Thursday 31 January 2019

Stories from Next Generation Showcase: A Weekend to Remember

by Andrew Pritchard (Canadore College)

Though we had been preparing our monologues well in advance with constant advice and coaching from our teachers, I sat in the car—in our convoy of 12 students all travelling from North Bay to Toronto for a weekend of monologues and high expectations—wondering just exactly what would happen. Though I myself and each individual student had their own image of what their performance in front of Toronto’s talent agents would look and feel like, the many weeks leading up to Theatre Ontario were finally over and the unexpected was upon us.

We finally arrived in Toronto after a little over four hours and were finally able to stretch out and get settled in. Our class had gotten to know a lot about each other in the year and a half we had spent honing our skills and learning new techniques in the great field of acting together, and Theatre Ontario Next Generation Showcase in Toronto was something that our teachers had been telling us about since day one. Each teacher would often regale us with a few tales from previous years and often say that it’s a fabulous time for a young actor to get out and show the wide world of talent just what we are capable of. Though we had practised our monologues and had everything (including the slightest gestures) down to a fine art, everything came down to two minutes of “us.”

We began our trip by loosening up and going out to dinner with our teachers, trying our best to cram in more practice for our big day. We awoke early in the morning in order to do our vocal warmups and our stretches—anything we could do to squeeze out every bit of potential we had within us in order to feel like champions. We studied the performance space, taking in the room of professionals who gazed back behind blinding lights, feeling like the studied life under a microscope. Though the experience of just feeling the performance space was stressful at first, all of the agents in the audience exuded a certain air of casual friendliness.

Finally, it was our turn. First up. All of our preparation had led to this moment. A fond memorization of the lines gave everyone in the class the ability to play with their characters and allowed us to unlock a certain finesse that lie previously unseen, a new talent untapped. It was a performance that was done individually, yet was a group success that allowed us all to get a taste of the real world through acting. And just like that, weeks of preparation and hard work was over in a little over a half of an hour.

The meet and greet was also a great time to meet industry professionals and get to know some new people from different acting schools across the country. Being complimented by professionals, who no doubt went through the same thing we had just experienced, was the real fruit of the labour. Knowing that someone with years of experience in the industry thought that our work was something special made all of the preparation worth it, and really ignited a growing passion for acting in all of us. Their insight into the professional world gave us all a great picture of what to expect and was a great learning experience.

Though all of us returned to our reality the very next morning, I believe we all, as a class, took a little piece of Toronto back home with us. It was a great look into the wild and wacky world that we all desire to be a part of. The experience left everyone with a fire in their belly that they will no doubt carry with them for a long time. It makes me excited to see where the future will take us in our potential careers. Whether it’s to make an audience laugh, cry, talk, or think, I believe we are all rest assured that everyone made a lasting impression and that everyone was able to bring a tiny two minute piece of “us” into the spotlight.

Related Reading

Wednesday 30 January 2019

Browsing Our Bulletin Board

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

Coming Up from Theatre Ontario

Theatre Ontario's "Taxes for Theatre Artists" workshop
Check out all of our upcoming Career Stream and Creator Stream workshops.

Upcoming on The Bulletin Board

  • Deadline for submissions from directors, musical directors, choreographers, stage managers, and producers for Theatre Aurora community theatre 2019/2020 season is January 31. 
  • Deadline for applications for Ontario Arts Council’s “Theatre Projects” grants is February 1.
  • Deadline for applications for ArtReach’s “Youth Arts Projects” grants is February 1.
  • Young People’s Theatre’s “Artist Educators Training Part Two: Creating Engagement” course runs February 7 to 8 in Toronto, with a registration deadline of February 1.
  • Nightwood Theatre’s Young Innovators invites submissions from female, non-binary or trans creators from all artistic disciplines for their Fem-pocalypse cabaret. Submission deadline is February 1.
  • Deadline for submissions from directors for East Side Players community theatre 2019/2020 season in Toronto is February 1.
  • 4th Line Theatre in Millbrook is hosting a free community acting workshop and public reading on February 2.
  • Smiths Falls Community Theatre’s “How to Audition” course runs February 6 and 13.
  • Michael Kennedy’s “Acting for Film and Television” masterclass runs February 23 in Toronto, with a registration deadline of February 6.
  • Deadline for applications for Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Seed Grants is February 6.
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 29 January 2019

Inviting Course Proposals for Summer Theatre Intensive 2019

Theatre Ontario's Summer Theatre Intensive
We are seeking proposals from theatre instructors for courses for our 2019 Summer Theatre Intensive.

