Thursday 27 September 2018

Stories from the Professional Theatre Training Program

Our Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP) offers financial support for unique and flexible training with a chosen mentor in any theatrical discipline (except performance.)

Today we feature four stories:
The next application deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program is October 1, 2018.


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

Stories from the Professional Theatre Training Program: Christine Horne

Our Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP) offers financial support for unique and flexible training with a chosen mentor in any theatrical discipline (except performance.)

Christine Horne training in directing with Eda Holmes at Canadian Stage in Toronto


(September 9, 2018)

A few days ago in rehearsal for The Children, I confessed to my mentor/director Eda Holmes that I was still trying to navigate when, as the assistant director, it was appropriate for me to speak up in the room and when it’d be wiser for me to just share my thoughts with her privately. “Be brave enough to look stupid,” she told me. Part of her job, she said, is risking saying the wrong thing.

That idea is perhaps what’s standing out to me the most when I reflect on our first two weeks of rehearsal (well, that and our Day 2 field trip to the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station). And I’m remembering that it’s why I was interested in working with Eda in the first place: the lack of ego. Say the thing, risk getting it wrong, and move on to the next thing. I’m such a dweller—if I feel I’ve gotten something wrong it’s really hard for me to shake—but Eda’s words are really encouraging to me.

I have spent most of our time watching and listening. As an actor, it’s been an adjustment to spend so much of a rehearsal day sitting still and being quiet, but I truly love it. The Children is an exquisite play, and the cast is phenomenal: Laurie Paton, Fiona Reid, and Geordie Johnson. What a gift to be able to sit back and watch them work. And I am fortunate that they are genuinely interested in what I have to say, and what I might be able to offer. I have felt very welcomed and respected in the room.

I’m really looking forward to moving into tech at the end of this week. I’ve learned a lot watching Eda work with the actors in the rehearsal hall and I’m so interested to see how she layers in working with the designers and technicians as we transition into the theatre. It’s always such an exciting time in the process for me and I love that I’ll get to be in the house watching it all come together from the outside.

It’s been an overwhelmingly positive experience so far. There is a lot of rigour in the work, but also a lot of laughter and joy. I can’t wait to see what the next few weeks bring.

Related Reading:



The next application deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program is October 1, 2018.

Learn 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.

Stories from the Professional Theatre Training Program: Thomas Alderson

Our Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP) offers financial support for unique and flexible training with a chosen mentor in any theatrical discipline (except performance.)

Thomas Alderson training in directing with Ashlie Corcoran at Arts Club Theatre Company in Vancouver BC


(August 18, 2018)  As I approach the half-way point of my experience at the Arts Club, I take time to reflect on the process of being mentored so far. I wrote in my first post that my main goal was to learn about the effective and positive ways in which a director communicates with their colleagues. So far, I have had a great inside look at just that.

I have had the good fortune to be included in productions meetings where each department brings up concerns and/or presents the ways in which their teams will bring (and are bringing) the designs to reality. I have witnessed Ashlie eloquently guide each department towards her vision. There is a willingness to compromise in all departments, and because of her passion for her vision and her respect for each member of the staff, everyone has an excitement about bringing each detail to life as authentically and polished as possible. It has been informative and inspirational to see the entire creative and production teams work so positively and passionately together with the common goal of excellence.

Another goal for this opportunity was to get a better sense of what is necessary in the pre-production process. I had a wonderful interview session with the production manager of the Arts Club, where he walked me through how their season works from play selection to budgeting to production. He gave me powerful insight to what he appreciates from a director, as far as being able to budget a show from early stages. The clearer the director’s vision from the beginning, the more the budget can be adjusted to create the desired outcome. The earlier the director and designer can have an idea about major concepts, tricky transitions, major setting locations, any major technical dreams, etc., the higher the likelihood of them being fully realized.

As we have now moved into rehearsal with actors, I have been able to witness how beneficial preparation on the director’s script work can be. We had a few days of table-work in which the actors were able to really get on the same page, before even beginning staging. This is due to Ashlie’s deep understanding of the play and her thorough preparatory work. During the weeks before rehearsal, I was able to help with Ashlie’s prep work, and she was gracious in sharing much of her research. Seeing this come into useful and practical application was a huge learning moment.

