Domino Theatre Awarded the Elsie for Outstanding Production at Festival 2019

Domino Theatre's production of Outside Mullingar

Congratulations to Domino Theatre from Kingston, whose production of Outside Mullingar by John Patrick Shanley was awarded the Elsie as Outstanding Production at Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 in Richmond Hill. They represented the Eastern Ontario Drama League. This is their third Elsie Award, they were previously honoured in 2011 for their production of Trying by Joanna McClelland Glass, and in 2007 for their production of All My Sons by Arthur Miller.

The production received five awards and one honourable mention from adjudicator Carolee Mason.
Gore Bay Theatre, from Manitoulin Island, represented QUONTA, the northeastern Ontario community theatre association, presenting This Is How We Got Here by Keith Barker, and received four awards and one honourable mention.

Bloor West Village Players, from Toronto, represented the Association of Community Theatres of Central Ontario, presenting Late Company by Jordan Tannahill, and received three awards and three honourable mentions.

Theatre Sarnia, represented the Western Ontario Drama League, presenting Girls Like That by Evan Placey, and received one award and one honourable mention. The production also received the award for Outstanding Coordinated Production, chosen by the Festival Production Manager.

The annual Theatre Ontario Festival is a showcase of outstanding community theatre productions, a symposium for passionate, dedicated community theatre artists, a celebration of excellence in community theatre, and a destination bringing together theatre lovers from across the province.

Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 was hosted by The Curtain Club, in partnership with Theatre Ontario and the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario.

Read the full list of Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 Award Winners and Nominees on the Theatre Ontario website

ONstage Tonight at Festival: Theatre Sarnia

Theatre Sarnia's production of Girls Like That

Our Festival’s closing performances comes from the Western Ontario Drama League, as Theatre Sarnia presents Evan Placey’s Girls Like That. This marks Theatre Sarnia’s first return to Festival since 2016 in North Bay, when they presented 33 Variations by Moisés Kaufman.

The Drama Club of Sarnia was created in 1927 and grew under the leadership of Herman Voaden, Dr. R.K.Stratford, and D. Park Jamieson. After many years as the Sarnia Little Theatre, the organization is now known as Theatre Sarnia and is one of the oldest continuously operating theatre groups in Canada. Over the years, the group has hosted successful theatre festivals including the Dominion Drama Festival, the Theatre Ontario Festival, the Western Ontario Drama League Theatre Festival, and WODL Mini-Fest. Theatre Sarnia graduates have gone on to careers in various fields of the theatrical community and entertainment industry. Theatre Sarnia is also one of the few community groups to own their own theatre. The Imperial Theatre in downtown Sarnia originally opened as the Capitol Theatre on New Year's Eve 1936. It closed 52 years later and was left abandoned; however, Theatre Sarnia members and many volunteers accomplished the transformation of the movie house to a live theatre venue.

Girls Like That is an explosive play staring seven young women that explores the evolution of feminist consciousness and modern female friendships in the wake of advancing technology. It examines mob mentality, sexual insecurity, double-standards, and the struggle to define oneself in a crowd. The plot follows one class of girls, part of a prestigious school that takes only 20 students a year, guaranteeing they will remain in the same class from kindergarten to graduation. Jumping back and forth in time, the audience sees how societal pressures and expectations creep in and affect the dynamics of this group starting at their first meeting at five-years-old. As they near graduation, a naked photo of one of them gets sent around to the entire school and the other six girls explore what this means to their group, and themselves.

At WODL Festival 2019 in Guelph, Theatre Sarnia won the D. Park Jamieson Memorial Award for Best Production in Festival, Outstanding Direction (Henri Canino), Outstanding Ensemble Work, Outstanding Technical Achievement, Best Visual Production, Best Coordinated Production, and Adjudicator’s Awards for Sound Design (Henri Canino), Choreography (Jackie Burns), and Projection Design (Ian Alexander). In the WODL In and Out of Festival Awards it won Best Set Design and Execution (Henri Canino and Paul Baert) and Adjudicator’s Awards for Effective Scene Transitions and Special Theatre Effects (Ian Alexander, Projections) and nominations for Outstanding Performance by a Juvenile (Emma Van Barneveld and Chloe Brescia), Sound Design and Execution (Henri Canino), Lighting Design and Execution (Catherine Souliere), and Adjudicator’s Awards for Innovation in Stage Movement (choral work and choreography).

Learn more about Theatre Ontario Festival 2019

ONstage Tonight at Festival: Domino Theatre

Domino Theatre's production of Outside Mullingar

The last time Theatre Ontario Festival was held in Richmond Hill in 2011, Domino Theatre went home with the Elsie for Outstanding Festival Production for their production of Joanna McClelland Glass’ Trying. This year, they return as the representative of the Eastern Ontario Drama League—presenting John Patrick Shanley’s Outside Mullingar.

Since its unusual beginning between feature films at the old Odeon Theatre in Kingston in 1952, Domino has grown to a full seven-play winter season. Each season offers an appealing mix of drama, comedy and mystery from the Canadian and world stages. People from all walks of life pool their skills to present productions of a consistently high calibre. As a member of the Eastern Ontario Drama League and Theatre Ontario, Domino is actively involved in the Ontario amateur theatre community and has acted as host to several annual festivals. Many Domino people and productions have been recognized for their excellence at the regional and provincial levels. With a Board of Directors elected by the membership, and with advertised auditions open to all, Domino welcomes the participation of interested volunteers both on stage and behind the scenes.

In Outside Mullingar, Anthony and Rosemary are two introverted misfits straddling 40. Anthony has spent his entire life on a cattle farm in rural Ireland, a state of affairs that, due to his painful shyness, suits him well. Rosemary lives next door and is determined to have him but is watching the years slip away. With Anthony’s father threatening to disinherit him and a land feud simmering between their families, Rosemary has every reason to fear romantic catastrophe. In this very Irish story with a depth of poetic passion, these yearning, eccentric souls fight their way toward some kind of happiness. Outside Mullingar is a compassionate, delightful work about how it’s never too late to take a chance on love.