The 2019 Summer Theatre Intensive program will be taking place from August 4 to 9 and will be held at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. These courses are targeted to participants ages 18 and up, and should be of interest to community theatre practitioners and theatre professionals alike.

The week-long intensive begins Sunday evening and ends Friday with a dinner and a closing event. There will be six hours of teaching per day, for five days from Monday to Friday. Students will be rehearsing or studying in the evenings. One evening of the week will include a trip to a theatre performance and another evening set aside for a visiting playwright.

Instructors are paid for the week's instruction and provided with meals and accommodation.

The deadline for proposals is February 14.

Learn more about submitting course proposals for Theatre Ontario’s Summer Theatre Intensive

Monday 28 January 2019

ONstage Openings for the week of January 28

ONstage Now Playing in Toronto
Fine China by Julie Phan at fu-GEN Theatre Company
Double Bill with A Perfect Bowl of Pho by Nam Nguyen
Nam Nguyen, Nightingale Nguyen, Julie Phan
Photo by Dahlia Katz
This week’s openings on Ontario’s stages

In Central Ontario

Jan. 31, Shorthanded at Owen Sound Little Theatre

In Eastern Ontario

Jan. 31, Proof at Belleville Theatre Guild [with a preview on Jan. 29]
Feb. 1, The Wedding Party at National Arts Centre—English Theatre (Ottawa) [with previews from Jan. 30]

In South Central Ontario

Jan. 31, Office Hours at Oshawa Little Theatre

In Southwestern Ontario

Jan. 30, Girls Like That at Theatre Sarnia
Jan. 31, Sister Cities at Kitchener-Waterloo Little Theatre
Feb. 1, Crees in the Caribbean at Theatre Aquarius (Hamilton) [with previews from Jan. 30]
Feb. 1, The Nerd at London Community Players [with a preview on Jan. 31]
Feb. 1, The Gentleman Clothier at Elmira Theatre Company
Feb. 1, Strangers Among Us at Theatre Burlington
ONstage Now Playing in South Central Ontario
Proscenophobia at Theatre Aurora

In Toronto

Jan. 30, Hook Up at Theatre Passe Muraille [with a preview on Jan. 29]
Jan. 31, Dick Whittington and His Cat at NAGs Players


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

Friday 25 January 2019

Thursday 24 January 2019

Theatre Ontario Celebrates 25 Years of Showcasing Emerging Storytellers

Theatre Ontario staff welcoming
the industry to Showcase
By Raeburn Ferguson, Professional Theatre and Education Manager

On January 13th and 14th, Theatre Ontario welcomed 300 students and 150 industry professionals to the Theatre Passe Muraille for our Next Generation Showcase. This was the 25th Showcase and we could not be more thrilled with the outcome. Between the incredible new talent on stage and the wisdom and expertise of the guests in the audience, we were blessed with two days that were full of one thing: passion for live performance and its creation.

Between Days One and Two, 19 schools in total had the chance to perform. We also welcomed seven “New Faces” that consisted of performers who were new to the area. Some were from out of province and several were new to the country, it was amazing to offer these talented performers a way to show off their talents and have their voices heard. Once the performances were done each day we went up to the Passe Muraille’s amazing cabaret space for our industry meet and greet. Our first meet and greet was sponsored by Sheridan TDS/UTM and the second night by Sheridan Musical Theatre. It was heartwarming to see connections being made and new friendships forming. A piece of advice heard consistently over the two days was to connect and make friends in the industry with your peers as they are the ones who are going to help you the most throughout your career. This advice is absolutely true and in these meet and greets you could see it being put to use. Both evenings also hosted panel discussions where the students could ask questions and gain insight into the casting world and how to navigate the industry. 

Next Generation Showcase Panel Day One
Our panels that were sponsored by Meridian Artists were moderated by Andre Newell, Theatre Ontario Board member, Agent (Carrier Talent) and Executive Producer of Monologue Slam Canada. Our “Business of Casting” panel on Day One consisted of Tovah Small (Agent, Meridian Artists), Jesse Griffiths (Casting Director, Jesse Griffiths Casting), Andrea Scott (Actor, Writer, Produce and Director), Matthew Willson (Actor, Director and Producer), Bryan Misner (Agent, The Characters) and Ron Leach (Casting Director, Producer and Director). Our Day Two panel on “The Blueprint of Business” hosted Brandon Antonio (Actor), Paul Beauchamp (General Manager and Producer, The Musical Stage Company), Evan Buliung (Actor), Rebecca Burton (Membership and Professional Contacts Manager, Playwrights Guild of Canada), Kevin Frank (Artistic Director, Second City Training Centre) and Amaka Umeh (Actor.) Both evenings were full of important questions and thoughtful answers. Watching various generations of theatre practitioners in one place learning from one another really distills what I believe this event is all about. 