I am overjoyed to say that so far the mentorship has been exactly as I had hoped. As we move through rehearsal, I am making notes on the rehearsal process and directing tactics I am observing. As I go forward through the second half of this experience, I am excited to see how the show comes together from a story, staging, and performance perspective. Ashlie has been very open with me and I am eager to gain more insight as we look back on the rehearsal process when it comes to an end.

Related Reading:


The next application deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program is October 1, 2018.


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

Stories from the Professional Theatre Training Program: Stephanie Kast

Our Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP) offers financial support for unique and flexible training with a chosen mentor in any theatrical discipline (except performance.)

Stephanie Kast trained in writing and producing with Joshua Bainbridge in North Bay


(August 17, 2018)  I have officially finished my mentorship for Writing and Producing with Joshua Bainbridge.

I’m writing this on the last day of my mentorship because next week is going to be very busy. In North Bay, August is our Fringe Festival month. After the mentorship ends we run right into The Fringe Festival. What is exciting is I’m doing a read of the one-act version of the play I’ve written. I am doing this read with colleagues of mine. After weeks of working so hard on this I am thrilled to get responses and opinions from my peers and the community.

Here is the image for advertising purposes for my read: 


I learned a lot about producing through this mentorship. What was great is we focused on things that I was unsure about such as: budgeting, advertising and marketing. Closer to the end of our mentorship we ended up focusing heavily on the writing aspect of things.

Now that the mentorship is over, I am applying what I’ve learned from my mentorship to mount the reading of my play. Producing this for the North Bay Fringe will be quite different because it’s through a Festival setting, but I am confident that I will do it properly.

I was able to write a strong one-act play and I’m still in the process of editing the two-act version. I was hoping to get it finished by the end of this mentorship but these things take time and I’m okay with that. I learned a lot from Joshua through this mentorship. He was able to bring things out of my writing that I was nervous and hesitant on approaching. He made me realise that it’s okay to take risks in my writing; that it’s okay to push the boundaries of things.

Outside of this mentorship and outside of the Fringe Festival I fully intend to put the two-act version of this show up in North Bay. After a few more edits it will be ready for me to take on my first try at producing.

I want to send off and say how grateful I am for this experience. Being able to work with Joshua this closely on a piece of my work was amazing. I’m very honoured that he was so eager to work with me on a personal piece when he has so many other projects he is also working on. I am extremely happy with how this experience went and proud to call him my mentor.

Related Reading:

The next application deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program is October 1, 2018.


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

Stories from the Professional Theatre Training Program: Brendan McMurtry-Howlett

Our Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP) offers financial support for unique and flexible training with a chosen mentor in any theatrical discipline (except performance.)

Brendan McMurtry-Howlett begins training in artistic direction with Jillian Keiley at the National Arts Centre of Canada (NAC) in Ottawa


(September 19, 2018)

Hi there!

Brendan McMurtry-Howlett here, reporting on the preparations for my internship with Jillian Keiley at the NAC. I am a week away from heading to Ottawa to begin the internship in artistic direction. It has been a busy prep so far!

I have been in close communication with Jill and with Judi Pearl who is the Artistic Projects Coordinator for the English Theatre at the NAC and also some kind of half-human half-god when it comes to communication, organization and connecting all of the complicated dots of the NAC. We have gone over some of the scheduling and discussed some of the projects I’ll be taking on during my time with them. I get the sense I’m going to be VERY busy over the next four weeks. But I also get the sense it is going to be a rewarding relationship not only with Jill, but many of the team members who work closely with the Artistic Director making the whole organization fly. Jill and Judi have been very open and candid with me about the job. Jill refers often to the “Daily Dilemmas” of being an artistic leader—the responsibility to wrestle with the ethical and practical issues that come with the job.

The question of what I’m hoping to accomplish and learn with this time still feels very overwhelming when considering the time ahead and the scope of Jill’s job at the NAC. I hope to learn from Jill’s leadership style and the way she engages deeply with the larger questions of what it means to do theatre in Canada right now. I hope to learn how Jill approaches the balancing act between serving both the national community of theatre artists, and the local community of artists and audiences. I also hope to learn the practical details of daily operations for the AD—budgeting, marketing, programming, etc. and how those are executed within the context of a full staff.

