Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Conversation Starters

• For World Theatre Day last Monday, our Youth Advisory Committee celebrated the day by inviting conversation on three ideas: “Youth voices are essential because…”, “The biggest challenge for young artists is…”, “We support our young artists by…”  We have shared some of the tweets in Twitter Moments, and the youth of The Grand Theatre in London even made a video.
• Torquil Campbell sent out a series of World Theatre Day tweets “discouraging a career in theatre whatsoever… until it banishes unions, stops charging outrageous prices, and starts changing its arcane culture.”  Joshua Hind responded observing “If theatre has a problem, it’s definitely not that some people are paid too well.”
• Is our problem in Ontario that we’ve spent too little time articulating any of the benefits of the arts? Jini Stolk examines the question in “The scope of our impact” on the Toronto Arts Foundation’s Creative Trust Research Fellowship site.

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• The National Arts Centre has announced how their National Creation Fund will invest $3 million a year in 15 to 20 compelling and ambitious new Canadian works in theatre, dance and music—works that have strong artistic teams and strong producing partners, and that are likely to have national and international impact.
• Kelly Nestruck’s Canadian Theatre Opening Night Directory is accepting submissions of professional productions through to August 2018.  He uses it “to plan his Ontario reviewing schedule, but also for trips elsewhere and recommending freelance.”

In Case You Missed It

• Browsing Our Bulletin Board featuring opportunities across the province including free recorder webinars (grant writing), workshops (foundations of indie producing, director/dramaturge collaborations, propelling your professional career forward) and community theatreo pportunities for producers, directors, and designers. 
• ONstage Openings this week in Toronto, Owen Sound, Cobourg, Ottawa, Belleville, Brampton, Aurora, Richmond Hill, Markham, Sarnia, and Woodstock—with many more shows now playing in communities across Ontario.

Join us at “Improv for Actors” at Theatre Ontario Festival 2017 in Ottawa

Theatre Ontario will be hosting a free “Improv for Actors” workshop with Laura Hall as part of Theatre Ontario Festival 2017 for participants eager to enhance their skills.

Laura Hall's workshop helps you learn improv fundamentals and apply various techniques to grow into a confident actor who can make interesting choices in an instant. We'll work on minimizing nerves and learning to be present, finding "the truth", building strong characters, and building and working within your script environment (especially useful for cold reads.) The best part? The class will be geared towards whart you need! Specific exercises will depend on the overall experience and desires of the workshop participants.

Theatre Ontario Festival is a showcase of outstanding community theatre productions, a classroom for passionate, dedicated community theatre artists, a celebration of excellence in community theatre, and a destination bringing together theatre lovers from across the province. Festival 2017 runs May 17 to 21 in Ottawa.

Join us at Theatre Ontario Festival 2017

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

• Preparing an OAC application? Get the inside scoop at our Grant Writing Information pre-recorded webinar with Pat Bradley of the Ontario Arts Council on April 11.
• Thinking of producing a show or starting a theatre company? Join us at our Ready, Set, Show! Foundations of Indie Producing workshop with Rachel Kennedy and guest TBA on April 19 in Toronto.
• The ability of directors and dramaturges to work together to help shape meaningful and entertaining theatre is a crucial part of any production process. Learn more at our “Director-Dramaturge Collaborations” workshop with Matt McGeachy on April 24 in Toronto.
• Need help developing your long-term career goals? Join us at our “Propel Your Professional Career Forward” workshop with Vera N. Held on April 29 in Toronto.
• Want to improve your tech skills? Camp Tech offers beginner-friendly, hands-on workshops for adults like you who want to learn to use the latest applications and platforms. Taught by leading professionals, upcoming beginner-level workshops at Camp Tech include –HTML and CSS for Beginners (Apr 2); Social Media Basics (Apr 27); Wordpress for Beginners (May 7); Photoshop for Beginners (May 18); Intro to Google Analytics (May 23); Adobe Illustrator for Beginners (May 30); and Intro to Search Engine Marketing with Google AdWords (May 30). Learn more about Theatre Ontario member discounts at CampTech.

Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Deadline for applications from producers, directors, and designers for South Simcoe Theatre community theatre’s 2017/18 season is March 31.
• Deadline for nominations for the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts’ Dora Ancillary Awards is April 1.
• Deadline for applications to Ontario Arts Council’s Arts Service Project grants is April 6.

New on The Bulletin Board

• Young People’s Theatre is hosting a free “training social” for post-secondary theatre students on April 24.

Check out these items, and other postings from our members.

• Grants
• Calls for Submission and Nominations
• Volunteer and Non-Paying Positions
• Community Events and Conferences
• Workshops at Ontario Theatres and Other Arts Service Organizations
• Adult Continuing Education Programs
• Youth Training Programs

Theatre Ontario individual members can also access Auditions, Job Postings and Discount Ticket Offers on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Join Us at our Summer Theatre Intensive

Theatre Ontario is thrilled to be introducing our new Summer Theatre Intensive, partnering with Off the Wall, Stratford Artist Alliance. Through this exciting new collaboration we will join Off The Wall in their home at Factory 163 in the heart of Stratford, Ontario.

This year we will be offering intensives over a two-week period as listed below.

WEEK ONE (Sunday August 6 – Friday August 11th):

• Sharpening your Actor’s Tool Kit with Tom Diamond
• Directing for Beginners (or how do I make this play happen?) with Thom Currie
• Freeing the Body & Imagination - An Introduction to Mask in Performance with Peggy Coffey

WEEK TWO (Sunday August 13 – Friday August 18th):

• Who the Heck Are YOU?! Creating “Character” with Liza Balkan
• Building your own Directing Process with Philip Akin
• How to Tell An “Important” Story with Donna-Michelle St. Bernard

This year we are embracing a brand new, choose-your-own-adventure approach to the Summer Theatre Intensive; pick your week, pick your course, pick your digs!

By covering each participant’s course fees, course materials, lunch and dinner only, we hope to allow more flexibility for our guests to choose their own accommodations.

Participants will enjoy catered lunches and dinners as well as other planned theatrical events throughout the week’s evenings in the hometown of North America’s largest Shakespeare Festival.

We hope to see you there!

Learn more about Theatre Ontario’s Summer Theatre Intensive

ONstage Openings for the week of March 27

ONstage Now Playing in Toronto
STUPIDHEAD! at Theatre Passe Muraille
Photo by Michael Cooper

This week’s openings on Ontario’s stages

In Toronto

Mar. 28, Crawlspace at Soulpepper Theatre [currently in previews]

Mar. 28, Our Town at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre [currently in previews]

Mar. 29, Spotlight Australia at Canadian Stage

Mar. 30, Niimi'iwe: Indigenous Dance Double Bill: light breaking broken / the NDN way at Native Earth Performing Arts

Mar. 30, Kiss at Canadian Stage [with previews from Mar. 28] 

Mar. 31, Adult Entertainment at Marion Abbott Productions

Mar. 31, Spoon River at Soulpepper Theatre

In Central Ontario

Mar. 30, An Act of the Imagination at Owen Sound Little Theatre

Mar. 30, Waiting for the Parade at Northumberland Players (Cobourg)

In Eastern Ontario

Mar. 28, The Melville Boys at Kanata Theatre (Ottawa) 

Mar. 30, Pride and Prejudice at Belleville Theatre Guild [with a preview on Mar. 28]

Mar. 31, Vigilante at National Arts Centre—English Theatre (Ottawa) [with previews from Mar. 29]

In South Central Ontario

ONstage Now Playing in South Central Ontario
Toronto, Mississippi at Theatre 3x60

Mar. 30, The Little Mermaid at Brampton Music Theatre

Mar. 30, Old Love at Theatre Aurora

Mar. 31, Missing at The Curtain Club (Richmond Hill) [with a preview on Mar. 30]

Apr. 1, Halo at Ovation! Performing Arts Academy (Markham)

In Southwestern Ontario

Mar. 31, The 39 Steps at Theatre Sarnia

Mar. 31, Willow Quartet at Theatre Woodstock

ICYMI: Check out last week’s openings

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