This was my first Showcase and really my first big project as Professional Theatre and Education Manager and, like any show you work on, it seems so crazy that is it over in the blink of an eye. I could not be more thrilled with the way our 25th celebration turned out and want to thank all of the industry members and schools that joined us. This is truly a special event and one that is unique in nature. I look so forward to planning next year’s event…after some more coffee and rest. 

Related Reading

Wednesday 23 January 2019

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

Artist-Educator Training at Young People's Theatre
Photo by Ali Sultani
  • The MT Space’s dance workshops with Rock Bottom Performance run January 24 to 26 in Kitchener.
  • Shadowpath Theatre’s Winter Workshops on “Improve Your Improv”, “Scene Writing 101” and “Creativity, Core and More” are on January 27 in Richmond Hill.
  • Deadline for submissions from directors, musical directors, choreographers, stage managers, and producers for Theatre Aurora community theatre 2019/2020 season is January 31.
  • Deadline for applications for Ontario Arts Council’s “Theatre Projects” grants is February 1.
  • Deadline for applications for ArtReach’s “Youth Arts Projects” grants is February 1.
  • Young People’s Theatre’s “Artist Educators Training Part Two: Creating Engagement” course runs February 7 to 8 in Toronto, with a registration deadline of February 1.
  • Nightwood Theatre’s Young Innovators invites submissions from female, non-binary or trans creators from all artistic disciplines for their Fem-pocalypse cabaret. Submission deadline is February 1.
  • Deadline for submissions from directors for East Side Players community theatre 2019/2020 season in Toronto is February 1.

New on The Bulletin Board

  • Scarborough Theatre Guild community theatre invites applications from directors for their 2019/2020 season.


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 22 January 2019

Meet our 2019 Youth Advisory Committee

Theatre Ontario’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) is a place for Ontario's Emerging Artists to engage with one another and with Theatre Ontario to develop themselves as they enter the theatre industry and become the next generation of thinkers and doers.

Our YAC is a platform for emerging artists across the province to gain professional development in theatre and arts administration by accessing mentorship and training opportunities with our full-time staff, our Board, and our network.

We’re excited to welcome the members of our 2019 Youth Advisory Committee:
  • Kemi King
  • Steven Smits
  • Anne Vo
  • Caroline Watling

Monday 21 January 2019

ONstage Openings for the week of January 21

ONstage Now Playing in Toronto
Top Girls at Alumnae Theatre Company
Jordi O'Dael, Jennifer Fahy, Charlotte Ferrarei,
Alison Dowling, Lisa Lenihan, Tea Nguyen
Photo by Bruce Peters
This week’s openings on Ontario’s stages

In Toronto

Jan. 23, Rose at Soulpepper Theatre [currently in previews]
Jan. 24, Fine China / A Perfect Bowl of Pho at fu-GEN Theatre Company [with a preview on Jan. 23]
Jan. 24, The Virgin Trial at Soulpepper Theatre [currently in previews]
Jan. 24, Someone Waiting at Stage Centre Productions

In Central Ontario

Jan. 25, Disney and Cameron Mackintosh’s Mary Poppins Jr at Orangeville Music Theatre

In Eastern Ontario

Jan. 24, The Mountaintop at Great Canadian Theatre Company (Ottawa) [with previews from Jan. 22]
ONstage Now Playing in Eastern Ontario
The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble at Studio Theatre Perth

In South Central Ontario

Jan. 24, Proscenophobia at Theatre Aurora
Jan. 24, Pygmalion at Burl-Oak Theatre Group (Oakville)
Jan. 25, The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble at The Curtain Club (Richmond Hill) [with a preview on Jan. 24]

In Southwestern Ontario

Jan. 24, The Beauty Queen of Leenane at Guelph Little Theatre
Jan. 25, The Penelopiad at The Grand Theatre (London) [with previews from Jan. 22]

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 18 January 2019

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Conversation Starters


Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

Nightwood Theatre's production of Grace by Jane Doe
Rose Napoli and Michaela Washburn. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

In Case You Missed It

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

Thursday 17 January 2019

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 five stories:

The next application deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program is March 1, 2019.

