Ontario Off Stage

by Brandon Moore, Community Theatre and Communications Manager

Conversation Starters

• Christine Horne wrote an honest post on intermission: Wrestling with “Success”, what it means to be “a successful working actor”, and a turning point for her: the week when she was on the cover of NOW Magazine, and couldn’t pay her rent.
• Jini Stolk reflected further on the collapse of Goodwill Industries Toronto, and what arts organizations can learn from it—specifically “spotting the red flags.”
• From March 31 to April 2, 2016, delegates gathered at The Banff Centre to discuss New Directions in Arts Leadership at the “Canadian Arts Summit 2016: New Directions in Arts Leadership.” Catch up on the Storify from the event.
• In recognition of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death, find out what Shakespeare play you should see or read with this handy illustrated flowchart.

Behind the Scenes at Ontario’s Theatres

• The Sears Ontario Drama Festival’s 70th Anniversary Gala is on May 9 at Hart House Theatre in Toronto (PDF.) The Gala is raising funds for the Ken and Ann Watts Memorial Scholarship Foundation, which provides scholarships and bursaries for students who have demonstrated outstanding talent and promise for future careers in the performing arts.
• Season announcements for 16/17 from Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto and Sudbury Theatre Centre.
• Young People’s Theatre in Toronto is hosting their “50 wonder-filled years” birthday bash on May 13.
• Soulpepper Theatre hosted their 2015 Annual General Meeting, which featured significant announcements of commissions, associate artistic director appointments, funding and new initiatives.
• Manitoulin Island arts organization leaders respond positively to the Federal budget—including Gore Bay Theatre’s Walter Maskel highlighting the negative impact of past provincial arts cuts on the community theatre sector in their region.

In Case You Missed It

• Stories from the Professional Theatre Training Program featuring Elizabeth Thomas (training in directing with Tanja Jacobs), Miranda Bouchard (training in design with Ruth Howard), and Matthew Thomas Walker (training in directing with Kim Collier.)
• Stories from the Professional Theatre Training Program featuring Jessica Lea Fleming (trained in artistic producing and programming with Tanja Dixon-Warren and Margo Kane), Sehar Bhojani (training in directing with Robert Ross Parker), Alessandro Costantini (training in directing with Caleb Marshall), and Deanna Choi (training in sound design with Thomas Ryder Payne.)

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