Monday 31 January 2011

ONstage Openings for the week of January 31

In Toronto
Jan. 31, The Big League at Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People
Feb. 3, The Full Monty at Scarborough Music Theatre
Feb. 3, Treasure Ireland at NAGs Players
Feb. 3, Highway 63: The Fort Mac Show at Theatre Passe Muraille
Feb. 4, Wasted On The Young at Humber Theatre
Feb. 6, Tulip at Humber Theatre

In Central Ontario
Feb. 3, The Kitchen Witches at South Simcoe Theatre (Cookstown)
Feb. 3, Office Hours at Owen Sound Little Theatre

In Eastern Ontario
Feb. 1, Agokwe at National Arts Centre, English Theatre (Ottawa)
Feb. 3, Doubt at Belleville Theatre Guild

In South Central Ontario
Feb. 3, Black Coffee at West End Studio Theatre (Oakville)
Feb. 3, The Winslow Boy at Mississauga Players
Feb. 4, Chapter Two at Theatre Burlington
Feb. 4, A Time To Remember at Georgetown Globe Musical Productions

In Southwestern Ontario
Feb. 2, That Summer at Elgin Theatre Guild (St. Thomas)
Feb. 3, Saltwater Moon at Galt Little Theatre (Cambridge)
Feb. 3, Funny Money at Theatre Tillsonburg

For all the theatre current playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to add/update your listing, visit the ONstage show listings on the Theatre Ontario website.

Thursday 27 January 2011

Announcing Theatre Ontario's Taxes For Theatre Artists Workshop

Theatre Ontario has scheduled our special "Taxes For Theatre Artists" workshop for March 2 at 2pm.  "Taxes For Theatre Artists" is a free workshop for members of Theatre Ontario, and will help answer questions on:
  • Employment versus self-employment
  • Employment expense deduction
  • Reasonable expectation of profit
  • Scholarships and bursaries (study grants) and artists’ project grants
  • Workspace in the homeGST/HST for individuals
  • Income tax changes for the current year
For more information, including how to register, please visit the Theatre Ontario website.

Tuesday 25 January 2011

Call for Applications for the Professional Theatre Training Program

Theatre Ontario is now inviting applications for the March 1, 2011 deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP), funded by the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.

The PTTP offers financial support for unique and flexible training with a chosen mentor in any theatrical discipline (except performance.) One can apply for professional development in his/her own discipline, or a “change of direction" in a career. To apply, applicants must have at least two years of professional experience following their formal education.

Read all about the Professional Theatre Training Program on the Theatre Ontario website.  After reading the PTTP guidelines, applicants are encouraged to contact Tim Chapman, Professional Theatre Coordinator (tim@theatreontario.org or 416.408.4556 x.12) regarding your application.

Read also about the most recent mentorships (Fall 2010) funded by this program.

Monday 24 January 2011

ONstage Openings for the week of January 24

In Southwestern Ontario
Jan. 28, Playwrights Cabaret at The Grand Theatre (London)
Jan. 29, The Remarkable Flight Of Marnie McPhee at Carousel Players (St. Catharines)

In Toronto
Jan. 27, Barefoot In The Park at Amicus Productions
Jan. 27, Eternal Hydra from Crow’s Theatre in association with Factory Theatre
Jan. 29, Oleanna at Soulpepper Theatre (in previews)

In Eastern Ontario
Jan. 25, Strawberries In January at Great Canadian Theatre Company (Ottawa)
Jan. 26, undercurrents at Great Canadian Theatre Company (Ottawa)

In Northeastern Ontario
Jan. 27, Student PlayFest: A Festival of Short One-Act Plays at Thorneloe University (Sudbury)

In Northwestern Ontario
Jan. 27, The (Post) Mistress at Magnus Theatre (Thunder Bay)

In South Central Ontario
Jan. 26, Once Upon A Thyme—A Musical Pantomime at Newmarket Stage Company
Jan. 27, Play On! at Oshawa Little Theatre
Jan. 28, A Streetcar Named Desire at Theatre Aurora
Jan. 28, Lend Me A Tenor at The Curtain Club (Richmond Hill)

For all the theatre current playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to add/update your listing, visit the ONstage show listings on the Theatre Ontario website.

Tuesday 18 January 2011

Thanks To Our 2011 Showcase Panels

As part of Showcase—our annual event presenting the graduating classes of conservatory theatre programs—Theatre Ontario held professional panels on the evening of January 18th.  The Showcase Panels gave the graduates a chance to talk to industry professionals about the realities of the business from a variety of perspectives. This entertaining and informative evening is always a favourite. Our generous panelists answered questions and shared a wealth of experience.

“The Business of Casting” panel featured casting director Marsha Chesley, agent Ronda Cooper from Characters  Talent Agency, and Richard Rose, Artistic Director of Tarragon Theatre.

The “Surviving a Career in Acting” panel featured four actors sharing their personal experiences in the business: Maev Beaty, Melody Johnson, Jordan Pettle, and Guillermo Verdecchia; and Mark Brownell, an actor and Councillor from Canadian Actors Equity Association.  (Cara Ricketts was also to be on the acting panel but was unable to come in the end; for those who attended, we wanted to assure you she is fine.)

The 2011 panels were moderated by Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Coordinator Tim Chapman, and held at Theatre Passe Muraille.

Monday 17 January 2011

ONstage Openings for the week of January 17

In South Central Ontario
Jan. 21, Ravenscroft at Durham Shoestring Performers (Oshawa)

In Southwestern Ontario
Jan. 18, Kingfisher Days at The Grand Theatre (London)
Jan. 20, January One-Act Play Weekend at Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre
Jan. 21, The Tale of the Allergist's Wife at London Community Players

In Toronto
Jan. 21, The Real Inspector Hound & After Magritte at Alumnae Theatre Company
Jan. 22, Weesageechak Begins To Dance Festival of New Works XXIII at Native Earth Performing Arts

In Central Ontario
Jan. 20, Dani Girl at Talk Is Free Theatre (Barrie)
Jan. 21, The Trouble With Richard at Northumberland Players (Cobourg)

For all the theatre current playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to add/update your listing, visit the ONstage show listings on the Theatre Ontario website.

Monday 10 January 2011

ONstage Openings for the week of January 10

In Northeastern Ontario:
On Jan. 14, Dinner Theatre Festival at Theatre Cambrian (Sudbury)

In Toronto:
On Jan. 14, Real Estate at Bloor West Village Players
On Jan. 14, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at Hart House Theatre

In Eastern Ontario:
On Jan. 11, The Year Of Magical Thinking at National Arts Centre, English Theatre
On Jan. 13, Two Ships Passing at Domino Theatre (Kingston)
On Jan. 15, Bugsy Malone, Jr. at Ourtown Theatre (Gananoque)

For all the theatre current playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to add/update your listing, visit the ONstage show listings on the Theatre Ontario website.  

Thursday 6 January 2011

David French: an appreciation

by Tim Chapman, Professional Theatre Coordinator

In the past few months the professional theatre community has been hit with the loss of so many of its invaluable family members: Jackie Burroughs, Tracy Wright, Domini Blythe, Graham Harley, Gina Wilkinson.  ‘Attention should be paid’ to all of them, but I would like to focus particularly on the contribution of David French to Canadian theatre.


David French started in theatre as an actor, but it was not long in his career before he turned to playwriting.  In 1971, he saw the Tarragon Theatre’s very first production, David Freeman’s Creeps (starring, among others, Robin Cameron, a young John Candy, Frank Moore and Charles Northcote.)  What then transpired became part of Tarragon lore—it’s a story I heard on numerous occasions after I arrived at Tarragon in 1979; Albert Schultz told the story at David’s recent funeral and Hrant Alianak added a note to the story which I had never heard before: apparently after the performance of Creeps, David went to the Tarragon box office and asked for Tarragon Artistic Director, Bill Glassco’s phone number.  And they gave it to him!  (Something that would never happen after I arrived at the Tarragon, and I would even venture to guess Bill would have stopped that practice quite soon after David’s call.)

Wednesday 5 January 2011

Congratulations to the Fall 2010 YTTP Recipients

Theatre Ontario is pleased to announce the latest recipients of training grants through Theatre Ontario's Youth Theatre Training Program (YTTP).   $24,000 was awarded in total among the following recipients:
  • The Amy Project, Toronto: Artists Mentoring Youth
  • Dare to B, Toronto: Break It Down Dance Initiative
  • Pride Cab, Toronto: Buddies in Bad Times
  • Halibuki Student Training, Minden: Conjurors of County Town
  • Jumblies Scarborough Youth, Toronto: Jumblies Theatre
  • RILTS Community Workshop Series, Rideau Islands and Lakes
  • Spring Training/Young Playwrights, Toronto: Tarragon Theatre
The next application deadline for this program is March 15, 2011.

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


Read more about the Youth Theatre Training Program (YTTP) on the Theatre Ontario website.

Tuesday 4 January 2011

Theatre Ontario Showcase 2011 Schedule

Theatre Ontario is pleased to announce the schedule for Showcase 2011.

Location: Jane Mallett Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front Street East, Toronto
Dates: January 16 and 17, 2011
Lobby doors open at 10am.

As always, we welcome directors, artistic directors, producers, casting directors and agents who are signed to the EIC or members of TAMAC. This will be our 17th year of presenting the graduates of theatre training programs. Join us for two days of talent, with over 230 grads from the following programs:

Sunday, January 16, 10:30am to 5:30pm (approximate times as follows)
10:30am - University of Windsor, School of Dramatic Art
11:30am - Humber College, Theatre Performance Program
12:30pm - George Brown Theatre School
1:45pm - National Theatre School of Canada
2:20pm - York University (BFA and MFA)
3:35pm - University of Toronto – Mississauga/Sheridan
4:30pm - Ryerson Theatre School

Monday, January 17 at 11:00am to 5:00pm (approximate times as follows)
11:00am - Canadore College
11:50am - St. Lawrence College
1:15pm - Centre for Indigenous Theatre
1:40pm - St. Clair College
2:20pm - Sheridan Music Theatre
4:00pm - Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts

Please RSVP at info@theatreontario.org or 416.408.4556 x.10 no later than January 11, 2011.

Monday 3 January 2011

ONstage Openings for the week of January 3

Happy new year!  We're pleased to ring in 2011 with our first announcement of this week's openings.

In Eastern Ontario
Jan. 4, Trying at Ottawa Little Theatre

In Toronto
Jan. 5, Next Stage Theatre Festival 2011
Jan. 5, Oh My Irma at Theatre Passe Muraille
Jan. 5, Hard Love at TEATRON Toronto Jewish Theatre
Jan. 6, Waiting For The Parade at Scarborough Players
Jan. 8, The Bird at Buddies in Bad Times

For all the theatre current playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to add/update your listing, visit the ONstage show listings on the Theatre Ontario website.