Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters

• This week’s voices on #CdnCult Times are all emerging directors: top read for me was by Andreja Kovac on how immigrant artists are included/excluded in Canadian theatre
• Howard Sherman wonders who thinks it’s OK to “improve” playwrights’ work and provoked numerous responses, including Alexander Offord (We Do Not Owe Fealty to a Playwright’s Wishes) and Holger Syme (Performance and Authorship).  Personally, I believe that theatre thrives with the collaboration of all of the artists involved—including the playwrights.  Successful collaboration requires respect
• Andrew Taylor looks at a study of successful and unsuccessful crowdfunding language, and finds that many of the “ancient principles” still apply

Behind The Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• Meet the Thousand Islands Playhouse 2014 Playwrights’ Unit: Attila Clemann and Jodi Essery, Rona Waddington, Mark Crawford, and Paul Van Dyck

Migrations

• Tania Senewiratne is the new General Manager of Obsidian Theatre Company

In Case You Missed It

• Bringing together students and professionals at Theatre Ontario Next Generation Showcase
• World Festival of Children’s Theatre is coming to Canada

Bringing Together Students and Professionals at Theatre Ontario Next Generation Showcase

By Mairin Smit, Program Coordinator

It’s hard to believe that Theatre Ontario’s Next Generation Showcase 2014 has already come and gone! With so much preparation and fabulous new programming, this year’s event on Sunday, January 19 and Monday, January 20 was an exciting two days of over 200 individual school performances.

Earlier in the fall, I had the pleasure of visiting several of the schools participating in Next Generation Showcase 2014. It was great to be able to connect with the students, answer questions about the event, and encourage them to attend the panel discussions and networking parties. Throughout Showcase, I had the pleasure of seeing many of these students again, as well as meet others from schools I had not visited and chat about their Showcase experience. For many of the students this was their first step into the professional theatre world and the opportunity connect with so many industry professionals over the two days was exciting and valuable.

This year, Next Generation Showcase took place at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in the historic Distillery District. This venue provided a warm, welcoming and intimate environment for all our Showcase participants and was a great space for our rocking networking parties on both Sunday and Monday evening. With food, music and atmosphere the parties provided an excellent opportunity for students, instructors and industry professionals to chat and connect with each other.

We also provided the opportunity for students to get up-close and personal with artists working in the industry through post-presentation chats with Soulpepper Resident Artists and our filled-to-capacity panel discussion “The Business of Casting” on Sunday evening. This year our panel featured Nina Lee Aquino, Derek Boyes, Robyn Friedman, Andrew Lamb, Larissa Mair, and Derek Ritschel, and was moderated by Kristina Nicoll.  It’s great to be able to facilitate these kind of connections between students and professionals, all under one roof at Next Generation Showcase.

Thank you to everyone who helped make Showcase possible, with a special note of thanks to our Next Generation Showcase 2014 sponsors – Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, Sheridan College and Soulpepper Theatre. With so much excitement and energy from this year’s event, I’m already looking forward to Next Generation Showcase 2015!

From our Showcase attendees:

“The event was organized beautifully. I as an actor felt good and welcomed in the space, in the theatre, and by all people.” – Next Generation Showcase, Student Participant

“Almost the entire experience was a plus. Getting the opportunity to perform for a room of my peers and the artistic community was amazing! Hearing some industry insights at the panel discussions was enlightening and chatting with people one on one was a great way to feel a sense of community!” -Next Generation Showcase, Student Participant

“We loved the fact that it was more intimate. Meeting with the artists directly after the audition made us all feel at home.” -Next Generation Showcase, School Instructor

“You guys are golden. You are doing the theatre industry a great service by allowing the emerging artists to have a platform. It is Theatre Ontario and the new generations of artists that will shape the future of theatre. I have nothing but gratitude for you guys.” -Next Generation Showcase, Industry Guest

Read the Theatre Ontario Next Generation Showcase tweets on Storify 

Read more about Theatre Ontario's Next Generation Showcase on our website

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

• The deadline for nominations for the Michael Spence Award for Contribution to Community Theatre in southwestern Ontario is January 31
• Self-Start: The Basics of Producing workshop – Thinking of producing a show or starting a theatre company? With Mairin Smit and Katherine Devlin on February 5
• Free Financial Basics for Artists workshop – what self-employed artists should know with Tessa-Marie Shillingford on February 10
• Unearthing Shakespeare: Bringing the Bard to Life! weekend intensive – Discover your intuitive impulses to the works of William Shakespeare, with Melinda Little and Peter Van Wart, starting February 14
• Deadline for applications for the Independent Theatre Creators International Scholarship for two emerging artists to train with Anne Bogart and the SITI Company is February 17
• Deadline for nominations for the Maggie Bassett Award is February 28, honouring significant, sustained, and unselfish contributions to the development of theatre in Ontario
• Deadline for application for the Professional Theatre Training Program, offering financial support for unique and flexible training with a chosen mentor in any theatrical discipline except performance, is March 3

Check out all of our upcoming courses and workshops, including a grant writing information session in Ottawa

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Deadline for submissions for Alameda Theatre Company’s De Colores Festival of New Works by Latin Canadian Playwrights is January 30
• Staging Sustainability conference begins on February 2
• Deadline for the Ontario Arts Council Theatre Projects program is February 3
• PACT’s Critical Response for the Creative Process workshop is February 5
• Deadline for nominations for the City of Hamilton Arts Awards is February 7

New on The Bulletin Board

• The London Arts Council is holding a workshop on The Value of Arts Presenting on February 26
• Registrations are now open for the Symposium for the Performing Arts in Rural Communities, running April 24 to 27 in Haliburton Highlands—including our panel on Producing Quality Theatre in a Rural Setting featuring Jack Brezina from the Highlands Summer Festival (Haliburton), Deb Sholdice from the Blyth Festival, Lisa Gamelin from Espanola Little Theatre, and moderated by Julianne Snepsts from Festival Players of Prince Edward County.  It will also feature a keynote address by Scott Walters, founder of CRADLE (the Centre for Rural Arts Development and Leadership Education) whose writing in Theatre Ideas and Creative Insubordination has appeared in the past in my weekly “Ontario Off Stage” roundup.

Check out these items, and other postings from our members of funding opportunities, workshops, calls for submission, awards, and more—on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

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

World Festival of Children's Theatre is coming to Canada

The 14th World Festival of Children’s Theatre is coming to Canada in June 2016.  This important festival is a project of the International Amateur Theatre Association (AITA). Its home base is in Germany (every fourth year), and has been produced in Russia, Turkey, Cuba, Denmark, and Japan.

Stratford, Ontario is proud to be its first North American host.

The festival will feature productions from all continents, including developing nations. The organizers will welcome applications from Canadian groups that reflect the philosophy “By children, for children.”  The productions, performed by children aged 7 to 15, will emphasize the importance of theatre’s universal language across cultures, without language or ethnicity barriers. Participants will be hosted by the festival and will take part in performances, workshops, social activities, and the academic program. Applications from theatre companies, schools, community theatres, First Nations, and multicultural groups will be welcome. The application and jury process begins in 2015, so there is time to build and prepare.

For further information, please contact Artistic Director Ron Dodson at wfct2016@rogers.com

ONstage Openings for the week of January 27

ONstage Now Playing in Mississauga
A Stitch In Time at Theatre Erindale
Claire Sherwood and Victor Pokinko
Photo by Jim Smagata

In Central Ontario
Jan. 30, Calendar Girls at Owen Sound Little Theatre

In South Central Ontario
Jan. 30, Marriage Counselor at Mississauga Players

In Southwestern Ontario
Feb. 1, The Power Of Harriet T! at Carousel Players (St. Catharines)

In Toronto
Jan. 30, Idiot's Delight at Soulpepper Theatre, currently in previews
Jan. 30, Free Outgoing at Nightwood Theatre, with previews from Jan. 28
Feb. 2, Tribes at Canadian Stage, in previews*

Check out last week’s openings

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

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

Read more about our members discount tickets program

ONstage Now Playing in Mississauga
Annie at Theatre Unlimited