Friday 30 January 2015

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

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

Thursday 29 January 2015

A Showcase of Approaches to Post-Secondary Theatre Training

By Erin Keating, Program Coordinator

Theatre Ontario’s annual Next Generation Showcase turned 20 this year, marking two decades of thousands of graduating theatre school students getting their first introduction to the professional career they will be embarking upon.

This year, over 275 young performers from around the province, country, and world, took the stage in the Michael Young Theatre at the Young Centre for Performing Arts for a crowded audience of industry professionals – casting directors, agents, theatre directors, producers, artistic directors – to showcase their talents.

It was mostly focused on the many theatre schools around Ontario, but we also had representation from the National Theatre School in Montreal, the University of Alberta in Edmonton, the Canadian graduates of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts (LAMDA) in the UK, and the New Faces – the independent artists who recently graduated from schools around the world not officially participating in the event.
Next Generation Showcase warm-ups

Although I was rather busy behind the scenes ensuring that the two-day event ran as smoothly as possible, I tried to take time during each of the 18 schools (and New Faces) to pop into the auditorium to watch a few of the auditions. I was impressed by the level and diversity of talent that these students had, and also fascinated by the difference of approach each school had.

No two schools’ training approaches are the same – some are classical theatre training, some more contemporary, some musical theatre, or triple threat, or some combination of all of the above. Seeing the difference in approach to these auditions provided a snapshot of the difference in training all these students must have received over their time at that institution, while ultimately pursuing the same goal – to be a performer. It reiterated for me the countless paths one can take, and the countless opportunities for creative expression it allows.

Next Generation Showcase participants
at The Business of Casting panel
Aside from the auditions, the students also had other professional development opportunities, including networking parties both nights of the Showcase, talkbacks with the Resident Artists of Soulpepper Theatre, a Theatre Trade Show on Sunday evening, where students could speak personally with Artistic Directors of theatre companies, including Factory and Theatre Passe Muraille, and a lively panel discussion on The Business of Casting, with a set of panelists with complementary backgrounds – Agent Kish Iqbal, Casting Director Susan Forrest, AD of independent theatre company Why Not Theatre Ravi Jain, and Associate Director at the Shaw Festival Eda Holmes, all moderated by the personable Glenn Holmes from Casting Workbook.

I’d like to say a warm thank you for our sponsors for their support – financially, in vision, and enthusiasm – Casting Workbook, Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, Sheridan College, and Soulpepper Theatre, particularly Resident Artist Derek Boyes for organizing both the talkbacks, and the theatre tradeshow.

All of the aspects, on and off the stage, offered practical and applicable information and connections as these graduating students head off into the performance world, which is ultimately the goal of the Showcase.

Some comments from the Showcase participants:
"On behalf of our grad class, I want to tell you that it was an amazing, rewarding, and fulfilling experience for everyone, including myself as their professor and coach… We are also very proud of how our students represented themselves and our program. We've had some very positive feedback so everyone is feeling very good about the experience… Loved the entire weekend. Looking forward to next year."
Next Generation Showcase Networking Party
"The opportunity for our students to showcase their current skills in front of industry folks is absolutely invaluable, and a capstone feature of our curriculum. Students (and often the parents of the undergraduates) consistently ask of our program, "How does what you teach prepare us for the profession to which we aspire?". The Next Generation Showcase provides an amazing platform for industry contact, not only at the auditions themselves, but at the Soulpepper discussion, the Networking Party, and the Panel. Our students also have a unique chance to meet peers in their cohort who have trained at other institutions, and with whom they will be rubbing shoulders. That it takes place at a venerable downtown theatre institution kind enough to host the event, and is run so superbly by the Theatre Ontario folks have made this a watershed moment for many of our participants. The work of Erin Keating on the front line for the organizing and Lynette Blanchard stage managing on the day were a powerful one-two punch. We are deeply grateful to Soulpepper and its involvement in this process, especially the generosity of the company members who participated in the discussion after our audition. Having Casting Workbook on board was a stroke of genius, and really helped our students feel in control of what was presented online."

