ONstage Openings for the week of December 31

In Toronto
Jan. 1, The Amorous Adventures of Anatol at Tarragon Theatre (in previews)
Jan. 2, Next Stage Festival from the Toronto Fringe Festival
Jan. 3, This Is War at Tarragon Theatre (currently in previews)
Jan. 3, Rabbi Sam at TEATRON Toronto Jewish Theatre (with a matinee preview)

For all the theatre currently playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to submit your listings, visit TheatreOntario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

ONstage Openings for the week of December 24

In Toronto
Dec. 28, This Is War at Tarragon Theatre in previews
Dec. 28, Cinderella In Muddy York at Puppetmongers Theatre

For all the theatre currently playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to submit your listings, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Best wishes and happy holidays from my home to yours!

by Carol Beauchamp, Executive Director

It’s hard to believe that 2012 is almost over with the New Year rapidly approaching.  This is a wonderful time of year filled with laughter, family, friends, and the opportunity to take in some great theatre!  It is also a time for reflection, and a time for renewal and regeneration.

It has been a busy year at Theatre Ontario – we have completed the research phase of our strategic branding exercise, we have developed a number of new workshops, we have been working with the Ontario Arts Council and other Provincial Arts Service Organizations (PASOs) to deliver the message to our MPP’s on the importance of Arts funding in the province of Ontario.  This is an extremely important message to carry, particularly as Liberal delegates will be choosing a new leader at the end of January, and there is the potential that we could see a provincial election as early as May, 2013.  Theatre Ontario will continue working with the PASOs to deliver the message on the importance of arts funding in the province.

The arts and cultural sector is tremendously important to the creative, economic and social fabric of our amazing province.  Some short and snappy facts that pulled together you can share with your local MPP (courtesy of the Ontario Arts Council):

• Ontario’s cultural sector directly contributes $19.7 billion annually to Ontario’s economy, representing 4.2% of the province’s GDP
• Both Statistics Canada and the Conference Board of Canada recognize creators and creative producers as important first steps in the “creative chain”. The economic impact of the culture sector is derived through the creation, production dissemination and sale of arts and culture goods and services
• The Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Policy Statement on Social-Economic Development states that “arts, culture and heritage improve the ability of municipal governments to influence local economic development by attracting and retaining a skilled and talented workforce.
• In a 2010 survey of 18 mid-sized Ontario cities, all of the municipalities reported using cultural and recreational amenities (i.e. operation of cultural facilities, museums and galleries) as a tool for downtown revitalization.
• 95% of Ontarians believe that arts activities help enrich the quality of our lives
• 89% of Ontarians agree that if their community lost its arts activities, people living there would lose something of value.

Accessibility Standard For Customer Service – report due December 31st, 2012
The Accessibility Standard for Customer Service came into effect January 1st, 2012 and applies to all organizations (public, private and non-profit) that provide goods or services either directly to the public or to other organizations in Ontario and that have one or more employees in Ontario.

This includes consultants, manufacturers and wholesalers as well as other businesses and professional services.

The act requires that a report is filed by December 31st, 2012 for all organizations with over 20 employees.  All organizations with over one employee should have a plan and their staff should be trained.  If you haven’t yet put your plan in place (for organizations with under 20 employees), or submitted your report (for organizations with over 20 employees), visit the Ministry of Community & Social Services website for more details.

Not-for-Profit Corporations Act
Ontario’s Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 (ONCA) is a legal framework for not-for-profit corporations, including charitable corporations, and is targeted to come into effect July 31, 2013.   It will set out how not-for-profit corporations in Ontario are created, governed and dissolved.

Existing not-for-profit corporations will have a three-year transition period once ONCA is in effect. This will allow them sufficient time to make any changes to their incorporation and other documents that are necessary to bring them into conformity with ONCA.

There is still currently some ambiguity with some of the details of the act (including the effective date), however, the changes will require a review by organizations of:

• Letters of patent: do they reflect the corporations current and/or future activities
• Review of by-laws
• Review of Director and Officer Provisions
• Review of Member Provisions

We will provide updates on the progress of the act, however, in the interim, I would encourage you to go to the Ministry of Consumer Services website and look at the Transition Checklist for some additional information.

The last twelve months have been a tremendous experience for me personally.  I have also had the great joy and privilege of meeting a vast array of committed, passionate and creative people who are producing wonderful theatre around the province–I consider myself extremely fortunate to have seen exciting theatre in venues as diverse as The St. Lawrence Centre of The Performing Arts, The Shaw and Stratford Festivals, a winery in Prince Edward County, a barn in Millbrook, a Church in Hillsburgh, a grand old theatre in Sarnia, and schools in Espanola and Saulte Ste Marie – and many, many terrific venues in between!  The variety of plays has more than matched the variety of venues from classics to new works written and performed by Canadian artists.  I never cease to be amazed by the magic that is created as I am moved to laughter or tears, inspired to create or become involved, provoked to think, consider, research and debate both controversial and motivating issues.  Wow–Canadian theatre is alive and well in Ontario! Thank you to each of you who inspire and woo me with your creativity and passion.

I have been fortunate to have met many wonderful people from across the province, with highlights and memories abounding.  The people of Sault Ste Marie opened their hearts and doors to us when Theatre SMC hosted Theatre Ontario Festival 2012–the city’s Mayor welcomed festival visitors at a lovely reception overlooking Lake Superior–it doesn’t get much better than that!  The Ottawa Little Theatre celebrated its 100th anniversary, and our sister organization for the francophone community, Theatre Action celebrated their 40th anniversary on the same weekend.
 
I am very much looking forward to 2013:  We will be kicking off the New Year with new workshops in January and Showcase 2013 for the graduates of Ontario’s theatre programs, held at the St. Lawrence Centre of the Performing Arts January 20th and 21st.  I would be remiss if I did not say a big thank you, to you, our members.  It has been a pleasure to work with and for you over the last twelve months, and I am anticipating with delight the opportunity of meeting many more of you in person in the next 12 months.  Thank you for your commitment and your support.  Have a wonderful and safe holiday season, and a healthy and prosperous New Year.

Amazing Abundance

By Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

This was a good year for online conversation-starters.  When Ken Gass was dismissed as Artistic Director of Factory Theatre in June, a debate unfolded on Praxis Theatre provoked by “open letters” from David Ferry and Aislinn Rose; Jacob Zimmer of Small Wooden Shoe made a public application for the vacancy; and Brendan Healy of Buddies In Bad Times Theatre wrote a much-shared and moving and motivating Facebook note.

