Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

We're saddened to hear of Debra McLauchlan’s sudden passing—a former Theatre Ontario Board member, member and past chair of the Youth Theatre Training Program jury, Chair of the Board of Carousel Players, and a voice for the arts well beyond her work teaching in the Faculty of Education at Brock University. Jane Gardner (GM of Carousel) described her as “a tireless advocate for the arts and the role it plays in schools and lifelong learning. She initiated many dynamic community-based partnerships that have linked educators with arts and heritage organizations in Niagara including Carousel Players, St. Catharines Museum, and Shaw Festival. Together with Carousel Players, Debra helped to launch the annual Norah Morgan Award to celebrate the contributions and achievements of elementary school teachers who have made a strong contribution to the arts in Niagara schools. Debra was a thoughtful, positive force and an inspiring mentor. The arts and education communities have lost a true ally and leader.”  Brock University also reflected on Debra’s to their community.

Conversation Starters

• Young Peoples Theatre’s Karen Gilodo (Associate Artistic Director) and Christopher Duthie (Apprentice Resident Artist Educator) discuss “disruptive” behaviour and the rules (or “non-rules”) in performance for young audiences.
• Is the new play development grass greener on the other side? Maggie Sulc describes her experience as an American playwright here in Canada.
• Several non-profit organizations and foundations have joined forces to fund arts criticism in Boston.

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• Perth welcomes the theatre community for the Eastern Ontario Drama League (EODL) One-Act Festival.
• Drayton Entertainment unveils their 2017 season.
• St. Marys Community Players completed major renovations of the historic Town Hall Theatre, funded by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, the Town of St. Marys, and the theatre itself.

TO Toasts

• ... to the recipients of the Playwrights Guild of Canada’s Tom Hendry Awards, including Lisa Codrington who won the Carol Bolt Award for Up the Garden Path.
• ... to director Nadia Ross, who was the recipient of the 2016 Siminovitch Prize in Theatre, and her chosen protegees Sarah Conn and Shaista Latif.

In Case You Missed It

• ONstage Openings this week in Cobourg, Peterborough, Ottawa, Perth, Timmins, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Newmarket, Georgetown, Oshawa, Tillsonburg, Elmira, Elora, and Toronto.
• Browsing Our Bulletin Board featuring an Intimacy for the Stage weekend intensive, acting and producing workshops, conferences, youth training and more.

I am away next week at the EODL One-Act Festival in Perth, but Ontario Off Stage will return on November 18.