Theatre Ontario Welcomes Annette G. Procunier As Festival 2012 Adjudicator

Theatre Ontario is pleased to announce that Annette G. Procunier will be the adjudicator for the 2012 Theatre Ontario Festival in Sault Ste. Marie.

“To be asked as an adjudicator to judge and teach about theatre is an honour and privilege for me that I shall always treasure,” said Annette.  “Theatre is a lifelong pursuit of expression that brings together all performance elements and leaves us striving for excellence, truth and community.”

Annette has been involved in amateur and professional theatre for over forty years as a director, adjudicator and teacher.  Her work has taken her to Japan, Europe, the United States and across Canada.  She has adjudicated more than 120 festivals in the past 27 years, including being the only North American to adjudicate the IATA World Theatre Festival in Monaco.  Annette has also adjudicated the National Festival for the American Association of Community Theatre four times.  For her work as an Adjudicator in the United States she was made a Fellow of AACT in 2009 for “single-handedly raising the level of community theatre in America.”  She is the only non-American to hold this lifetime honour.  In 2010, Annette published the only textbook on adjudication Do You See What I See.  Annette was one of the founders of the Lighthouse Festival in Port Dover and is currently Artistic Director of New Actors’ Colony Theatre in Bala, Ontario where professional theatre in Canada started in 1939.

Theatre Ontario Festival 2012 will be held in Sault Ste. Marie from May 16 to 20, 2012 and is co-hosted by Theatre Ontario, Theatre SMC, and the QUONTA Drama Region.  For more information about the Festival, please visit the Theatre Ontario website.

ONstage Openings for the week of July 11

In Eastern Ontario
Jul. 12, The Book Of Esther at Festival Players of Prince Edward County (Picton)
Jul. 13, All's Well That Ends Well at St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival (Prescott) with a preview on Jul. 12

In Southwestern Ontario
Jul. 13, How The Other Half Loves at Drayton Entertainment: Huron County Playhouse (Grand Bend)
Jul. 13, The Little Years at Stratford Shakespeare Festival
Jul. 13, Shakespeare's Will at Stratford Shakespeare Festival
Jul. 14, Titus Andronicus at Stratford Shakespeare Festival
Jul. 15, Twelfth Night at Stratford Shakespeare Festival

In Toronto
Jul. 15, The Kreutzer Sonata at Soulpepper Theatre with previews from Jul. 12

In Central Ontario
Jul. 13, The Love List at Globus Theatre (Bobcaygeon)
Jul. 13, When The Reaper Calls at Meaford Hall
Jul. 17, Wingfield's Folly at Algonquin Theatre (Huntsville)

For all the theatre currently playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to add/update your listing, visit the ONstage theatre listings on the Theatre Ontario website.

7 Days In Ontario Theatre

(The fourteen-day version: hope you all enjoyed the Canada Day long weekend!)

Conversations

• The major topic of conversation for the past two weeks has been SummerWorks: it’s getting its own round-up next week
• We’ve been having a spirited Toronto-London-Sarnia Twitter convo around the value of allowing tweeting during performances; terrific discussion unfolding from Trisha Mead’s “The New Wild West” piece on 2AM Theatre

From The Wire

• ASTRO – the Association of Summer Theatres ‘Round Ontario – made the front page of the Toronto Star Entertainment section with highlights of the upcoming summer season
• A turbulent week in Oshawa for the Durham Shoestring Performers and other arts organizations that use the Arts Resource Centre: city staff recommended converting the Centre into office space, but two City Council committees essentially said thanks for your advice, and then tabled it
• PAL Canada is conducting a needs assessment for the City of Ottawa
• Fanshawe College in London is getting a new learning space for several programs, including the theatre program

Migrations

• Kim Renders is leaving as Artistic Director of Theatre Kingston, and they are now seeking an Artistic Producer
• Brenda Leadlay will be the new Artistic Director of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival

TO Toasts

• Congratulations to all of the recipients of the 2010-2011 Dora Mavor Moore Awards in Toronto

Highlights From The Bulletin Board

• Theatre Gargantua in Toronto is offering two versions of training on their physical theatre creation methods: a four-day intensive starting July 26 and a one-day workshop running twice on August 1 and 2
• One week left before the Off The Wall—Stratford Artist Alliance begin their summer intensive “Introduction to Theatre Production Arts”

Check out all the latest postings of workshops, classified ads, recognition opportunities and more from Theatre Ontario’s Bulletin Board

Assembled by Brandon Moore, Communications Coordinator

A Young Director’s Journey

By Tim Chapman, Professional Theatre Coordinator

A couple of years ago, I did a piece profiling a young actor’s journey with Jenny Young.   Now I want to profile Ashlie Corcoran, a young director, and her journey up to now.

I believe the directing career in professional theatre to be the most difficult in the field—a field in which all careers are at best filled with uncertainty and financial hardship.  Eleven or twelve years ago Paul Thompson asked me how many professional Canadian freelance theatre directors I knew over the age of 60.  He could only name himself and Paul Bettis (who died in 2005.)  I think he made his point, even if the number is inaccurate.  Most freelance theatre directors eventually move on to artistic direction/producing, academia, or film/radio/television.  When I related this to Ashlie, she replied, “Well, there is nothing wrong with any of those possibilities.”

ONstage Openings for the week of July 4

In Central Ontario
Jul. 6, The Melville Boys at Drayton Entertainment: King's Wharf Theatre (Penetanguishene)

In Eastern Ontario
Jul. 4, Antony and Cleopatra at Company of Fools (Ottawa)
Jul. 9, Weekend Comedy at Upper Canada Playhouse (Morrisburg) with previews from Jul. 7
Jul. 9, Bell, Book And Candle at Classic Theatre Festival (Perth) with a preview on Jul. 8
Jul. 9, Twelfth Night at St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival (Prescott) with a preview on Jul. 8

In South Central Ontario
Jul. 7, The Marvelous Wonderettes at Stage West Theatre (Mississauga)
Jul. 8, The 39 Steps at The Rose Theatre (Brampton)

In Southwestern Ontario
Jul. 5, Skin Flick at Victoria Playhouse Petrolia
Jul. 7, Blood Brothers at Drayton Entertainment: Huron County Playhouse (Grand Bend) with a preview on Jul. 6
Jul. 7, I'll Be Back Before Midnight at Showboat Festival Theatre (Port Colborne)
Jul. 8, On The Rocks at The Shaw Festival (Niagara-on-the-Lake)
Jul. 9, The President at Shaw Festival (Niagara-on-the-Lake)
Jul. 9, The Admirable Crichton at Shaw Festival (Niagara-on-the-Lake)
Jul. 10, Italian Funerals And Other Festive Occasions at Drayton Entertainment: Drayton Festival Theatre with previews from Jul. 6

In Toronto
Jul. 6, 23rd Toronto Fringe Festival
Jul. 6, The Glass Menagerie at Soulpepper Theatre
Jul. 7, Jenny's House Of Joy at Scarborough Players

Touring Ontario
Jul. 9, Macbeth from Driftwood Theatre Company with previews from Jul. 7

For all the theatre currently playing across Ontario, and information for theatres on how to add/update your listing, visit the ONstage theatre listings on the Theatre Ontario website.