Ontario Off Stage

With tomorrow's Good Friday holiday, it’s a special Thursday edition of Ontario Off Stage.

Conversations

• Callam Rodya, Artistic Director of Encore Theatre Company, an indie company in Sudbury, wrote one of those blog posts that struck a chord with many: “Things I Wish I Had Been Told in Theatre School.”  As he remarked, his blog post needs a talent agent.
• The second debate in the Praxis Theatre / Theatre Centre Civil Debates series is tackling theatre boards: “Be it resolved that Boards of Directors have the right and responsibility to overrule the Artistic Direction of a theatre company.”  Debating in favour of the resolution are Franco Boni and Brendan Healy; debating against are Gideon Arthurs and Jini Stolk—four fantastic reasons to attend.  It’s on April 1, doors open at 7pm with the debate starting at 7:30pm.  If you’re in the unfortunate situation that you cannot attend in person (like I am), follow along at the #CivilDebates hashtag while lamenting that there won’t be a livestream or recording.  (UPDATE: Aislinn Ross has also written a post on Praxis about "how they came to a debate about arts boards" providing some context for the debate)
• Festival adjudicator (and past Summer Theatre Intensive instructor) John P. Kelly was interviewed on the Talking Theatre podcast about Irish theatre.

From The Wire

• City of Toronto Cultural Services has scheduled public consultations on spending priorities—dates are available on the Live With Culture website.
• It’s Equity Night in Ottawa on April 8, open to everyone in the theatre community.  While this is an opportunity for Equity members to ask questions about the new agreements and changes to insurance, this is also a chance for independent producers to learn how changes to agreements enable you to engage Equity members in your productions. This is also an occasion for non-members, permittees, apprentices and students (actors, directors, and stage managers) to ask questions about the new Equity joining process.

Migrations

• Nathan Medd is the new Managing Director of the National Arts Centre—English Theatre.

Assembled by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Happy World Theatre Day!  This year, the 2013 Canadian World Theatre Day message is written and read by Micheline Chevrier in both English and French.  The Canadian WTD message is commissioned each year by the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, the Playwright's Guild of Canada, and l'Association des théâtres francophones du Canada.

Registration is still open for these upcoming Theatre Ontario workshops:

• Social Media Connecting with an Audience Online tomorrow in Blyth – This is your opportunity to learn the whys and hows of a successful web presence, and how to market yourself and your organization effectively.  The morning session presented by Paul Snepsts will explore the Why and How of a Successful Web Presence, including some practical tips for getting your website started or upgraded.  The afternoon session presented by Michael Wheeler, will explore Social Media and Online Engagement and how best to engage with your audience, which social media options are best for you, including the latest in live blogging and tweeting.
• Playwriting: How to Self-Edit and Critique on April 5 to 7 in Toronto – Plays are not written in the first draft. Plays come to life in rewrites. But re-write how? What if we don't know how to move our work forward? What if we don't know how to critique our own work? What if we aren't sure how to process feedback from others? This workshop offers tools and techniques for playwrights who have a play “under construction.”
• PTTP Talkback and Mixer on April 8 in Toronto – Looking to further or change your career?  Develop a new skill?  Mentoring through Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program—funded by the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario—is a valuable way of learning from experienced professionals, benefiting from one-to-one guidance, making valuable connections and expanding your network and enhancing your career opportunities.  Come meet with past recipients Laura Nanni, Peter Pasyk, Tanisha Taitt, and Tim Chapman, our Professional Theatre Coordinator (and a past recipient himself.)
• Self-Start: The Basics of Producing on April 10 in Toronto – 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!  Self-Start is a practical seminar facilitated by Tim Chapman, Professional Theatre Coordinator.
• Check out all of our upcoming courses and workshops, including accessibility, our directors intensive, our summer courses, and more.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Driftwood Theatre proudly announces its first Creative Roots Intensive for Young Artists. This summer program will provide nurturing experiences for young artists to train in the three areas of performance particular to Driftwood’s work: classical text, a capella musical performance, and movement-based theatre.  The application deadline is April 1.
• The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts invites nominations for the Dora Ancillary Awards (Silver Ticket Award; Barbara Hamilton Memorial Award, honouring excellence and ambassadorship for the arts; George Luscombe Award for Mentorship in Theatre; Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award for Outstanding Leadership in Administration; and Pauline McGibbon Award for Unique Talents and Potential for Excellence); nomination deadline is April 1.