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: Logan Raju Cracknell

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

Logan Raju Cracknell training in lighting design with David DeGrow at Cahoots in Toronto and on tour


Part 1: November 20, 2018

One of the skills I have not developed in the past through my technician and design work has been my writing skills, so for everyone reading this blog post get ready for some less-than-eloquent stuff. I am really excited to get to work with David DeGrow on Good Morning, Viet Mom. As someone who started my theatre career doing a lot more technician work than design, it was great to find a mentor who had a similar beginning to their career and I’m hoping that this mentorship helps me to further move along towards my career as a designer. One of the big things I’ve taken away from just the start of this, or pre-start I should say, is that theatre is flexible and ever changing. When I had submitted my grant originally, the production schedule—which was in, like, pre-prelim—was very loose and was looking to fall more into the period of February-March. This was getting to be a worry for me as I ended up getting a contract from February-June and was worried about the potential conflict, or how I could balance them both.

First, always talk to folks right away because then they are more likely to be flexible with things, and in this case David and I talked about how much of the mentorship could be done while I was out of the city for another Assistant Lighting Design gig. The second thing is that sometimes things work out in strange ways and a lot of the stuff we had in my original grant application was actually happening earlier than we had originally thought—so I am actually going to be around for a large amount of it.

David and I had a meeting recently to just talk about starting up with things and what I wanted from him and what he thought he could use me for. The big thing I wanted was for this experience to be treated primarily as a job, as I learn way better getting hands-on experience. I’m excited to get to do a lot of the Assistant Lighting Designer responsibilities with this show and then have David guide and suggest ways of improving on it or how to approach it, as opposed to just being shown how these things are done.

The biggest thing I’m hoping to learn from this is the work that goes into prepping a show for touring as I have had very little experience with it. It is a different beast of organization especially in situations where the designer cannot go with the show.

Part 2: December 20, 2018

Blog round two! At this point my mentorship has just started a little bit and won’t really be picking up until January. David and I met recently to talk about how we wanted to proceed with this, and I was super-thankful that he agreed to kinda throw tasks my way as if this was a typical assistantship job and then let me do those and we can talk about it after/that I could ask questions along the way. I think for myself getting the ability to learn through a work-like environment helps a lot in how I retain information and grow as an artist.

Right now the work I have done with David has been some prep work. The show I am mentoring him on is touring so we are having to work with paperwork from different venues. The prep that he had me helping with was re-drawing and cleaning up some files from one of the theatres we will be at. It was an interesting experience to see a large theatre that had files which didn’t follow industry standards and how something like that can really slow down the prep work of a designer since you cannot instantly know well what is what.

David has been a great mentor so far, has been willing to answer any questions I’ve had, and has been flexible with accommodating things such as the fact that we had to work around some changes in my own personal life with a move coming up near to when the show opens, as I’m leaving the city for a work contract.

I’m excited going forward to see more of the stuff we need to do in terms of prepping the touring aspects of the show. January is looking to be exciting as we get into the rehearsal period for the show.

The next application deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program is March 1, 2019.

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: Keshia Palm

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

Keshia Palm training in dramaturgy with Marjorie Chan at Cahoots Theatre in Toronto


(December 12, 2018)

This blog post is about hope.

Why do I say that? Well I was asked to describe “what I hope to accomplish”, “what I hope to learn”, and “how I see myself being able to contribute.”  Which all seems very aspirational and hopeful and positive. Which is good—because I do feel hopeful. I am super excited. But I also feel nervous and unsure. I mostly feel open. Which is a good thing I think. 

I have some small ideas and questions about the role of “the dramaturge” that have been percolating. They feel like baby ideas, and elementary questions—little hands reaching up from plastic coloured chairs kind of questions. I hope that by working with Marjorie Chan and Cahoots Theatre, those questions will unfurl and grow into bigger, more complicated questions. I hope I can graduate university and sit around batting questions back and forth with Marjorie sipping theoretical scotch by the end of this. I hope to be well-read in all manner of plays, which will help. I’m really excited about being paid to read and not squeeze minutes out on a bus from here to there—though I suspect there will be some of that too. I hope that all that reading combined with working and talking with Marjorie will help me develop a robust dramaturgical vocabulary, and I hope to use that vocabulary to help support the works in progress of the resident companies and artists at Cahoots.