I will be working closely with another intern during this time—Kate Smith. I believe we will be able to offer quite a bit in our short time with the NAC helping to tackle some of those “Daily Dilemmas” and hopefully contribute some lasting solutions to the work the NAC English Theatre does. I get the sense that each new day will bring many new adventures and I feel ready to roll with the punches as they come fast and furious.

Until next time!

Brendan

The next application deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program is October 1, 2018.


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

Wednesday 26 September 2018

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

Upcoming opportunities from Theatre Ontario, from our members, and from other arts service organizations.

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

ONstage Now Playing in Eastern Ontario
Shirley Valentine at Thousand Islands Playhouse (Gananoque)
Deborah Drakeford
Photo by Randy deKleine-Stimpson
The deadline for Thousand Islands Playhouse OAC
Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators is October 5.
  • The Shaw Festival’s “Play by Play” event for theatre lovers begins today in Niagara-on-the-Lake, while their “WW1 Weekend” in partnership with the Niagara Historical Society and Museums and Parks Canada begins September 29.
  • The Shaw Festival’s next Scene Study Sunday is on September 30.
  • Deadline for applications for the Ontario Arts Council’s Théâtre – projets francophones is October 3.
  • Deadline for applications for Thousand Islands Playhouse’s OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators is October 5.
  • Deadline for applications for Alumnae Theatre’s call for directors (community theatre non-paying) is October 5.

Check out these items, and other postings from our members.
Theatre Ontario individual members can also access Auditions, Job Postings and Discount Ticket Offers on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Monday 24 September 2018

ONstage Openings for the week of September 24

This week’s openings on Ontario’s stages
ONstage Now Playing in Southwestern Ontario
Prom Queen: The Musical at The Grand Theatre
Devon Dixon, Marcy Gallant and ensemble
Photo by Dahlia Katz


In Toronto

Sep. 24, Groundswell Festival 2018 from Nightwood Theatre
Sep. 27, Exit Laughing at Stage Centre Productions
Sep. 28, Sound of the Beast at Theatre Passe Muraille

In South Central Ontario

Sep. 27, It’s Only a Play at Burl-Oak Theatre Group (Oakville)

In Southwestern Ontario

Sep. 25, Dean & Jerry: What Might Have Been at Lighthouse Festival Theatre (Port Dover)
Sep. 27, Blood Relations at Kitchener-Waterloo Little 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 21 September 2018

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

Theatre Orangeville's production of The Birds and The Bees.
They are celebrating their 25th year this season.

In Case You Missed It


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

Thursday 20 September 2018

Welcome Carolee Mason as Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 Adjudicator

Carolee Mason
Theatre Ontario welcomes Carolee Mason as adjudicator for Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 in Richmond Hill. Carolee most recently adjudicated as the Western Ontario Drama League Festival preliminary adjudicator in 2017/18 and the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario (ACT-CO) Festival in 2015/16. This will be her first time adjudicating Theatre Ontario Festival, and marks the first Theatre Ontario Festival adjudicated by a graduate of Theatre Ontario’s Adjudicator Training Program, initiated in 2010.

Carolee has taught in the Theatre Department at Brock University, instructed practicing teachers and teacher candidates with the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, and has been the teacher/director of generations of high school drama students and countless community theatre groups. She is a frequent workshop leader with the Council of Drama and Dance Educators of Ontario, and has presented for drama educators internationally with the American Alliance of Theatre Educators and the International Drama and Education Association.

“Creative collaboration is one of the most engaging of human endeavours,” said Carolee. “Couple that with the spirit of community and discovery at the Theatre Ontario Festival, and the experience is heady! I am thrilled to adjudicate the 2019 Festival, to foster learning, and to celebrate achievements with my theatre colleagues from around the province.”


Theatre Ontario Festival 2019 will be held in Richmond Hill from May 15 to 19, 2019 and is co-hosted by Theatre Ontario, The Curtain Club, and the Association of Community Theatres—Central Ontario.