Best of all, they accomplished the most important thing in online conversations—they moved the conversations into the community: in rehearsal halls, at lunch room tables, in bars over drinks, at opening night parties.  Calls to action were proposed, debated, adopted and rejected.  If you had a passion for theatre and a pulse, something came of it—perhaps even just a change of belief or behaviour.

But one of my favourite calls-to-action from the past year—which could function as a “new year’s resolution” that’s as good as any—came from Travis Bedard, my favourite agitator in the 2amtheatre.com community.  In a post at the end of November and an ensuing conversation on Twitter, he challenged us to end the “black magical thinking” in theatre that both frames the environment negatively in order to fit challenging circumstances, and assumes “stupidity or evil” on the part of the public, audiences, governments, funders, and—especially—other theatre-makers.

I agree with his assertion that “this is a time of amazing abundance in theatre.”  As he says, that doesn’t mean easy.  He uses the metaphor of “gridlock” to describe the state of our current resources.  But the opportunities to overcome the gridlock are plentiful and abundant—in new leadership, new spaces, new conversations.

2012 saw a number of significant changes at the highest levels of Ontario’s professional venued theatres.  There is new artistic leadership at Great Canadian Theatre Company, the National Arts Centre—English Theatre, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Thousand Islands Playhouse, and interim leaders at Blyth Festival and Factory Theatre.  There are also new general managers at many long-established Ontario theatres—Canadian Stage, the Shaw Festival, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Tarragon Theatre, and Young People’s Theatre.  New leaders step forward, new visionaries take over the positions they leave—change creates an abundance of opportunities.

TheatreBooks moved.  Playwrights Canada Press moved.  And we’ll be starting 2013 in our new office at 401 Richmond Street West, with our suite-mates from Playwrights Guild of Canada and the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts.  Domino Theatre opened a new venue in Kingston that we’ll all get to visit at our Festival in May.  Milton celebrated the opening of a new Centre for the Arts.  Artscape opened the Daniels Spectrum in Toronto (previously known as the Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre), and welcomed tenants, including Native Earth Performing Arts.  The Theatre Centre “broke ground” for a new home.  Next year will mark the grand opening of Drayton Entertainment’s Dunfield Theatre Cambridge.  Theatre needs space to bring artists and audiences together; well-managed venues add to that abundance of opportunity.

On our community theatre stages, more groups are exploring new play development as a way to deepen their community connections, better engage their membership, and explore their creative potential as a company.  The inaugural Tom Hendry Award for New Comedy from Playwrights Guild of Canada was awarded to Michael Grant for Shorthanded, which premieres at Elmira Theatre Company in February 2013; and the Outstanding Production at our 2012 Festival was The Mouse House by Robert Ainsworth, a work that was developed at Peterborough Theatre Guild.

Apocalypse watchers might point to the closures of the Vancouver Playhouse and Showboat Festival Theatre as signs of inevitable catastrophe.  Indeed, these announcements were certainly among the “low points” of the past year—friends lost jobs, producing partners lost money, audiences lost theatre.  But in response to the Playhouse closure, PACT—the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres—is now leading Dialogue On Theatre: “a national conversation about a vision for Canadian theatre in 2017 that the theatre community can support and work together to create.”  The idea that everyone in Canadian theatre can start rowing together may provoke snark and cynicism; I remain hopeful that this Dialogue will give voices that are quieter, and often drowned out, to be heard at our major theatre institutions.  That’s one of the ways we sustain abundance in a community.

But the most amazing abundance—the most important abundance—can be seen on our theatre stages.  As a juror for the Dora Mavor Moore Awards during the first half of this year, I had the opportunity to see first-hand the breadth of quality at many Toronto professional theatres.  In January, Toronto theatre critics were trying to remember a time when so many “four-star shows” were running at the same time.  I heard similar stories at our summer theatres, our regional community theatre festivals, our fringe festivals, and from colleagues and friends across the province.  When I update our ONstage listings every week, I’m struck by the breadth of shows you can see across our province—something for every taste.  It’s good to hear that the quality of the theatre matches the choices available.

At Theatre Ontario, we’re looking forward to our plans for the new year.  In the fall, we expanded our repertoire of workshops, and in the new year, we’ll be exploring ways to expand our workshops beyond our office in Toronto, while still making them cost-effective for our participants.  On a personal note, I am looking forward to finding ways to expand our communications so that we can share more of the incredible stories of theatre in Ontario.

Thank you to our members and supporters.  As the service organization for theatre artists in our province, we have accomplished an abundance of amazing things on your behalf—for forty years, you have been nurturing theatre artists at every stage of their careers and supporting and advocating for theatre across the province, through Theatre Ontario.

Let’s continue to seek out that abundance in the year ahead.

ONstage Openings for the week of December 17

In South Central Ontario
Dec. 20, Aladdin at Zeus Entertainment (Burlington)

For all the theatre currently playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to submit your listings, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Ontario Off Stage

Conversations

• News from across the border is about the approaching "fiscal cliff", which started a conversation about the fiscal cliff in the arts--but Diane Ragsdale on Jumper identifies significant cliffs that we need to worry about it the arts: the arts education cliff, the diversity cliff, the professionalism cliff, and the leadership cliff
• Robert Hedley and Harriet Power looked at the new play development models in Britain and published their observations on the Theatre Communications Group’s website—some exciting ideas and models that could inform your theatre’s play development process

From The Wire

• Group of Minds Arts Marketing + Technology Consultants were commissioned to study arts patrons’ mobile preferences—following up on a previous study from three years earlier that allows us to observe trends

Migrations

• Matt Miwa is the new Executive Director of Prix Rideau Awards in Ottawa

You can also receive news from Theatre Ontario every month by email.  Our archives are online and the December issue is now available.

Assembled by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

New Workshops for the New Year

We have both exciting new workshops and some returning favourites coming up in January and early February.

Inclusion—Professional Advice for Professional Theatre Companies, with charles c. smith: Part 1 on Tuesday, January 15, Part 2 on Tuesday, April 16 – As part of their creative process, contemporary theatres are working to gain a better sense of creative possibilities and to engage communities in all aspects of their operations. This has been both a rewarding and difficult challenge for theatre companies that are addressing such issues in the context of diversity and pluralism, particularly in terms of making connections with Aboriginal peoples, peoples of colour, persons with disabilities, and others whose mother tongue is not one of Canada's official languages and whose religious and/or spiritual beliefs fall outside of the dominant western belief systems.  This two-part session will assist theatre leaders in addressing these concerns and coming to understand how to begin to move their practices so that they are open and inclusive.