Read all the Next Generation Showcase tweets on Storify

Find out more about Next Generation Showcase on the Theatre Ontario website

Wednesday 28 January 2015

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
Inspirato Festival 2014
  • Deadline for applications for directors for the Inspirato Festival of 10-Minute plays is today
  • Deadline for nominations for the Premier’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts from the Ontario Arts Council is January 30
  • Deadline for Ontario Arts Council grants for arts service organizations and theatre projects is February 3
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 27 January 2015

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 Fall 2014 application round.  We check-in with three of the projects.

Julia Hune-Brown is training in Artistic Direction with Ruth Howard at Jumblies Theatre (Toronto)


Community-engaged theatre at Jumblies Theatre
I am super excited about this winter at Jumblies Theatre and to dive deeper into community-engaged theatre work under the mentorship of Jumblies’ artistic director, Ruth Howard. I first learned about Jumblies Theatre while studying Theatre Development at Concordia University and have been inspired by their work ever since. Prior to starting to work at Jumblies, I facilitated theatre and movement workshops with diverse communities here in Toronto as well as in England and Asia. Now, my goal is to lead a community-engaged theatre project of my own and I cannot think of a better opportunity to further my professional development than with Ruth Howard at Jumblies Theatre. In addition to building my art-practice, I hope that by shadowing Ruth I will learn more of the logistical parts of running a long term artistic residency; including the processes of artistic and community collaboration, the financial and logistical planning for project development, and longer-range planning in community-engaged art.

My first week of 2015 has been a busy one; prepping for workshops, learning about Jumblies’ offshoot companies, and meeting visiting artists from Northern Ontario and Vienna. There is a real collaborative spirit here at the Ground Floor, Jumblies’ current project location. The artists share skills, ideas and experiences. This sense of collaboration is one of the things that most attracted me to Jumblies. The diversity of artists— from different disciplines, generations and parts of the country— that come through the Ground Floor, even just this week alone, has been inspiring and educational.

In addition to starting my own project, I am looking forward to working on Train Payanam, an intergenerational play working with community members from the Scarborough community they are homed in. This play was originally produced by the Community Arts Guild (an offshoot of Jumblies) in November of 2013 and is now being remounted this spring. A particularly exciting part of this remount will be a short run at the Young People’s Theatre.

Alexis Scott is training in Artistic Producing with David Whiteley at Plosive Productions (Ottawa)


I am thrilled to soon be starting my mentorship with Plosive member and jack of all trades David Whiteley.  Even though David and I have a strong rapport because he mentors me informally whenever I have questions, I am eager to learn from him. David directed the inaugural production of The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine for Vacant House Theatre – a company which I co-founded last year. Ever since thrusting myself into the action last year, I’m really passionate about my company and want to keep it running. I’ve become curious about the most efficient and effective ways to capture an audience.

Since David and I have worked together quite extensively, he has a strong understanding of what my skills are and where I would like to grow.  It’s also really perfect that he has been involved in my budding theatre company (after he directed our inaugural production he then took on role of co-producer for a summer remount) because he understands how I can apply the skills of a producer to my own practise. I’m excited for where this will take us.

As Co-Artistic Director of Plosive Productions, David is very involved in producing at The Gladstone Theatre here in Ottawa. There is so much happening at this theatre, and so much for me to learn! I will be working with David twice a week, for about five hours a session and then on my own twice a week as well. I will have a chance to learn a bit of everything – starting with helping to write grants for the City of Ottawa and assisting in rehearsals for two upcoming productions Bankrupt! and Venus in Fur.  It will be really interesting for me to see how someone communicates most effectively to such a large group of people with so many different goals and timelines happening. I know there will be a lot to juggle, and this challenge excites me.

Peter Pasyk is training in Artistic Direction with Chris Abraham at Crow’s Theatre (Toronto)


I’m writing this update a day after the opening night performance of The Seagull at Canadian Stage. The last few days leading up to opening have been full throttle activity. As a part of the creative team I watched tech and preview performances daily over the last week and provided my notes to Chris and the technical team.