Wednesday 19 September 2018

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

Upcoming opportunities from Theatre Ontario, from our members, and from other arts service organizations.

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

Shaw Festival's Play by Play
  • Deadline to apply to the Ontario Arts Council’s Indigenous Arts Projects and Ontario Arts Presenters Projects is today.
  • Deadline to apply for Ontario Trillium Foundation Capital Grants is today.
  • The Shaw Festival’s “Play by Play” event for theatre lovers begins September 26 in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

New on The Bulletin Board

  • Grey Wellington Theatre Guild and SPARC – Supporting Performing Arts in Rural Communities – are hosting a “Regional Hub Mini-Symposium” community event in Harriston. Register by October 8 for the October 20 event.
  • Jumblies Theatre in Toronto is hosting their next Artfare Essentials training beginning October 28.
  • The 2019 AITA/IATA International Amateur Theatre Festival will be held in Saint John, New Brunswick from August 26 to September 1. The deadline for submissions is October 31, and the theme of the festival is Diversity.
  • South Simcoe Theatre in Cookstown is seeking submissions of new plays for their Four Play: A Showcase of Play Readings series. The deadline is November 30.
  • Great Canadian Theatre Company invites submissions for their OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators; their funding priorities are playwrights and collectives based in, or who originate from, Ottawa and the National Capital Region. The deadline is December 7.
  • The MT Space invites submissions for their OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators; their funding priorities are collectives / projects that will be developed by collectives; and creators who are working on non-script based physical forms. The deadline is December 7.
  • Theatre Direct invites submissions for their OAC Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators; their funding priority is work aimed at young audiences, in its early stages of research and development. The deadline is December 17.

Check out these items, and other postings from our members.
Theatre Ontario individual members can also access Auditions, Job Postings and Discount Ticket Offers on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Tuesday 18 September 2018

Stories from Summer Theatre Intensive 2018: Directing, From First Reading to Opening Night

by Maureen Lukie

For several years running, I used to go off to the adult version of summer camp—Theatre Ontario’s Summer Intensives on acting, directing and set design. Ten years later, I decided to do it again—I’ve directed quite a few plays but with each one, I find myself wishing I had more skills. Other than workshops like this, I’m self-taught—or rather, I’ve been taught informally by my experiences with other people.

Our class of 13 was filled with people with a wide range of experiences. Most didn’t have a lot of formal experience directing—they said—but came from backgrounds that made them ripe for the course: designers, producers, teachers, actors, all eager to know more about the craft, some facing the director’s chair in the coming season for the first time. People would preface their introductions with, ‘I haven’t done much’ and you’d discover that that they’d been in theatre for 20, 30 or 40 years (or more), that they’d put on shows that involved entire communities, that they had raised $40K for charity through performances, etc.! So, from the first introduction, the hint was there that we had a lot to learn from each other and from our instructor, Diana Leblanc, who has worked as an actress and director in the most stellar companies in the country.

Diana invited us all to work on Sharon Pollock’s Blood Relations, a speculation on the story of Lizzie Borden, who was acquitted of the brutal murder of her father and stepfather in 1902. Lizzie and her lover, an actress, in a kind of game, imagine events leading to the murders. Diana played Lizzie, directed by Martha Henry, at the Grand Theatre in London in 1988. There’s a range of characters that present challenges in terms of their dimension and their motives. It’s a meaty text!

The most instructive choice that Diana made was to put us all in the director’s chair—and the designer’s chair. We each took turns presenting our ideas as to what kind of a space we’d want to place the characters, how we would use it, what visual metaphors we’d use. Fourteen directors, fourteen points of view. We started stealing from each other, or building our ideas on sympathetic or inspiring insights from other people. As homework, we thought about how we saw lighting or we researched sound cues or music we might use. That wasn’t so that we could take over those roles, but so that we could expand our understanding of what spoke to us in the play and what its possibilities are. We chose scenes that we wanted to block or break down. A ‘director’ would choose actors from our class for a specific scene and work the scene in front of everyone else. The director would learn on their feet, and get to debrief afterwards. People opened themselves up and worked without a net, but with complete support. I never saw a group come to such an understanding of the play as a whole so fast! This method of working accelerated collaboration and ownership and made me think I might give my next actors a couple of rehearsals to just take the reins! I can tell you that you could not predict how a scene would turn out from the experience or background of the ‘director.’

