), Mozart in Amadeus and Henry James in Geometry in Venice (Segal Theatre, Montreal).

He spent four seasons at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, as both actor and playwright. Their 2001 production of Good Mother, starring Seana McKenna, made Atkins the youngest playwright to have his work produced by the Festival. His other works as a playwright include Lucy (at Canadian Stage in Toronto and the Ensemble Studio Theatre in New York City), Miss Chatelaine (Theatre Passe Muraille/Grand Theatre) and Real Live Girl (Buddies in Bad Times/Manitoba Theatre Centre/Grand Theatre).

Film and TV credits include Take This Waltz (feature), The Listener (CTV), MVP (CBC), Slings and Arrows (TMN), Our Fathers (Showtime), The Matthew Sheppard Story (NBC), The Eleventh Hour (CTV), and This is Wonderland (CBC). Damien has been playwright in residence at Canadian Stage and Crow’s Theatre, as well as a Guest Instructor at the National Theatre School of Canada. He has received nine Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations for acting and writing, winning four.

Theatre Ontario Festival is co-hosted by Oshawa Little Theatre and the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario.  Playwright-in-Person is made possible by a grant from the Playwrights Guild of Canada, funded by the Canada Council.  Join us at Theatre Ontario Festival 2015

Wednesday 12 November 2014

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario
  • Artist as Entrepreneur Boot Camp on November 15 in Toronto: Learn the necessary skills to produce creative works, including business planning, promoting on social media, crowdfunding essentials, and participate in a mock grant jury
  • Bridging the Gap, from Theatre Ontario’s Youth Advisory Committee, is on November 15 in Toronto—A day to share perspectives, knowledge and experiences while connecting, networking and collaborating
    Bridging the Gap from Theatre Ontario's Youth
    Advisory Committee is on November 15 in Toronto
  • Grant Writing Information Session for Theatre Individuals and Groups on November 18 in Barrie with Pat Bradley: a free workshop for anyone looking for tips and must-dos for preparing an application to the Ontario Arts Council
  • Webinars for Small Budget Arts Organizations: "Facebook—A really useful marketing tool” is a free webinar on November 20
  • Financial Basics for Artists on November 24 in Toronto: a free workshop on basic financial skills
  • Launching Your Career on November 24 in Toronto: Answers to your FAQs about the business of acting with Erin Keating and a guest actor
  • Unleashing Your Inner Entrepreneur on December 8 in Toronto: Thinking of producing a show or starting a theatre company? Join us for this workshop with Erin Keating and a guest producer
Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board
  • The SPARC Network (Supporting Performing Arts in Rural Communities) is holding a network summit in Haliburton Highlands on November 14 to 16
  • Deadline for Ontario Arts Council Northern Arts grants is November 17
New on The Bulletin Board
  • There will be a Town Hall Meeting on re-imagining the Prix Rideau Award for the Ottawa professional theatre community on November 24.
  • Directors Lab North is now inviting applications for the 2015 Directors Lab; the Lab fosters a national and international exchange between a community of emerging, mid-level and established career directors that need a safe space to explore and connect with like-minded peers.  The application deadline is February 15, 2015.
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 and job postings on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Tuesday 11 November 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 of the projects.

Shane Carty is training in Directing with Douglas Beattie at Pie in the Sky Theatre (Stratford).  He began his training in late September.

I have begun working with my mentor, Douglas Beattie.  We already have a good rapport and as we start to really focus on the script, the conversations have moved into the specifics of how the action of the play works and how that will come off the page. I’ve been reading the script—a new play—and taking notes, writing questions in the margins and finishing the research I’ll be bringing to the rehearsal room.  Rehearsals begin at the start of next week, which promises to be an exciting new phase in the training. 

My experience is primarily as an actor, so one area I’m excited to start working in will be assisting Doug as he directs actors who are relatively new to the business.  Doug has told me that he hopes I will be able to provide an actor’s perspective as we delve deeper into the script.  This seems to be a good entry into understanding the challenges of directing—interpreting it from both the actor’s perspective and the director’s.  I think it’s important to Doug that the actors have someone they can talk to other than him.  This is an exciting challenge, because it will require me to articulate what I know.

I’ve been directed by Doug in the past and his style is highly intellectual.  He is also extremely sensitive to the needs of the actors and that they are varied and unique.  It will be interesting to discuss with him the ways he is able to coax performances out of people with out a heavy hand or too much prescriptive criticism.  From personal experience as an actor, the kind of approach Doug uses is one that I prefer and respect.  I think his style is one that takes years to develop and I’m excited to start taking on that kind of development.  Hopefully this mentorship will continue on long after this project concludes. 

And now, on to rehearsal!

Tim Welham is training in Actor Training and Coaching with Ian Watson at Ryerson University and the National Theatre School (Toronto and Montreal).  We caught up with him mid-way through his training in early October.

As the half-way point in my mentorship approaches, we’re just finishing off the first pass of Hamlet with the Ryerson acting students. Casting was announced a few weeks ago, and work on the play has already begun. We have also moved into full rehearsal mode, and out of the formal studio teaching sessions. In rehearsal, we are concentrating on telling the Action Story for each thought, in order to discover what the character is doing within the story they are telling. This is a fundamental exercise for the students; catapulting them into action, and enabling them to apply all the tools learned in the previous weeks of fundamentals.

Already, I’m noticing a massive transformation in the students’ work: the ones that fully engage in practical, playable action, while telling a simple story, are making the most progress. They are discovering that when dealing with Shakespeare, the only clear way into the text is through action—not by pushing an emotional state-of-being. Since the language is heightened, the story must be incredibly specific, and the action incredibly clear, in order for the audience to follow what’s happening in the scene. The prevailing habit is to predetermine a character’s emotional level, and then apply that emotion to the scene in large brush-strokes. Usually, the result is a very emotional character, but an incomprehensible story. It’s a difficult lesson to learn, and teach, but the students embracing the technique are benefiting the most.

The mentorship has evolved on multiple fronts as well. I’m more involved in rehearsals than anticipated, since Ian and I are working as a directing unit, and I’m having much more contact with the production students who are also learning their roles in a professional rehearsal setting. I did not anticipate having to teach the production students as well, but it’s a natural progression when working in a theatre school. Through the production students, I’m discovering how best to act as an intermediary between the on- and off-stage workings: advocating for the most acting support, while ensuring the technical elements run smoothly without compromising on design and vision. This extends to coaching the actors in how to interact with the technical elements in a way that augments their acting.

As we move into the second half of the Ryerson project, I anticipate adopting more of a coaching role in the production. Once the students become more comfortable with their actions and the story of the text, the focus will switch to the acting, and questions of HOW: How do I tell my story effectively? How do I talk to the audience? How do I communicate with my scene partner? How do I express this image? How do I coin that metaphor? … Really, all versions of “How do I act better?” My hope is to have some answers!

Rachel Penny is training in Producing with Aislinn Rose (Toronto).  She reached the 2/3 point of her training in late October.

My mentorship with Aislinn was structured into thirds, and we’re now officially at the 2/3 point. Our first two projects, With Individual Desire (Lady Parts Theatre/New Groundswell Festival) and The Art of Building a Bunker (Quiptake/Factory Theatre) are either finished or approaching a their conclusion, and we are actively on the hunt for a third project. It’s difficult to reflect specifically on what I’ve learned so far, since I began the mentorship feeling like I knew nothing about producing, and now I know at least something. Essentially the sum total of my producing knowledge has developed since July. That’s an exaggeration of course, but it’s tough to break down what I’ve learned, because in fact it’s a whole new skill set and a whole new perspective that has grown in my brain.

Because of Aislinn’s new job as General Manager of the Theatre Centre, our mentorship has had to evolve and be a bit more flexible. I have had to take on more responsibility earlier on, rather than observing Aislinn’s work on some tasks. For example, I took on the organization of the fundraiser cocktail party for With Individual Desire, wrote drafts of letters and program notes, coordinated invite lists for Bunker opening, among other tasks. This has involved a bit more diving into the deep-end than I had initially imagined, but it has provided some exciting challenges and I think enriched my learning.

Sitting in on meetings, working on projects, and getting feedback on my work have all been important parts of my mentorship, but more helpful still have been the moments where Aislinn and I sit down and I get her honest impressions of what really happened in a particular meeting, what she perceives as the core issue when we have a problem. Having a mentor who is comfortable being honest with me has been one of the most valuable aspects of this partnership, and has been a benefit I wouldn’t have gotten just setting out on my own and guiding my own learning.

Some of the most crucial learning I’ve done so far has been centred around issues and challenges that were not part of the plan for our mentorship. The biggest example is the response to the decision by Factory and their season partners not to invite the media to opening nights. Since Bunker was the first show of the season, a lot of the conversation swirled around our show specifically. Being a part of the discussions about the response to the controversy forced me to do a lot of thinking about how I engage critically with shows that I see as an audience member, and also about the role that audience engagement and criticism can take beyond traditional forms. How do I want people to respond to a show I am working on? How can I solicit those responses? What constitutes a substantive conversation about a work? How do we move these discussions beyond “I loved it/I hated it”? These are all questions I look forward to exploring more on future projects.

The next application deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program is March 2, 2015.

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.

Monday 10 November 2014

ONstage Openings for the week of November 10

In South Central Ontario
Nov. 13, The Game's Afoot, or Holmes for the Holidays at Whitby Courthouse Theatre
Nov. 14, The Elephant Song [staged reading] at Theatre 3x60 (Uxbridge / Port Perry)

In Southwestern Ontario
Nov. 14, Menopositive at Elmira Theatre Company

In Toronto
ONstage Opening in Toronto
Cyrano de Bergerac at Amicus Productions
Chris Coculuzzi, Celeste Van Vroenhoven
and Paul Cotton
Nov. 12, Weesageechak Begins to Dance 27 at Native Earth Performing Arts
Nov. 12, Opus at Canadian Stage
Nov. 13, FireWorks Festival at Alumnae Theatre Company
Nov. 13, Cyrano de Bergerac at Amicus Productions
Nov. 13, The Massey Murder at Theatre Erindale (Mississauga)
Nov. 14, Insatiable Sisters at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

In Eastern Ontario
Nov. 13, Do You Want What I Have Got? at National Arts Centre—English Theatre (Ottawa), with a preview on Nov. 12

ICYMI: Check out last week’s openings

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

Friday 7 November 2014

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters
  • An Overview of Arts Management In (About) Five Minutes from Andrew Taylor of The Artful Manager

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres
Migrations
  • Gil Garratt is the new Artistic Director of the Blyth Festival
In Case You Missed It

Thursday 6 November 2014

Congratulations to the 2015 Shaw Festival Intern Directors

Congratulations to Esther Jun and Peter Pasyk, who were chosen as the two Intern Directors for the 2015 season at the Shaw Festival.

Esther Jun originally trained as an actor in NYC and completed her directing degree at Drama Centre London in 2006. Since returning to Canada she has worked with a diverse range of companies across Toronto such as fu-GEN, Cahoots, Obsidian, Nightwood and Soulpepper.  Esther’s work has been seen at Rhubarb, SummerWorks and Next Stage Festivals, plus Toronto, Montreal and the Edinburgh Fringe Festivals. She has helped facilitate programs for Crossing Gibraltar and the Paprika Festival and is a founding member and Co-Artistic Director of Directors Lab North, the first international offshoot of the Lincoln Center Directors Lab, of which she was a 2010 member. She is also a founding member of The World Wide Lab, where most recently she co-created/co-directed a workshop of Imperium, at Teatro Due in Rome. She has been featured in NOW magazine’s Top Ten Artists to Watch (Fringe 2013) and was nominated for 2012 Pauline McGibbon Award and 2011 John Hirsch Directing Award. Esther continues to act and originated the role of Janet in Ins Choi’s Kim’s Convenience.  Selected Credits - Director: And Now, The End (Ante Up); Bremen Rock City (Song Trolley); Cowboy Mouth (Heart In Hand); Yellow Face (Hart House), Trout Stanley (Heart in Hand) Fear and Misery of the Third Reich (DeusXM), First Hand Woman (Fire Up Productions); workshops of Imperium (World Wide Lab/Kit Italia); Calpurnia (Nightwood); Abigail’s Mirror (World Wide Lab/Irondale Brooklyn), Intent City (Eventual Ashes), La Commune (Heart in Hand) and Sex Tape Project (fu-GEN). Co-director: Hiding Words (for you) (Eventual Ashes), Strange Mary Strange (Theatre on the Verge).

Peter Pasyk is a Toronto-based director of theatre and film, and the Artistic Director of surface/underground theatre for which he directed the Dora-nominated productions of Dying City, When the World Was Green, and The Jones Boy. Peter directed the world premieres of Rosa Laborde’s Like Wolves at the GCTC in Ottawa, and Jordan Tannahill’s Late Company at SummerWorks 2013, which received the Best Production and NOW Audience Choice awards.  Peter directing work has been nominated for the Pauline McGibbon Award, the John Hirsch Prize (Canada Council for the Arts), the John Hirsch Award (Ontario Arts Council), and the Dora Award for Outstanding Direction in Independent Theatre. Last season Peter was the Urjo Kareda Artist-in-Residence at Tarragon Theatre where he Assistant Directed Lungs, and the world premiere of Sean Dixon’s Governor General Award-nominated play A God in Need of Help. After his internship at the Shaw Festival, Peter will be returning to Toronto to direct the much-anticipated remount of Late Company.

This announcement also marks the beginning of a new chapter for the Neil Munro Intern Director’s Project at the Shaw Festival, wherein The Shaw will now be solely responsible for its administration. Theatre Ontario was one of the founders of the program in 1988 and has been enormously proud to work together throughout the past twenty-seven years with Neil Munro, Christopher Newton, Jackie Maxwell, and the creative teams at The Shaw. The program has had over 55 participants, a venerable who’s who of Canadian Theatre, including Eda Holmes-who runs the program today. Read the full list of past intern directors.

The Directors Project has been both a unique and profound experience for Intern Directors, as is made evident by the many testimonials received throughout the years. No other director training program in Canada offers the same level of immersion for participants in a company of the scope and scale of the Shaw Festival. The Directors Project has sought to provide the space, time and resources for emerging directors to delve into their craft, discover the type of artist they wish to become and how they see themselves shaping the Canadian theatre industry. Interns have left the program with a changed perspective on the actor-director dialogue and a deep understanding of how to fashion compelling stories.

The collective work of past Intern Directors has also played a significant role in fostering appreciation and accessibility of the arts across the country. The impact of their contribution to Canadian culture is evident in the communities that have come alive through their projects and the organizations which have benefitted from their influence. Intern Directors have gone on to work in regional communities providing training and work opportunities in the arts that had not previously existed. Other Intern Directors have taken on roles that encourage other artists to grow in their practice and present their work across the country.

The impact has been far-reaching, with Theatre Ontario being extremely pleased to have borne witness to Canada’s premiere mentoring program and quite thrilled that the program will continue to develop Canadian directorial talent in the many years ahead. For further information on the next round of applications, please see www.shawfest.com.

Wednesday 5 November 2014

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

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

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board
  • The SPARC Network (Supporting Performing Arts in Rural Communities) is holding a network summit in Haliburton Highlands on November 14 to 16
New on The Bulletin Board
  • Odyssey Theatre now invites applications for their Ontario Arts Council Theatre Creators Reserve Program; funding priorities are projects that incorporate a discipline related to masked theatre, incorporates forms from diverse cultural traditions, involves artists with these established skills, and are innovative.  The application deadline is December 15.
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 and job postings on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Tuesday 4 November 2014

Profiles in Innovation in Arts and Culture

By Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

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 recognize these accomplishments with the Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture.  With the nomination deadline coming up on December 19, we reached out to past recipients of the Sandra Tulloch Award to find out what practical initiatives in their work and in their communities that are exciting them.

Claire Hopkinson, Director and CEO, Toronto Arts Council (Sandra Tulloch Award 2005)


I’m really excited about our upcoming Toronto Cultural Leaders Lab, which we hope will invigorate and inspire exceptional arts and cultural leaders, and propel their thinking and activities to the next level.  The program is an exciting new partnership between the Toronto Arts Council and The Banff Centre to launch a unique leadership exchange program for Toronto arts and cultural leaders.

The Cultural Leaders Lab will build a network of diverse, innovative leaders from across the City, from organizations of all sizes.  Participants in the Toronto Cultural Leaders Lab will be involved in an innovative learning process that will span two years, in addition to alumni activities following completion of the program.  The program will create the space for a deep examination of Toronto’s arts ecology, and the refinement of the skill sets needed to support a vibrant future for the arts.

The Lab will kick off in April 2015 with an intensive one-week retreat at The Banff Centre, followed by bi-monthly events in Toronto in 2016. The application deadline is coming up on November 10.

Peter Honeywell, Executive Director, Ottawa Arts Council  (Sandra Tulloch Award 2006)


The realization of a centrally-located professional arts complex has been part of the Ottawa Arts Council’s vision since it was established in 1982. After numerous attempts to move the project to reality, the stars aligned in 2014 with construction slated to begin in December 2014.

I consider myself very fortunate to be working with a remarkable group of partners as we embark on building a purpose-built facility for the Ottawa Art Gallery, a theatre for the University of Ottawa, and redevelopment of the Arts Court complex. I know there will be challenges, frustrations and compromises to deal with over the next three years, but the center will provide for increased arts presentation and vastly improved accessibility for generations to come. It’s an exciting time to be part of this major arts development.