Prior to the beginning of rehearsals, together with Chris Abraham, I prepared the background research for The Seagull, and wrote an exhaustive history of the characters prior to the beginning of the play, as well as what happens between each act of the play. I also broke down the script into significant “events” in the story, and I identified the intentions of each character throughout each scene. My notes were used as the cornerstone of our work around the table with the cast in the first days of rehearsal.

The Seagull from Crow's Theatre at Canadian Stage
Eric Peterson and Philip Riccio
In tandem with the rehearsal process I was executing the various elements of the social media campaign for The Seagull that I created at the beginning of my internship. The social media campaign consisted of creative Twitter and Facebook content and contests to encourage engagement with potential audiences. One of my most significant tasks during my residency has been to write and produce the two promotional videos associated with The Seagull. I worked collaboratively with a filmmaker from Montreal and Chris Abraham to create the two videos, as well as another promotional video for an upcoming Crow’s Theatre production.

Outside of the immediate production support work I have been doing, I have also helped organize and host a fundraising event for Crow’s, as well as escorting donors and community members through the construction site of the future permanent performance space and home of Crow’s Theatre. I have been learning about the nature of co-production agreements and my own company surface/underground theatre has already benefitted from this newly gained experience.

In the final weeks of my internship I will be focusing on two major tasks: assessing the Theatre Creators Reserve Grants that have been submitted to Crow’s Theatre, and beginning work with Chris to write the Crow’s Theatre Operating Grant applications.

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 26 January 2015

ONstage Openings for the week of January 26

ONstage Now Playing in Southwestern Ontario
Who's Crazy Now at
Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre
In Eastern Ontario
Jan. 29, Elizabeth-Darcy at Theatre Kingston

In Northwestern Ontario
Jan. 30, Driving Miss Daisy at Magnus Theatre (Thunder Bay), with a preview on Jan. 29

In Southwestern Ontario
Jan. 29, The Incredible Speediness of Jamie Cavanaugh at Carousel Players (St. Catharines)
Jan. 29, Glengarry Glen Ross at Mississauga Players

In Toronto
Jan. 29, Accidental Death of an Anarchist at Soulpepper Theatre, in previews
Jan. 29, Sabrina Fair at Amicus Productions
Jan. 31, Twisted at Factory Theatre, 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 Theatre Ontario’s Discount Tickets program

Friday 23 January 2015

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters
"Disappearing Act: A Public Forum on
Canadian Theatre and Toronto Audiences"
Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres
Migrations
In Case You Missed It
You can also receive news from Theatre Ontario every month by email.  Our archives are online and the January issue is now available.

Thursday 22 January 2015

Funding Professional Theatre Mentorships

Do you need financial support for professional development or a "change of direction" in your career?  The next deadline to apply for our Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP) is March 2.

The Professional Theatre Training Program offers financial support for unique and flexible training with a chosen mentor in any theatrical discipline (except performance.)  Applicants must have at least two years of professional experience following their formal education.

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

Read more about the Professional Theatre Training Program on our website

Read profiles of recent mentorships funded by this program

Wednesday 21 January 2015

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 to register for The Royal Conservatory’s Artist-Educator Professional Training—Level II is today
  • Alumnae Theatre is seeking volunteer stage managers for the New Ideas Festival: production meeting and orientation is January 22
  • STAF is hosting an Open Source Brainstorm on January 26 for indie artists to engage with and inspire new steps in STAF’s transformation
  • Deadline for applications for directors for the Inspirato Festival of 10-Minute plays is January 28
  • Deadline for nominations for the Premier’s Awards for Excellence in the Arts from the Ontario Arts Council is January 30
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 20 January 2015

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 Fall 2014 application round.  We check-in here with three of the projects (with two more waiting in the queue!)

