A Unique Learning Adventure at Theatre Ontario’s Summer Theatre Intensive

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

At Theatre Ontario’s Summer Theatre Intensive you can live your passion for theatre in an immersive adventure where you can enrich your skills, flex your creative muscles, and meet friends old and new.

Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Acting

One of our most popular courses is “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Acting” with Tom Diamond. The course is popular for experience actors who want to get “back to the basics”, but last year, self-described “novice” Gregory Carruthers found his professional responsibilities lightening, finding himself drawn back to acting and in search of good instruction and coaching.

Meanwhile, our “Hot Scenes” scene study course with Brenda Kamino helps you build your acting technique with monologues and scenes and from Canadian and world theatre.

For directors, we’re bringing back “Directions on Directing” with Andrew Lamb. This course is specifically designed for beginner or intermediate directors looking for practical tools to use throughout their directing process. Jo-Anne Pulfer took that course last year, as she wanted to gain further insight into what was expected of a director (in case she got a chance in the future to direct), and to also further her appreciation of directors as an actress. Joseph  Van Veen took our introduction to directing course in 2014, it gave him the confidence to try directing a play for the first time.

Directions on Directing

This year’s advanced directing course is being taught by John P. Kelly. My own first Summer Theatre Intensive course was many years ago with John P., a life-changing experience of trying on dream roles, and exploring characterization and space.

For students interested in backstage training, this year we have a new course with Maria Popoff "Places Please! Stage Management And The Creative Process From Pre-Production To End Of Run."

For many people, it’s the camaraderie with kindred spirits that brings them to Summer Theatre Intensive. Zara Jestadt, our Education Assistant in 2014, was struck by the enduring sense of community that she saw at our summer courses. For Murray Tilson of Timmins, our Summer Theatre Intensive is “the best way I can think of spending a week of my vacation.”

And as the tweeters will tell you (as we’ve seen in past years’ Summer Theatre Intensive on Storify), the dedication and focus of participants can be winding for students and instructors alike. 

Join us at our Theatre Ontario Summer Theatre Intensive

The community coming together at the Theatre Ontario Summer Theatre Intensive