Throughout our time together, Diana generously shared her own stories of directing or being directed, but put the emphasis on our learning through experience. One humbling bonus: in our last hours, we were all directed by Diana herself, in scenes from Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance.

Like many people in community theatre, I work all the time with people that I know and love, people who feel like a second family to me. I like to be open to working with new people, and I do so in every show—but it’s really unusual for me to work in a room where I don’t know anyone. It was so exciting! All week! It shakes up your role and your assumptions. And that’s why, by the end of the week, I was ready to come to back again next year.

One last thing: if you see a break-out of productions of Blood Relations throughout Ontario in the next few years, you’ll know why! (Unless we reunite to create one ‘super-production’…)

Related Reading

Monday 17 September 2018

ONstage Openings for the week of September 17

ONstage Now Playing in South Central Ontario
Waiting for the Parade at Theatre Burlington
Olivia Prunean, Janine Heaven, Barbara Pollard, Inese Hill
Photo by Rob Thorne
This week’s openings on Ontario’s stages

In Southwestern Ontario

Sep. 18, Prom Queen: The Musical at The Grand Theatre (London)
Sep. 20, Becky's New Car at London Community Players
Sep. 21, Legally Blonde The Musical at Theatre Sarnia
Sep. 21, Spider's Web at Theatre Aquarius (Hamilton) [with previews from Sep. 19]

In Toronto

Sep. 20, Gertrude and Alice at Buddies in Bad Times [currently in previews]
Sep. 21, Heathers: The Musical at Hart House Theatre
Sep. 21, The Importance of Being Earnest at Alumnae Theatre Company

In Central Ontario

Sep. 21, Mary's Wedding at Northumberland Players (Cobourg)
ONstage Now Playing in Eastern Ontario
A Comedy of Tenors at Domino Theatre (Kingston)
Debbie Baker, Jarret Hains, Patricia Whitlaw, Scott Arsenault
Photo by Grant Buckler

In Eastern Ontario

Sep. 19, The Last Five Years at Orpheus Musical Theatre Society (Ottawa)
Sep. 19, Aleck Bell: A Canadian Pop Rock Musical at Tweed & Company
Sep. 22, Shirley Valentine at Thousand Islands Playhouse (Gananoque) [with a preview on Sep. 21]

In South Central Ontario

Sep. 20, The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) at Theatre Aurora


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

Friday 14 September 2018

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Conversation Starters

Gertrude and Alice at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres


Migrations


TO Toasts


In Case You Missed It

Wednesday 12 September 2018

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

Upcoming opportunities from Theatre Ontario, from our members, and from other arts service organizations.

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

  • Deadline to apply to the Ontario Arts Council’s Artists in Communities and Schools Projects grant is September 13 and for Indigenous Arts Projects and Ontario Arts Presenters Projects is September 19.
  • Port Stanley Festival Theatre’s Playwrights Festival of free public readings, part of their new play development program, is on September 14 and 15.
  • Deadline to apply for Theatre Artist Residencies at Festival Players of Prince Edward County is September 15.
  • Deadline to apply for Ontario Trillium Foundation Capital Grants is September 19.

Check out these items, and other postings from our members.
Theatre Ontario individual members can also access Auditions, Job Postings and Discount Ticket Offers on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Tuesday 11 September 2018

Stories from the Summer Theatre Intensive: Hot Scenes

by Robin Bennett

After an eight-year hiatus from the Theatre Ontario Summer Theatre Intensive program, the stars aligned and I had an opportunity and the free time to join Brenda Kamino’s ‘Hot Scenes’ class for 2018.

Looking back over my notes from years past, I realized my first class was in 1996 with Steven Bush—twenty-two years ago. Wow!