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

Welcome to the Talent Bank

By Anne Mooney, Community Theatre Coordinator

We at Theatre Ontario are proud to welcome the newest members of the Theatre Ontario Talent Bank.  Theatre Ontario's Talent Bank matches organizations (particularly community theatres and educational organizations) with professional theatre teachers and trainers for workshops, adjudications, and short-term consulting contracts.

From Ottawa, Laurie Fyffe joins us as a Creative Writing Instructor and an Administration and Audience Development Instructor.  Laurie’s plays have premiered at the Blyth Festival, Factory Theatre, and Tarragon Theatre (to name just a few) and she is the Director of Fundraising for the Ottawa Little Theatre.  She is a woman of many diverse talents to be sure.

I am always excited when Talent Bank members are more regionally focused and there is a London connection this year.  Colin Legge has returned from the West Coast to his home town of London and is new to the Acting Instructor category.  While not from London, Jack Grinhaus has been there for the last year as an apprentice Artistic Director at The Grand Theatre and joins us as an Acting and Movement Instructor and in the Directing Instructor-Drama category.

Charlotte Gowdy directed and taught Fanshawe College students in London as well.  Charlotte is the new Assistant Artistic Director at Thousand Islands Playhouse in Ganonoque, with responsibilities for the young company, education and outreach, and new play development.  She is a new member in the categories of Acting, Improvisation and Physical Theatre Instructor, and Directing Instructor (Drama).

Steven Thomas, from the Barrie area, is in all three Directing Instructor categories – Drama, Musicals and Opera.  Steven has worked with opera companies around the globe and for over ten years was the Artistic Director of Theatre Collingwood.

Children’s Theatre Instruction was a popular category with new members Ingrid Hansen, Alexandra Lent, Joanne Mitchell, and Autumn Smith joining the Talent Bank in this category.  Joanne Mitchell works with several children’s theatre groups in Toronto, including the Toronto Beaches Children’s Chorus and the Canadian Children’s Opera Company.  Alexandra Lent has worked for the Canadian Children’s Theatre Company.  Besides her extensive background with children’s theatre, Ingrid Hansen will be joining the Talent Bank in the Movement and Puppetry Instructor categories.  Ingrid has done puppetry work on television and has taught puppetry at the Pacific Film and Media Academy.  Autumn Smith also joins us in the Adjudicator category (she is adjudicating in the ACT-CO region for the second time this year), Acting Instructor, and Directing Instructor—Drama categories and will be leading our weekend Directors Intensive in April.  (You can read more about Autumn’s observations on directing.)

Janet Kish, with a long career in education and an extensive background with the Sears Drama Festival joins the Talent Bank as an Acting Instructor and Directing Instructor – Drama.   Susan Bourne, also with a long career in high school education, successfully completed a past Theatre Ontario Introduction to Adjudication course, adjudicated in ACT-CO, and is being added to the Adjudication Category.

Luciano Iogna, a long-time member of the Talent Bank in Directing and Improvisation categories, now also adds Creative Writing Instructor.  Luciano has an extensive body of work in Canada and in Europe. 
A large number of currently Talent Bank members were accepted into the newly revamped category of Play Polisher.  In community theatre, a play polisher will view a production in rehearsal and work with the director, cast and crew as they explore the play and will then give suggestions, advice and ideas to enhance the show.  Our play polishers include a large number of members of the Adjudication category.   New play polishers include Ron Cameron-Lewis, Rod Carley, Peter Feldman, Michael Hennessy, Dennis Johnson, Sandy McDonald, Mark Mooney, Lindsay Price, Bea Quarrie, Virginia Reh, Alan K. Sapp, and Terry Tweed.

You can find all of our Talent Bank members in their respective categories on our website, and also browse through “Workshops You Want”, our “online catalogue” of their workshops.