Auditions—Preparation, Etiquette, Expectations, with Elley-Ray Hennessy, Andrew Lamb and Renna Reddie on Wednesday, January 16 – Join us for this Talk Back Session on: What should you expect at auditions?; What do you bring to an audition?; Good & bad audition stories; Differences between film, TV, commercials & theatre auditions; Equity versus non-equity auditions; Crashing auditions—when is it a good idea?

Grant Writing Information Session for Playwrights and Theatre Artists, with Pat Bradley, Theatre Officer of the Ontario Arts Council on Thursday, January 24 in Burlington – These sessions share information, perspective, and tips about project grants, particularly the OAC’s three professional theatre project programs—Theatre Projects, Playwright Residency, and Theatre Creators’ Reserve.  (And we’re looking forward to announcing sessions in other Ontario communities in the new year!)

Getting Started for Actors, with Tim Chapman on Wednesday, January 30 – For actors beginning their professional careers, this two-hour workshop answers the most frequently asked questions about the business of acting.  Find out about the realities of showbiz, pictures and resumes, Equity and ACTRA, agents and casting directors, auditioning, and maintaining and improving your acting skills.

Self-Start: The Basics of Producing, with Tim Chapman on Wednesday, February 6 – If you want to do a show but have never produced professionally before, and if you want to know what questions to ask first, this workshop is for you.  This workshop gives you the opportunity to ask questions and try out ideas, discover the questions you need to ask and answer, learn to organize your thinking and planning, work on scheduling and budget considerations, and find out about available resources and services.

Read more about all of the training opportunities at Theatre Ontario on our website

Theatre Ontario is on the Move!

We are excited to announce that we will be moving to our new office effective January 1, 2013.  All mail sent after December 31st, should be addressed to:

Theatre Ontario

401 Richmond Street West, Suite 350

Toronto, ON

M5V 3A8

We will be sharing our new suite with our current roommates at the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts and Playwrights Guild of Canada, and our sub-lets from the Arts Network for Children And Youth.  Our telephone numbers and email addresses will remain the same.

To accommodate the holidays and the move, our offices will close at 5pm on Thursday, December 20th and we will re-open on Monday, January 7th.

Get directions to our new office

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• The deadline to apply for Tarragon Theatre’s Spring Training Project—a free program for aspiring theatre performers between the ages of 15 and 20—is December 14
• Playwright’s Guild of Canada and Pat The Dog Playwright Development Centre are holding a one-day workshop on "Self-Producing at Festivals for Playwrights" on December 14 in Toronto
• OAC Theatre Creators’ Reserve application deadline at Tarragon Theatre is December 14
• Nomination deadline for the Gina Wilkinson Prize is December 15.  The prize recognizes and assists female theatre artists who have spent several years in a theatre discipline other than directing (acting, stage management, design, theatre administration, etc.) and who are now attempting to transition into directing
• Application deadline for both Theatre InspiraTO’s 10-Minute Playwriting Contest, and their Playwrights Mentoring Project (for playwrights interested in exploring ten-minute plays) is December 17

Check out these items and all of our postings of workshops, calls for submission, and opportunities for recognition on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

ONstage Openings for the week of December 10

In Southwestern Ontario
Dec. 11, Ho-Ho-Holiday Music in the Old Firehall at Theatre Ancaster (Hamilton)

In Toronto
Dec. 10, Aluna Cafe: About Griselda Gambaro at Aluna Theatre
Dec. 12, The ToyBox at Theatre Passe Muraille

In Eastern Ontario
Dec. 13, The Sound Of Music at Bottle Tree Productions (Kingston)

For all the theatre currently playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to submit your listings, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Across The Province in Community Theatre

By Anne Mooney, Community Theatre Coordinator

The community theatre season is in full swing and there are great plays and festivals going on all over the province.  You’ll find something for everyone in every region.

The Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario (ACT-CO) has 50 plays being adjudicated between October 2012 and March 2013.  While this is not the largest geographical region for community theatre in Ontario, this is the largest number of plays in a Festival.  This year’s adjudicators are Chris Worsnop (Drama), Autumn Smith (Comedy), and Thom Currie (Musicals).  An important component of the adjudication is the public adjudication which occurs immediately after the play is finished.  This is an opportunity for the audience to get greater understanding of the performance from the adjudicator.  If you would like to see one of these adjudicated productions, check out the Festival on the ACT-CO website.

The QUONTA Region is holding the Regional Festival from Tuesday, March 12 to Saturday, March 16 with a Awards Brunch on Sunday, March 17.  North Bay’s Gateway Theatre Guild is hosting the event.  Several workshops are also in the planning stages for Festival week.

I’d also like to update everyone on the status of ELATE – Elliot Lake Amateur Theatre Ensemble, a QUONTA member.  I’m sure that none of us can forget the horrible images coming from Elliot Lake last June of the Algo Mall collapse.  ELATE was performing a matinee in the mall at the time.  They were able to get all of the cast, crew and audience members out of the mall safely, but all of their lighting equipment, portable stage, screen and even the ticket money from the play are lost in the rubble of the Algo Mall.  Even so, the group continues to perform.  They have monthly meetings and have held play readings and improv nights and are already rehearsing for their performance in QUONTA Festival 2013.  In a recent conversation with Murray Finn from ELATE, he wanted to let everyone know how pleased the members of the theatre company were with the support they have received from other theatre groups and individuals who have sent their good wishes and other tangible support.

The Western Ontario Drama League (WODL) hosts their Regional Festival Monday, March 11 to Friday, March 15 with the Awards Ball on Saturday March 16.  This season’s Festival is in Guelph and the festival committee chair is Dennis Johnson, my predecessor in the Community Theatre Coordinator’s job.  You can find information about this festival on the WODL website.   “The 2013 WODL Festival is the 80th Anniversary of the first WODL Festival in 1933. Catharine McCormick Brickenden was invited to attend the inaugural meeting of the Dominion Drama Festival (DDF) in 1932, where she met its chief organizers – Vincent Massey and Governor General Lord Bessborough. She set about organizing the first WODL Festival in 1933, held in the auditorium of the London Life Building in London Ontario. In 1934, she arranged for the use of the Grand Theatre in London for the second WODL Festival. In 1936 she directed and acted in Twenty-Five Cents, the first original play to win the WODL and DDF festivals. In her memoirs she wrote: ‘… the most gratifying triumph was that it was the first Canadian-written play in any Festival. The whole audience went wild.’” (quotation from the proposal to the WODL Board, October 28, 2012.)  A new award at the Festival will be the Brickenden Award for Best Production of a Canadian Play, and is Dennis’ brainchild—well done Dennis!

As previously announced, Theatre Ontario is running another Introduction to Adjudication course at this Festival, under the instruction of Ron Cameron-Lewis.

The Domino Theatre in Kingston and the Eastern Ontario Drama League (EODL) will be hosting the Theatre Ontario Festival 2013, May 16 to 20 at the Domino Theatre.   The new theatre officially opened in January 2012 and is an extremely well-designed space.  Domino Theatre hosted the EODL One-Act Festival earlier this month and everyone was quite impressed with the facility and the host committee.  The wonderful facilities will be a great backdrop to the Theatre Ontario Festival.  The Festival Committee is meeting in the next week to finalize festival venues, etc.  I can tell you that the Festival Adjudicator is John P. Kelly—John is well-known as an articulate and informative adjudicator.   The Playwright-in-Person will be John Lazarus.  Stay tuned for more information.

The EODL One-Act Festival was quite an eye opening event.  Nine one-act plays were adjudicated in two days by Bea Quarrie.  Each group was given one hour of tech time to rehearse in the space.  Then they had ten minutes to set up and five minutes after their plays to strike.  Inventiveness is a major part of this Festival.  Plays ran the gamut from George Bernard Shaw and an adaptation of Stephen Leacock to five locally-written plays.  The Best Production was Ottawa Little Theatre’s Behind the Beyond adapted from a Stephen Leacock short story.  This Festival also has a People’s Choice Award which was won by Bay of Quinte Community Theatre’s one man show Burying the Hangman—written and performed by Richard Turtle.  A full list of plays and winners is available on the EODL website.

Theatre in Ontario is as diverse as the regions in which it is found.  Hopefully, you can feed your soul at a community theatre performance or Festival near you.

Join us at Theatre Ontario's Showcase 2013

Theatre Ontario is pleased to announce our 19th annual Showcase of theatre school graduates from across Ontario, and the National Theatre School in Montreal.  Join us for two days of talent, with over 235 graduates.

Theatre Ontario's Showcase takes place on Sunday, January 20, starting at 10:30am, and Monday, January 21, starting at 11:00am, at the Jane Mallett Theatre in the St. Lawrence Centre, Toronto.  Lobby doors open at 9:45am on Sunday, and 10:15am on Monday.

The participating schools and approximate times are:

Sunday, January 20 (10:30am to 5:30pm)

• 10:30 - George Brown
• 11:15 - University of Toronto - Mississauga/Sheridan
• 12:15 - York (BFA and MFA)
• 1:40 - Humber
• 2:15 - National Theatre School
• 2:55 - Ryerson
• 4:05 - University of Windsor
• 5:00 - Canadore College

Monday, January 21 (11:00am to 5:00pm)

• 11:00 - Centre for Indigenous Theatre
• 11:25 - St. Lawrence College
• 12:15 - Randolph Academy
• 1:45 - St. Clair College
• 2:30 - Sheridan Music Theatre
• 4:35 - New Faces (graduates from other schools)

We invite artistic directors, freelance directors, producers, casting directors, and agents who are signed to the EIC or members of TAMAC.

Please reserve either at info@theatreontario.org or call 416.408.4556 x.10.  We encourage and appreciate RSVPs as soon as possible to help us plan our days.

Read more about Theatre Ontario's Showcase on our website
Join the conversation on Twitter at #toshowcase

Browsing The Bulletin Board

The deadline to apply to the Theatre Ontario Talent Bank is December 15.  Our Talent Bank is made up of professional theatre trainers and teachers who provide workshops, adjudications, and/or short-term consulting contracts for community organizations.  Talent Bank applicants must be proficient practitioners in the categories to which they are applying, demonstrate ability as a teacher/trainer, and have sensitivity and familiarity with the needs of the community and educational theatre sector.  Read more about Applying to Join the Theatre Ontario Talent Bank

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Jumblies Theatre’s Artsfare Essentials—a six-day intensive about the principles and practices of community-engaged art—begins on December 6

Check out these items and all of our postings of workshops, calls for submission, and opportunities for recognition on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

ONstage Openings for the week of December 3

In Eastern Ontario

Dec. 5, The Winter Wonderettes at Theatre Kingston

Dec. 8, Disney's Aladdin Jr. at Seaway Valley Theatre Company (Cornwall)

In Northeastern Ontario

Dec. 6, Greetings! at Sault Theatre Workshop

In Southwestern Ontario

Dec. 6, Cinderella at Elgin Theatre Guild (St. Thomas)

Dec. 7, Forever Plaid: Plaid Tidings at Hammer Entertainment (Hamilton)

Dec. 7, Midnight And Mistletoe at Goderich Little Theatre

In Toronto

Dec. 3, A Christmas Carol at Soulpepper Theatre

Dec. 6, It's A Wonderful Life at Alexander Showcase Theatre

For all the theatre currently playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to submit your listings, visit TheatreOntario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Ontario Off Stage

Conversations

• From Praxis Theatre, Michael Wheeler on what the success of Terminus at Off Mirvish Productions means for independent theatre in Toronto
• From Native Earth’s Hoka Heh!—exploring how you reconcile work about displacement while managing a new venue in Regent Park
• Also from Praxis, Jordan Tannahill opened a new venue and provoked some responses from many of my favourite Toronto theatre voices that may (or may not) be about “a crisis of space”—or a crisis of resources
• The Ontario Arts Council’s latest podcast is on Theatre Programs, with Nancy Kenny interviewing Pat Bradley about programs for theatre artists, collectives, and organizations
• Marketers are creators of public perception and need to take that responsibility seriously—Megan Pagado on Americans For The Arts’ Arts Blog on how arts marketing perpetuates many of the arts stereotypes we claim that we want to change

From The Wire

• The Stratford Festival announced the six directors in the 2013 Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Direction—and three are alumnae from our Professional Theatre Training Program: Mitchell Cushman, Andrea Donaldson, and Birgit Schreyer Duarte

Assembled by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Browsing The Bulletin Board

There are still a couple of spots left in tonight’s workshop on Social Media: Live Performance and Community Engagement for your Theatre Community, with Michael Wheeler

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Application deadlines for OAC Theatre Creators’ Reserve funding at Festival Players of Prince Edward County (November 30), b current (November 30), and Great Canadian Theatre Company (December 3); this program is designed to provide funding for Ontario playwrights through a third-party recommender program
• The deadline to apply to Nueva Voz at Alameda Theatre Company is November 30; this program provides workshops for young Latinos/as roughly between the ages of 14 and 19, who may be interested in theatre but not necessarily have the experience
• For managers of not-for-profit cultural facilities, the deadline to apply to Work In Culture / ArtsBuild Ontario’s Arts Facilities Mentoring Network is November 30

Check out these items and all of our postings of workshops, calls for submission, and opportunities for recognition on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

ONstage Openings for the week of November 26

In Central Ontario
Nov. 27, Rumpledstinkskin at Peterborough Theatre Guild
Nov. 30, A Gift To Last at Theatre Orangeville, with a preview on Nov. 29
Dec. 1, Snow White And The 7 Dwarfs at Huntsville Community Theatre Company

In Eastern Ontario
Nov. 27, Mr. Pim Passes By at Ottawa Little Theatre
Nov. 30, The Number 14 at Great Canadian Theatre Company (Ottawa) with previews from Nov. 27

In Northeastern Ontario
Nov. 30, Bunch of Munsch at Sudbury Theatre Centre

In South Central Ontario
Nov. 30, The Last Resort at Theatre Aurora

In Southwestern Ontario
Nov. 30, The Vagina Monologues at The Edge Productions (Windsor)
Nov. 30, Our Town at Theatre Woodstock

In Toronto
Nov. 27, Binti's Journey at Young People's Theatre
Nov. 27, Ryerson Dances at Ryerson Theatre School
Nov. 27, Ignorance at Canadian Stage
Nov. 27, Nine at Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts
Nov. 28, The Munsch Bunch at George Brown Theatre School
Nov. 29, No Traveller Returns at Scarborough Theatre Guild
Nov. 29, The 501 - Toronto In Transit at Theatre Passe Muraille
Dec. 1, Miracle On Mercer St. at The Second City

For all the theatre currently playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to submit your listings, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Save The Date for our 2013 Summer Theatre Intensive

Our 2013 Summer Theatre Intensive has been booked for August 11 to 17, returning again to Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo.  We’re looking forward to offering another exciting line-up of courses and instructors in 2013.

Thanks to everyone who provided feedback about our 2012 courses—your comments are helping us shape our plans for the coming year.  Theatre Ontario’s Summer Theatre Intensive brings together theatre people from all over the province for a week-long rigorous educational experience.  For over thirty-five years, our courses have earned praise from drama teachers, theatre schools, community and professional theatres, agents, and actors getting started in the business.

Read more about our last year’s Summer Theatre Intensive on the Theatre Ontario website

Congratulations to Fall 2012 Professional Theatre Training Program Recipients

Theatre Ontario is pleased to announce the latest recipients of training grants through Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP).  $33,728 was awarded in total among the following recipients:

• John Doucet to train in set design with Ivo Valentik at the Great Canadian Theatre Company and the National Arts Centre in Ottawa
• Brittney Francis to train in directing with Jennifer Brewin at Theatre Columbus in Toronto and Ottawa
• Melissa Haddad to train in Education & Outreach with Karen Gilodo at Young Peoples Theatre and Farwah Gheewala at Soulpepper Theatre
• Kristen Kitcher to train in general management with Kathryn Westoll at the Toronto Fringe Festival
• Sarah McVie to train in directing with Marie Clements at the National Arts Centre and the Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa
• Natasha Adiyana Morris to train in producing with Philip Akin at Obsidian Theatre
• Jenna Rodgers to train in artistic direction with David Yee at fu-Gen Theatre Company
• Justin Stadnyk to train in artistic producing with Arkady Spivak at Talk Is Free Theatre in Barrie
• Robin Sutherland to train in community-engaged theatre with Ruth Howard at Jumblies Theatre in Toronto, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie/Algoma

The next application deadline for this program is March 1, 2013.

We also want to extend a special thank-you to Franco Boni, our outgoing Chair of the Professional Theatre Training Program Jury.  Franco has served on the jury for over a decade with enthusiasm, keen insight, and diligence.  Thank you Franco for your service to Theatre Ontario.

Read more about the Professional Theatre Training Program on the Theatre Ontario website.

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

Browsing The Bulletin Board

A few spaces are still available in “Social Media: Live Performance and Community Engagement for you Theatre Community” with Michael Wheeler.  Running on Tuesday, November 27 at 6:30pm, this workshop is for organizations to help identify where your social media content comes from, what voice you should use, what are the latest trends, and how it can assist rather than distract from your work.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Jumblies Theatre is holding a seminar in Toronto on The Convergence Project.  Over the past year, this research project has explored the relationship between meditation, spirituality and community arts.  It runs Thursday, November 22 at 6:30pm.

New on The Bulletin Board

• The Arts and Letters Club in Toronto is holding a student playwriting contest for secondary and post-secondary students in the Greater Toronto Area.  Submission deadline is February 28, and the prize is $1000.

Check out these items and all of our postings of workshops, calls for submission, and opportunities for recognition on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

ONstage Openings for the week of November 19

In Toronto
Nov. 19, The Second City's Nut-Cracking Holiday Revue

In Central Ontario
Nov. 22, Wingfield On Ice at Meaford Hall

In Eastern Ontario
Nov. 23, Pride And Prejudice at National Arts Centre—English Theatre (Ottawa) with previews from Nov. 21
Nov. 24, Everything I Always Loved About Christmas at Upper Canada Playhouse (Morrisburg) with previews from Nov. 22
Nov. 25, Aladdin at Mississippi Mudds of Carleton Place

In South Central Ontario
Nov. 22, Jack And The Beanstalk at Peel Panto Players (Brampton)
Nov. 22, Fiddler On The Roof at Oshawa Little Theatre
Nov. 22, The Story Of Snow White, A Pantomime at Scugog Choral Society (Port Perry)

In Southwestern Ontario
Nov. 21, Miracle On 34th Street, The Musical at The Grand Theatre (London)
Nov. 22, Sherlock's Excellent Adventure at Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre

For all the theatre currently playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to submit your listings, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Ontario Off Stage

Behind The Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• The Canadian Conference for the Arts is closing its doors.  Alain Pineau, National Director, blogs about what this means.
• The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) has published the “TAPA Stats Report Phase III” measuring data from the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 seasons in Toronto theatre, opera, and dance.  Over 2.3 million tickets were sold by TAPA members during the final season of the study.  The report also highlights the growth of student audiences, and an increase in total number of subscription sales—but with a decline in subscription revenue that reflects both the benefits and consequences of providing increased flexibility to subscribers.

Conversations

• J. Kelly Nestruck writes in the Globe & Mail about collaboration between independent musicians and independent theatre, and how the trend is extending to major national cultural institutions like the Stratford Festival.

TO Toasts

• Lighting designer Robert Thomson won the final Siminovitch Prize in Theatre, and named Jason Hand and Raha Javanfar as his protégé prize recipients.
• Catherine Banks and Playwrights Canada Press won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama for It Is Solved By Walking.

You can also receive news from Theatre Ontario every month by email.  Our archives are online and the November issue is now available.