I must confess, the same sense of excitement and anticipation from that first class overwhelmed me as I drove to Stratford on the Sunday afternoon. Actually, those feelings took me a bit by surprise. After all, shouldn’t I be a little jaded after twenty-five years of theatre? Apparently, and thankfully, not.

2018 is my thirteenth year of attending Theatre Ontario summer courses. What is left for me to learn? The answer, of course, is lots. Brenda, as always, is insightful and direct—working very hard, both in front of and behind the scenes, to prepare challenging work for her students, and setting and keeping the bar high. What a great class. Everyone was engaged and enthusiastic, the long days deeply involving as Brenda skillfully led us on a voyage of discovery.

I thoroughly enjoyed the working space at Factory163. A large converted furniture factory built in 1903, the patched wooden floors and rough-hewn beams exude character and lend an air of other-worldliness, perfect for nurturing the actor’s spirit.

Rachel Kennedy and Emily Acton, two of the hardest working folks in theatre, kept us all organized and up-to-the-minute with information and cheerful assistance. Unfazed by any circumstance, including an impending wedding to be hosted at Factory163, they bobbed and weaved, like flyweight boxers, overcoming all challenges in what seemed to be an effortless dance.

"Hot Scenes" class at Summer Theatre Intensive 2018
The meals were delicious, even though the caterer struggled a few times to find enough food to feed the voracious crowd. It’s amazing how many calories you burn during the week. With synapses firing on all cylinders for eighteen plus hours per day, our autonomic nervous system kicked into overdrive and away we went. My Fitbit was going crazy.

What are the ‘take-aways’ from the week? Well, I’ll be back again. My batteries were recharged and I emerged from the week with a renewed sense of purpose and enthusiasm. No small thing.

Many thanks to Brenda, to my fellow classmates and lovely scene partner, to new friends well-met, to Theatre Ontario and staff for continuing the summer program.

If you are reading this blog, mark your calendar for next year, join us, we’ll create magic.

Related Reading

Monday 10 September 2018

ONstage Openings for the week of September 10

ONstage Now Playing in South Central Ontario
A Bench in the Sun at Markham Little Theatre
John Sellens, Ray Porrill
This week’s openings on Ontario’s stages

In South Central Ontario

Sep. 14, The Best Brothers at The Curtain Club (Richmond Hill) [with a preview on Sep. 13]
Sep. 14, Waiting for the Parade at Theatre Burlington

In Southwestern Ontario

Sep. 13, Holiday Inn at Drayton Entertainment: Huron Country Playhouse (Grand Bend) [with a matinee preview]
Sep. 14, Shear Madness at Drayton Entertainment: St. Jacobs Schoolhouse Theatre [with previews from Sep. 12]

In Toronto

Sep. 13, Dr. Silver: A Celebration of Life from The Musical Stage Company
Sep. 13, I Call Myself Princess from Cahoots Theatre [currently in previews]
Sep. 15, Gertrude and Alice at Buddies in Bad Times [in previews]
ONstage Now Playing in Toronto
Crimes of the Heart at The Village Players, Bloor West
Julia Mather, Dan Bowers
Photo by Snapd

In Central Ontario

Sep. 11, Greater Tuna at Gravenhurst Opera House
Sep. 14, Kings & Queens of Country at Drayton Entertainment: King's Wharf Theatre (Penetanguishene) [with a preview on Sep. 13]

In Eastern Ontario

Sep. 13, The Virgin Trial at Great Canadian Theatre Company (Ottawa) [with previews from Sep. 11]


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

Friday 7 September 2018

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres


In Case You Missed It

Thursday 6 September 2018

Save the Date for the 25th Annual Next Generation Showcase

Theatre Ontario's Next Generation Showcase 2019 will be held on January 13th and 14th, 2019.

To celebrate 25 years of incredible talent, we are returning to the Jane Mallett Theatre at 27 Front St East in downtown Toronto.

Theatre Ontario’s Next Generation Showcase is an annual event that provides graduating students of post-secondary conservatory theatre training programs with the opportunity to audition for industry professionals. The event is attended by artistic directors, freelance directors, casting directors, and agents who are signed to the EIC or members of TAMAC.

Besides the students showcasing their talent in this iconic venue, we will also have several opportunities for students, faculty, and industry professionals to meet and network with each other at our nightly networking parties.


Students from Next Generation Showcase 2018 can also still access exclusive offers until December 31 through some of our past Showcase partners.

Wednesday 5 September 2018

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

Upcoming opportunities from Theatre Ontario, from our members, and from other arts service organizations.

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

  • Learn about the background and impetus behind the Intimacy for the Stage initiative at our free “What is Intimacy for the Stage?” recorded webinar with Siobhan Richardson, available on September 12.
  • Donate in support of your favourite team and Theatre Ontario at our 3rd Annual Bowl-a-Thon on September 15.
  • Answers to your FAQs about the business of acting—join us at our “Launching Your Career” workshop with Rachel Kennedy and guest Carly Chamberlain on September 19 in Toronto.
  • Professional development and networking for adjudicators of all experience levels—join us at our Adjudicators Symposium on September 22 in Toronto.
    Adjudication at Theatre Ontario Festival
    Our Adjudicators Symposium is on Sep 22 
  • Promote your performance to your audience—Join us at our “Marketing on a Dime” workshop with Izad Etemadi on September 24 in Toronto.
  • Learn the techniques and the language to stage human sexuality in a way that is professional, dynamic and focused on storytelling at our “Intimacy for the Stage” workshop with Siobhan Richardson on September 29 in Toronto.
  • Do you need financial support for professional mentorship in your career? Seeking funding for that career-changing/career-accelerating opportunity?  The deadline for our Professional Theatre Training Program is October 1.
  • What does an agent do and why should you have one? Join us for our “Ask an Agent” workshop with Michael L. Jackson on October 1 in Toronto.
  • Preparing an Ontario Arts Council application? Get the inside scoop at our free Grant Writing Information recorded webinar with Pat Bradley, available on October 2.
Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

  • Deadline for submissions of scripts and proposals for Alumnae Theatre’s New Ideas Festival in Toronto is today.
  • Deadline to register for Young People’s Theatre’s “Artist Educators Training” is September 7.
  • Deadline to apply to the National Theatre School’s call for submissions for Artistic Leadership Residencies is September 11.
  • Deadline to apply to the Ontario Arts Council’s Artists in Communities and Schools Projects grant is September 13.
  • Port Stanley Festival Theatre’s Playwrights Festival of free public readings, part of their new play development program, is on September 14 and 15.

New on The Bulletin Board

  • Thousand Islands Playhouse now invites submissions for their Ontario Arts Council Recommender Grant, with funding priorities to artists originating in Eastern Ontario, and exploring the history of their region or dealing with themes relevant to their community. The deadline is October 5.

Check out these items, and other postings from our members.
Theatre Ontario individual members can also access Auditions, Job Postings and Discount Ticket Offers on our Theatre Ontario Individual Member Resources on our website

Tuesday 4 September 2018

ONstage Openings for the week of September 4

ONstage Now Playing in Toronto
Sisters at Soulpepper Theatre
Laura Condlin, Kevin Bundy
Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann
This week’s openings on Ontario’s stages

In South Central Ontario

Sep. 5, A Bench in the Sun at Markham Little Theatre

In Southwestern Ontario

Sep. 6, Educating Rita at Lighthouse Festival Theatre (Port Dover) [with previews from Sep. 5]

In Toronto

Sep. 7, Crimes of the Heart at The Village Players, Bloor West Village
Sep. 7, Dear Charles at Scarborough Theatre Guild

ONstage Now Playing in Southwestern Ontario
1837: The Farmers' Revolt at Blyth Festival
Matthew Gin, Parmida Vand, Marcia Johnson,
Omar Alex Khan and Lorne Kennedy
Photo by Terry Manzo

In Eastern Ontario

Sep. 5, A Beautiful View at Festival Players of Prince Edward County (Wellington) [with a preview on Sep. 4]
Sep. 6, A Comedy of Tenors at Domino Theatre (Kingston)
Sep. 8, The Great Kooshog Lake Hollis McCauley Fishing Derby at Upper Canada Playhouse (Morrisburg)


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