Summer Theatre Intensive: “The Best Way I Can Think of Spending a Week of My Vacation”

By Murray Tilson

Nolan Cox and Murray Tilson in
A Christmas Carol at Take Two Theatre

This year will be my third time attending Theatre Ontario’s Summer Theatre Intensive.  The knowledge that the courses have given me has been so valuable, as well as the knowledge I bring back to my theatre company. The wonderful friends I have met and the memories will always be some of my most fond in theatre. The instructors give us so much, and still manage to keep it at a level that the bridge between professionals and amateurs feels equal.

The course I am taking at the Summer Theatre Intensive this year is “Reviewing your Revue: Creating a Musical Theatre Performance” with David Gale and Randy Vancourt. My community theatre company, Take Two Theatre in Timmins, usually puts on a musical production every second season, and as a director and performer, I feel this course will add so much to enhance our productions. The musicals always do well at the box office for us and brings in many new members, not only on stage, but in production crews and community support from the media and local businesses. As a musician, I would like to be able to understand better the use of solo, harmony, and accompanying vocals.

Class picture from our 2011 Summer Theatre Intensive;
Murray took "When I Am On Stage... Who Am I?" with Terry Tweed

Summer Intensive is the best way I can think of spending a week of my vacation.  You learn so much, and meet some wonderful people. The "Field Trip" evening to Stratford to see a show is one of the highlights of the week. I would definitely recommend this to anyone, and every community theatre group should try to send one member every summer to this invaluable theatre experience.

I am hoping that next fall I can direct Take Two Theatre’s fall musical production and this course, I am sure, will help me bring our show that "edge" that will make it an experience for all the company, on and off the stage, and an enjoyable evening for our audience.

Community Theatre is alive and well in Northern Ontario!

Find out more about Theatre Ontario's Summer Theatre Intensive