ONstage Openings for the week of March 31

In South Central Ontario
Apr. 6, Ovation’s Show of Shows from Ovation Performing Arts Academy (Markham)

In Southwestern Ontario
Apr. 3, Hobson's Choice at Owen Sound Little Theatre
Apr. 3, Perfect Wedding at Simcoe Little Theatre
Apr. 4, Arms And The Man at Shaw Festival (Niagara-on-the-Lake) in previews
Apr. 4, Back to the 80s at Theatre Ancaster (Hamilton)
Apr. 4, Heart's Desire at Theatre Woodstock

In Toronto
Apr. 1, Stuff Happens at Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts
Apr. 1, Soliciting Temptation at Tarragon Theatre, in previews
Apr. 2, The Gigli Concert at Soulpepper Theatre (currently in previews)
Apr. 3, Maggie's Getting Married at NAGs Players
Apr. 3, Nuts at Scarborough Theatre Guild
Apr. 6, Belleville at Canadian Stage, in previews*

ONstage Now Playing in Waterloo
The Dover Road at Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre

Check out last week’s openings

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

Theatre Ontario individual members can access discount ticket offers for shows marked with an * asterisk

Read more about our discount tickets program

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Behind The Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• When are shows finished?  Phil Rickaby recently wrote a three-part analysis of the evolution of a monologue (Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3), while Nancy Kenny explored the evolution of her soon-to-be-touring Fringe show Roller Derby Saved My Soul
• Lessons Learned at Market Value, the Hamilton Arts Council’s attempt to publicly demonstrate artistic labour
• Marjorie Chan, Artistic Director of Cahoots Theatre Company, reflects on responses to their production of The Wanderers: Does all culturally-diverse work have to live in the same established aesthetic?

Kawa Ada and Dalal Badr in Cahoots Theatre's The Wanderers
Photo by Dahlia Katz

Conversation Starters

• What’s in a website?  Gwydion Suilebhan encourages theatres to go “back to basics” on HowlRound
• And a fun piece that has been circulating—Sam Mendes' “25 Rules For Directors"

From The Wire

• Michael Spence Award recipient Bev Dietrich was profiled in the Woolwich Observer

Migrations

• Jackie Maxwell will be continuing as Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival through the end of the 2016 season, and the search for her successor is now underway

TO Toasts

• Congratulations to Tim Jones, President and CEO of Artscape (and one of the first co-winners of the Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in Arts and Culture.)  He was selected as a Social Entrepreneur of the Year by the Schwab Foundation.  This prestigious international award honours outstanding achievements in social entrepreneurship, and is granted to some of the world’s most innovative organizational leaders.  As a new member of a global network of over 250 individuals from 60 countries, Mr. Jones will participate in year-round events including those associated with the World Economic Forum, and will connect with top business and political leaders, as well as other celebrated social entrepreneurs driving social innovation in various fields including education, health, environment and enterprise development.

In Case You Missed It

• World Theatre Day was celebrated on March 27
• Getting Started for Actors—On The Road!

Celebrating World Theatre Day 2014

From all of us at Theatre Ontario, we wish you a Happy World Theatre Day.  Today our work that is inherently local comes together globally as part of a world-wide community celebration.

Each year, the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, the Playwrights' Guild of Canada, and the Association des théâtres francophones du Canada commissions a Canadian World Theatre Day message.  This year's message was written by Mélanie Léger and translated by Chantal Bilodeau (PDF).

This year’s international message was from South African playwright, designer, director and installation maker Brett Bailey.

Echoing a wish from a favourite World Theatre Day reflection (written in 2012 by Travis Bedard on 2amtheatre.com), we wish you work that you are proud of, done for people who can see the you in it.  We wish you moments of inspiration that wake you from a stone cold sleep with a need to share it. We wish you connections to people who inspire you and challenge you to become the you you told yourself you would be some day. We wish you the words, the color, the texture, the sounds, the movement that finally helps you say the things you’ve been needing to say, and the space to say it in."

Getting Started for Actors – On the Road!

By Mairin Smit, Program Coordinator

One of the most exciting parts of my job as Program Coordinator is getting to meet and work with young and up-and-coming theatre artists as they step into the professional world. I love the energy and passion they bring to their craft, and I hope that through my work at Theatre Ontario I am able to help in some way to make their journey in theatre a success.

For these reasons, I always have a blast doing the “Getting Started for Actors” and “Self-Producing: The Basics” workshops for Theatre Ontario. It’s a wonderful way to connect with these emerging artists and to create a discussion around the joys and challenges of starting out in the theatre industry. I also think these workshops provide a valuable networking opportunity, allowing these artists to connect with each other and build relationships they can continue to grow in the ‘real world.’ When you’re starting out it’s great to know that you’re not alone and that others are going through the same challenges as you.

Mairin Smit, Theatre Ontario's Program Coordinator, from
her days as a student at the Drama Centre at the University
of Toronto (in The Robbers, with Marcel Dragonieiri)
Photo by Doug Hamilton

On Friday, March 14, I had the exciting opportunity of taking the Getting Started for Actors workshop to the Drama Centre at the University of Toronto. I spent a lightning-paced two hours discussing the ins-and-outs of beginning your acting career with a roomful of undergraduate theatre students in all years of study. Topics covered ranged from goal-setting to finances to resumes, photos and headshots to working with agents and joining professional associations. It was a lively session—with so many student questions, we began running short on time!

Joining me for this workshop was guest actor Claire Acott, who provided personal insights and stories on her experiences working in the theatre industry today. I feel it’s a huge bonus to bring current professionals into these workshops, as it’s great to hear real stories of how the skills and choices discussed in the workshop have played out in the career of a working artist. I also think it’s a great way to breakdown perceived barriers between professionals and those just starting out. It helps emerging artists realize that established artists are approachable and willing to connect. In fact, they were once ‘just starting out’ too and often jump at the chance to help others get over the hurdles they once faced themselves.

I would love to continue taking this workshop on the road and to engage with emerging artists from across the province. If you’re interested in bringing one of these workshops to your community or school, please feel free to contact me at 416.408.4556 x.12 or mairin@theatreontario.org.

Read more about Theatre Ontario’s Getting Started For Actors workshop
Read more about Theatre Ontario’s Self-Producing The Basics workshop

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

• Learn how to create the life that you deserve: Join us at our “Overcoming the ‘Starving Artist’ Syndrome” workshop with Lisa Phillips on March 30 in Toronto
• Our next Community Theatre Discussion Forums are in North Bay on April 12 and Peterborough on April 26
• Our next Grant Writing Information Session with Pat Bradley of the Ontario Arts Council will be in Ottawa on April 14
• Self-Producing: The Basics: Thinking of producing a show or starting a theatre company? Join us for this workshop with Mairin Smit and Guest Producer Scott Dermody on April 16 in Toronto
• Theatre Ontario Festival 2014 in Sarnia runs from May 14 to 18

Check out all of our upcoming courses and workshops, including Getting Started for Actors and our Summer Theatre Intensive

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Deadline to register for Canadian Stage's "The Silent Performer" workshop with Viktor Lukawski is March 28; this workshop is free to emerging artists and theatre students and runs April 4 and 5
• Deadline for submissions for the Arts and Letters Club New Playwrights Award is March 31, recognizing secondary and post-secondary student playwrights
• Deadline to apply to Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre’s “round-robin workshops” in all production areas is March 31
• Theatre Museum Canada is hosting “A Day In The Life of a Playwright” with Lisa Codrington, Michael Healey, and Sheldon Rosen on March 31



Humber College's Puppetry Intensive
Early-bird registration deadline is April 1

• Humber College’s Puppetry Intensive early-bird registration deadline is April 1
• Ontario Arts Council grant deadlines for Arts Education Organizations, Community and Multidisciplinary Arts Organizations, and Playwright Residency is April 1

New on The Bulletin Board

• Ottawa Little Theatre is holding a Scenic Design Workshop Series: Three workshops over three days—take all 3, take one, or mix and match.  The workshops begin with Introduction to the Art of Set Design on April 5
• Ottawa Little Theatre is also holding a workshop with Andy Massingham on Building a Character—Inside and Out on April 12
• Culture Days is now inviting individuals, organizations, groups and municipalities to register free interactive arts or cultural activities in your community during the next Culture Days on September 26, 27 and 28.  Early bird registrations are due April 30, and enters you into a draw to win a trip to the National Congress on Culture: Creating and Sustaining a Daily National Habit in May

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

Theatre Ontario individual members can also access auditions, job postings, and volunteer opportunities on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Welcome to Chris Hadfield, Theatre Ontario Festival Honourary Chair

Theatre Ontario Festival 2014 continues to grow as a showcase, a classroom, a celebration, and a destination. Theatre Ontario is thrilled to welcome Chris Hadfield as our Honourary Festival Chair for Theatre Ontario Festival 2014. Sarnia-born, he became an international icon during his time as Commander of the International Space Station, sharing commentary and images, and connecting audiences on Earth with the spectacle of space.

Chris Hadfield

"I would like to express my best wishes to all those attending, and especially to the competing community theatre groups. I would also like to extend my sincerest appreciation to Theatre Sarnia, the Western Ontario Drama League and to Theatre Ontario for organizing this wonderful festival. Their work has led to a long-standing and proud history in maintaining a high standard of excellence in community theatre. It is a delight to see so many people involved, and I hope everyone enjoys themselves immensely!"

Theatre Ontario Festival is a showcase of outstanding community theatre productions. Two of those productions have now been chosen from regional Festivals. On May 14, Festival opens with Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley, presented by Theatre Kent, representing the Western Ontario Drama League. This will be the first time this Chatham-Kent theatre company will participate in Theatre Ontario Festival.

On May 16, Gateway Theatre Guild travels from North Bay with their production of David Mamet’s Glengarry Glen Ross, representing QUONTA, the northeastern Ontario community theatre association. GTG last participated in Theatre Ontario Festival in 2010 in London, with a production of Waiting For Godot that won Outstanding Festival Production.

Our May 15 production from the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario and our May 17 production from the Eastern Ontario Drama League will both be announced after their respective Awards on April 5 and April 6.

Bea Quarrie

Theatre Ontario Festival is a classroom for passionate, dedicated community theatre artists. Each morning, our adjudicator Bea Quarrie will give a detailed adjudication of the previous evening’s performance, open to all Festival attendees to listen and learn. As an adjudicator, director, and performer, Bea has always believed in the transformative power of the arts. She has directed over 85 shows, some representing Canada at International Festivals in Japan, Germany, Aruba, and Venezuela, as well as in Canada. She has been active in educational, amateur, and professional theatre, served on regional, provincial, and national committees, arts councils, theatre companies and theatre service organizations. Bea will also be leading a workshop on "Director's Vision" on Friday, May 16.

David S. Craig

Playwright-in-Person brings together Canadian playwrights and the community. This year on Thursday, May 15, our Playwright-in-Person is David S. Craig, one of Canada’s most prolific and successful dramatists. He has written 29 professionally produced dramatic works including his hit comedy Having Hope at Home and the internationally acclaimed Danny, King of the Basement which has been seen by over half a million people in North America alone. Playwright-in-Person is made possible by a grant from the Playwrights Guild of Canada, funded by the Canada Council.

Theatre Ontario Festival is a celebration of excellence. After each performance, the audience gathers for the Green Room Parties to toast the company members and celebrate the accomplishments of bringing together a show at Festival. On Sunday morning, the annual Festival Awards will be presented, including the Elsie for Outstanding Festival Production. We will also be presenting this year's Michael Spence Award for Contribution to Community Theatre to Bev Dietrich of Elmira. As has become tradition, if you can’t make it to Sarnia, you can follow along with our Festival Live-Blog chat on the Theatre Ontario website.

Theatre Ontario Festival is a destination bringing together theatre lovers from across the province. This year marks the third time Theatre Ontario Festival has travelled to Blue Water Country. Located on the south shore of Lake Huron, just across the St. Clair River from Eastern Michigan, Sarnia combines small town friendliness and ease of transportation with big city amenities. In Lambton County you’ll find tropical blue waters with abundant soft sandy beaches, rare natural habitats, diverse agricultural offerings, and unique geological formations. Park-lined river banks provide a front row seat to watercraft of all kinds. From jet skis and yachts to fishing boats and shipping freighters, they’re located on one of the busiest international waterways. Inland attractions include a Canada’s First designation, where the industry’s birth left a rich legacy of Victorian era architecture, ambiance and historic sites. Scenic drives throughout the County reveal acres of fresh working farms, road side stands, markets and unspoiled green spaces.

Join us at Theatre Ontario Festival 2014!

ONstage Openings for the week of March 24

ONstage Opening in Kanata
Murder In Noirville at Kanata Theatre
Harold Swaffield, Cathy Dowsett, Peter Veale

In Eastern Ontario
Mar. 25, Murder In Noirville at Kanata Theatre (Ottawa)
Mar. 25, Drama At Inish at Ottawa Little Theatre
Mar. 28, Seeds at National Arts Centre—English Theatre (Ottawa) with previews from Mar. 26
Mar. 28, The Fox on the Fairway at Mississippi Mudds of Carleton Place

In Northeastern Ontario
Mar. 27, God of Carnage at Sudbury Theatre Centre

In South Central Ontario
Mar. 27, Into The Woods at Steppin' Out Theatrical Productions (Richmond Hill)
Mar. 28, Lenin's Embalmers at The Curtain Club (Richmond Hill) with a preview on Mar. 27*

In Southwestern Ontario
Mar. 27, The Dover Road at Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre
Mar. 27, Dib and Dob and The Journey Home on tour from Carousel Players in London

In Toronto
Mar. 25, Elegies: A Song Cycle at Acting Up Stage Theatre Company (currently in previews)
Mar. 26, Me Talking To Myself In The Future at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
Mar. 27, Minotaur at Young People's Theatre, with previews from Mar. 24 – world premiere
Mar. 27, Videocabaret's Trudeau And The FLQ at Soulpepper Theatre
Mar. 28, The Gigli Concert at Soulpepper Theatre, in previews
Mar. 30, The Company We Keep Cabaret at Theatre 20

In Central Ontario
Mar. 28, The Kitchen Witches at Blackhorse Village Players (Tottenham) with a preview on Mar. 26
Mar. 28, Elvis and Mavis at Theatre Orangeville, with a preview on Mar. 27

Check out last week’s openings

ONstage Now Touring
Dib and Dob and the Journey Home from Carousel Players
Daniel Pagett, Joshua Stodart
Photo by Barsin Aghajan

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

Theatre Ontario individual members can access discount ticket offers for shows marked with an * asterisk

Read more about our discount tickets program

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Behind The Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

The Theatre Centre's New Permanent Home
Photo by Zoe Sweet

• On Wednesday, I attended the grand opening of The Theatre Centre’s new permanent home in Toronto.  At arts organizations, we talk a lot about “how do we demonstrate the impact of what we do?”  Walking through the new building, seeing all of the people in attendance excited for the celebration, being part of an audience rising to its feet to give a standing ovation to Franco Boni as he walked up to the podium and before he said a single word—for me, that’s what impact looks like.  That’s showing, not telling.  Congratulations to everyone at The Theatre Centre who made it possible.
• Shaista Latif received a Professional Theatre Training Program grant to train in directing with Nina Lee Aquino.  She writes on the Buddies In Bad Times blog about her own story of migration and adaptation.

Conversation Starters

• Michael Wheeler wrote a terrific piece about the significance of The Theatre Centre’s new home on #CdnCultTimes.  “Success is possible without compromising values.”
• In The Greenroom has published another installment of “Start, Stop and Continue” inviting writers to identify what the Toronto theatre scene needs to prosper—contributors include D. Jeremy Smith of Driftwood Theatre (and Treasurer of Ontario Summer Theatre—formerly ASTRO), Tina Rasmussen, Holger Schott Syme, Claire Armstrong, Nina Kaye, and Drew O’Hara & Jade Douris
• As theatre companies announce seasons, and playwrights anxiously await telephone calls and emails, Gwydion Suilebhan suggests a way to think about this time not as “Rejection Season” but as “Acceptance Season”
• Diane Ragsdale wonders if arts organizations can be both art-focused and community-focused?
• A different approach for the post-show discussion with the playwright, from Douglas Howe on HowlRound

In Case You Missed It

• Gathering Together at the Theatre Ontario PTTP Grant Recipient Learning Circle

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

Gathering Together at the Theatre Ontario PTTP Grant Recipient Learning Circle

By Andrea Thring

While Canada feels very small with regards to the arts, the community can feel beyond reach at times. As an emerging artist or a person who is a newcomer to the community due to career change or epiphany, it can feel impossible to ‘break in.’  Personally, it has felt as if access was barely out of reach or just beyond a glass wall. I have often asked myself, “How do I get in there?”

The PTTP Learning Circle
(L to R) Sophia Fabiilli, Andrea Thring, Wesley Colford,
Luke LaRocque, Mairin Smit of Theatre Ontario, and
Annie LeFebvre (Skyping in from Ottawa)

The Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP) grant itself has offered a window into this world, and the Learning Circle I attended in March helped to open the window even more.  A diverse group of people, there was much for us to talk about. While our projects were quite different, our experiences seemed to be similar: stay at it, track people down, squeeze yourself in, and just keep showing up.

I came away from the gathering feeling refreshed and supported, but most of all I felt validated. The meeting confirmed hunches I have had over the years that have gone relatively unspoken. No matter the specialization, it’s rare for an arts-related career or project to have a clear and direct trajectory. Often our mentors are scrambling as much as we are, but on a different level. There is no clear course. While fast friendships are made, they are difficult to sustain over time. We are often on our own.

This last point is what made the learning circle such an important part of my PTTP experience, and as an emerging artist in general. For those two hours we weren’t on our own. It was exciting to sit at a table with ‘bigger picture’ artists, mainly people interested in artistic direction, general managing, and producing. Whether our conversations focused on wig design or door-to-door hustling for the Fringe, it was a delight to share my time with such interested people.

I look forward to the next gathering. It’s hard to say whether or not the others gleaned as much from the experience as I did. It may just be my background in community-engaged arts but I find get-togethers like this essential to keep motivated, keep at it, and keep reaching.

Andrea Thring trained in community-engaged theatre arts at Community Arts Guild with Beth Helmers

From another participant:

"The Professional Theatre Training Program was a unique and invaluable means of getting hands-on experience in an industry that is by nature experience-based. Having an opportunity to connect with current grant recipients was a fantastic way to share that experience while being reminded that sometimes the most unexpected challenges can in fact offer the greatest potential for growth. Hearing of similar disappointment in fields we have no control over, such as funding, served as inspiration to more fully appreciate the aspects we can control and the wealth of generosity within those special people who have taken on the role of 'mentor'."

Wesley Colford trained in producing and artistic direction at Small Wooden Shoe Theatre with Jacob Zimmer

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

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

Grant Writing Information Session with Pat Bradley
Coming to Ottawa on April 14

• Learn how to create the life that you deserve: Join us at our “Overcoming the ‘Starving Artist’ Syndrome” workshop with Lisa Phillips on March 30 in Toronto
• Our next Community Theatre Discussion Forums are in North Bay on April 12 and Peterborough on April 26
• Our next Grant Writing Information Session with Pat Bradley of the Ontario Arts Council will be in Ottawa on April 14
• Self-Producing: The Basics: Thinking of producing a show or starting a theatre company?  Join us for this workshop with Mairin Smit on April 16 in Toronto
• Theatre Ontario Festival 2014 in Sarnia runs from May 14 to 18.  Our first two productions are from Chatham (Theatre Kent presenting Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley, representing the Western Ontario Drama League) and North Bay (Gateway Theatre Guild presenting Glengarry Glen Ross by David Mamet, representing QUONTA)
• Experience a week away from all distractions and immerse yourself in a unique theatrical learning experience for performers and directors at our Summer Theatre Intensive, August 10 to 16 in Waterloo.

Check out all of our upcoming courses and workshops, including Getting Started for Actors

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Cahoots Theatre is running a workshop on "Playwriting Actively" with Marjorie Chan on March 22.  Participants will jump in with warm-ups, physical improvisation and group writing designed to spark the writing process. Learn the difference between writing for a dramatic form instead of for print.  Workshops includes a ticket to the matinee performance of The Wanderers.

New on The Bulletin Board

• KW Little Theatre is offering a free series of workshops on all-things-theatre, including directing, stage managing, acting, lighting, set and prop design, producing and all other details. The goal is to give people who are interested in theatre (but don't have too much experience) a chance to try out a bit of everything. The workshops will stretch across April through June, culminating in a set of productions put on by workshop participants where everyone gets to perform every role (round-robin style.)  Application deadline is March 31.

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

Theatre Ontario individual members can also access auditions, job postings, and volunteer opportunities on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

ONstage Openings for the week of March 17

In Central Ontario
Mar. 20, The Wakowski Brothers – A Canadian Vaudeville at Talk Is Free Theatre (Barrie)

ONstage Opening in Ottawa
Dancing With Rage at Great Canadian Theatre Company
Mary Walsh
Photo by The Collection Agency Entertainment

In Eastern Ontario
Mar. 20, Dancing With Rage at Great Canadian Theatre Company (Ottawa) with previews from Mar. 18
Mar. 21, God Of Carnage at Prince Edward Community Theatre (Picton)

In Northeastern Ontario
Mar. 21, Johnny And June at Theatre Cambrian (Sudbury)

In South Central Ontario
Mar. 20, Welfarewell at The Oakville Players
Mar. 21, Essay / USSR / Mexico City (staged reading) at Theatre 3x60 (Durham Region)
Mar. 23, The Incredible Speediness of Jamie Cavanaugh at Ovation Performing Arts Academy (Markham)

In Southwestern Ontario
Mar. 18, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at The Grand Theatre (London)
Mar. 22, dib and dob and the journey home at Carousel Players (St. Catharines)

In Toronto
Mar. 18, William Golding's Lord of the Flies at Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts
Mar. 19, Taking a Chance on Love at Stage Centre Productions
Mar. 19, Why Not Theatre's A Brimful Of Asha at Soulpepper Theatre

Check out last week’s openings
For more information on all the theatre playing across Ontario, visit Theatre Ontario’s ONstage theatre listings on our website.

Theatre Ontario individual members can access discount ticket offers
Read more about our discount tickets program

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Behind The Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

Christopher Charlesworth and Asier Ania
of HiveWire at the launch of the Toronto
Fringe Festival's FWYC-Fund What You Can

• The Toronto Fringe Festival has launched FWYC—Fund What You Can, a crowdfunding platform accessible to any indie artist or collective in any artistic discipline.  The site was designed by HiveWire, leaders in the crowdfunding industry, and funded by the Metcalf Foundation through the Creative Strategies Incubator Program

Conversation Starters

• Non-profit staff volunteering for your own organization: is this a risky proposition?
• Chantal Bilodeau is curating a “Canadian theatre salon” as part of TCG Circle’s World Theatre Day 2014 / Crossing Borders salon series (UPDATE: My apologies to TCG - I credited the wrong publisher in the original version of this post)
• On HowlRound: How do power dynamics influence the language of women directors?  Jess K. Smith calls for a revolution of language

Join Us at our Summer Theatre Intensive and Indulge your Passion for Theatre and Learning

Theatre Ontario is offering five exciting courses at this year’s Summer Theatre Intensive, running August 10 to 16 in Waterloo at Wilfrid Laurier University.  Experience a week away from all distractions and immerse yourself in a unique theatrical learning experience. You will learn new skills, meet passionate theatre people, enrich your theatre capacity, and flex your creative muscle!

This year you can choose from among the following courses:

For Performers

• Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Acting...and Then Some!, with Tom Diamond
• More Hot Scenes: Building Acting Technique, with Brenda Kamino
• Review your Revue: Creating a Musical Theatre Performance, with David Gale & Randy Vancourt

For Directors

• How Do I Make This Play Happen?: Directing for Beginners, with Thom Currie
• Whose Text Is It, Anyway? Adventurous Approaches to Performance, with John P. Kelly

Your Summer Theatre Intensive package includes buffet-style meals daily (including vegetarian fare), a single air-conditioned room in the Willison Residence, a performance at the Stratford Festival, a reading from a Canadian playwright, and the opportunity to share your enthusiasm, experience, and passion for theatre, while meeting other like-minded, talented, and creative people.

Register for Theatre Ontario’s Summer Theatre Intensive

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

• Deadline for nominations for our 2014-2015 Board of Directors is today
• Ontario Summer Theatre is hiring a Content Writer / Blogger - application deadline is March 14
• Deadline for applications for the Youth Theatre Training Program, offering financial support for programs led by professional theatre artists, which deliver accessible training to young people, is March 17
• Learn how to create the life that you deserve: Join us at our “Overcoming the ‘Starving Artist’ Syndrome” workshop with Lisa Phillips on March 30 in Toronto
• Our next Community Theatre Discussion Forums are in North Bay on April 12 and Peterborough on April 26

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

• Deadline for nominations for PACT’s Mallory Gilbert Leadership Award, honouring outstanding leadership in the Canadian theatre community, is today
• The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival has a number of free workshops and events this week, including the LOT Lounge Series of panels, an on-stage physicality workshop, and an intro to sketch comedy workshop
• Ontario Arts Council deadlines for Theatre Organizations and Multi and Integrated Arts is March 17

New on The Bulletin Board

• Natural Resources Canada has worked with ArtsBuild Ontario to customize a workshop specifically for arts facilities on Energy Conservation on March 26 - available both in-person in Toronto and live-streamed.
• The City of Toronto invites applications for the Culture Build Investment Program, providing matching funds to assist the City's not-for-profit cultural sector with financing for state of good repair capital projects. The program also provides funding for feasibility studies for projects that meet the criteria.  The application deadline is April 14.
• The Patrick Conner Award Committee is pleased to announce its Call for Submissions for the 2nd Annual Award. The award honours long-time collaborator Patrick Conner who passed away in December 2012, and seeks to carve a space to acknowledge the costs of integrity, honesty, generosity and belief.  The award straddles and unifies two worlds that were essential to Patrick: (i) theatre and (ii) sustainable living, including the sustainability of food production in our environment. This annual award honours two individuals from either or both of these disciplines with a cash prize of $2,500 each.  The deadline for applications is April 15.
• CCI - Ontario Presenting Network is pleased to announce that showcase submissions for Ontario Contact 2014 are now open.  This year Ontario Contact takes place from November 6 to 8 in Midland, Ontario.  Artists from different disciplines are invited to apply.  Deadline is April 15.

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

Theatre Ontario individual members can also access auditions, job postings, and volunteer opportunities on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Theatre Ontario Congratulates Bev Dietrich, Recipient of the 2014 Michael Spence Award

Theatre Ontario is thrilled to announce that the 2014 Michael Spence Award for Contribution to Community Theatre will be presented to Bev Dietrich of Elmira.  This award is presented by Theatre Ontario from the nomination by Elmira Theatre Company, and on the recommendation of the Western Ontario Drama League (WODL).  The award honours individuals for 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.  Bev will receive her award on May 18 at the Theatre Ontario Festival Awards Brunch in Sarnia.

Bev Dietrich has been a member of the Elmira Theatre Company (ETC) for over twenty-five years, working on over ninety shows as a stage manager, actor, co-director, and producer; as well as working front-of-house, parking cars, selling 50/50 tickets, and serving on the Board of Directors or chairing special events.  As a stage manager, she is renowned for her teamwork, organization, and sense of humour, and recognized for her vocal appreciation of every person involved in a production.  She has mentored many assistant stage managers, and helped build a strong core of capable and confident stage managers at ETC.  She has also been honoured with several awards for stage management at WODL Festivals.

She was instrumental in bringing the WODL Minifest to Elmira for the first time in 2009, and exposing the community to the educational opportunities of that unique one-act community theatre festival.  She has been a member of the WODL Board of Directors for the past three years, currently serving as Chair of the WODL Minifest, and has been ETC’s representative to the WODL Board over the last ten years.  She has also been a regular attendee at Theatre Ontario’s Summer Theatre Intensive for many years, always returning to ETC to share her learnings and encourage others to attend these courses.

“I cannot begin to express my gratitude in being nominated and chosen for this award,” said Bev.  “It is a true honour and I am thrilled, but at the same time very humble to be part of such a distinguished group of award winners.”

The Michael Spence Award honours legendary contributions to community theatre in Ontario, and is named after 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 he continues to be an enthusiastic supporter of Theatre Ontario.

Read more about Theatre Ontario's Michael Spence Award for Contribution to Community Theatre

ONstage Openings for the week of March 10

In Toronto
Mar. 12, New Ideas Festival at Alumnae Theatre Company
Mar. 13, The Carousel at Nightwood Theatre, with previews from Mar. 11

In Northeastern Ontario
Mar.12, QUONTA Festival in Sault Ste. Marie

In Northwestern Ontario
Mar. 13, Red at Magnus Theatre (Thunder Bay)

In South Central Ontario
Mar. 13, The Wizard Of Oz at Peel Panto Players (Brampton)
Mar. 13, The Rover at Theatre Erindale (Mississauga)

In Southwestern Ontario
Mar. 10, Western Ontario Drama League Festival in Windsor
Mar. 12, I'll Be Back Before Midnight at Drayton Entertainment: St. Jacobs Country Playhouse
Mar. 14, Cabaret at Theatre Aquarius (Hamilton) with previews from Mar. 12

ONstage Now Playing in Toronto
Cahoots Theatre's The Wanderers at Buddies In Bad Times Theatre
Kawa Ada and Dalal Badr
Photo by Dahlia Katz

Check out last week’s openings

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

Theatre Ontario individual members can access discount ticket offers

Read more about our discount tickets program

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Charlotte Gowdy

TO Toasts

• Congratulations to the short list of nominees for the 2014 Gina Wilkinson Prize, including Charlotte Gowdy and Elizabeth Saunders who are both past recipients of Professional Theatre Training Program grants.  (Charlotte is also a member of the Theatre Ontario Talent Bank of theatre instructors)  The prize honours a female theatre artist who is making the transition to directing from another theatre discipline.

From The Wire

• Kelly Nestruck explores "the Canadian pipeline" at our regional theatres in The Globe & Mail

Conversation Starters

Elizabeth Saunders

• Andrew Taylor argues persuasively on The Artful Manager that structure matters—how well do you understand your organization’s physical structure, capital structure, and organizational structure?
• The business case for radical hospitality and no-cost access to theatre, and the pragmatics of how it works at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota, from HowlRound

In Case You Missed It

• Get to the Know the Theatre Ontario Youth Advisory Committee
• Ontario Summer Theatre is hiring a Content Writer/Blogger

Congratulations to Independent Theatre Creators International Training Scholarship Recipients

Theatre Ontario and Why Not Theatre congratulate Colin Bruce Anthes and Miriam Fernandes, who have been chosen as the recipients of the inaugural Independent Theatre Creators International Training Scholarship.  The Scholarship allows for two emerging artists to train with Anne Bogart and the SITI Company for one month in Suzuki, Viewpoints, and directing and devising new work.  The Scholarship is a partnership between Theatre Ontario and Why Not Theatre, sponsored by Nekison Engineering and Contractors Ltd. and funds have been matched by artsVest Toronto.  artsVest Toronto is run by Business For The Arts with the support of Canadian Heritage and the Toronto Arts Council..

Colin Bruce Anthes trained in the theatre performance program at Humber College, where he graduated (class of 2009) with the Humber Theatre Award for Outstanding Achievement, and played the title role in Pentheus to critical acclaim in the National Post. In 2009, along with composer Tom DiMartino, he formed Twitches & Itches Theatre: a multi-disciplinary emerging artist company creating original works that explore the art of storytelling through experimental methods. Twitches & Itches has subsequently produced annually, garnering critical acclaim and arts council funding along the way. Colin has played lead roles with a dozen theatre and film companies, including an intercultural Romeo in Mozambique with Shakespeare Link Canada, and Ed in Banquo’s Banquet’s fringe hit Trudeautopia (4 stars, EYE Weekly). This April, he will complete a combined honours degree in dramatic art/psychology with a minor in philosophy from Brock University, where he has received academic awards from all three concentrations. Colin is a proud member of the vibrant performing arts scene in St. Catharines, where, in addition to his work with Twitches & Itches, he is secretary of the board for the Essential Collective Theatre.

Miriam Fernandes is a Toronto-based actor, creator, and arts educator.  Acting credits include:  Hamlet (Shakespeare in Action), The Biographer (Tango Co.), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Speakeasy Productions), The Bundle (Edward Bond Festival), and Macbeth (The Classical Theatre Projects). Miriam has worked in various capacities with Soulpepper Theatre Company, Groundwater Productions, and Roseneath Theatre and served on the board of directors for Volcano Theatre.  She is currently an artist in residence at Theatre Passe Muraille where she is developing her first one-woman show, Cat and Mouse.  In September of 2011, Miriam co-founded The Pomegranate Project with Sarah Brose.  The Pomegranate Project is an arts education initiative that connects students in Toronto to students in Mumbai, India through dance, theatre, and filmmaking.  The Project focuses on the themes of peace, community, and connection.  Miriam is a graduate of York University’s Acting Conservatory program and has studied at Ecole Philipe Gaulier.

This Scholarship program is designed to address the need for theatre artists to access more contemporary artistic training opportunities and to encourage artists to set the stage for the future of theatre and performance creation in Ontario, by having the opportunity to experience high caliber international training.  The scholarship includes course training and application fees, accommodation for the training period, and a travel allowance.

SITI was founded in 1992 by Anne Bogart and Tadashi Suzuki to redefine and revitalize contemporary theatre in the United States through an emphasis on international cultural exchange and collaboration. For the past 22 years, their impact can be seen on theatre creators around the world.

Read more about Theatre Ontario and Why Not Theatre’s Independent Theatre Creators International Training Scholarship

Browsing The Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

• Deadline for nominations for our 2014-2015 Board of Directors is March 12
• Deadline for applications for the Youth Theatre Training Program, offering financial support for programs led by professional theatre artists, which deliver accessible training to young people, is March 17

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

Buddies In Bad Times' Pride Cab

• Application deadline for Buddies In Bad Times’ PrideCab for queer youth interested in collaborative creation is March 7
• "Dissecting the Audition with the Double Divas" runs March 8 and 9
• Deadline for nominations for PACT’s Mallory Gilbert Leadership Award, honouring outstanding leadership in the Canadian theatre community, is March 12

New on The Bulletin Board

• The Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival has a number of free workshops and events, including the panels that make up the LOT Lounge Series, a panel featuring the creators of Slings & Arrows, an on-stage physicality workshop, and an intro to sketch comedy workshop; running March 9 to 16

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

Theatre Ontario individual members can also access auditions, job postings, and volunteer opportunities on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Get to know the Youth Advisory Committee

By Marilee D’Arceuil and Sarah Siddiqui, Youth Advisory Committee Co-Chairs

Have you been at the Theatre Ontario offices and noticed the pitter patter of little feet and gotten a contact high from our creative energies? Chances are you came into contact with a YAC’er and (drumroll) we are contagious. “But who is a YAC’er and what is the YAC?” you ask with great suspicion. We are the new kid on the block, a committee of young voices, young insight, and lots of enthusiasm! Theatre Ontario realized that while much youth programming has been offered over the years there was a need to provide avenues for the views of youth. The vision and reality of youth experiences are necessary in shaping and defining the present and future of theatre. From this realization the youth engagement strategy was created and a Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) was born to help shape and guide the implementation of Theatre Ontario’s youth engagement strategy.

The Youth Advisory Committee: Julie Matheson, Alison Beckwith,
Marilee D'Arceuil, Sarah Siddiqui, Madeline Smith
(Not pictured: Rebecca Ballarin and Ray Jacildo)

The YAC consists of some amazing and enthusiastic students and theatre performers, all of whom are lovers of everything theatre. Us whippersnappers are in the process of finding the pulse of youth theatre by meeting with various theatre companies and arts organizations that offer theatre programming to youth, specifically marginalized youth. We hope to gain insight into the existing service gaps in theatre programming for marginalized youth, and fill those gaps with great collaborative projects, programming, and increased resource sharing across the province.

The sky is the limit for us as we explore alternative formats to traditional theatre and theatre programming, so watch out! Exciting things are to come, and if you have any dreams or crazy creative theatre projects, programming, or ideas that fit our mandate do share them with us. If you want to learn more about us and what we’re up to feel free to contact us. We’re always open to creative chats over coffee or tea. The more mentoring and insight we can get into youth theatre and programming the better. We look forward to working collaboratively with Theatre Ontario to inspire and support the next generation of youth to drive and define the future of theatre across the province.

Mairin Smit, Program Coordinator, is the Theatre Ontario staff liaison for the YAC at mairin@theatreontario.org or 416.408.4556 x.12.

ONstage Openings for the week of March 3

In Southwestern Ontario
Mar. 5, Twist And Shout: The British Invasion at Drayton Entertainment: Dunfield Theatre Cambridge

ONstage Now Playing in Toronto
Marion Bridge at Bloor West Village Players
Anne van Leeuwen, Michelle D'Alessandro Hatt
Photo by Robert Rayfield

In Toronto
Mar. 4, Lungs at Tarragon Theatre, currently in previews
Mar. 4, In Spirit at Native Earth Performing Arts
Mar. 4, Where The Wild Things Are at Young People's Theatre
Mar. 5, Marry Me A Little at Tarragon Theatre, currently in previews
Mar. 7, 6 Essential Questions at Factory Theatre, currently in previews*
Mar. 7, The Wanderers at Cahoots Theatre Company / Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, currently in previews
Mar. 7, The Winslow Boy at Scarborough Players

Check out last week’s openings

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

Theatre Ontario individual members can access discount ticket offers for shows marked with an * asterisk

Read more about our discount tickets program