I feel really humbled to have the opportunity to work with Marjorie Chan. In addition to being an incredible playwright, dramaturge, librettist, and artistic leader, she is also a lovely, lovely human. She is gentle, she is kind, and she listens to the artists she’s working with. I could use more of all those things I think. We all could. I think it’s so incredibly important for people to be heard. I hope to learn from Marjorie how I can be a better leader, facilitator and ally for our community at large. I hope to have a clear image of how I can support artists developing new work from a dramaturgical perspective by the end of the year. I hope I fail at a few things. I hope I succeed wildly at most things. 

I’m having a hard time articulating how I see myself being able to contribute to Cahoots, which says a lot about me and where I am with my artistic practice right now. I feel like a master of none, a jill of all trades. But I am passionate about new work development. I am an advocate for safe creative spaces. And I’m interested in challenging and changing the systems we have in place that prevent art from being sustainable and inclusive. So, I hope that my presence and input and questions will help propel the works of the artists I will be intersecting with at Cahoots forward. I hope I can be a resource for playwrights of differing and diverse perspectives during and after this process. I hope to support Marjorie, Kat, Indrit and Sabah as they create and produce programming that does question and challenge those systems. 

I hope I stay open. I hope I stay hope full.

Hopefully.

The next application deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program is March 1, 2019.


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: Claire Burns

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

Claire Burns training in administration and managing direction with Shawn Daudlin at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto


Part 1: December 2018

Since I moved to Toronto in 2001 I have been a wildly enthusiastic fan of Buddies and, like many in our community, I’ve enjoyed so many different aspects of its programming over the years. I first started coming for the dance parties and club nights as a university student, and as I became more immersed in Canada’s independent theatre scene, Buddies became my go-to for dynamic, experimental, alternative performances. I worked at it’s call centre in 2009, delivering frontline support for the development team as an enthusiastic sales person, and I’ve been connected to the organization in various ways ever since: either on stage as a performer, at events as a volunteer, behind the coat check as an employee, or in the theatre seats as an an avid fan of the programming, mandate, and aesthetic. In Toronto, we are lucky to have a space dedicated to queer performance and queer culture. I’m excited to mobilize my existing networks and to grow and develop new relationships that will continue to support such a unique organization.

In the past several years I have gained significant hands-on experience running an independent space and producing theatre performances within a range of budgets, however I am now ready to develop my skill set as an arts administrator in an established institution. I have a particular interest in arts management as it serves as the backbone of company operations. I submitted three major goals to learn from Buddies Managing Director, Shawn Daudlin: Human Resources, PACT and Financial Reporting. As someone who is passionate about my work and keen to translate that passion into long-lasting relationships, I am hungry to improve my skills in development administration, and to create new opportunities for supporters and party-goers alike to join me in investing in the bright future of Buddies in Bad Times.

Part 2: January 8, 2019

My PTTP has begun! Thank you to Theatre Ontario for this opportunity! I’ve started my work with Shawn Daudlin, the Managing Director of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and I couldn’t be more inspired.

First off, we entered ALL the financial finals into CADAC (Canadian Arts Data/Donnees sur les Arts au Canada.) It’s a web based application dedicated to the collection of financial and statistical data of Canadian Arts Organizations. You can check out the website at www.thecadac.ca. The CADAC is the platform where you report financials for Operating Funding through the OAC and CCA. I wanted to learn how to do this: i.e. how to input the numbers literally, but I also wanted to glean how Buddies separates their financial categories and what the back-end of their bookkeeping looks like. At Storefront, I’m the one primarily dealing with the financials and really have no training on this save for what I’ve learned myself. I was able to use the information that I received through this at Buddies to create a more cohesive budget and financial report for Storefront.

My second task with Shawn Daudlin at Buddies is updating the Human Resource Manual. Theatre had a big year re Human Resources, what with the Soulpepper situation, and clarity around HR reporting and workplace behavioural expectations have become more rigorous. I’ve taken a multitude of HR Supervisor training modules online and am in the process of drafting an updated manual. This is hard work and frankly intimidates me because HR involves a lot of legislative language which I always find a little thick to read and understand.

My third task is my favourite! I get to help book and plan more women’s late nights at Buddies. Buddies has done an incredible job at diversifying their theatre programming to reflect their inclusive mandate. However, the late club nights are still predominantly filled with cis-males. I’m in a unique position because I work late nights behind the bar and have a real interest in event/party planning, I have had experience running parties through Storefront and Inside Out Film Festival, and am a queer lady who wants her peers to take up more space! In November I attended an event hosted by Daily Xtra about how to get more Queer Women’s Spaces in Toronto. There are currently no lesbian bars or women-only bars on Church or ANYWHERE in the city and it’s obvious that this community wants more opportunity to come together. Buddies is holding a reading of Dyke City, the seminal ‘90s lez serial written by Sonny Mills, on Friday January 18th as a part of their 40th Anniversary Season Series, and I’m planning the after party! Come on out! All Ages, Free Event! Check out the event on Facebook here and come party in your best 90s dyke attire!

Dyke City After Party
Dj LL Cool Wei
Host Ashton Cootcher
Burlesque performances by
Ferrera Rose & Zyra Fresh Prince & Dainty Smith of Les Femmes Fatales
No Cover
Doors at 10pm
Best Jean Jacket contest at Midnight
10pm come and party with the lesbians, bi girls and anyone in between. All welcome. 
Strap on your hottest retro lezzie look and go down on Dyke Night like a bush on fire!

The next application deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program is March 1, 2019.

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: Laura McCallum

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

Laura McCallum is training in general management with Laura Pomeroy at Studio 180 Theatre in Toronto


Part 1: November 19, 2018

I’m excited to begin my Professional Theatre Training Program with Laura Pomeroy at Studio 180.

I have been working with Studio 180 since 2016 when I began note-taking for their board meetings. Board meetings are a great opportunity to learn about the inner workings of a company and I came to better understand the minutia of general management. After each meeting I would ask Laura P. for clarification about certain points to expand on my own learning and often asked her for advice regarding my position as General Manager at Theatre of the Beat, a small touring company. In this more formal training opportunity I’m glad to have the time to discuss at length the day-to-day operations of the company. In this current political climate, it was important to me to find a female mentor; despite arts managers being predominately female I have almost exclusively had male supervisors or mentors over the years.  

Laura P and Laura M
Beyond the knowledge-sharing of how to general manage a small-to-mid-sized non-venued company, I’m observing Laura P.’s soft skills as well. Laura P. exudes confidence, especially around finance, as she worked with Young and Associates for several years. Through the little I’ve seen of Laura P. when I visit the office or at board meetings I’ve concluded that she is the kind of manager I’d like to be someday, so the opportunity to observe her interactions with her mostly part-time staff and how she manages tough situations will be invaluable. 

Last year I graduated from the Arts Administration and Cultural Management post-graduate program at Humber and began officially working in theatre management. Though I’ve taken a financial management class and applied to numerous foundation grants, I still lack confidence and experience with finances and government grants. In this internship I will gain confidence in working with operating budgets over $150,000 and working with external granting bodies by assisting Laura P. with the 2019/2020 operating budget, the Oslo production budget, and beginning the 2019 granting cycle on all three levels of government grants. 

Studio 180 Board and Staff
Our training schedule is fairly regimented: I will observe Laura P. and be present in the office for meetings and events, followed by practicing a given task on my own, and finally I will have the chance to execute the task on my own with supervision. Over the course of the next eight weeks I will have a chance to practice skills I have already acquired a new setting. For example, I’m quite familiar with CAEA documentation after a previous internship in planning at the Shaw Festival but doing the CAEA documentation for the workshop of Apple by Cynthia Jimenez-Hicks will be much different considering I have never worked with the ITA agreement before. I’m looking forward to contributing to the office in a meaningful manner and already feel very welcomed by the Studio 180 board and staff. Studio 180 is committed to the training of emerging artists, evidenced through their In Development series and hiring of an RBC emerging playwright each year, and I am happy to be a part of their commitment to training emerging administrators as well. 

Once again I am very grateful to Theatre Ontario for funding this training opportunity. Small companies value interns but often don’t have the capacity to support their training outside of a formal educational setting, such as a post-grad program, where hours are done in exchange for credit. Theatre Ontario’s investment in the training of future general managers and arts administrators will definitely have a positive and life-changing impact on my career in the next few years. I can’t wait to get started next week and see where this opportunity takes me!

Part 2: January 5, 2019

I’m just over halfway through my Professional Theatre Training Program with Laura Pomeroy at Studio 180. Through November and December we tackled a good chunk of the training that we had outlined in our application, and then took a much-needed break over the winter holidays. 

In my first few weeks I participated in departmental and staff meetings, attended the November meeting, and observed the hiring of a new marketing coordinator. With Laura P.’s guidance I prepared a preliminary draft budget for the 2019/2020 season and have worked with her for weeks to massage this first draft before it’s presented at the January board meeting. In December, there were two presentations of Studio 180 In Development and I assisted in completing the CAEA documentation and fee schedule for both projects. I have processed CAEA contracts in the past but Laura P. showed me a simpler way of managing the fee schedules that I hope to utilize in future jobs. 

Metcalf Strategic Initiatives Workshop
Due to our training starting a little later than originally planned, I missed the opportunity to observe and work on the post-production and reconciliation of The Nether, Studio 180’s co-production with Coal Mine Theatre. I’m grateful that Laura P. still took the time to go over the reconciliation with me once I arrived, though. Another change to our training schedule was attending a Metcalf Strategic Initiatives workshop. While I was always planning on attending a workshop at some point, the nature of the particular workshop I attended required me to take on more of a representational role in discussing Studio 180’s goals with other companies by myself. This gave me the opportunity to apply what I knew about the company and its strategic plan in a more formal, external setting and to have genuine conversations with other artistic directors and general managers about the problems their companies are facing. Discussing the workshop after the board meeting with our team also gave me a chance to share my feedback with the same level of importance as our full-time staff and board members.

My relationship with Laura P. has evolved into a more collegial mentorship. I admit to having a fair bit of impostor syndrome surrounding my age and abilities so Laura P. treating me as an equal and colleague, and pointing out how unnecessary my impostor syndrome is, has done wonders for my confidence in the role. As mentioned earlier, I’m very appreciative for her patience in reviewing her work with me, especially reviewing some basics of the industries to make sure that we’re on the same page. Her previous experience as a bookkeeper has resulted in me not only learning about financial management at Studio 180 but also a comparison of how the company functions in relation to other organizations. 

In my final weeks I will be attending the first rehearsal of Oslo, preparing the staff reports and financials for the January board meeting, and assisting Laura P. with cash-flow projections for the remaining six months of the fiscal year.

The next application deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program is March 1, 2019.

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: Rhiannon Collett

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

Rhiannon Collett begins training in artistic producing with Tom Arthur Davis and Jivesh Parasram at Pandemic Theatre in Toronto


(December 17, 2018) It seems like recently everyone is talking about audience engagement. I’ll be honest: as a playwright, I’m kind of a theatre ghost. I like nothing more to slip into the back of the house, watch the show, and leave. No one knows who I am? Awesome. Engaging with the audience as a whole has always seemed like a lot. Talkbacks make me nervous. Answering questions is hard, and scary and sometimes it feels like a group dramaturgical session (“I just don’t really get what you were trying to do there…”). There are poor interpretations, miscommunications and hurt feelings (mine). I admit that “theatre ghosting” may not be the most responsible move, but fear ye not—the end of 2018 has proved overwhelmingly full of opportunities for me to grow as an artist directly engaged with their audience.

I’ve been living in Montreal for the past 5 weeks, working on the world-premiere of my show, The Kissing Game with TYA company Youtheatre. For over a month I’ve been primarily an actor (with the occasional bout of frenzied playwriting revisions.) I’ve been performing an openly queer narrative two times a day in high schools across the Greater Montreal Area. Every day we do a talkback. Sometimes I get a standing ovation. Sometimes I get heckled. Sometimes they want to know if I’m gay “in real life.” Sometimes they have nothing to say. Sometimes, like yesterday, they decide they’re going to try their very hardest to distract me for the entire 45 minute run and I had a near-perfect show quand-même. Point being—there has been lots of audience engagement, and it has turned out to be the most difficult and worthwhile part of this tour. The kids are alright, and very gay.

One thing that I’ve come to appreciate through my time on school tour is that engaging with an audience is a skill. When I think about standout audience engagement, I think about Tom and Jiv’s work at Pandemic. This is because I was the audience they engaged many, many times, even when I didn’t like their work. Even when I had something to say that was challenging. I had a strong objection to the show? Pandemic hired me to write my thoughts for their ‘zine. I had difficulty with some audience participation? Tom and I discussed it, and my thoughts were incorporated into the final production. My perspective as an audience member (and as an emerging artist) has always been heard at Pandemic, and it has profoundly changed the way that I experience their work (and the way that I think about how my own work could exist.)

On Sunday I head back to Toronto and start my mentorship in artistic producing with Pandemic—I’ll be assisting on the world premiere of Johnnie Walker’s play Shove It Down My Throat at Buddies in Bad Times. A large part of my mentorship with Tom and Jiv will be about how to engage with audiences outside the production. Shove combines lots of topics that I am extremely interested in—it’s a true-crime gonzo docu-play that explores queerness and complicity.

The next application deadline for the Professional Theatre Training Program is March 1, 2019.

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.

Wednesday 16 January 2019

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

Blyth Festival's 2018 production of The New Canadian
Curling Club
by Mark Crawford.
Marcia Johnson, Matthew Gin, Omar Alex Khan,
Parmida Vand, Lorne Kennedy. Photo by Terry Manzo.

The Blyth Festival deadline for Ontario Arts
Council Recommender Grants is January 18.
  • Deadline to register to apply for Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Seed Grants is today.
  • Deadline for applications for Ontario Arts Council Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators are coming up at 4th Line Theatre (January 18), Sudbury Theatre Centre (January 18), and Blyth Festival (January 18.)
  • The MT Space’s dance workshops with Rock Bottom Performance run January 24 to 26 in Kitchener.

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 15 January 2019

Funding Professional Mentorships and Unique Youth Training Programs

Do you need financial support for professional mentorship in your career? Seeking funding for that career-changing/career-accelerating opportunity?

Does your organization want to undertake an accessible, unique youth training project, led by professional theatre artists?

We are now accepting applications for the March 1, 2019 deadlines for our Professional Theatre Training Program (PTTP) and our Youth Theatre Training Program (YTTP).

Please note that we are implementing new deadlines for these programs throughout 2019 and 2020, and have changed our applicant eligibility requirements.

PTTP offers financial support for unique and flexible training with a chosen mentor in any theatrical discipline (except performance.) You can apply for professional development in your own discipline, or a "change of direction" in a career.

YTTP offers financial support to programs led by professionals in theatrical skills such as technical production and design, theatre administration and producing, and performance skills and play creation.



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

Monday 14 January 2019

ONstage Openings for the week of January 14

ONstage Now Playing in Central Ontario
Disney's Beauty and The Beast at Orangeville Music Theatre
This week’s openings on Ontario’s stages

In Toronto

Jan. 17, The Scavenger's Daughter at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre [with previews from Jan. 15]
Jan. 17, Rose at Soulpepper Theatre [in previews]
Jan. 18, Hair at Hart House Theatre
Jan. 18, Top Girls at Alumnae Theatre Company
Jan. 19, The Virgin Trial at Soulpepper Theatre [in previews]

In Central Ontario

Jan. 18, The Odd Couple at Northumberland Players (Cobourg)
Jan. 18, Real Estate at Peterborough Theatre Guild

In Eastern Ontario

Jan. 17, Cat on Hot Tin Roof at Domino Theatre (Kingston)
Jan. 17, The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble at Studio Theatre Perth
ONstage Now Playing in Eastern Ontario
Ripcord at Ottawa Little Theatre

In South Central Ontario

Jan. 18, Love and Anger at Durham Shoestring Performers (Oshawa)

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

Friday 11 January 2019

Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Conversation Starters


Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres


Migrations


In Case You Missed It

Thursday 10 January 2019

Welcome to Our Next Generation Showcase 2019 Panelists

Theatre Ontario is excited to host two panel discussions for participants in Next Generation Showcase, featuring esteemed professionals all working in theatre, film or television.

“The Business of Casting” on January 13th features Jesse Griffiths, Ron Leach, Bryan Misner, Andrea Scott, Tovah Small, and Matthew Willson.

“The Blueprint of Business” on January 14th features Brandon Antonio, Paul Beauchamp, Evan Buliung, Rebecca Burton, Kevin Frank, and Amaka Umeh.

Both panels are moderated by Andre Newell.

Our panelists will discuss their artistic journeys; the challenges that exist in the industry, and tips for navigating the ever-evolving world of early-career acting.

The panel is sponsored by Meridian Artists.

Learn more about Theatre Ontario’s Next Generation Showcase Panelists

Wednesday 9 January 2019

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

4th Line Theatre's production of "Crow Hill: The Telephone Play"
The application deadline for their Ontario Arts Council
Recommender Grant is January 18.
Photo by Wayne Eardsley, Brookside Studio
  • Studio PAVAS’ Contemporary Choreography workshop with Christina DiGiusseppe is on January 11.
  • Deadline to register to apply for Ontario Trillium Foundation’s Seed Grants is January 16.
  • Deadline for applications for Ontario Arts Council Recommender Grants for Theatre Creators are coming up at 4th Line Theatre (January 18), Sudbury Theatre Centre (January 18), and Blyth Festival (January 18.)

New on The Bulletin Board

  • Theatre Aurora community theatre invites submissions for productions roles (non-paying) for the 2019-2020 season.

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