Assembled by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Introduction to Adjudication returns in 2013

In response to feedback from our membership, Theatre Ontario has been working over the past three years to improve the quality of adjudication in the province.  We have been creating professional development opportunities for established adjudicators, improving the calibre of trial adjudications, and exploring methods for gathering feedback from participants and engagers.

We’ve also been training new adjudicators and providing opportunities to practice adjudication skills and to network with experienced mentors.  We are pleased to announce our third annual Introduction to Adjudication course, running Tuesday, March 12 to Saturday, March 16, 2013 in Guelph, during the Western Ontario Drama League Festival.  Under the instruction of Ron Cameron-Lewis, the course covers the principles of adjudication (including public adjudications, private/detailed adjudications, written adjudications), evaluation schemes, award selection, and more.  Participants will see shows in the Festival, and practice “public” adjudications in private with their fellow students.

Following the course, participants will also have an opportunity during Fall 2013/Spring 2014 to hone their skills at a practice adjudication at a community theatre in their region.  Over the past two years, many community theatres across the province have demonstrated their commitment to education by participating in these practice sessions, while many established adjudicators have generously given their time and shared their talent by mentoring a new generation of “graduates” from the classes of 2010 and 2011.

As one past course participant shared, “I love the mix of theory, personal experience and practical application.  The course gave a clear indication of what adjudication is, and whether or not it’s something I want to pursue.”

Read more about the Introduction to Adjudication Course or submit your application on the Theatre Ontario website

Browsing The Bulletin Board

There's still a few spaces left in our workshops coming up in the next week:

• Do You Want To Make A Difference? with Brenda Worsnop is on Friday, November 16 at 2pm–Is being a Board member of a theatre or cultural organization for you?
• The Why and How of a Successful Web Presence with Paul Snepsts is on Monday, November 19 at 6:30pm–Helping individual theatre practitioners be online; to market yourself, to show off your talents, and to brag about your accomplishments
• Professional Theatre Training Program Talk Back and Mixer with Tim Chapman and past PTTP Grant Recipients on Tuesday, November 20 at 5:15pm – Can you benefit from mentorship?  Looking to further or change your career?  Develop a new skill?  Mentoring through Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program might be for you
• Check out all of our upcoming workshop opportunities on the Theatre Ontario website

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Deadline to apply to Alameda Theatre’s 2013 De Colores Festival of New Work is November 15.  The De Colores Festival of New Works is a playwrights’ unit/festival, which focuses exclusively on the development of Latin American playwrights in Canada.

New on The Bulletin Board

• WorkInCulture and ArtsBuild Ontario are pleased to announce a third round of its mentoring network to the cultural sector.  This year’s focus will be on strengthening the business and management skills needed for arts facilities.  The Arts Facility Mentoring Network provides established leaders in Ontario’s non-profit arts community who are responsible for managing, improving and developing facilities with the unique opportunity of one-to-one learning with experienced topic experts.  Deadline to apply is November 30.

Check out these items and all of our postings of workshops, calls for submission, and opportunities for recognition on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

ONstage Openings for the week of November 12

In Southwestern Ontario
Nov. 15, Water Under The Bridge from Carousel Players at The Grand Theatre (London)
Nov. 16, Annie at Drayton Entertainment: St. Jacobs Country Playhouse, with previews from Nov. 13
Nov. 16, Hairspray at Theatre Ancaster (Hamilton)
Nov. 16, Nunsense at Elmira Theatre Company

In Toronto
Nov. 14, The Little Years at Tarragon Theatre (currently in previews)
Nov. 15, The Arsonists at Canadian Stage (currently in previews)
Nov. 15, Cinderella - a RATical retelling at Young People’s Theatre (with previews from Nov. 12)
Nov. 15, Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde at Amicus Productions
Nov. 15, Mambo Italiano at Alexander Showcase Theatre
Nov. 16, Guys And Dolls at Etobicoke Musical Productions
Nov. 16, The Drowning Girls at Alumnae Theatre Company
Nov. 16, Fare Game: Life In Toronto's Taxis at Theatre Passe Muraille

In Central Ontario
Nov. 15, A Christmas Carol at VOS Theatre (Cobourg)
Nov. 16, Real Estate at Blackhorse Village Players (Tottenham) with a preview on Nov. 14
Nov. 16, Guys And Dolls at Talk Is Free Theatre (Barrie) with a preview on Nov. 15

In South Central Ontario
Nov. 14, Mending Fences at Markham Little Theatre
Nov. 16, $38,000 For A Friendly Face at The Curtain Club (Richmond Hill) with a preview on Nov. 15
Nov. 16, Mame at Clarkson Music Theatre (Mississauga)
Nov. 16, The Glass Menagerie at Mississauga Players

For all the theatre currently playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to submit your listings, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Inviting Applications for the Theatre Ontario Talent Bank

Join our roster of skilled theatre trainers and workshop leaders by becoming a member of the Theatre Ontario Talent Bank.  We are now inviting applications for Talent Bank membership.

Theatre Ontario's Talent Bank is made up of professional theatre trainers and teachers who provide workshops, adjudications, and/or short-term consulting contracts for community organizations.

Talent Bank applicants must:

• be proficient practitioners in the categories to which they are applying
• demonstrate ability as a teacher/trainer
• have sensitivity and familiarity with the needs of the community and educational theatre sector

Read more about applying to join the Theatre Ontario Talent Bank on our website

Browsing The Bulletin Board

This month's workshops and events include board volunteerism, succession planning, websites, mentorship, getting into acting, social media, self-producing, working with agents—see all the educational possibilities available to you from Theatre Ontario in November.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Two new play readings/performances this weekend: Tarragon Theatre’s latest WorkSpace presentation (Soliciting Temptation) is on November 9th and 10th, and Brant Theatre Workshop (The Incredible Life Of Jackie Gleason) is on November 10th--both are free

Check out these items and all of our postings of workshops, calls for submission, and opportunities for recognition on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

ONstage Openings for the week of November 5

In South Central Ontario
Nov. 8, Legally Blonde, The Musical at Marquee Theatrical Productions (Newmarket / Richmond Hill)
Nov. 9, The December Man (L'homme de decembre) at Durham Shoestring Performers (Oshawa)

In Southwestern Ontario
Nov. 9, Tom Sawyer at Elora Community Theatre (Fergus)
Nov. 9, The Secret Garden at Theatre Sarnia
Nov. 9, Waiting For The Parade at London Community Players

In Toronto
Nov. 7, My Name Is Asher Lev at TEATRON Toronto Jewish Theatre
Nov. 7, Romeo And Juliet at Hart House Theatre
Nov. 7, Saturday Sunday Monday at George Brown Theatre School
Nov. 7, The Little Years at Tarragon Theatre (in previews)
Nov. 8, The Death Of Me / My Narrator at NAGs Players
Nov. 11, The Arsonists at Canadian Stage (in previews)

In Central Ontario
Nov. 9, Honk! at Kempenfelt Community Players (Barrie)

In Eastern Ontario
Nov. 7, Where Poppies Blow at Salamander Theatre (Ottawa)
Nov. 8, thirsty at National Arts Centre—English Theatre (Ottawa) with previews from Nov. 5

For all the theatre currently playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to submit your listings, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Ontario Off Stage

Behind The Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• The Toronto Fringe Festival is having an Open House on Wednesday, November 7 for the Creation Lab—if you’re a creator and you don’t know about this space, this is a terrific opportunity to find out more.  Affordable hubs are hard to find.
• As reported in the Toronto Star: “Nobody wants to buy North York’s Toronto Centre for the Arts or the downtown St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, but the Sony Centre might be feasible.”

Conversations

• The Stratford Shakespeare Festival announced that they were re-branding back to Stratford Festival; Howard Sherman writes about the challenges of marketing and branding Shakespeare.

Migrations

• Nancy Webster, currently Managing Director of English Theatre at the National Arts Centre is returning to Young People’s Theatre in the role of Executive Director (PDF).
• Kate Ann Vandermeer is the new General Manager of Cahoots Theatre Company.

TO Toasts

• Congratulations to all of the recipients of the inaugural Tom Hendry Awards from Playwrights Guild of Canada—with a special tip of the hat to Michael Grant, winner of the New Comedy Award, and one of the playwrights published in our anthology Grassroots: Original Plays from Ontario Community Theatres; and to Norm Foster who was awarded a lifetime membership.
• PGC was also gracious enough to allow us to present the 2012 Maggie Bassett Award at the occasion—and Dave Carley’s acceptance speech can be seen on their YouTube channel.

Assembled by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

2012 Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture awarded to Heather Young

Theatre Ontario is thrilled to announce that the 2012 Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture has been awarded to Heather Young, in recognition of the value, insight and stability she has brought to the planning and management needs of over a hundred individual artists and organizations in the province and beyond.

“We had a difficult decision, as there were several outstanding candidates nominated for this year’s award,” said Peter Honeywell, Executive Director of the Council for the Arts in Ottawa, and chair of the 2012 Award Jury.

Heather has worked in the field of arts management for twenty-five years. Her experience includes leadership roles with a variety of arts and heritage service organizations, theatre and dance producing companies, galleries and museums, facilities, festivals and community organizations, in both professional and volunteer capacities. For two decades, Heather has taught accounting and financial management to diploma and continuing education students.  She founded Young Associates in 1993, and in 2005 published Finance for the Arts in Canada, a unique self-study guide, reference source and textbook for the accounting and finance functions in cultural organizations.

“I am honoured and humbled to join the company of outstanding managers and leaders who have received this award,” said Heather.  “It has been an absolute privilege for me to share in the evolution and development of the arts and culture sector in Ontario.  My clients and the amazing work they do has been my inspiration. I am grateful to Theatre Ontario and to the jury for this recognition.”

The award was presented to Heather on October 29, as part of Creative Trust’s Sunset Bash.  The Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture is presented annually to an individual or a collective whose initiative, activism, leadership, and service has contributed to the development and strengthening of arts and culture in Ontario through innovative and practical initiatives.  While Theatre Ontario donates administration for this award, it recognizes achievements in all artistic and cultural disciplines.  The award was established in 1998 by friends and colleagues of Ms. Tulloch on her retirement as Executive Director of Theatre Ontario.  This award pays tribute to the outstanding contribution that Sandra Tulloch has made to the arts in Ontario.

Read more about the Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture on the Theatre Ontario website

Browsing The Bulletin Board

• Is being a Board member of a theatre or cultural organization for you?  Register for Do You Want To Make A Difference? with Brenda Worsnop on November 16
• Suddenly you look around and realize that those running your organization represent a skilled, experienced and mature group.  What is going to happen when you don’t want the responsibility of running the organization, when all you want to do is create?  Register for Keeping Your Theatre/Arts Board Healthy with Cheryl Ewing on November 17
• Are you an actor? Set designer? Production manager? Technician? If you work in theatre and you don't already have one, you've probably asked yourself, “Do I really need a website?” This workshop will show you why the answer is an emphatic, “Yes you do!”  Register for The Why and How of a Successful Web Presence with Paul Snepsts on November 19
• Professional Theatre Training Program Talk Back and Mixer – Can you benefit from mentorship?  Looking to further or change your career?  Develop a new skill?  Mentoring through Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program might be for you.  RSVP for the Professional Theatre Training Program Talk Back and Mixer on November 20
• For actors beginning their professional careers, answering the most frequently asked questions about the business of acting.  Register for Getting Started for Actors with Tim Chapman on November 21
• For organizations to help identify where your social media content comes from, what voice you should use, what are the latest trends, and how it can assist rather than distract from the work.  Register for Social Media: Live Performance and Community Engagement for your Theatre Community with Michael Wheeler on November 27
• If you want to do a show but have never produced professionally before, and if you want to know what questions to ask first, this session is for you!  Register for Self-Start: The Basics of Producing with Tim Chapman on November 28
• A session for new performers covering the basics of the agent/performer relationship and some general business information.  Register for Ask an Agent with Alicia Jeffrey on November 28

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Deadline to submit for rock.paper.sistahz festival 12 from b current is tomorrow, October 31
• Artists’ Health Alliance is holding a workshop on Psychology of Performance, running November 3 in Toronto, with a discount for Theatre Ontario members
• Deadline to apply for the Toronto Fringe Festival Lottery, and for Culturally Diverse Artists Projects is November 5—and don’t forget about the Site-Specific Art Category, too

New on The Bulletin Board

• Jumblies Theatre is holding a seminar on November 22 on the Convergence Project—exploring the relationship between meditation, spirituality and community arts

Check out these items and all of our postings of workshops, calls for submission, and opportunities for recognition on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

ONstage Openings for the week of October 29

In Northeastern Ontario
Nov. 1, How It Works at Sudbury Theatre Centre

In South Central Ontario
Nov. 1, Frankenstein at The Oakville Players

In Southwestern Ontario
Nov. 1, Caught In The Net at Theatre Tillsonburg
Nov. 2, Job's Blues - A Blues Opera at Grey Wellingon Theatre Guild (Harriston)

In Toronto
Oct. 29, Aluna Cafe: Selections from Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz at Aluna Theatre
Oct. 31, Endgame at Soulpepper Theatre (currently in previews)
Nov. 1, Speaking In Tongues at Canadian Stage (with previews from Oct. 29)
Nov. 1, The Wizard Of Oz at Scarborough Music Theatre

In Central Ontario
Nov. 2, The Ghosts Of Aisne at Peterborough Theatre Guild

In Eastern Ontario
Nov. 2, Fly Me To The Moon at Great Canadian Theatre Company (Ottawa) with previews from Oct. 30
Nov. 2, Murder Me Always at Mississippi Mudds of Carleton Place

For all the theatre currently playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to submit your listings, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Recognizing Outstanding Contributions to Community Theatre in Eastern Ontario

Theatre Ontario is now inviting nominations for our 2013 Michael Spence Award for Contribution to Community Theatre.  This award honours an individual for his/her outstanding contribution to community theatre in his/her region over a sustained time.  It is now presented annually to an individual from the region that is hosting the Theatre Ontario Festival—which in 2013 is Eastern Ontario.

“Since 1997, we have been demonstrating our leadership in the Ontario community theatre sector by honouring outstanding leaders in their regions,” said Carol Beauchamp, Executive Director of Theatre Ontario.  “By increasing the frequency of the award, and involving the local theatres in the nominating process, we will continue to strengthen the profile of community theatre and its leaders in Ontario.”

The criteria for the award are:

• Sustained contribution to community theatre;
• Generosity of spirit, involvement, and commitment to community theatre that is legendary within his/her region, helping community theatre flourish.

Past recipients of the award are Joan McRae, Anne Wilson, Lillian Sievanen, Betty Coates, Sharon Sproule, Arlene Watson, Vince Mathewson, David Glover, Harry Houston, Hans Warmenhoven, Beth McMaster, Val Hadley, Maureen Lukie, Gabe Ferrazzo, Ken Stephen, Margaret Shearman, Lawrie Bonanno, Jo-anne Spitzer, and Walter Maskel.

The 2013 award will be presented to an individual from the Eastern Ontario community theatre region.  The Eastern Ontario community theatre region includes Northumberland County, the City of Kawartha Lakes, Haliburton County, Hastings County, Renfrew County, and all other municipalities eastward to the Quebec border.

The award was established in 1997 by Theatre Ontario on the occasion of Theatre Ontario's 25th Anniversary.  Multiple awards were presented on the quinquennial anniversaries of Theatre Ontario until 2012, when it became a single, annual award.  The award is named in honour of Michael Spence, the founding President of Theatre Ontario.  Michael was active in community theatre at Hart House Theatre, London Little Theatre, and the University Alumnae Dramatic Club (now known as Alumnae Theatre.)  He was a member of the Board of Governors of the Dominion Drama Festival, a past President of Arts Etobicoke, and continues to be an enthusiastic supporter of Theatre Ontario.

The deadline for nominations is January 31, 2013.

Read more about the Michael Spence Award for Contribution to Community Theatre, download the award guidelines, and nomination form on the Theatre Ontario website

Congratulatations to the 2013 Shaw Intern Directors

Theatre Ontario congratulates Rose Plotek of Toronto and Paul Van Dyck of Montreal who have been chosen as the Intern Directors for the 2013 Neil Munro Intern Directors Project at the Shaw Festival.

Each season, the Shaw Festival hires two Intern Directors.  They look for promising professional directors at a point in their career where an extended residency with a company like the Shaw Festival will be of benefit to their professional development.  Applicants have a good amount of professional experience but will not have had an opportunity to work on the scale of production that is characteristic of the Shaw Festival.  The Intern Directors work under the mentorship of the Directors of the Academy - the Shaw Festival’s professional development and public education wing.  Each Intern is assigned to two or three successive shows as an Assistant Director.  The “Director’s Project” is the culmination of the Intern Director’s season, and consists of a double-bill of two one-act plays directed by the two Intern Directors, chosen from the period of The Shaw’s original mandate.

Since its inception in 1988, the project has been sponsored annually by Sun Life Financial and Theatre Ontario.

Read more about Rose Plotek and Paul Van Dyck on the Theatre Ontario website

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Deadline for the 2013 Toronto Fringe New Play contest is October 26
• Artists’ Health Alliance in Toronto is running a workshop on October 27 on Vocal Fitness for Performers—focusing on healthy voice strategies; there is a workshop discount for Theatre Ontario members
• Deadline to apply to Direct for Alumnae Theatre’s New Ideas Festival in Toronto is October 27

New on The Bulletin Board

• The next Artists’ Health Alliance workshop will be on November 3, focusing on Psychology of Performance
• Latest call for OAC Theatre Creators applications is from Tarragon Theatre—their deadline is December 14, but they encourage submissions early as they often award grants as they receive expressions of interest

Check out these items and all of our postings of workshops, calls for submission, volunteer opportunities, and opportunities for recognition on Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board on our website

ONstage Openings for the week of October 22

In Eastern Ontario
Oct. 23, The Hollow at Ottawa Little Theatre

In Southwestern Ontario
Oct. 26, The Rocky Horror Show at Goderich Little Theatre

In Toronto
Oct. 24, Miss Caledonia at Tarragon Theatre (currently in previews)
Oct. 24, Political Mother at Canadian Stage
Oct. 25, Dinner With Goebbels at ACT II Studio Theatre
Oct. 25, My Boy Jack at East Side Players
Oct. 25, The Rocky Horror Show at Curtain Call Players
Oct. 26, Summerfolk at Ryerson Theatre School
Oct. 26, Alligator Pie at Soulpepper Theatre
Oct. 26, Endgame at Soulpepper Theatre (in previews)

For all the theatre currently playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to submit your listings, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Ontario Off Stage

Behind The Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• Canadian Actors’ Equity Council elections are underway for both the Ontario and Eastern Ontario And Outaouais regions; I’ve been told it’s a record number of candidates in Ontario, which I think speaks to a highly motivated and engaged community committed to an organization that is a vital part of our theatrical ecosystem

Conversations

• What’s the benchmark for using Twitter for customer service?  Rebecca Coleman explores some case studies of what companies have done (good and bad) that can inform theatres' use of this tool

Migrations

• Alisa Palmer is the new Artistic Director of the National Theatre School of Canada’s English Section

TO Toasts

• Congratulations to all of the nominees for the Ottawa’s Capital Critics’ Circle Awards
• Congratulations to Jeff Cummings, Production Manager at Young People’s Theatre in Toronto who received the DUX Award for Mentorship from Cultural Human Resources Canada

You can also receive news from Theatre Ontario every month by email.  (Unfortunately, due to technical problems at Constant Contact, our most current archives are not available, but you can catch up on some of our past issues.)

Assembled by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator