Monday 22 December 2014

ONstage Openings for the weeks of December 22 and December 29

ONstage Opening in Toronto
The Conjuror at Soulpepper Theatre
Suleyman Fattah, Court Howlett-Ben, David Ben
Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann
In South Central Ontario
Dec. 23, Peter Pan at Burl-Oak Theatre Group (Oakville)

In Toronto
Dec. 30, The Conjuror at Soulpepper Theatre

In Eastern Ontario
Dec. 27, Fairy Tale Ending – The Big Bad Family Musical at Kanata Theatre (Ottawa)

ICYMI: Check out last week’s openings

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

Friday 19 December 2014

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters
Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres
Migrations
  • Theatre 20 has introduced their new leadership team: David Keeley (Artistic Director), Nora McLellan (Associate Artistic Director), and Brian Goldenberg (Executive Director)
  • Susan Moffat, formerly the Interim General Manager at Tarragon Theatre, has been named as the new Managing Director
You can also receive news from Theatre Ontario every month by email.  Our archives are online and the December issue is now available.

We’ll be away for the holidays for the next two weeks—back in 2015!

Wednesday 17 December 2014

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario
Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops

New on the Bulletin Board
  • The Playwrights Project Toronto now invites submissions for the 2015 Project, focusing on the works of Robertson Davies.  The submission deadline is February 2.
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 and job postings on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Tuesday 16 December 2014

Congratulation to Fall 2014 Youth Theatre Training Program Recipients

We are excited to announce the latest recipients of training grants through Theatre Ontario’s Youth Theatre Training Program (YTTP).  $22,500 was awarded in total among the following recipients:
  • Artists Mentoring Youth Project – AMY Spring Creation Program (Toronto)
  • Community Arts Guild – In Common Ground (Toronto/Nipissing First Nation)
  • Essential Collective Theatre – Playwriting for Youth (St. Catharines)
  • Festival Players of Prince Edward County – Festival Players Young Company (Picton)
  • Thinking Rock Community Arts – The Rivers Speak Project (Sault Ste. Marie/Blind River/Mississauga First Nation/Serpent River First Nation/Elliot Lake)
We are happy to be able to support these valuable programs, and we thank all those who applied.  Over $77,000 was requested during this application round.

The next application deadline for this program is March 16, 2015.

Read more about Theatre Ontario’s Youth Theatre Training Program

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

Monday 15 December 2014

ONstage Openings for the week of December 15

ONstage Opening in Toronto
Venus in Fur at Canadian Stage
Rick Miller and Carly Street
Photo by David Hou

In Toronto
Dec. 18, Venus in Fur at Canadian Stage

In Central Ontario
Dec. 19, Christmas Belles at Port Hope Festival Theatre

ICYMI: Check out last week’s openings

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

Friday 12 December 2014

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

Conversation Starters
Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres
In Case You Missed It

Thursday 11 December 2014

Join us at Theatre Ontario Next Generation Showcase

When: Sunday, January 18 and Monday, January 19, 2015

Where: Young Centre for the Performing Arts
Michael Young Theatre
50 Tank House Lane, Toronto

We warmly invite Directors, Artistic Directors, Producers, Casting Directors, Agents EIC signed or TAMAC members, and other Industry Professionals to join us for our annual showcase of graduating student talent.

For the first time, we will have electronic school kits hosted on Casting Workbook, which will be accessible on tablets, laptops, and smart phones before, during, and after the Showcase event (Wi-Fi is available in the venue).

In the days prior to the Showcase, all attending industry professionals will receive an email with links to each school’s page, containing the headshots and CVs of each performing student.  (Having a Casting Workbook account is not required to view these links.)

As this is a transition year, we will still have the traditional hardcopy school kits available at the event for those who want them. You will also still receive a hardcopy one-pager from each school with a listing of the students’ performance pieces, in order of presentation.

Any feedback or questions on this new initiative can be directed to Erin Keating, Program Coordinator,416.408.4556 x.12 or programs@theatreontario.org

R.S.V.P. to the Next Generation Showcase Required by Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Please call 416.408.4556 x.10 or email outreach@theatreontario.org

Join the conversation at #TOshowcase

Schedule of Events – Approximate Times
Lunch and Refreshments Provided

Sunday, January 18, 2015  
  • 9:00am - Industry Check-in
  • 9:30am - George Brown Theatre School
  • 10:20am - Ryerson University  
  • 11:35am - Sheridan / University of Toronto, Mississauga
  • 12:40pm - York University (MFA)
  • 1:10pm - York University (BFA)
  • 2:30pm - University of Windsor
  • 3:30pm - National Theatre School of Canada
  • 4:10pm - University of Alberta
  • 4:45pm - Canadore College  
  • 5:20pm - Humber College  
  • 6:00pm - Networking Party, Hosted by Soulpepper Theatre, Sponsored by Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts
  • 7:30pm - Panel Discussion – “The Business of Casting”, Sponsored by Casting Workbook
The Business of Casting at last year's Next Generation Showcase

Monday, January 19, 2015
  • 9:30am - Industry Check-In
  • 10:00am - New Faces
  • 11:00am - London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
  • 11:20am - Centre for Indigenous Theatre
  • 11:35am - St. Clair College
  • 1:15pm - St. Lawrence College
  • 2:30pm - Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts
  • 3:45pm - Sheridan Institute: Musical Theatre (Part I)
  • 4:45pm - Sheridan Institute: Musical Theatre (Part II)
  • 5:30pm - Networking Party, Sponsored by Sheridan College
Read more about Theatre Ontario's Next Generation Showcase

Thanks to our sponsors




Wednesday 10 December 2014

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario
Theatre Ontario's 2014 Youth Advisory Committee
Upcoming on The Bulletin Board
  • Deadline for applications to Theatre Passe Muraille’s next “Pitch Andy” session for artists interested in introducing their work to Artistic Director Andy McKim is December 11
  • Deadline for applications to direct for East Side Players 2015-2016 season is December 12
  • Deadline for applications to Odyssey Theatre’s OAC Theatre Creators Reserve is December 15
  • Deadline for applications to Alameda Theatre Company's OAC Theatre Creators Reserve is December 15
  • Deadline for nominations for the Gina Wilkinson Prize, recognizing experienced female theatre artists transitioning from another discipline into directing, is December 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 and job postings on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Tuesday 9 December 2014

PTTP Profiles: Exploring Projects Funded by the Professional Theatre Training Program

Eight individuals were chosen as recipients of Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program grants during our Spring 2014 application round.  This month we check-in with three of the projects.

Pam Patel is training in Artistic Direction with Majdi Bou-Matar at MT Space (Kitchener)


Wow! Where has the time gone? Summer and fall zipped by so quickly and it feels like only yesterday that I started my apprenticeship at MT Space. Flying from one project to another while keeping an eye on the “big picture” has kept things very exciting and busy. It feels pretty special knowing that I was a part of so much that happened over the past few months.

In August and September, I had the pleasure of coordinating and being a part of the touring team of MT Space’s latest production, Body 13. We traveled to the Prismatic Festival in Halifax, performed at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre and at University of Guelph, and ended our tour in Manitowaning on Manitoulin Island with Debajehmujig. Connecting with all of these groups was so valuable in learning what amazing opportunities can come out of collaborating with colleagues and fellow theatre companies. I look forward to implementing some of these ideas in the second half of my apprenticeship.

The team from The Last 15 Seconds
Majdi Bou-Matar and Pam Patel are in the centre.
I also experienced the ups and downs of coordinating a tour of our piece, The Last 15 Seconds, based on the events of a suicide attack that occurred in Jordan in 2005. We had the amazing opportunity to take the piece to Algeria this month, and so I worked with the team at MT Space to bring together the cast, coordinate a rehearsal schedule, make travel arrangements and look into visas. In the end, we collectively made the difficult decision of cancelling the tour due to recent events increasing the risk of travel to Algeria. Although it was a challenging journey, the experience taught me how to negotiate the needs of a theatre company with those of individuals, and most importantly, the true meaning of being a collective and a team. We listened to each other’s concerns with respect and support, and offered our honest opinions and ideas openly. I can only hope that every collective I work with in the future is like this.

Of course, the list goes on with what I’ve been up to at MT Space, including finalizing the second half of our season, accepting and filing submissions for our theatre festival IMPACT 15, and coordinating auditions for our upcoming production, Paradise. I am so grateful for how much space my mentor, Majdi Bou-Matar, has given me in offering my input and even taking on several tasks. I have experienced so much of what I expected, but I have also experienced a lot that I took for granted when I would watch Majdi work from afar. To be an artistic director like Majdi, one has to learn to be a certain type of person; a person that can make decisions on a whim and know when they need to delegate their work to others, and a person that can constantly monitor the crucial details without being too much of a perfectionist. To be an artistic director like Majdi is to be a parent to one’s theatre company and nurture it like your child, and so I hope to continue this apprenticeship with this in mind.

Thank you again, Theatre Ontario, for making this apprenticeship happen. Words cannot express my gratitude for this opportunity!

Madeleine Donohue trained in Producing and General Management with Monica Esteves and Eric Goldstein at Crow’s Theatre (Toronto)


I recently completed my training at Crow's Theatre in Toronto, working with Managing Director Monica Esteves and General Manager Eric Goldstein. My overall goals for this process were to enhance my existing skill set as a producer, which would aid me with my own self-produced work in the future, and also to gain a better understanding of the producer's role within a bigger organization, and within the theatre community at large. I'm happy to report that both of these goals were met, and that the experience was overwhelmingly gratifying on several levels.

Monica and Eric were incredibly supportive, patient, and welcoming throughout my stay with them, inviting me to participate in many different aspects of the company's operations. I shadowed Eric at rehearsals, fundraising events, readings and company meetings, assisting him with day-to-day company management tasks, which - I now know - vary widely and require considerable interpersonal skills, as well as managerial competence. One of my primary tasks was the preparation of artist contracts for various readings, workshops and productions, and I served as the company liaison for both PACT and CAEA. My experience contracting artists had thus far been limited to indie theatre work, so this was quite a different process than what I was used to, and I was pleased to learn a few "tricks of the trade" that both simplified and accelerated the process. I also coordinated scheduling, travel and accommodation arrangements for out-of-town artists, and again was lucky to benefit from Eric's experience in this area, finding new ways to work efficiently within a tight timeframe (and budget!)

I was invited to participate in marketing and fundraising meetings, in particular for the company's upcoming production of The Seagull, and I oversaw several aspects of the marketing campaign, while also maintaining the marketing calendar and updating the ever-changing to-do list. This provided me with valuable insight into the logistical and creative marketing challenges inherent to a production of this scale, and into the amount of time, work and collaboration required in order to maximize the potential of any budget. I also participated in the negotiation process between Crow's and a Toronto ad agency with whom they were partnering for the first time, and it was fascinating to sit in on creative presentations with both companies, watching as divergent ideas, personalities and perspectives came together to create a campaign that ultimately met their collective needs. I am pleased to say that I am staying on with Crow's for the next eight weeks, continuing to work part time on the Seagull marketing campaign. I look forward to witnessing the fruits of our labours, on the marketing and creative fronts, and to remaining a member of such a dynamic, inspiring team.

This experience did shed some light on my own long-term interests in producing and general management, and ultimately it helped me to realize that working within a larger company such as Crow's may not be the ideal fit for me. While I am grateful for the tools that will help me to contribute within this environment, I am more eager to use those same tools in my continued self-producing work, which is a more natural fit for my personality and creative interests. That said, I am thrilled to now consider myself suited to occasional contract work with other companies; while I'm certain that I would not- at this point- want to commit to a permanent position, I do still enjoy the work, and look forward to continuing to enhance my skills through occasional supportive roles on a project by project basis.

Shane Carty trained in Directing with Douglas Beattie at Pie in the Sky Theatre (Stratford)


When Doug and I first discussed the possibility of working together in this way, I told him that my greatest interest was in learning how he shapes his style of direction depending on the actor he’s working with.  In fact, I pursued Doug as a mentor because he is uncanny in his ability to guide actors of different styles and levels of experience toward the same goal.  He also somehow manages it with grace, good humour and most importantly, an equal respect for all involved.  I think it’s easy to be a bully and I’ve seen many directors employ that tactic, rarely with any kind of good result.  In conversation after rehearsals, Doug gave me many insights into the various ways he tries to draw the work out of his artists.  Without going into too much detail, in the end, Doug’s philosophy seems to be centred around making the rehearsal process not only about delivering results; rehearsal should be rewarding and an experience as valuable as the final public performance. In fact, I think rehearsals are in some key ways more important to him than the actual end result, especially when working on a new play. 

As an actor, it has been my experience with ever-shrinking rehearsal periods that the work is often a race to opening night. Even though on this project there were only two and a half weeks of rehearsal, I learned that an effort can successfully be made to provide the actors with a sense that there is time to work, especially if, as a director, one is sensitive to that artist’s needs.  It’s a huge demand on the director, finding a different vocabulary for each actor, but in this case, it certainly yielded greater and happier results than a blanket “tyranny” approach might.

It seems obvious, but it seems the work of a director - a good one - seems mostly about patience.  Patience, preparation and a dedication to the needs of his or her collaborators.  It was tremendously valuable to have the time to spend observing and talking with a director as experienced as Doug Beattie.  Many thanks to Theatre Ontario for the support.  I’m very grateful for the opportunity.

The next application deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program is March 2, 2015.

Read more about Theatre Ontario's Professional Theatre Training Program

Theatre Ontario’s Professional Theatre Training Program is funded by the Ontario Arts Council, an agency of the Government of Ontario.

Monday 8 December 2014

ONstage Openings for the week of December 8

In Eastern Ontario
Dec. 12, Alice Through the Looking-Glass at National Arts Centre—English Theatre (Ottawa), with previews from Dec. 9

In South Central Ontario
Dec. 11, The Beck Festival at Theatre Erindale (Mississauga)

In Toronto
ONstage Now Playing in South Central Ontario
Next to Normal at Theatre Aurora
Dec. 13, The Snow Queen at Solar Stage Children's Theatre
Dec. 13, The Naughty Listers at The Second City

In Central Ontario
Dec. 9, Babe the Sheep-Pig at Peterborough Theatre Guild
Dec. 12, Rent at Theatre Collingwood

ICYMI: Check out last week’s openings

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

Wednesday 3 December 2014

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario
Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board
New play development at Thousand Islands Playhouse
Charlotte Gowdy, Andrew Kushnir, Paul Dunn
Play Reading Week 2014 starts December 4
  • Thousand Islands Playhouse in Gananoque 2014 Play Reading Week of public readings from their Playwrights Unit is December 4 to 9
  • Ottawa Little Theatre’s acting workshop with R.H. Thomson “Telling the Story” is on December 6
  • Theatre Passe Muraille invites submissions for the next “Pitch Andy” sessions for artists to introduce their work to Artistic Director Andy McKim; submission deadline is December 11
  • Deadline for applications to direct for East Side Players 2015-2016 season is December 12
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 and job postings on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Monday 1 December 2014

ONstage Openings for the week of December 1

In Central Ontario
Dec. 3, James and the Giant Peach at Northumberland Players (Cobourg)
Dec. 5, It's A Wonderful Life: The Radio Play at Northumberland Players (Cobourg)

In Eastern Ontario
Dec. 4, Jack and The Beanstalk at Smiths Falls Community Theatre
ONstage Opening in Eastern Ontario
Jack and the Beanstalk at Smiths Falls Community Theatre
Dec. 6, Disney's Peter Pan, Jr. at Seaway Valley Theatre Company (Cornwall)

In Northeastern Ontario
Dec. 3, Bob's Your Elf at Sault Theatre Workshop (Sault Ste. Marie)

In South Central Ontario
Dec. 4, Next to Normal at Theatre Aurora
Dec. 4, The Giver at dancyn productions (Oshawa)

In Southwestern Ontario
Dec. 3, Mary Poppins at Theatre Aquarius (Hamilton)
Dec. 4, The Snow Queen at Registry Theatre (Kitchener)

In Toronto

Dec. 2, Curtains at Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts
Dec. 3, QueerCab at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
Dec. 6, A Christmas Carol at Solar Stage Children's Theatre
Dec. 7, #KanderAndEbb at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
ONstage Now Playing in Toronto
A Christmas Carol at Alexander Showcase Theatre

ICYMI: Check out last week’s openings

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