Amy Lee trained in Directing with Jennifer Brewin at Theatre Columbus (Toronto)


Preparation for The Dog and the Angel at Theatre Columbus
The Dog and the Angel is closed now and I have completed my role as assistant director. In many rehearsal processes, my job would have been finished once the show opened, but that is one of the unique things about Theatre Columbus.  I learned that in outdoor winter theatre, things are never really complete. The weather is ever evolving and therefore the production is also. If Mother Nature drops a huge dump of snow, then it has to be shoveled. But maybe it has to be shoveled into a location that was once part of a playing space, or the audience’s path, because it is the least inconvenient place for it to go. Well then, things have to move and adjust.

It was extraordinary to watch the team adapt. Jennifer Brewin has the ability to make everyone working on the project fall in love with it so that they will move that mound of snow to make the show better (figuratively and sometimes literally). Her ability to assemble such an amazing team and trust them to do their jobs well is really quite beautiful.

I think the thing that amazes me about Jennifer is her trust. She is interested in exploring the depths of human behavior. She investigates using big, brainy ideas that are beautifully poetic. She trusts that the actors she has hired will get where they need to go and allows them to play and explore on their way. I admire this trust. Being a novice outside eye, I have a hard time with that sense of trust; I suppose because I don’t have the years of experience that prove that it is a wonderful possibility and really special way of working. This is an enormous takeaway for me.

One of the jobs that was assigned to me was to work with Mike, the actor playing the squirrel. The squirrel was meant to guide the audience throughout the show because the action keeps moving. I had a wonderful time working with Mike. He was open and playful and we had way more psychologically deep conversations about squirrels than I ever thought possible. Jennifer gave us time together to explore and then would check back in so that we could all make sure we were telling the same story.

Another thing that Jennifer had talked to me about was playing more of a leadership role in the staging of Scene 2. This scene had every actor in the play coming and going and was full of mini scenes within it. The exploration of it was big and gloriously collaborative. Every actor had ideas about how they could move and where they could enter from and exit to that would make it delightfully surprising. Everyone shared in the desire to explore the space and use every nook and cranny as creatively as possible. This was another beautiful thing that I learned: When you have a team of brilliant people, they will all have brilliant ideas. Then, Jennifer would take their instincts and help to shape them.

Some days were fun, some days were frustrating, some inspiring, and some just really cold, but every day was filled with lessons. I am so grateful to Jennifer and Theatre Ontario for this.

Jasmine Chen is training in Outreach with Marjorie Chan at Cahoots Theatre (Toronto)


As someone who has trained solely in performance for the last 20 years of my life, it may come as a surprise to many people that I'm now training in the field of Outreach. How did I arrive here? It's a long story - but basically, through working in the arts I discovered a passion for sharing the incredible benefits of theatre. I have received knowledge, developed increased empathy, cultivated compassion and found empowerment all from working in the arts. It became clear to me that I wanted to find a way to create more accessible artistic learning opportunities.

I have been a fan of Cahoots Theatre for many years. I've always loved their work; from paperSERIES to Sia; Madness of the Square to Sister Mary's A Dyke?!, and many more. Their work is always challenging in some way, even if it's a comedy! Cahoots has always taken risks and provided a platform for marginalized voices. What also makes them stand out is how committed they are to outreach. I knew I wanted to work with them, because I saw how their outreach programs were just as highlighted as any of their productions. They had a real connection to communities in Toronto and were taking their artistic practice out of the rehearsal hall and into community centres.

You can't talk about outreach at Cahoots without talking about Marjorie Chan. She founded the Crossing Gibraltar program at Cahoots in 2006, which has provided artistic learning opportunities for refugees, newcomer women and newcomer youth. Her passion for arts access is undeniable. When Marjorie recalls past participants from Crossing Gibraltar, her eyes light up and she can tell you that person's journey from start to finish. Outreach is personal. It touches and changes lives.

Training under Marjorie is truly a privilege. She is an attentive mentor, she understands what my strengths are and where I have room to grow. Already in preparation for training, we have outlined weekly goals and mentoring sessions where Marjorie will share her knowlege on various topics: How to program for a specific community; Building Project Budgets; Working with the Social Services Sector; etc.

