Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Conversation Starters

• “There are other professions that require more focus; being an actor isn’t like being a surgeon or an air traffic controller. But few jobs require the level of presence that’s demanded of actors. Many of us go through our lives with all kinds of emotional distractions just below the surface: we have days where we’re dealing with family issues or relationship angst, or days where we just feel off. But actors can’t just feel sad or snippy or lethargic; they can’t be distracted. They have to get onstage and be someone else, without any of those emotions showing.” – Maija Kappler explores “Acting Normal” on Intermission.



The Three Sisters at Theatre@York

• Sophie Mercer shares her experience using American Sign Language in a bilingual production of Chekhov’s The Three Sisters at Theatre@York.
• Scott Walters’ latest strategy for becoming an independent artist on Creative Insubordination focuses on four “pillars” that need to be in alignment.

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• Are you an alum of Kempenfelt Community Players in Barrie? They are celebrating their 40th anniversary with a coffee table book, and are looking for members past and present to share their memories.
• Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa is creating a new Design Apprenticeship Program—and they are looking for emerging artists, students, and professionals alike to participate in a survey as they establish a model for the program.
• Lighthouse Festival Theatre in Port Dover was recognized by Playwrights Guild of Canada for their 2017 celebration of Canadian-written theatre.
• Keith Tomasek wrote about the 2016 Brickenden Awards for community and indie theatre in London.
• HowlRound has launched the World Theatre Map, a user-generated directory and real time map of the global theatre community. Are you on the map?

In Case You Missed It

• Two Festival Awards announcements—First, we are pleased to announce that the Theatre Ontario Festival’s Elsie Trophy will be presented for another ten years to the Outstanding Festival Production, through the generosity of the Western Ontario Drama League. Second, Theatre Ontario has removed the gendered categories of the Outstanding Performance awards at Festival.
• Browsing Our Bulletin Board, featuring webinars on grant writing and bringing your show to schools; workshops on de-mystifying dramaturgy, taxes, and self-producing; weekend intensives on auditioning and stage management; plus a directing internship for women in the National Capital Region, a community theatre directing opportunity in Richmond Hill, a playwriting unit in Gananoque, and more.
• ONstage Openings this week in Aylmer, Hamilton, Elmira, Toronto, Cookstown, Owen Sound, Orangeville, Midland, Belleville, Oshawa and Burlington—with many more shows now playing in communities across Ontario.