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