ONstage Openings for the week of March 25

In South Central Ontario
Mar. 28, The Producers at Oshawa Little Theatre

In Toronto
Mar. 25, Aluna Cafe: How Complex Being Is, or The Complex Of Being at Aluna Theatre
Mar. 25, True West at Soulpepper Theatre (in previews)
Mar. 26, La Ronde at Soulpepper Theatre (in previews)
Mar. 28, Rent at Lower Ossington Theatre
Mar. 30, Chile Con Carne at Alameda Theatre Company (in previews)

In Eastern Ontario
Mar. 26, Harvey at Kanata Theatre (Ottawa)

For more information on these shows and other theatre playing across Ontario, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Browsing The Bulletin Board

A few spaces are still available in the following upcoming workshops:

• So You Need Money For Your Project: Crowdfunding for Artists and Arts Organizations on March 25 at 6:30pm in Toronto – You’ve got the ideas. You’ve got the passion. You’ve got the drive. What you’re missing is the almighty dollar.  Grant writing and fundraising events are no longer your only options when it comes to finding money to get your project off the ground. Nancy Kenny introduces you to the wonderful world of crowdfunding.
• Canada's Anti-Spam Law: What Theatre Practitioners Need To Know on March 26 at 2:00pm in Toronto – Electronic marketing is one of the least expensive and most prolific ways for theatre practitioners to reach their audiences - to promote upcoming shows, provide ticket offers and solicit for volunteer and financial support.  Canada's new anti-spam law ("CASL"), which is expected to come into force this year, places considerable restrictions on the sending of commercial electronic messages.  This seminar will provide an overview of the requirements and penalties under CASL, and discuss examples of practical compliance methods.
• Getting Started for Actors on March 27 at 2:00pm in Toronto – For actors beginning their professional careers, answering the most frequently asked questions about the business of acting including the realities of showbiz, pictures and resumes, Equity and ACTRA, agents and casting directors, auditioning, and maintaining and improving your acting skills.
• Social Media Connecting with an Audience Online on March 28 in Blyth – This is your opportunity to learn the whys and hows of a successful web presence, and how to market yourself and your organization effectively.  The morning session presented by Paul Snepsts will explore the Why and How of a Successful Web Presence, including some practical tips for getting your website started or upgraded.  The afternoon session presented by Michael Wheeler, will explore Social Media and Online Engagement and how best to engage with your audience, which social media options are best for you, including the latest in live blogging and tweeting.
• Playwriting: How to Self-Edit and Critique on April 5 to 7 in Toronto – Plays are not written in the first draft. Plays come to life in rewrites. But re-write how? What if we don't know how to move our work forward? What if we don't know how to critique our own work? What if we aren't sure how to process feedback from others? This workshop offers tools and techniques for playwrights who have a play “under construction.”
• Check out all of our upcoming courses and workshops, including self-producing, directing, accessibility, and more.
• The deadline for nominations for the 2013-2014 Theatre Ontario Board of Directors is March 26.
• Our first two Theatre Ontario Festival 2013 productions have been chosen: Windsor's Theatre Intrigue (from the Western Ontario Drama League) presents Orphans by Dennis Kelly on May 16; and Espanola Little Theatre (from QUONTA in northeastern Ontario) presents Looking by Norm Foster on May 18; Festival tickets go on sale on April 8

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• The Toronto Fringe Festival Tent Talk in the Lab “Will I Ever Own a House? (Building a Sustainable Career in the Theatre)” is today at 11am
• CITT Ontario is holding a workshop on March 25 with Beth Kates, Ben Chaisson, and Emily Porter on QLab for designers, technicians, technical directors, production managers, and stage managers
• The deadline for nominations for PACT’s Mallory Gilbert Leadership Award 2013 is March 22, recognizing an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership within the Canadian theatre community
• The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts invites nominations for the Dora Ancillary Awards (Silver Ticket Award; Barbara Hamilton Memorial Award, honouring excellence and ambassadorship for the arts; George Luscombe Award for Mentorship in Theatre; and Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award for Outstanding Leadership in Administration); nomination deadline is April 1

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

Directing with an Ear to the Page

By Autumn Smith

For the longest time I have been examining my role as a director.  This digging has, at times, left me in an artistic purgatory.  I have contemplated the place of directorial vision and the complex nature of the rehearsal room.  I have tried to place my mark on the work: make it my own, be original, give it  The Autumn Smith Stamp™!  Then, it came to me….

Get out of the way.

Get out of the way and let the words do the work—my Aha! Moment. Who was I to impose onto the work of someone else? I was shocked with my own fraudulence.