Janis Barlow, Principal, Janis A. Barlow & Associates (Sandra Tulloch Award 2009)


It never rains but it pours.  The fall is a busy time for everyone including your erstwhile theatre consultants whose clients inevitably postpone work over the summer until everything collides with deadlines in the fall.  And, in an election year, when you volunteer as a manager of an ArtsVote campaign, wow, it can get crazy!  I am 60 years old and still find myself pulling all-nighters!  (Believe me, I am grateful I still can.)

I am currently working on business plans for the Royal and McPherson Theatres in Victoria, BC (with Jenny Ginder) and the Gravenhurst Opera House, as well as business and facility development plans for a new facility in Austin, Texas, and an historic complex of theatre venues in Binghamton, New York.  I also volunteer as a Co-Chair of the Performing Arts Centre User Group Committee working with management of a future four-venue theatre centre in St. Catharines where I live.  All of this, in the midst of the Niagara ArtsVote campaign of surveying 333 candidates in 13 municipalities.

The great thing about working on a lot of projects simultaneously is that you see patterns emerging.   I am excited about my community planning workshops and seeing more and more people hungry for ways of articulating why all cultural institutions—public museums, galleries, archives, libraries and theatres—belong in every community.  I am excited to hear them say they feel that theatre is vital, but admit they don’t know how to talk about it.   I am excited when they respond enthusiastically to a comparison between public service theatres and public service libraries—everyone understands the difference between a library and a bookstore and hardly anyone ever asks, “say, when is this library going to grow up and be financially self-sustaining?”  I am excited to see people in theatre proudly acknowledging the public service they provide, the community benefits that accrue from their work and the critical role of government investment in our sector—just like in any other sector or industry.

Angela Rebeiro C.M., retired as Publisher, Playwrights Canada Press (Sandra Tulloch Award 2001)


Since retiring from Playwrights  Canada Press in 2008 as its publisher, I’ve been doing a lot of volunteer work. At Community Matters in St. Jamestown, I coach applicants for Canadian citizenship to help them pass the test they must take to become citizens.  I also coach others to improve their English, and still others to read and write for the first time in their lives, in any language.

In January 2014, the Toronto Transit Commission Board appointed me to a second three-year term on the Advisory Committee for Accessible Transit, and December 2014 completes my third two-year term as secretary on the board of Friends of Toronto Public Library, which also includes volunteering to work in its second-hand bookstore, located at the Toronto Reference Library. The winter of 2014, I presided at many Citizenship Ceremonies, which I found more than interesting, and very rewarding.

Honouring innovators with the Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture

Nominate an individual or collective for the Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture

Monday 3 November 2014

ONstage Openings for the week of November 3

In South Central Ontario
Nov. 6, Colours In The Storm at The Oakville Players
Nov. 7, Vimy at Theatre 3x60 (Durham Region)
Nov. 7, Always a Bridesmaid at Georgetown Little Theatre

In Southwestern Ontario
Nov. 6, Sex Please, We're Sixty at Theatre Tillsonburg
Nov. 7, Anne and Gilbert – The Musical at Elora Community Theatre (Fergus)

In Toronto
Nov. 4, Spoon River at Soulpepper Theatre, currently in previews
Nov. 5, The Tempest at Hart House Theatre*
Nov. 5, QueerCab at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
Nov. 5, Mary Stuart at George Brown Theatre School
Nov. 6, Take Me Back to Jefferson at Factory Theatre, with a preview on Nov. 5*
Nov. 6, Older and Reckless at Canadian Stage*
Nov. 6, Silver Dagger at NAGs Players
Nov. 6, The Four Horsemen Project at Soulpepper Theatre
Nov. 6, Urban Moods Showcase at ACT II Studio Theatre
Nov. 7, Strictly Murder at Bloor West Village Players
Nov. 8, The Adventures of Jillian Jiggs! at Solar Stage Children's Theatre

In Central Ontario
Nov. 6, A Midsummer Night's Dream at Northumberland Players (Cobourg)
Nov. 6, Brigadoon at Owen Sound Little Theatre
Nov. 6, Irving Berlin's White Christmas at VOS Theatre (Cobourg)

In Eastern Ontario
Nov. 4, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde at Kanata Theatre (Ottawa)

ONstage Now Playing in Toronto
The King and I at Scarborough Music Theatre
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