At EODL Full-Length Festival 2018-2019, Domino Theatre won the Leslie M. Frost Award for Best Production, Best Actor in a Major Role (Geoff Johnson as Anthony Reilly), Best Cameo Performance (Linda Hamstra as the nurse in the Scene 3 to Scene 4 transition), Best Use of Speech (David Hurley as Tony Reilly), and Set Design (David L. Smith), with nominations for Best Director (Ian Malcolm), Best Actress in a Major Role (Dympna McConnell as Rosemary Muldoon),  Acting Excellence (David Hurley as Tony Reilly and Sandi Cond as Aiofe Muldoon), Outstanding Ensemble, Best Visual Presentation, and Best Costuming.

Learn more about Theatre Ontario Festival 2019

ONstage Tonight at Festival: Gore Bay Theatre

The company of Gore Bay Theatre's
production of This Is How We Got Here

Gore Bay Theatre returns to Theatre Ontario Festival as the representative of QUONTA, the northeastern Ontario community theatre association.  Last seen on the Festival stage in 2015 in Oshawa when the presented Agnes of God by John Pielmeier, this year Gore Bay Theatre presents This Is How We Got Here, written by Keith Barker (coincidentally our Theatre Ontario Festival Playwright-in-Person.)

Gore Bay is a small town of 800 residents located on beautiful Manitoulin Island. Gore Bay Theatre was established as a community theatre in 1992 with a mandate to produce Canadian theatre (if possible), primarily as a summer venue for the local and tourist audiences. It produced one comedy each summer until 2005, when the present Artistic Director was appointed. Since then, Gore Bay Theatre has produced three to four productions each year including comedies, dramas, musicals and children’s theatre. The summer theatre season now produces a comedy, a drama and sometimes a children’s production.  The productions are done in repertory to give audiences an opportunity to attend more than one performance on a weekend.

Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, This Is How We Got Here follows a close-knit family as they deal with an unexpected loss. The ties that keep a mother, father, aunt and uncle together as sisters, best friends and spouses are strained by grief and guilt. They must learn how to move forward after the trauma and re-learn how to interact with forgiveness, humour and love.

At QUONTA Festival 2019 in Sault Ste. Marie, Gore Bay Theatre received Outstanding Production, Outstanding Direction (Andrea Emmerton and Walter Maskel), Outstanding Technical Achievement, Outstanding Visual Presentation, and Adjudicators’s Awards for Outstanding Contribtuion (Vern Dorge, Music Composition and Performance) and for Ensemble, with nominations for Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role (Tara Bernatchez as Lucille and Shannon McMullan as Liset), Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role (John Robertson as Paul and Will Smith at Jim), and Adjudicator’s Awards for Stage Management (Andrea Emmerton and Walter Maskel), and Festival Heroes (Bill Viertelhausen.)

Learn more about Theatre Ontario Festival 2019

ONstage Tonight at Festival: The Bloor West Village Players

Bloor West Village Players' production of Late Company

Opening night of Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 features our Festival debutantes, as The Bloor West Village Players take the stage, representing ACT-CO, the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario with their production of Late Company by Jordan Tannahill.

Since 1974, Toronto’s Bloor West Village Players have produced both entertaining and thought-provoking theatre. As a non-profit group it aims to offer professional production quality, at a modest cost. It is an active part of the community and provides opportunities for training and participation in all aspects of theatre. They produce a season of five Mainspace plays in their 162-seat theatre, from September to May. Their Reading Committee spends the year reading, then presents a long-list of recommendations to the Board, which chooses five. The Board of Directors then co-ordinates the team for each show; directors, producers, stage managers, designers, operators, and the balance of the team are all pulled from their large volunteer base.

In Late Company, two families come together in an attempt to reach an understanding a year after the death of the son of one of the couples. Family secrets are revealed, as everyone deals with issues of coping with grief and guilt. This leads to them ask questions about how well we know ourselves, those closest to us, and especially our children. As so often happens, it is a case of “we don’t see things as they are, but as we are.” Late Company was written when Jordan Tannahill was 23 (he’s now 30, twice winner of the Governor General’s Award for English-language drama) and is based on an actual incident.

At ACT-CO Festival 2018/19, The Bloor West Village Players won Best Production of a Drama and Best Set Design (Theresa Arneaud), with nominations for Best Direction (Valary Cook), Best Performance by a Female in a Leading Role (Lydia Kiselyk as Debora), Best Lighting Design (David Nicholson), Best Sound Design (Samantha De Vries), and an Adjudicator’s Award for Above and Beyond the Call of Duty (Rob Candy).

Learn more about Theatre Ontario Festival 2019

Welcome Bloor West Village Players and Domino Theatre to Theatre Ontario Festival 2019

Theatre Ontario is thrilled to welcome the final two productions that will perform at Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 in Richmond Hill. These productions are chosen from Ontario’s regional community theatre festivals, and are a showcase of outstanding community theatre from across the province.

Bloor West Village Players' production of Late Company
(standing) Rob Candy, Lydia Kiselyk
(seated) Andrew Horbatuik, Dylan Mills-Capote, Andrea Lyons

On Wednesday, May 15, Bloor West Village Players from Toronto will present Jordan Tannahill’s Late Company, representing the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario. This will be their first time at Theatre Ontario Festival, and they were chosen as the Best Production of a Drama by adjudicator Janet Kish from ACT-CO Festival 2018/2019.

Since 1974, Toronto’s Bloor West Village Players have produced both entertaining and thought-provoking theatre. As a non-profit group it aims to offer professional production quality, at a modest cost. It is an active part of the community and provides opportunities for training and participation in all aspects of theatre. They produce a season of five Mainspace plays in their 162-seat theatre, from September to May. Their Reading Committee spends the year reading, then presents a long-list of recommendations to the Board, which chooses five. The Board of Directors then co-ordinates the team for each show; directors, producers, stage managers, designers, operators, and the balance of the team are all pulled from their large volunteer base.

In Late Company, two families come together in an attempt to reach an understanding a year after the death of the son of one of the couples. Family secrets are revealed, as everyone deals with issues of coping with grief and guilt. This leads to them ask questions about how well we know ourselves, those closest to us, and especially our children. As so often happens, it is a case of “we don’t see things as they are, but as we are.” Late Company was written when Jordan Tannahill was 23 (he’s now 30, twice winner of the Governor General’s Award for English-language drama) and is based on an actual incident.