My new goal: stay as true to the playwright’s intention as humanly possible. Tell the story and don’t let anything stand in its path. Let the words stand alone.

A massive weight was lifted. I could now concentrate on simply bringing the words to life. Armed with this knowledge, I went back to the text—I read it over and over again before entering the rehearsal room. I had a clear objective—with only one problem: How do I convey this message?

I took an acting class. I went and studied with a seasoned actor on the language of their craft. I got dirty. I challenged myself, as I had not acted in a long time, to drop into the moment and not worry about “ACTING.” By engaging the directing process this way, I learned to ask questions and more importantly, I learned to listen.

When I entered my next rehearsal as a director, I found that I was able to let go. I had found a trust in myself by placing my ear to the page. I was able to engage the actors with a more precise language. I was able to conduct.

Theatre Ontario’s Directors Intensive is meant for those who want to get out of their own way. It is for those who want to ask questions; for those who want to make their work more specific. We will engage the work from both sides of the table, using the knowledge from one side to inform the other. It is meant for those who want to play.

The Directors Intensive runs April 20 to 21.  Read more about Theatre Ontario’s Directors Intensive on our website

Autumn Smith is a director, dramturg and artist educator. For the past seven years she has been the Artistic Director of the Dora Award-winning company MacKenzieRo: The Irish Repertory Theatre Company of Canada. For MackenzieRo she co-created and directed Teacht I dTir: Voices from Ireland Park and The Rake’s Progress: Do You Know Where Tom Rakewell Is? Other MacKenzieRo credits include the Canadian premiere of The New Electric Ballroom and bedbound, which also toured to the world renowned Druid Theatre Company in Galway.  Autumn has also worked with companies including the Shaw Festival (Riders to the Sea), Theatre 20 (Bloodless-workshop), Foundry Theatre (The Heretic) and Roseneath Theatre (Chatroom.)  As an educator, Autumn has worked for the Tarragon Theatre, the Stratford Festival, the National Ballet, Equity Showcase Theatre, and Stagedoor Manor in Association with the American Theatre Wing.  Autumn also had the privilege of being the keynote speaker for Theatre Ontario’s Annual General Meeting.  She is also thrilled to be a regular adjudicator for the Sears Drama Festival, this year marking her fifth festival.  Autumn is a graduate of the Oxford School of Drama Conservatory Program.

ONstage Openings for the week of March 18

In Eastern Ontario
Mar. 19, Deathtrap at Ottawa Little Theatre

In Northeastern Ontario
Mar. 21, The Clockmaker at Sudbury Theatre Centre

In South Central Ontario
Mar. 21, Wife After Death at The Oakville Players
Mar. 21, Mame at Scugog Choral Society (Port Perry)
Mar. 22, Homechild at The Curtain Club (Richmond Hill) with a preview on Mar. 21
Mar. 22, Forests at Durham Shoestring Performers (Oshawa)
Mar. 22, Dude In The Nude at Mississauga Players

In Southwestern Ontario
Mar. 19, Mom's The Word—For Crying Out Loud at The Grand Theatre (London)
Mar. 23, The Forest In My Room at Carousel Players (St. Catharines) and on tour

In Toronto
Mar. 19, In This World / Other People's Children at Tarragon Theatre
Mar. 19, The Last Days Of Judas Iscariot at Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts
Mar. 21, This at Canadian Stage (with previews from Mar. 18)
Mar. 22, U of T Festival of Dance at Hart House Theatre

For more information on these shows and other theatre playing across Ontario, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Ontario Off Stage

Behind The Scenes At Ontario’s Theatres

• The first of the Praxis Theatre / Theatre Centre Civil Debates is tonight (March 15)—doors open at 7:00pm.  The resolution: Be it resolved that the Creative Cities theories serve to reinforce dominant class structures.