The best part about the Professional Theatre Training Program, is I will have the opportunity to assist with developing and executing an outreach program from start to finish. I hope to acquire not only concrete skills like budget building and applying for grants, but also the finer social skills of community development and supporting program participants. Like I said earlier, outreach is personal – for this I'm gonna need my brain and my heart. I'll let you know what happens!

Mariel Marshall is training in Directing with Ross Manson at Volcano Theatre (Toronto)


These days, I’m thinking a lot about time. It seems to be going by faster and faster. I can barely keep up with my emails. I do my laundry late at night, in between bursts of groceries and an endless river of errands. I never seem to have clean socks. I can’t seem to see my friends or family enough, and I’m obsessed with working. Glorious, wonderful, stress inducing work. Can I really even call it work? Tonight, my list of work “to do’s” include: finishing this blog post, re-reading Hannah Moscovitch’s incredible new piece Infinity, going through physicist Lee Smolin’s work Time Reborn, watching a documentary film (for research!) and working on character research for an upcoming acting role. Being an artist, I think, is like winning a golden ticket into the world of wonderful. The problem is that there just isn’t enough time to do everything. Which, I might add, seems to be the crazy  life plan I’ve subscribed to: just say yes to everything that makes the heart go buzz. The buzz I’m referring to is that particular feeling you get when you know you are meant to do something - the project, the trip, the relationship, the idea…anything. A warm tingly feeling that courses through you. A kind of drug induced life-high. So I say yes, and hope there will be enough time to make it happen. I realize it’s a plan that might crash and burn. There will be failures along the way, but I’m also positive that it’s a plan that will have amazing successes, more than a little excitement and a lot of joy. I think Lee Smolin is right. If the future is open, we have the power to influence it – and imagination is essential in choosing how.

So, as I begin the first phase of a directing internship with Ross Manson of Volcano Theatre, I find myself reminiscing on the matter of time. On the first day of my training, I met up with Ross and the design team to start looking at set models and lighting options. Between bites of delicious scone and French press coffee (the essential ingredients to any productive theatre meeting) however, I realized that I didn’t understand the world of the play. Physics? Time? Love? Music? These aren’t exactly simple topics of discussion. And sure, I might be a classical musician, but my limited knowledge of composers and scores hardly makes me an expert. In order to assist in directing the piece, I have to first understand it. So here I am, at the start of an exciting training program, faced with the most exciting immersion into the world of science I can imagine. Quantum theory…here I come!

The production of Infinity is an elegy to time, and what is transmitted through time. It is a piece written by Hannah Moscovitch, whose work continues to delight and inspire me as a theatre maker. The piece is infused with theoretical physics, classical music, movement choreography, the seeming impossibility of love, and the idea that what time offers us is more than we realize. It has been crafted with close input from world-renowned physicist Lee Smolin, and internationally-acclaimed composer Njo Kong Kie. The result is a surprising, shocking, and funny new play about love, sex, and math. As a project that has been years in development, I am thrilled to be a part of the creative team that will help bring this imaginative new piece to life. The intricacies of directing a piece that merges these diverse creative elements is an exciting challenge for me as a theatre maker, and I look forward to employing similar techniques in my own projects and collaborations.

I’m not going to lie, I’m still trying to wrap my head around the physics. It’s juicy stuff, all this talk about time. And I like a good challenge. It makes me wonder: is it possible that a theatre production could alter or affect how we understand time? Or love? Or the future? I’m not sure what the answer is, but I definitely think it’ll be fun to try. Smolin’s views have important implications outside of the world of science. His view of time allows for human agency, and shows us that our social, political, economic and environmental decisions really do affect our future.  Conventional physics tend towards the more deterministic, but Smolin believes that the real nature of time allows for humans to exert control over climate change, our economic system and our technology. 

For me, one of the most exciting parts of directing is getting to immerse myself in worlds outside my field of knowledge. Science, for instance, opens up all of these exciting possibilities I have not explored as an artist. How can art and science complement each other? How can music, math and movement interplay? What do theoretical physics and love have in common? How can imagination be used to change perspectives?  I’m looking forward to working with Ross over the next months, to figure out how to blend these multidisciplinary elements into a cohesive and imaginative whole. Not only has Ross assembled a master team of artists, but his directing approach is incredibly detailed and collaborative. It’s going to be a fun and whirlwind ride.