Domino Theatre's production of Outside Mullingar
David Hurley, Geoff Johnson, Sandie Cond

On Friday, May 17, Domino Theatre from Kingston will represent the Eastern Ontario Drama League with their production of Outside Mullingar by John Patrick Shanley. Domino returns to Festival for the first time since 2011 when they presented Trying by Joanna McClelland Glass and received the Elsie for Outstanding Production in Festival—coincidentally, 2011 was the last time Theatre Ontario Festival was held in Richmond Hill. Domino was chosen as recipient of the Leslie M. Frost Award for Best Production in the EODL Festival by adjudicator Carey Nicholson.

Since its unusual beginning between feature films at the old Odeon Theatre in Kingston in 1952, Domino has grown to a full seven-play winter season. Each season offers an appealing mix of drama, comedy and mystery from the Canadian and world stages. People from all walks of life pool their skills to present productions of a consistently high calibre. As a member of the Eastern Ontario Drama League and Theatre Ontario, Domino is actively involved in the Ontario amateur theatre community and has acted as host to several annual festivals. Many Domino people and productions have been recognized for their excellence at the regional and provincial levels.

With a Board of Directors elected by the membership, and with advertised auditions open to all, Domino welcomes the participation of interested volunteers both on stage and behind the scenes.
In Outside Mullingar, Anthony and Rosemary are two introverted misfits straddling 40. Anthony has spent his entire life on a cattle farm in rural Ireland, a state of affairs that, due to his painful shyness, suits him well. Rosemary lives next door and is determined to have him but is watching the years slip away. With Anthony’s father threatening to disinherit him and a land feud simmering between their families, Rosemary has every reason to fear romantic catastrophe. In this very Irish story with a depth of poetic passion, these yearning, eccentric souls fight their way toward some kind of happiness. Outside Mullingar is a compassionate, delightful work about how it’s never too late to take a chance on love.

As previously announced, Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 will feature detailed adjudications with Carolee Mason, a Playwright-in-Person reading with Keith Barker, workshops, awards and parties celebrating community theatre in Ontario.

The annual Theatre Ontario Festival is a showcase of outstanding community theatre productions; a symposium for passionate, dedicated community theatre artists; a celebration of excellence in community theatre; and a destination bringing together theatre lovers from across the province. Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 runs May 15 to 19, and is hosted by The Curtain Club with performances at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario.

Join us at Theatre Ontario Festival 2019

Welcome Gore Bay Theatre and Theatre Sarnia to Theatre Ontario Festival 2019

Theatre Ontario is thrilled to welcome the first two productions that will perform at Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 in Richmond Hill. These productions are chosen from Ontario’s regional community theatre festivals, and are a showcase of outstanding community theatre from across the province.

On Thursday, May 16, Gore Bay Theatre from Manitoulin Island will represent QUONTA (the northeastern Ontario community theatre association) with their production of This Is How We Got Here by Keith Barker. Gore Bay Theatre returns to Theatre Ontario Festival for the first time since 2015 when they presented Agnes of God in Oshawa. This Is How We Got Here was awarded Outstanding Production by adjudicator Bea Quarrie at QUONTA Festival in Sault Ste. Marie. Keith Barker is also our Festival Playwright-in-Person for 2019.

The cast of Gore Bay Theatre's production of This Is How We Got Here
Will Smith, John Robertson, Shannon McMullan, Tara Bernatchez

Gore Bay is a small town of 800 residents located on beautiful Manitoulin Island. Gore Bay Theatre was established as a community theatre in 1992 with a mandate to produce Canadian theatre (if possible), primarily as a summer venue for the local and tourist audiences. It produced one comedy each summer until 2005, when the present Artistic Director was appointed. Since then, Gore Bay Theatre has produced three to four productions each year including comedies, dramas, musicals and children’s theatre. The summer theatre season now produces a comedy, a drama and sometimes a children’s production.  The productions are done in repertory to give audiences an opportunity to attend more than one performance on a weekend.

Simultaneously heartbreaking and heartwarming, This Is How We Got Here follows a close-knit family as they deal with an unexpected loss. The ties that keep a mother, father, aunt and uncle together as sisters, best friends and spouses are strained by grief and guilt. They must learn how to move forward after the trauma and re-learn how to interact with forgiveness, humour and love.

On Saturday, May 18, Theatre Sarnia will present Girls Like That by Evan Placey, representing the Western Ontario Drama League. Theatre Sarnia most recently represented the region at Festival in 2016, presenting 33 Variations in North Bay, and were awarded Best Production in Festival at WODL Festival in Guelph by adjudicator Maja Ardal.

The Drama Club of Sarnia was created in 1927 and grew under the leadership of Herman Voaden, Dr. R.K.Stratford, and D. Park Jamieson. After many years as the Sarnia Little Theatre, the organization is now known as Theatre Sarnia and is one of the oldest continuously operating theatre groups in Canada.Over the years, the group has hosted successful theatre festivals including the Dominion Drama Festival, the Theatre Ontario Festival, the Western Ontario Drama League Theatre Festival, and WODL Mini-Fest. Theatre Sarnia graduates have gone on to careers in various fields of the theatrical community and entertainment industry. Theatre Sarnia is also one of the few community groups to own their own theatre. The Imperial Theatre in downtown Sarnia originally opened as the Capitol Theatre on New Year's Eve 1936. It closed 52 years later and was left abandoned; however, Theatre Sarnia members and many volunteers accomplished the transformation of the movie house to a live theatre venue.

Theatre Sarnia's production of Girls Like That
Cassandra Lynn Smith, Kyra Knight, Tayler Hartwick, Julie Cushman,
Hala Miller, Chloe Brescia, Emma Van Barneveld

Girls Like That is an explosive play staring seven young women that explores the evolution of feminist consciousness and modern female friendships in the wake of advancing technology. It examines mob mentality, sexual insecurity, double-standards, and the struggle to define oneself in a crowd. The plot follows one class of girls, part of a prestigious school that takes only 20 students a year, guaranteeing they will remain in the same class from kindergarten to graduation. Jumping back and forth in time, the audience sees how societal pressures and expectations creep in and affect the dynamics of this group starting at their first meeting at five-years-old. As they near graduation, a naked photo of one of them gets sent around to the entire school and the other six girls explore what this means to their group, and themselves.

As previously announced, Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 will feature detailed adjudications with Carolee Mason, Playwright-in-Person readings with Keith Barker, workshops, awards and parties celebrating community theatre in Ontario.

The annual Theatre Ontario Festival is a showcase of outstanding community theatre productions; a symposium for passionate, dedicated community theatre artists; a celebration of excellence in community theatre; and a destination bringing together theatre lovers from across the province. Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 runs May 15 to 19, and is hosted by The Curtain Club with performances at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario.

Join us at Theatre Ontario Festival 2019

Welcome to Keith Barker as Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 Playwright-in-Person

Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 is excited to welcome Keith Barker as “Playwright-in-Person” at this year’s Festival. Keith will be reading from his work on Friday, May 17 at 1:30pm at The Curtain Club in Richmond Hill.

Keith Barker is an Algonquin Métis playwright, actor, and theatre director from Northwestern Ontario, and the current Artistic Director at Native Earth Performing Arts. He was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award for English Drama in 2018 for his play, This Is How We Got Here. Keith received a Saskatchewan and Area Theatre Award for Excellence in Playwriting and a Yukon Arts Award for Best Art for Social Change for his play, The Hours That Remain. Prior to taking the job at Native Earth, Keith served as a Theatre Program Officer for the Canada Council for the Arts.

We are particularly excited to welcome Keith, as This Is How We Got Here will be presented by Gore Bay Theatre on Thursday, May 16 as the Festival entry on behalf of QUONTA, the northeastern Ontario community theatre association. This is the first time since Theatre Ontario Festival 2007 that our Playwright-in-Person has also been the author of an entry chosen from a regional festival.

Playwright-in-Person has been part of Theatre Ontario Festival since 1999. The program brings professional playwrights to Festival communities for script readings, Q&A, and more. Playwright-in-Person is made possible by a grant from the Playwrights Guild of Canada’s “Play Connect” program, funded by the Canada Council. Recent Playwrights-in-Person include Lisa Codrington, Erin Shields, Donna-Michelle St. Bernard, and Damien Atkins.

We are also excited to welcome Playwrights Canada Press who will be bringing plays for sale on Thursday through Saturday of Festival, with their usual Festival discount—30% off one or two books, 50% off for three or more.

Theatre Ontario Festival is our annual celebration of community theatre in the province. It’s a showcase of outstanding community theatre productions, a symposium for passionate and dedicated community theatre artists, a celebration of excellence in community theatre, and a destination bringing together theatre lovers from across the province. Festival 2019 is hosted by The Curtain Club, with performances at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts, in partnership with Theatre Ontario and the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario.

Learn more about Theatre Ontario Festival 2019

Join Us at Theatre Ontario Festival 2019

Our annual Theatre Ontario Festival returns to Richmond Hill—and welcomes one of Canada’s most acclaimed actors, RH Thomson, as our Festival Honorary Chair. Tickets and accommodations are now on sale.

Opening May 15, and running until May 19, our annual Festival is a celebration of community theatre—featuring performances, adjudications, workshops, awards, and parties that bring together theatre lovers from across the province. The Festival is hosted by The Curtain Club, with performances at the Richmond Hill Centre for the Performing Arts (RHCPA), the venue of Theatre Ontario Festival 2011. Early-bird passes at a discounted rate are available until January 31.

We are thrilled to welcome Richmond Hill-born actor RH Thomson as our Festival Honorary Chair. In 2015, Canadian stage and screen actor RH Thomson was awarded the Governor General's Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement and the ACTRA Award of Excellence. He was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2010 and has been given an Honorary Doctorate from Trinity College, University of Toronto. He has appeared in theatres across Canada and has filmed in Canada, the US, Greece and the Czech Republic. He has earned Gemini, Genie, Dora and Merritt awards for his work and recently directed The Crucible at Theatre Calgary and is performing in The Message at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. He is currently playing Matthew Cuthbert in the CBC/NETFLIX series Anne with an E for which he received the Canadian Screen Award. As well as being an advocate for the arts, he has worked on many history / education / arts projects. For the First World War Centenary, he built the multi lingual project The World Remembers-Le Monde Se Souvient, an international WWI Commemoration with installations across Canada and in eight other nations - www.theworldremembers.ca.

“Theatre Ontario is part of theatre’s essential nutrients since live theatre can only thrive with live participation,” said RH Thomson. “Seducing people away from their screens in order to enter the spaces where they can explore the art form called theatre is one of our main challenges. Festivals, like Theatre Ontario’s, is one of the ways we can do that.”

The Festival Hotel is the "Holiday Inn Express and Suites Toronto-Markham" in Richmond Hill. Festival guests will receive preferred rates.

For booking information of tickets and accommodations, visit www.theatreontariofestival.ca.

Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 is hosted by The Curtain Club, in partnership with Theatre Ontario and the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario.

For 65 years, The Curtain Club has provided quality theatre at an affordable price to the citizens of Richmond Hill, Ontario and has been recognized as a centre for developing artistic appreciation, creativity, personal growth, and friendship.

Related reading

• Learn more about Theatre Ontario Festival
• Meet Carolee Mason, our Festival Adjudicator
• New to Festival? Catch-up on stories from Theatre Ontario Festival 2018

Welcome Carolee Mason as Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 Adjudicator

Carolee Mason

Theatre Ontario welcomes Carolee Mason as adjudicator for Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 in Richmond Hill. Carolee most recently adjudicated as the Western Ontario Drama League Festival preliminary adjudicator in 2017/18 and the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario (ACT-CO) Festival in 2015/16. This will be her first time adjudicating Theatre Ontario Festival, and marks the first Theatre Ontario Festival adjudicated by a graduate of Theatre Ontario’s Adjudicator Training Program, initiated in 2010.

Carolee has taught in the Theatre Department at Brock University, instructed practicing teachers and teacher candidates with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and has been the teacher/director of generations of high school drama students and countless community theatre groups. She is a frequent workshop leader with the Council of Drama and Dance Educators of Ontario, and has presented for drama educators internationally with the American Alliance of Theatre Educators and the International Drama and Education Association.

“Creative collaboration is one of the most engaging of human endeavours,” said Carolee. “Couple that with the spirit of community and discovery at the Theatre Ontario Festival, and the experience is heady! I am thrilled to adjudicate the 2019 Festival, to foster learning, and to celebrate achievements with my theatre colleagues from around the province.”

Learn more about Carolee Mason

Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 will be held in Richmond Hill from May 15 to 19, 2019 and is co-hosted by Theatre Ontario, The Curtain Club, and the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario.

Learn more about Theatre Ontario Festival

Save the Date for Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 in Richmond Hill

Theatre Ontario Festival is an annual destination for theatre-lovers from across the province. Next year we travel to Richmond Hill for Theatre Ontario Festival 2019, running May 15 to 19, 2019. Festival will be hosted by The Curtain Club, in partnership with Theatre Ontario and the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario (ACT-CO). The Curtain Club previously hosted Festivals in Richmond Hill (2011) and Newmarket (1999).

Theatre Ontario Festival showcases outstanding community theatre productions from across the province, chosen from regional festivals that run from October 2018 to March 2019. Achievements in community theatre are celebrated with artistic awards, and with the Michael Spence Award for Outstanding Contribution to Community Theatre.

Festival also features detailed adjudications open to all Festival attendees, workshops, and play readings that bring together Canadian playwrights and communities. Festival is one of the province’s premiere educational experiences for dedicated community theatre artists.

Find out more about the Theatre Ontario Festival experience by reading about Festival 2018

Celebrating Community Theatre Learning Opportunities at Theatre Ontario Festival 2018

Theatre Ontario Festival features a variety of educational events for the passionate, dedicated community theatre artists. This past year’s highlights included:

• Detailed adjudication of On a First Name Basis, presented by Elmira Theatre Company
• Detailed adjudication of Little Gem, presented by Toronto Irish Players
• Detailed adjudication of Tempting Providence, presented by Elliot Lake Amateur Theatre Ensemble
• Detailed adjudication of Dead Accounts, presented by Ottawa Little Theatre

Plus, catch-up on all of the social conversation from Theatre Ontario Festival 2018 on Twitter Moments
 
Learn more about Theatre Ontario Festival 2018

Highlights of the Detailed Adjudication of “Dead Accounts” at Theatre Ontario Festival 2018

Ottawa Little Theatre's production of Dead Accounts

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Highlights of the detailed adjudication by Maja Ardal of Ottawa Little Theatre’s production of Dead Accounts by Theresa Rebeck (representing EODL, the Eastern Ontario Drama League.)

As always, this is my best effort to record the conversation at the Detailed Adjudication, with apology for any misrepresentations of the ideas of the members of the company and the adjudicator. Corrections and clarifications are always welcome in the comments.

• This text moves from high energized comedy to deadly serious text: that collision makes for good theatre
• Set features an intense naturalism: a rich, detailed set; impression of a convex mirror with everything stretched; actors skin colour blended with the wall colour; company acknowledged lighting needed tweaking, walls should have been brighter
• Fit precisely: stage dimensions were similar to Ottawa Little Theatre; they have a wrap-around cyc at home which they used to fully surround the set
• Music needs to have a presence: it must match both the high energy of the play and the crispness of the performances
• Because they needed blackouts, they must be earned because we are seeing nothing: How do you “reward” the audience in a blackout? Suggestion was louder music that matched the play’s energy (sound tended to be cloudy and unclear)
• Opening scene: Jack is frantic; raises the concern: is this the level we will see all show? Instead, used to establish urgency for character
• Jack demonstrated incredibly physical expression; director’s job was to edit the actor who gave more and more; this is expected: actor will work on impulse and director must edit that
• What is driving the frantic-ness: Is it a guilty conscience? The adrenaline from doing a terrible thing? Drugs?  The most interesting choice is the one driven by circumstance
• On the surface text can seem shallow, but the production found depths in it
• Lorna carries the theme of the play (e.g. planted a stick and had to wait for it… a metaphor for her relationship with Phil); also embodies the middle-class, the mid-west, tough economic times (living at home)
• Applauded the company for not getting sentimental
• Barbara represents the generation before (e.g. keeping religion central, etc.)
• The company earned the quieter scenes by playing comedy
• Finale describes “splitting the kitchen apart”; could not figure out how to drive the execution of that; chose the lighting gobo effect to suggest the trees
• What makes Jack come home?  Text is unclear (in a positive way) giving opportunity to play—he’s a casualty and a winner; some remarkable writing for this character
• Did the play need a natural set? Designer felt you needed to recognize a 1950s home and a safe place for Jack; set also gave the feel of a space for a live-studio-audience sitcom (reflecting some of the tone of the play); details that show Lorna’s influence (e.g. the Keurig machine); working appliances to help the audience experience the kitchen feel (smell the coffee, the toast, etc.)
• The sequence when the father is going to the hospital: showed passage of time through a series of blackouts and images of Jenny in the house—challenging to do
• Transitions between scenes took a long time; new stage manager for this performance and her first time calling the show
• Barbara talking over Lorna on the telephone—well-executed; most of the content itself is not critical (necessary information which was well-communicated), and Barbara dealing with various props helped us connect with what was going on
• Phil’s performance demonstrated someone trying to use all his senses to gather information
• Use of real food helped with the sensual experience (working freezer, real ice cream, etc.)
• Also very Cincinatti-specific—recognizable and authentic (cast member had Ohio in-laws that helped supply props).
• Text also has a love of the mid-west that tends to be lookerd down up on from the urban, financial world
• Jenny is a challenging character: described so terribly, how do you find the qualities that Jack could love

Learn more about Theatre Ontario Festival 2018

Highlights of the Detailed Adjudication of “Tempting Providence” at Theatre Ontario Festival 2018

ELATE's production of Tempting Providence

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Highlights of the detailed adjudication by Maja Ardal of Elliot Lake Amateur Theatre Ensemble’s production of Tempting Providence by Robert Chafe (representing QUONTA, the northeastern Ontario community theatre association.)

As always, this is my best effort to record the conversation at the Detailed Adjudication, with apology for any misrepresentations of the ideas of the members of the company and the adjudicator. Corrections and clarifications are always welcome in the comments.

• Strong opening: no pre-show music, lighting at half for the play`s beginning, the nurse came in as if from abroad
• Quickly established the convention that the style will be the transformation of objects into set pieces
• Minimalism can make you creative (e.g. particularly liked two chairs with a blanket spread overtop to make the shape of a cradle)
• Actors then embody the script
• Off the top, the actors seemed unsettled and nervous—breathing exercises are encouraged to help manage that
• Costumes were neutral; inspired by images they had seen of other productions: always take the best of what we can find
• Goal of actors is to live inside the story, and bring it alive fully
• Who is the audience and why are you compelled to tell the story?
• For Myra, it was internal – that “other self” you can tell your worst things to
• For Angus, an amazing story that his pals need to hear; he clearly had the most fun, adding a twinkle his eye to demonstrate his enjoyment
• For Man and Woman, it was the gossipy community
• In a moment, actors need to see it, feel it, smell it—experience it; the performers’ nervousness meant that they were “selling it” before “experiencing it”
• For example, one quality of Newfoundland is that vigorous, robust smell
• Myra states she has no time for emotion; her journey is admitting to her emotion, so she can’t start with emotion
• Also, emotion is a by-product of your objective—be careful of trying to show the emotion or letting the emotion be the driver; if you “over deliver” the emotion, it doesn’t give the audience space to appreciate the story
• This is a community of denial, and Woman is our first example of that as someone from the community; we saw too much of her breakdown rather than the denial of her breakdown, never let go of your objective and focus on one thing at a time
• Woman as Mrs. House: She is testing Myra, putting her through an examination as well, finds out that she’s tough enough (she passes!)
• In every scene, always identify who am I here with this person in this moment
• Text is lyrical, and Myra brings the lyricism
• Angus’ delivery tended to finish a sentence and come to a stop; became a pattern of delivery that the performer needs to be aware of
• Be rigorous with your pace: first act was supposed to run 70 minutes, but it actually ran closer to 90 minutes; for example when Man as Alex comes with the news about the baby coming, Myra needs to be rushing (rather than going back to her baking); moving into a tableau could show us the rushing
• Pace DOESN’T mean rushing: keep the objective alive, breathe
• For actress playing Myra, this was her first major role; she brought presence and charisma, encouraged to keep focusing on what will bring a character alive
• Yawning is always another good warm-up technique to wake up the body
• When playing a character, voice and face are the last elements: Begin with the spine and pelvic base and think about questions of the body (How long have I worked? Where is my head? Etc)
• Actors were seniors, but young people can struggle with physicality just as much
• “Our bodies tell the truth when our language doesn’t”
• Opening of play: trying to solve challenge of how to bring on the live musician, he came onto the stage as a mummer (part of Newfoundland culture)
• Musician responded to actor’s feelings, music was gentle; other option for a live musician is to escalate the tension—music can move forward rather than reflect back
• The end of Act One was “divine” (pulling the tooth, selling the marriage proposal)
• When miming, consider doing a workshop: sometimes the objects seemed to disappear rather than always be there throughout
• Company brought desire and commitment, and will continue to develop craft over time

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Highlights of the Detailed Adjudication of “Little Gem” at Theatre Ontario Festival 2018

Toronto Irish Players' production of Little Gem

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Highlights of the detailed adjudication by Maja Ardal of Toronto Irish Players’ production of Little Gem by Elaine Murphy (representing ACT-CO, the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario.)

As always, this is my best effort to record the conversation at the Detailed Adjudication, with apology for any misrepresentations of the ideas of the members of the company and the adjudicator. Corrections and clarifications are always welcome in the comments.

• Elaine Murphy’s script is the authentic voices of working class women, love her ear and how she powered the voices into her work
• In Ireland, monologue is an art form—in the pub, over coffee
• This production was taken from an intimate environment (the Alumnae Theatre in Toronto) to a spacious environment (the Palace Theatre in London)
• Entirely direct address, which means you need to answer the question: Who are they talking to?
• Lovely set, felt airy, includes sketches of the unseen men from the play
• Three defined areas for each women
• Pre-show music was gently playing: Irish fusion soundscape; sound designer took play’s tag line of “birth, death and salsa” and sought out Celtic salsa
• The music playing quietly invited us in: created the expectation of an experience of intimacy
• Cyc created opportunities for colour
• Actors need to not feel rushed: establish the atmosphere in the opening moments
• The play functions as 3 one-person shows: fundamentals in a one-person show are the clear journey, take time to digest… how much did they break down the text?
• Also provides opportunities to create other characters
• All three start in a place of desperation (e.g. Kay has “an itch”)
• Challenging to act someone else’s stream of consciousness, with its digressions and the dilemmas that pop up in the text
• Amber’s opening monologue is challenging: mentions 15 characters; don’t always depend on just the text to find the characters, body language can help us find them too
• Lorraine’s journey is compelling, and the more of a freaked out mess she is at the beginning, the more we will enjoy it—opportunities are to let us hear the voices of the other characters (e.g. the customer, the HR person, etc.)
• The clarity of the text helped us immerse ourselves in the Irish culture, slang, etc.
• Irish are brilliant at “trouble” and making it funny
• Difficulty in one-person play is the characters have things done to themselves, they are not affecting each other in the moment
• Physical moments like the salsa dancing helped us to see what another character was like
• Plays has been seen both with and without an intermission; text doesn’t define it either way
• How do we feel closer to this work: follow the play by seeing every detail, the brightness of the lighting presented challenges (e.g. didn’t see the pregnancy test scene on the toilet), the dramatics and the colour can create a perfect mood
• The D.S. area had blue tips side-lighting, but 50% of the dimensional lighting did not work; it was a technical problem that the designer could not overcome while trying to adapt from the original space to this theatre; the set was set back because the U.S. top lights worked successfully
• Always take the risk of stopping the play and living the moment; Murphy goes off on tangents, so always explore every full stop, every period
• The stories are also filled with subtle details (e.g. how Kay stole Gem)
• Amber’s story has so many voices, hardest to connect (she also has the fewest people in the audience her age), the writing of her character is frantic
• Who are they talking to in their direct address?  The fourth wall changes throughout the play: sometimes stream of consciousness, talking to themselves, replaying a moment in the present tense; director focus on the flow so it wouldn’t look like stand-up, with movement to keep the play flowing
• Identify if the person being address is a friend or enemy; someone intimate or someone like a social worker you are explaining things to; that person may change—even in mid-monologue
• This venue had superior cyc lighting than previous venue; gave them the opportunity to make the visuals of the dance club far more significant, and to try and coordinate with the beats in the music
• Fundamentally, we felt these three women

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Highlights of the Detailed Adjudication of “On a First Name Basis” at Theatre Ontario Festival 2018

Elmira Theatre Company's production of On a First Name Basis

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Highlights of the detailed adjudication by Maja Ardal of Elmira Theatre Company’s production of On a First Name Basis by Norm Foster (representing WODL, the Western Ontario Drama League.)

As always, this is my best effort to record the conversation at the Detailed Adjudication, with apology for any misrepresentations of the ideas of the members of the company and the adjudicator. Corrections and clarifications are always welcome in the comments.

• Norm Foster pours ideas, warmth, humour, heart onto the page; writes ordinary people in a way that is relatable
• There is so much to mine in a text like this which is literally about two people discovering each other
• Interesting décor choices to reflect his sophistication, his travel; particularly taken with the windows suggesting a world beyond this room
• Swing doors can be extremely fun on a set
• Atmosphere: Used classical pre-show music to set the mood; intention was to set the tone of David and the illusion of the world he has created for himself; classical music brings particular contexts with them—other choices could have been heavier and busier music, or evening bird song, or nothing at all
• The two actors demonstrated a familiarity with each other (as actors)
• The first act is harder than the second act: the mystery that neither character knows what is going to come from the other person—how does what they say affect me?: always break down the text beat to beat
• Lucy seemed to be the character who invited the audience in as the person through whom we access the play; this was not necessarily intentional by the director, David is egotistical and that works for him
• David is a character who speaks and then thinks about what he had said; with characters like this, find ways to push past the point of propriety: there are wounds, injuries, bruises between these characters; as well as what will hover in their relationship after the play is over
• The tone of irony that Lucy demonstrates: Is this always how she deals with him, or is it a new tactic she’s using for the first time?  If it’s not a new tactic, is David discovering (noticing) this for the first time?
• When interpreting any text, look for “the ticking clock” that keeps the audience excited, on the edge of their seats
• Alcohol, and its influence on characters, is a plot element that audiences will respond to: what does the text say about how they drink (e.g. Lucy can hold her alcohol); how do you show the journey of the alcohol’s increasing influence; what are the moments where tongues have been loosened because of the alcohol
• Examine the impact of characters on each other: How do Lucy and David change each other throughout the play?
• Physical moves—were they always moving on impulse? Sometimes the intention behind the movement didn’t always read, and how that physical space had changed because of the movement
• Some lovely moments of staging—such as Lucy ending up in David’s chair for a climactic revelation
• Production’s evolution since previous performance: a feeling that they found the truths more
• David’s dance: pure communication of character through body language; when music came on, hips started moving right away
• Actors finding the balance between “taking the moment” and feeling like they are long pauses, silences: the audience will fill those moments based on how we read what is going on between them
• Challenge of play: two people having a conversations; finding “what makes it dangerous” in the conversation will be what keep the audience hooked in
• Finding lovability in David: an unsympathetic character can be compelling; overtly lacks kindness on the surface; he is the walking wounded and has not dealt with his emotional truth
• There are explosions of anger in Act 2—these are opportunities in a text to take the characters to the brink
• When breaking down the beats: Why did you say that—think about if it’s coming from the belly? The head?

Maja also remarked on the audience’s festive atmosphere in the theatre—the audience didn’t want to be anywhere else but in there.

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Ottawa Little Theatre Awarded the Elsie for Outstanding Production at Festival 2018

Ottawa Little Theatre's production of
Dead Accounts by Theresa Rebeck

Congratulations to Ottawa Little Theatre, whose production of Dead Accounts by Theresa Rebeck was awarded the Elsie as Outstanding Production at Theatre Ontario Festival 2018 in London. They represented the Eastern Ontario Drama League. This is their first Elsie Award. Altogether, the production received six awards from adjudicator Maja Ardal.

Elliot Lake Amateur Theatre Ensemble represented QUONTA (the northeastern Ontario community theatre association), presenting Tempting Providence by Robert Chafe, and received three awards. The production also received the award for Outstanding Coordinated Production, chosen by the Festival Stage Managers.

Elmira Theatre Company represented the Western Ontario Drama League, presenting On a First Name Basis by Norm Foster, and received two awards.

Toronto Irish Players represented the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario, presenting Little Gem by Elaine Murphy, and received two awards.

The annual Theatre Ontario Festival is a showcase of outstanding community theatre productions, a symposium for passionate, dedicated community theatre artists, a celebration of excellence in community theatre, and a destination bringing together theatre lovers from across the province.

Theatre Ontario Festival 2018 was hosted by London Community Players, in partnership with Theatre Ontario and the Western Ontario Drama League.

Read the full list of Theatre Ontario Festival 2018 Award Winners and Nominees on the Theatre Ontario website

ONstage Tonight at Festival: Ottawa Little Theatre

Ottawa Little Theatre's production of Dead Accounts

Theatre Ontario Festival’s closing production is presented by last year’s host theatre, as Ottawa Little Theatre represent the Eastern Ontario Drama League with their production of Dead Accounts by Theresa Rebeck. This is OLT's first appearance at Theatre Ontario Festival since 2005.

Professional in style, traditional in tone, Ottawa Little Theatre (OLT) has been a vital part of Ottawa’s art community since 1913. Ottawa Little Theatre is a charitable not-for-profit, volunteer-based organization and is financially dependent upon ticket sales, donations and sponsors for its operation and maintenance. All directors, actors, artists, and technical assistants are volunteers—all work for the love of the theatre. Along with a history of the high quality of Ottawa Little Theatre’s productions, OLT is also a landmark leader in theatre education. For decades, students of theatre-craft, both young and old, have grown and thrived with the help of OLT’s affordable drama camps and workshops. With a legacy spanning over 100 years, Ottawa Little Theatre has also established itself as a vital part of the City of Ottawa’s cultural fabric. Today OLT maintains the tradition of presenting an inspiring and entertaining season of 9 live theatre productions each year.

When Jack makes a sudden return from Wall Street to his Midwest family home, his sister Lorna demands answers. Is he coming home or running away? What happened to the wife everyone hates? And where did he get all that money? This dark comedy by one of America’s leading contemporary writers (NYPD Blue, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Smash, and Mauritius) tackles the timeless issues of corporate greed, small town values, and whether or not your family will always welcome you back…with no questions asked.

At EODL’s Full-Length Play Festival for 2018, Ottawa Little Theatre won the Leslie M. Frost Award for Best Production, Best Actress in a Major Role (Venetia Lawless as Lorna), Outstanding Ensemble, and Set Design (Tom Pidgeon), with nominations for Best Director (Geoff Gruson), Best Actor in a Major Role (Phillip Merriman), Best Actress in a Major Role (Jane Morris), Acting Excellence (Jane Morris, Josh Sparks), Best Use of Speech (Jane Morris, Josh Sparks), Best Costuming, and Adjudicator’s Awards for backstage teamwork, “festival hero” (director Geoff Gruson), “the inseparables” (Phillip Merriman and Venetia Lawless).

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ONstage Tonight at Festival: Elliot Lake Amateur Theatre Ensemble

ELATE's production of Tempting Providence

The representative from QUONTA—the northeastern Ontario community theatre region—is making their Theatre Ontario Festival debut.  Elliot Lake Amateur Theatre Ensemble (ELATE) represents the province’s north with their production of Tempting Providence by Robert Chafe.

Elliot Lake Amateur Theatre Ensemble (ELATE) was formed in the late 1990s. The uranium mines in Elliot Lake were closing and to survive, the community was re-purposing itself as a retirement community. A group of young retirees brought new energy to the community; a group of seasoned locals were just waiting. Since then, ELATE has become a group of dedicated to presenting live theatre as a form of recreation and entertainment for the community. Participation in QUONTA has spurred the company to achieve even greater goals. ELATE operates in the Lester B. Pearson Civic Centre which is maintained by the City of Elliot Lake as a cultural centre. We share a storage/rehearsal space with another group that presents lip-sync presentations and a group of printmakers. The centre has a comfortable 300-seat theatre having a 40-foot  stage. It regularly hosts travelling professional musicians and performers, and 2018 was the fourth time it has hosted the QUONTA Festival.

Tempting Providence tells the story of Nurse Myra Bennett. Myra came in the early 1920s to serve as district nurse for out port communities along the west coast of Newfoundland. She was hired for two years. When that was done, she married and stayed. For the next 40 years, she for the most part did the job for free. The community of Daniel’s Harbour holds Myra in high esteem. The Nurse Myra Bennett Foundation maintains her home as a museum. They continue to raise funds to support young people entering the medical profession and they commissioned this play, written by Robert Chafe. The play has toured Newfoundland and across Canada. It is performed regularly in nearby Cow’s Head as a tourist attraction. ELATE is proud to honour Myra and nurses like her who contribute so much to our communities.

At QUONTA Festival 2018 in Elliot Lake, ELATE won Outstanding Production, Outstanding Director (Murray Finn), Outstanding Actress in a Leading Role (Kim Arnold as Myra), Outstanding Technical Achievement (Doug Robinson for Lighting Design), and an Adjudicator’s Award for Outstanding Original Composition (Ponto Paparo), with nominations for Outstanding Actor in a Leading Role (Jim Graham as Angus), Outstanding Supporting Actress (Fran Perkins as Woman), Outstanding Supporting Actor (David Black as Man), and Outstanding Visual Presentation (Murray Finn for innovative staging).

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ONstage Tonight at Festival: Toronto Irish Players

Toronto Irish Players' production of Little Gem

For the fourth consecutive year, last year’s Festival Elsie Award winner for Outstanding Production returns as their region's representative. The Toronto Irish Players—who won last year’s Festival with their performance of Outside Mullingar—represents the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario (ACT-CO) with their production of Elaine Murphy’s Little Gem.

In 1975 a group or recent Irish immigrants presented a production of William Butler Yeats’ one-act Kathleen ni Houlihan at the Shannon Pavilion at Toronto International Caravan, with its talkative patrons and their hyperactive kids. The Toronto Irish Players was born. Lacking in polish but full of energy and love of Irish theatre, the early TIPsters presented classics by writers such as Sean O’Casey and John Millington Synge on a poorly-equipped high school stage. The repertoire quickly expanded. Theatre festivals like ACT-CO were discovered and enthusiastically supported. No more bare stage, the Alumnae Theatre has now been the TIP home for almost 20 years. And somewhere along the way, the polish emerged. TIP is a small group and still has its core group of Irish immigrants who are now surrounded by multi-generational Irish. Passports are not required and the original enthusiasm and love for the theatrical aspect of Irish culture has been embraced by both non-Irish actors and audience alike.

Toronto Irish Players are proud to bring Little Gem, the debut script from Dublin’s Elaine Murphy, to the 2018 Theatre Ontario Festival. Little Gem debuted at the 2008 Dublin Fringe Festival before winning “Best in Edinburgh” at the Edinburg Fringe in 2009. Loosely based on stories gleaned from the playwright’s time working at a women’s health organization, Little Gem tells the story of a year in the lives of three women of three generations in the same family. At times hilarious and at times poignant, Amber, Lorraine and Kay speak in a series of interwoven monologues revealing their lively north Dublin personalities and the cycle of challenges that they face. Like any other nineteen-year-old, the sassy, impetuous Amber loves to party but is not so big on communication, especially with Mum. Lorraine worries about her daughter’s silence, has changed the locks on the doors, and is anxious, very anxious. Salsa lessons seem to help. Grandmother Kay, “on the wrong side of sixty, not dead”, is concerned about her family and misses the intimacies which she can no longer share with her stroke-stricken husband. Amber, Lorraine and Kay meet their age appropriate situations with courage, humour, growing family strength and salty language.

At ACT-CO Festival 2017-2018, Toronto Irish Players won Best Presentation of a Comedy, Best Direction (Cliona Kenny), and Best Performance by a Female in a Leading Role (Billy Jean Shannon as Amber), with nominations for Best Stage Management (Kristin Chan), Best Performance by a Female in a Leading Role (both Rebecca De La Cour as Lorraine and Barbara Taylor as Kay), Best Lighting Design (Mary Jane Boon), Best Costume Design (Bernadette Hunt), and Best Sound Design (Dan Schaumann).

Learn more about Theatre Ontario Festival 2018