From The Wire

• The Stratford Shakespeare Festival is experimenting with gaming as a way of bringing new audiences to the theatre
• The “Working at Heights” health and safety guideline for live performance is now available online from the Ontario Ministry of Labour

Migrations

• Marion de Vries will be the new Artistic Director of the Blyth Festival

TO Toasts

• Krista Jackson was awarded the Gina Wilkinson Prize, honouring a female theatre artist who is transitioning from one theatre discipline (acting, stage managing, playwriting, administration, etc.) to that of directing.  Krista was one of the 2012 Neil Munro Intern Directors at the Shaw Festival

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

Assembled by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Indulge in your Passion for Theatre with our Summer Theatre Intensive

By Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Workshops are a terrific way to learn theatre skills, but there’s something special about the camaraderie of an intensive—the way shared exploration creates the kind of connections and collaboration that leads to great theatre.  Theatre Ontario’s Summer Theatre Intensive is our annual week away from all distractions to immerse yourself in theatre study—learning new skills, meeting people who share your passion, and flexing your creative muscles.  We invite you to join us and indulge your passion for theatre from August 11 to 17 in Waterloo.

My first experience at our Summer Theatre Intensive was as a student in the Advanced Scene Study course with John P. Kelly, Artistic Director of Seven Thirty Productions in Ottawa (and this year’s Festival adjudicator.)  That week was a life-changer for me artistically—whether it was exploring characterization using Stones In His Pockets or Betrayal, studying the power of space in A View From The Bridge and How The Other Half Loves, or just getting to play scenes from beloved plays like Translations and dream roles like Frankie And Johnny In The Claire De Lune.  I learned new techniques that I bring to my work as a director and actor.  In the evenings, we’d unwind with conversations and songs and trips to the theatre.  By the end of the week I was both exhausted from the experience and energized with an eagerness to put what I had learned into practice.  (Just writing this paragraph brings back so many fond memories, both of friends I haven’t seen in a long time, and of plays I want to explore again...)

For 2013, we have another terrific lineup of courses for you to choose from, featuring a mix of exciting new opportunities and returning favourites:

• Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Acting, with Tom Diamond
• Staging the Story: The Why and How of Directing, with Maja Ardal
• Instant Theatre: The Art of Improvisation, with Herbie Barnes
• You Got The Part! Audition and Rehearsal Techniques for the Actor, with Thom Currie
• Where There's a WILL, There's a WAY - A Path to Acting with Shakespeare, Text Study, and Performance, with Jack Wetherall

Your week includes accommodation and meals, a ticket to see Romeo And Juliet at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, and best of all, the opportunity to share your enthusiasm, experience, and passion for theatre, while meeting other like-minded, talented, and creative people.

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

Browsing The Bulletin Board

There is still time to register for many of our upcoming workshops:

• Grant Writing Information Session for Playwrights and Theatre Artists on March 21 at 6pm in Ottawa – Pat Bradley, Theatre Officer of the Ontario Arts Council, will 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
• So You Need Money For Your Project: Crowdfunding for Artists and Arts Organizations on March 25 at 6:30pm in Toronto – You’ve got the ideas. You’ve got the passion. You’ve got the drive. What you’re missing is the almighty dollar.  Grant writing and fundraising events are no longer your only options when it comes to finding money to get your project off the ground. Nancy Kenny introduces you to the wonderful world of crowdfunding.
• Canada's Anti-Spam Law: What Theatre Practitioners Need To Know on March 26 at 2:00pm in Toronto – Electronic marketing is one of the least expensive and most prolific ways for theatre practitioners to reach their audiences - to promote upcoming shows, provide ticket offers and solicit for volunteer and financial support.  Canada's new anti-spam law ("CASL"), which is expected to come into force this year, places considerable restrictions on the sending of commercial electronic messages.  This seminar will provide an overview of the requirements and penalties under CASL, and discuss examples of practical compliance methods.
• Check out all of our upcoming courses and workshops, including Getting Started for Actors in Toronto, Social Media Connecting with an Audience Online in Blyth, playwriting, directing, self-producing, and more

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• The next Toronto Fringe Festival Tent Talk in the Lab is “Will I Ever Own a House? (Building a Sustainable Career in the Theatre)” on March 20
• The deadline for nominations for PACT’s Mallory Gilbert Leadership Award 2013 is March 22, recognizing an individual who has demonstrated outstanding leadership within the Canadian theatre community

New on The Bulletin Board

• The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts invites nominations for the Dora Ancillary Awards (Silver Ticket Award; Barbara Hamilton Memorial Award, honouring excellence and ambassadorship for the arts; George Luscombe Award for Mentorship in Theatre; Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award for Outstanding Leadership in Administration; and Pauline McGibbon Award for Unique Talents and Potential for Excellence); nomination deadline is April 1
• Bottletree Productions 2013 One-Act Playwriting Competition is now open for entries.  There is an entry fee for this competition.  The deadline is November 30