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 19 January 2015

ONstage Openings for the week of January 19

In Toronto
Jan. 22, The Other Place at Canadian Stage, currently in previews*
Jan. 23, Blood Relations at Alumnae Theatre Company

In Eastern Ontario
Jan. 22, Moss Park at Great Canadian Theatre Company (Ottawa), with previews from Jan. 20

In Northeastern Ontario
Jan. 23, Mourning Dove at Sudbury Theatre Centre, with a preview on Jan. 22

In South Central Ontario
Jan. 22, Picnic at Theatre Erindale (Mississauga)
Jan. 23, Moonlight and Magnolias at The Curtain Club (Richmond Hill), with a preview on Jan. 22*
Jan. 23, The Sound of Music at Theatre Unlimited (Mississauga)

In Southwestern Ontario
Jan. 22, Who's Crazy Now at Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre
Jan. 22, Big Shot at The Grand Theatre (London)
Jan. 23, The Ladies Foursome at The Grand Theatre (London), with previews from Jan. 20

ONstage Now Playing in Toronto
Jesus Christ Superstar at Hart House Theatre
Leah Sutton, Bryan Kling, David Michael Moote,
Sheree Spencer, Stephanie Schmid
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 Theatre Ontario’s Discount Tickets program

Friday 16 January 2015

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters


Migrations
TO Toasts

Thursday 15 January 2015

Meet Our Business of Casting Panel at Next Generation Showcase

We are pleased to announce the powerhouse panel of industry experts slated to take part in the Business of Casting panel discussion at the 2015 Theatre Ontario Next Generation Showcase.

The panel consists of:
  • Susan Forrest – Founder, Forrest and Forrest Casting Inc.
  • Eda Holmes – Associate Director, Shaw Festival
  • Kish Iqbal- Partner and Agent, Gary Goddard Agency
  • Ravi Jain – Artistic Director, Why Not Theatre
  • Glenn Hall (moderator) – Operations Manager/Director of Educational Outreach, Casting Workbook

Theatre Ontario's "Business of Casting" panel
from last year's Next Generation Showcase
This group of heavyweight professionals in the industry will bring complementary experiences and perspectives to the panel discussion – from TV and Film, to major professional theatre, to independent theatre, and beyond. Their combined knowledge and insights are sure to be invaluable to the graduating theatre school students participating in the 2015 Next Generation Showcase.

Students attending Showcase will have the opportunity to ask questions to the panel directly at the event. Students are also encouraged to tweet questions in advance using #TOShowcase.

Find out more about Theatre Ontario's Next Generation Showcase

Wednesday 14 January 2015

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 Ontario Arts Council grants for Aboriginal Artists in Schools and Artists in Education is January 15
  • Deadline to register for The Royal Conservatory’s Artist-Educator Professional Training—Level 1 is January 18, and Level II is January 21
  • Deadline for applications for Great Canadian Theatre Company’s Assistant Director program is January 19
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 13 January 2015

Connecting Theatre Instructors and Community Organizations

Looking to bring your skills as a professional theatre trainer to community theatres and educational organizations?  Join Theatre Ontario's roster of skilled theatre trainers and workshop leaders by becoming a member of the Theatre Ontario Talent Bank.

Theatre Ontario's Talent Bank matches organizations (particularly community theatres and educational organizations) with professional theatre teachers and trainers for workshops, adjudications, and short-term consulting contracts.

The members of our Talent Bank are proficient practitioners, with a demonstrated ability as a teacher/trainer, and sensitivity and familiarity with the needs and concerns of the trainees in the community and educational theatre sector.

The application deadline is February 15.

Find out more about joining the Theatre Ontario Talent Bank

Monday 12 January 2015

ONstage Openings for the week of January 12

In Toronto
Jan. 15, Her2 from Nightwood Theatre at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre,with previews from Jan. 13
Jan. 15, The Seagull at Canadian Stage, currently in previews*
Jan. 15, Perfect Wedding at Stage Centre Productions
Jan. 16, Jesus Christ Superstar at Hart House Theatre*
Jan. 17, Alex in Wonderland at Solar Stage Children's Theatre
Jan. 18, The Other Place at Canadian Stage, in previews*

In Central Ontario
Jan. 16, Deliver Us Not / Essay at Peterborough Theatre Guild
Jan. 16, Drinking Alone at Northumberland Players (Cobourg)

In Eastern Ontario
Jan. 13, Clybourne Park at Ottawa Little Theatre

In South Central Ontario
Jan. 15, Strictly Murder at Burl-Oak Theatre Group (Oakville)

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 Theatre Ontario's discount tickets program

Friday 9 January 2015

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Just a few “quick hits” this week as I am still catching up on an overflowing inbox of interesting materials post-holidays.

Conversation Starters

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

TO Toasts

In Case You Missed It

Thursday 8 January 2015

PASO Coalition Meets with Ontario Arts Council Senior Staff to Discuss Cuts to Arts Sector

Executive Directors representing the Coalition of Provincial Arts Service Organizations (PASO), met with senior staff at the Ontario Arts Council to better understand the nature of forthcoming cuts to arts funding that were announced in a letter sent by the OAC to operational clients dated October 22, 2014.

PASO requested the meeting after learning that the Ontario Arts Council plans to address a projected funding gap for 2015-2016 by reducing all operating and project grants with a 5% cut across the board, effective April 1, 2015, for a total of $2.6 million. These cuts will apply to all 550 organizations that receive OAC operating grants.

Read more about this meeting on the Theatre Ontario website

Wednesday 7 January 2015

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario
Courses and Workshops from Theatre Ontario, including
"Launching Your Career" on February 2
Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board
  • Deadline for proposals for Staging Our Histories of performances focusing on alternative ways of knowing and sharing history is January 9
  • Deadline for applications for Ontario Arts Council grants for Aboriginal Artists in Schools and Artists in Education is January 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 6 January 2015

New Faces To Be Included in Theatre Ontario's Next Generation Showcase 2015

Celebrating its 20th year, Theatre Ontario will host the annual Next Generation Showcase on January 18th and 19th, 2015 at the Young Centre for Performing Arts in Toronto. This dynamic two-day event sees graduating theatre students showcase their talents in front of industry professionals, including casting directors, artistic directors, independent directors, producers, and agents. Many of the top theatre training programs from Ontario and beyond participate annually, but we also have a slot dedicated to NEW FACES as a showcase opportunity for recent grads from other theatre training programs wishing to pursue their performing careers in Ontario.

To be eligible to apply to "New Faces", you must fulfill the following criteria:
  • You have graduated from a full-time theatre training program within the last 3 years;
  • You currently reside, or plan to reside, in Ontario and are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada;
  • You presently do not have an agent;
  • If selected, you agree to submit 50 hard copies of your photo and resume by January 15th, 2015 to the Theatre Ontario office by mail or in person.
Please note: If you have already participated in the Next Generation Showcase in the past, you are not eligible for NEW FACES participation.

There are a very limited number of New Faces placements available.  If the number of eligible applications that are received exceeds the number of slots available, Theatre Ontario reserves the right to decide who will be selected.

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION:  Monday, January 12th, 2015

COST:  $49 for Showcase Participation only, or $69 for Showcase plus a one-year Theatre Ontario membership ($25 discount on regular student price).

To be considered, please send your headshot and theatre resume to Erin Keating, Theatre Ontario Program Coordinator at programs@theatreontario.org.

Read more about Theatre Ontario's Next Generation Showcase

Monday 5 January 2015

ONstage Openings for the week of January 5

In Toronto
Jan. 7, QueerCab at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
Jan. 9, Quartet at Bloor West Village Players
Jan. 10, Rock Garden Party at Solar Stage Children's Theatre
Jan. 11, The Seagull at Canadian Stage, in previews*

In Central Ontario
Jan. 7, Office Hours at Blackhorse Village Players (Tottenham)

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