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

PTTP Talkback and Mixer

Looking to further or change your career?  Develop a new skill?  Mentoring through Theatre Ontario's Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP), funded by the Ontario Arts Council, is a valuable way of:

• Learning from experienced professionals
• Benefiting from one-to-one guidance
• Making valuable connections and expanding your network
• Enhancing your career opportunities

Join us on Monday, April 8 from 5:30pm to 7:00pm for our PTTP Talkback and Mixer.  You will have the opportunity to network with:

• Laura Nanni - Current Rhubarb Festival Director.  Laura received a PTTP grant in November 2007 to train in artistic direction and producing with Franco Boni at the Theatre Centre in Toronto.
• Peter Pasyk - Recently named Urjo Kareda resident at Tarragon Theatre.  Peter received a PTTP grant in April 2009 to train in directing with Kim Blackwell at 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook.
• Tanisha Taitt - Director, arts educator, and playwright.  Tanisha received a PTTP grant in April 2011 to train in lighting design with Kimberly Purtell.
• Tim Chapman - Professional Theatre Coordinator at Theatre Ontario.  Tim administers the PTTP and will moderate the evening.  Tim also received a PTTP grant in 1980 to train in arts administration with Mallory Gilbert at Tarragon Theatre.

Read more about Theatre Ontario’s PTTP Talkback and Mixer on our website

ONstage Openings for the week of March 11

In Central Ontario
Mar. 14, The Farnsdale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society's Production of Macbeth at Huntsville Community Theatre Company

In Eastern Ontario
Mar. 12, Glee Club Confidential at Stirling Festival Theatre

In Northeastern Ontario
Mar. 12, The QUONTA Festival at Gateway Theatre Guild (North Bay)

In South Central Ontario
Mar. 14, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe at Peel Panto Players (Brampton)

In Southwestern Ontario
Mar. 11, The WODL Festival at Guelph Little Theatre
Mar. 15, I'll Be Back Before Midnight at Goderich Little Theatre

In Toronto
Mar. 15, Ching Chong Chinaman at fu-GEN Theatre Company (with previews from Mar. 12)
Mar. 15, The New Groundswell Festival at Nightwood Theatre
Mar. 16, Arigato, Tokyo at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (world premiere)

For more information on these shows and other theatre playing across Ontario, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Ontarians With Disabilities Act: Your Obligations to Employees and Audiences

By Sarah Farrell, J.D.

The Ontarians With Disabilities Act (the "Act") imposes Accessibility Standards that apply to all organizations with one or more employees in Ontario, who provide goods or services directly to the public—such as a play or a workshop—or to other organizations in Ontario.  This can include small not-for-profits, engagers, co-ops, and community theatres.  It is important for organizations to understand that many staff members are considered employees under the law, even if those organizations do not consider them to be employees.  Depending on the type of organization and the severity of the contravention, failure to comply with the requirements set out in the Act may result in penalties ranging from $200 to $15,000 per day.  Careful evaluation of the requirements set out under the Act, along with a review of your organization's current policies and possible barriers to accessibility, can help you come up with practical solutions to meet the Accessibility Standards and more importantly, to meet the various needs of your staff and audience members with disabilities in a conscientious and considerate way.

Among other things, the Act requires that organizations ensure they have effective hiring and employment policies in place to provide accommodation for applicants and employees with disabilities, and ensure that their websites and other communications meet the Act's Accessibility Standards.  Where applicable, organizations should also begin considering barriers to accessibility that may exist in their buildings.

The Act imposes Accessibility Standards for Customer Service on organizations.  The Accessibility Standards for Customer Service vary, depending on the number of employees employed by an organization.  All organizations were required to develop and implement accessibility plans and train their staff with respect to providing services to customers with disabilities.  Organizations with 20 or more employees were also required to provide the government of Ontario with a report on their progress by December 31, 2012.  The Act also imposes Accessibility Standards for Employment on organizations.  Among other things, organizations are required to let job applicants know that recruitment and hiring processes will be modified to accommodate their disabilities if requested, build employees’ accessibility needs into their human resources practices, and protect employees’ safety by providing them with individualized emergency response information.  Depending on the size of the organization, it may also be necessary to create a written process for developing and documenting individual accommodation plans for employees with disabilities.

The Act also imposes Accessibility Standards for Information and Communications that will require organizations, when requested, to provide accessible formats and communications supports as quickly as possible and at no additional cost (including feedback processes and  public emergency information.)  Depending on the size of the organization, it may also be necessary for websites and web content to be made accessible according to the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.  Ontario’s Building Code will eventually be revised to include requirements for enhancements to accessibility in buildings.  Where applicable, it is important for organizations to begin considering the physical barriers to accessibility that may exist in their buildings.

Join us for Theatre Ontario’s workshop “Ontarians With Disabilities Act: Your Obligations to Employees and Audiences” to learn more about the Accessibility Standards set out under the Act.

Sarah Farrell (www.sarahfarrell-law.com) is a Toronto-based entertainment lawyer who focuses on the law affecting theatre practitioners in Ontario.  The contents of this article do not constitute legal advice nor do they create a solicitor/client relationship between Sarah Farrell and the reader.  Each individual and organization will have its own specific concerns and circumstances that it will need to address when dealing with the issues set out in this article.  It is strongly recommended that the reader seek independent legal advice prior to following any course of action related to this article.  This article is not an exhaustive review of the topic set out herein and only provides a snapshot overview of some of the issues surrounding that topic.  Source: http://www.mcss.gov.on.ca/en/mcss/programs/accessibility/index.aspx

Browsing The Bulletin Board

We still have spaces in both of this week's workshops:

• What are Revenue Canada’s record keeping requirements? What expenses can you claim? What deductions are you allowed? How do you report your income? How does HST impact you?  Theatre Ontario's Taxes For Theatre Artists workshop with Sam Marinucci on March 7 will help you find the answers.
• Sometimes the hardest step in the playwriting process is the first. Where do I find inspiration? How do I develop an idea? What if my idea fizzles out halfway through?  Theatre Ontario's Playwriting: Idea to First Draft with Lindsay Price on March 9 takes you from the idea stage to confidently writing a first draft.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Toronto Fringe Festival is inviting applications for AlleyFringe (for artists with micro-plays that are staged in tents and sheds in the Fringe Club) and Visual Fringe (for visual artists, performance artists and all those in-between) - applications open today
• The Arts and Letter Club has extended the deadline for the New Playwright’s Award to April 15 – this award funds the creation of a one-act play script by full-time secondary or post-secondary student within the Greater Toronto Area

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

ONstage Openings for the week of March 4

In Toronto
Mar. 5, The Meme-ing Of Life at The Second City
Mar. 6, New Ideas Festival at Alumnae Theatre Company
Mar. 7, Iceland at Factory Theatre (currently in previews)
Mar. 7, Choreographic Works at Ryerson Theatre School
Mar. 7, M Butterfly at Scarborough Theatre Guild

In Southwestern Ontario
Mar. 6, Mary Poppins at Drayton Entertainment: Dunfield Theatre Cambridge

For more information on these shows and other theatre playing across Ontario, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Ontario Off Stage

Behind The Scenes At Ontario’s Theatres

• The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts is holding an open Indie Caucus event on March 6 at 7pm—as Aislinn Ross shares on praxistheatre.com, they’ll be talking about joint marketing initiatives, an indie mentoring program, and other issues anyone might bring to the table

Conversations

• “Art is not carpeting. It’s not sold by the foot.  The experience isn’t better or worse depending on the length of the show.” – from Sue Edworthy’s “You Can’t Spell Carpet Without A-R-T – but Art isn’t Carpet”

From The Wire

• Canadian Stage is hosting two free play readings of short plays by Oriza Hirata today and tomorrow at 4pm
• Heather Young, who received last year’s Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture, was profiled in Metro as one of the “faces of innovation in Canada”

Migrations

• Nina Lee Aquino and Nigel Shawn Williams were appointed as Co-Artistic Directors of Factory Theatre

TO Toasts

• Congratulations to all of the nominees for the 2012 Prix Rideau Awards
• Robert Lepage was awarded the tenth Glenn Gould Prize

Assembled by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator